Timberwolves Free Agency: Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry may just be the best pure shooter in NBA history, and there’s always a chance that he could make his way to the Timberwolves this off-season.

Two-time MVP Steph Curry becomes a free agent after Golden State’s playoff run this year, and he will certainly be evaluating his options on the open market.

Of course, Curry will be eligible to sign the largest contract in NBA history; should he choose to stay with the Warriors, but lets just ponder ‘what if’?

The Minnesota Timberwolves notoriously passed on selecting Curry in the 2009 draft, despite having two early picks. With the fifth selection, the Wolves grabbed Ricky Rubio and with the sixth, another point guard in Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn (who lasted three seasons in the NBA), before the Warriors nabbed a point guard named Stephen Curry with the seventh pick.

The Timberwolves (or, at least their fans) have been watching Steph Curry’s rise to stardom and thinking back over their two point guard selections.

Curry would offer the Timberwolves some amazing offensive stats. Of course, his three-point shooting is his greatest asset. Curry has ranked first in made three-pointers the last five years, and is currently placed 10th all-time, despite only being in his eighth season. Curry has also ranked in the top-10 in points per game the last five seasons, despite the Warriors being a team of offensive maestros.

Durant’s arrival in Golden State has reduced Curry’s role as the teams star scorer and provides possibly the only reason Steph may consider leaving the Bay Area. However, even with the addition of Durant, Curry has proven to be an offensive force.

This postseason, Curry has been scoring at a higher percentage than he did in Golden State’s championship-winning season of a couple years ago, and he’s only averaging 0.4 points less despite playing 4.9 minutes less each game.

Throughout the regular season, Curry averaged 25.3 points in 33.4 minutes per game, shooting 46.8 percent from the field including 41.1 percent from three-point range. Curry averaged 4.5 rebounds a game, to go along with 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals.

Stephen Curry is the only unanimous MVP in history, getting all first-place votes last season to go back-to-back. If this doesn’t say something about his game, I don’t know what would.

As well as his insane three-point shooting ability, Stephen Curry has incredible handles that rank against the best in the league. His ability to finish at the basket is also an asset to his offensive game. If a player is slacking off on defense, Curry can launch a three, or deep two-pointer. If a player is guarding him closely, Steph can dribble around him to the basket, or launch a teardrop floater from the key.

Curry is an incredibly hard player to guard, with his crazy shooting range complimented by his ability to score from almost anywhere on the court. The offensive prowess of Curry can space the floor for the Timberwolves, providing more scoring options resulting in more points.

The Timberwolves are in need of three-point shooters after ranking dead-last in made three-point field goals per game this season. Minnesota’s three-point scoring was hampered once Zach LaVine was injured, but imagine a team with Curry and LaVine on the court and KAT to finish under the basket. A team like this would be hard to stop, and the points (and wins) would come rolling in.

Of course, Steph Curry is an extremely unlikely option for the Timberwolves this off-season, and his contract will definitely be a maximum salary deal. However, think of the possibilities should the Timberwolves manage to land one of the best shooters in NBA history.

The two-time MVP would offer offensive benefits the Timberwolves can only dream of. His playoff experience could make Minnesota a legitimate post-season threat.

Next: 5 Free Agents The Timberwolves Should Avoid

Steph Curry would be a great acquisition for the Timberwolves, and hey, anything is possible.