Timberwolves Free Agency: Atlanta Hawks Edition
By Ben Beecken
Mike Muscala
Muscala is another Minnesota native, but unlike Humphries, is entering the prime of his career. After being selected in the second-round of the 2013 NBA Draft, Muscala has seen his playing time gradually increase over the past four seasons.
In 2016-17, the former Roseville High School and Bucknell University star averaged 17.7 minutes per game over 70 contests, putting up 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while hitting three-pointers at a 41.8 percent clip. In addition to playing more often, Muscala’s three-point attempt rate has skyrocketed from .041 as a rookie to .146 in year two, and .257 the following year. This season, 32.6 percent of Muscala’s field goal attempts were from beyond the arc.
In all actuality, Muscala is a stretch-five. He’s a legit 6′-11″ but doesn’t rebound well enough to anchor a team’s effort on the defensive boards. His post game is strong, however, and he is decent enough defensively to guard within a team concept.
It’s hard to see Muscala being a fit in Minnesota, as the Timberwolves are surely looking for another tough rebounder to slot-in next to Karl-Anthony Towns. Plus, Nemanja Bjelica and Gorgui Dieng fill the stretch-big role well enough on the current roster.
Verdict: Muscala is a good player and should be relatively affordable, but it’s unlikely that he’ll end up in Minnesota in the near future.