Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 remaining free agent targets
5. Tim Hardaway Jr.
Tim Hardaway Jr. might have played himself out of Minnesota’s price range this past season when he averaged 14.5 points on 35.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He also set career-highs in assists (2.3) and rebounds (2.8).
The restricted free agent will surely be looking for a pay raise as he only made a little over $2 million last season, the final year of his rookie deal.
The former 24th overall pick has a qualifying offer on the table of nearly $4.6 million according to Spotrac.
That number alone takes Minnesota out of the conversation. However, I wouldn’t put it past Tom Thibodeau and co. to make a run at any halfway decent shooting guard.
Thibodeau knows his team sorely lacks wing depth and has been casting a wide net according to Darren Wolfson:
Yet another wing #Twolves have inquired on is Gerald Green. Casting a wide net, hoping a bigger name falls into their $4.3M exception laps.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) July 3, 2017
Even though Hardaway isn’t an elite outside shooter, he makes them at a league average clip. He also attempts 5.3 outside shots a game, which is more than any player currently on the roster.
Hardaway’s defensive numbers are a mixed bag. He boasts a defensive rating of 109 which is neither awful nor great. His defensive box plus-minus was -1.5 last season but his defensive win shares was 2.1.
At this point, Minnesota will be lucky to get a player of Hardaway’s caliber, even with his shortcomings.