After winning the championship, McCants declared his eligibility for the 2005 NBA Draft, and was selected 14th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. His college teammates, Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, and Sean May were also selected in the draft. During his first two years as a pro, McCants was bothered by injuries and did not play up to the expectations of fans. He had a lot of expectations going into the 2007–08 season, and on a young Timberwolves squad, he started the season as a rotation regular, and broke into the starting lineup halfway through the season.