Do the Timberwolves have a chance to land Kyle Lowry?

Now that we know that Kyle Lowry will opt out of his contract with the Toronto Raptors, is there a chance that he could sign with the Timberwolves this off-season?

All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry is opting out of the final year of his contract with the Toronto Raptors.

There are plenty of reasonable destinations for the 31-year-old guard. But do the Timberwolves stand a chance to sign someone of his caliber?

In his own words, Lowry is on the hunt for a championship ring. He had this to say in an interview with the Toronto Star:

"“I want a ring. That’s all that drives me. I want to just get better, I want to have fun, I want to win a ring.”"

At first glance, this may seem like it immediately rules out a current lottery team like the Timberwolves, but the three-time All-Star guard hasn’t ruled that idea out yet.

"I think I can do that anywhere I play. That’s just how confident I am.”"

While Bleacher Report covered a few of the potential landing spots for Kyle Lowry; the Wolves weren’t mentioned.

Fellow lottery teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers did make an appearance in that list, however. And if there’s an argument to be made for 26-win and 28-win teams, respectively, there’s an argument to be made for a 31-win team.

After all, the Timberwolves are on the upswing, and they have a lot going on for them at the moment. This could be reason enough for a big-name player like Lowry to sign with the team.

They are already stocked with several capable point guards, ranging in development from Ricky Rubio, the team’s veteran leader, to Kris Dunn, the Wolves’ lottery (and perhaps disappointing, at least to this point) pick in last year’s draft.

However, Lowry may be able to provide for the team what both of the aforementioned guards fail to bring to the table.

During his most-recent season with Toronto, Lowry averaged a career-high 22.4 points across 37.4 minutes per game. He also added a steal-and-a-half per contest to go with seven assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Comparatively, Rubio averaged 11.1 points, 9.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 32.9 minutes per game over this last year.

The real difference comes in the threat Lowry provides to the offense as a scorer, which is something Rubio has always struggled with.

Lowry shot the three-ball at 41 percent this season, a career best. Rubio on the hand, shot nearly 10 percent worse at 30.6 percent. If the Timberwolves could land Lowry, the offense would immediately experience a boost.

Even when Dunn is on the floor for the Wolves, opposing defenses can sag off of the team’s guards or go under screens, playing the numbers game with the position’s poor performance beyond the arc.

Additionally, in early May, it was announced that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor would be buying the Iowa Energy, an NBA Development League affiliate located in Des Moines, Iowa – just about three hours south of Minneapolis. This may be a great place to stash young guards like Kris Dunn and Tyus Jones in the event that the team does manage to sign Lowry.

Ultimately, the chance is slim for the Timberwolves. Lowry seems more likely to sign with a team that is currently a playoff contender than one that may miss the postseason for the 14th year straight next season.

Next: Grading the Timberwolves' 2014 Draft

But, never say never, Wolves fans.