Minnesota Timberwolves: Cheap free agents (part 3)

The third and final edition of cheap free agents for the Minnesota Timberwolves examines some veteran names that might be good fits.

The Minnesota Timberwolves continue to look at any and all options with available free agents, hoping to add to their porous bench depth.

Earlier this week, Minnesota announced that the deals with Taj Gibson and Jeff Teague are both flat, meaning they will get paid the same amount each year.

For Gibson, he will receive $14 million each of his two years in Minnesota. Teague will receive $19 million for each of his seasons and then will have a player option for the same amount for the third year of the deal.

This gives us more information and allows us to have a clearer picture of what kind of money the Timberwolves are looking at.

According to Dane Moore of Canis Hoopus, the Timberwolves should have $2.36 million to work with.

That’s a little bit more than the $2 million number we were using for the past two parts but not enough to make a significant difference in the approach.

As I’ve said before, don’t expect any of these deals to happen anytime soon. As we sit in the middle of July, just two weeks removed from the start of free agency, players don’t yet have a sense of urgency to sign with a team.

They will continue to hold out hope that someone will pay them more than the minimum, which is a smart move on their part.

As the summer moves on, however, these players will hopefully be linked to the Wolves as they would be very helpful.

5. Anthony Morrow

Anthony Morrow is one of the sharpest of sharpshooters in the NBA, having knocked down 41.7 percent of his career 3-point attempts.

He’s shot over 40 percent from downtown an amazing five times in his career, and at 31 years old, he still has a lot left in the tank.

After having a down year with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was moved around the trade deadline as part of the Taj Gibson deal.

He only played in nine games for the Bulls after that but knocked down 42.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.

This familiarity with Jimmy Butler might help entice the sharpshooter to join his former teammate, however brief, in Minnesota.

Morrow would play sparingly with the Timberwolves but provides them with something the currently lack on their bench, outside shooting.

The Georgia Tech product knows his role and plays it perfectly. He doesn’t try to do too much which is a good thing for a role player.

In order to keep this positive we won’t talk about his defense but just know that their’s no “D” in Anthony Morrow.

The shooting guard would also likely come to Minnesota on a veteran’s minimum, making him even more attractive to Tom Thibodeau.

4. Brandon Rush

Yes, Brandon Rush is on this list. And he deserves to be.

Timberwolves’ fans are fond of ragging on the shooting guard but he did an admirable job filling in for the injured Zach LaVine last season. Remember, this guy was only brought in to be a limited role player and was thrust into a much larger position.

Rush only averaged 4.2 points per game but shot 38.6 percent from the 3-point line. For his career, he’s even better, knocking down 40.2 percent of his outside shots.

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This type of shooting is what the Wolves need to add more of. Even though he’s not a high-volume shooter, taking only four shots per game last season, the threat of him knocking down an open jumper is enough to keep the defense halfway honest.

At 6-foot-6, he can play both wing positions which is extremely helpful. The only other backup wing, Jamal Crawford, is mostly limited to the 2 due to his height and athleticism.

There’s nothing to write home about in regards to defense for University of Kansas product. He will do an okay job but should never be matched up against elite scorers.

Rush is also another minimum contract candidate which is all the Wolves can afford. Hopefully, the familiarity and relationships he built last year in Minnesota will help them land his services once again.

3. Tiago Splitter

Without looking back through all three parts of the cheap free agent’s articles, I’m willing to bet this is the only big man who appears on the list.

Thibodeau has already said Minnesota will add two wings and a point guard but Splitter is still a player worth noting, especially with the Cole Aldrich trade speculation and Justin Patton injury.

After being traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Atlanta Hawks in July of 2015, his play has declined sharply. He only lasted a year and a half in Atlanta before they swapped him to the Philadelphia 76ers.

He only lasted a year and a half in Atlanta before they swapped him to the Philadelphia 76ers in a cap clearing move. Splitter didn’t even make it through the whole season as he spent a week in the D-League with the Delaware 87ers.

Regardless, Splitter can still provide a veteran big man who can fill in when needed.

Although he’s not much of a shot-blocker at all, he’s still solid on the defensive end. He knows his assignments and is where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there.

He also provides some nice rebounding, especially on the offensive end of the floor.

If Minnesota signs him it will only be if Aldrich is traded and he’s likely to see more of a suit than a jersey. However, he can continue to add the veteran element Thibodeau has been looking to add.

2. Troy Williams

Troy Williams can score.

Period. End of discussion. He’s proven that at every level he’s played at.

Scoring is where he will help Minnesota and their bench that ranked last in the NBA last season in bench points per game.

Williams is currently averaging 24.3 points per game in the Las Vegas Summer League, fourth most by any player. He also averaged 19.8 points in 10 games in the D-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. This was after playing most of the season with the Iowa Energy.

The NBA has been a little more difficult for Williams but he still managed 9.7 points per game in six appearances with the Houston Rockets last season.

This potential bodes well for the small forward as he’s still young at 22 years old.

Thibodeau and Layden would be smart to give this man an extended look and a chance to make the roster. He could even be a candidate for the two-way contract that is new to the NBA this season.

1. C.J. Watson

C.J. Watson would be a great backup point guard for the 2017-18 Timberwolves.

He’s a savvy veteran who isn’t too far out of his prime to make a positive impact for his team. His play has dipped mightily the past two seasons in Orland but that’s Orlando, who hasn’t struggled there?

Before that stint, he showed the ability to be a quality backup point guard on a quality playoff team. That’s all the Wolves can ask for at this point.

Watson can knock down some outside shots, demonstrated by his 37.3 percent career 3-point shooting.

He’s also had some success in the past setting up his teammates but creating isn’t the basis of his game.

At 6-foot-2 he has the same slim build of Jeff Teague. That isn’t ideal as most teams prefer to acquire guys with different strengths in order to make opposing teams prepare for a variety of skills.

However, at this point in the offseason and with the money Minnesota has left, they have to settle for whatever they can afford.

After being recently released from Orlando, Watson is a guy who will probably accept minimum money at some point this summer. Given that he has ten years of experience, he’s able to accept the maximum amount for a minimum salary.

Next: Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 trades for Cole Aldrich

Patience is a virtue. Especially in the middle of the summer for a strap-capped team with playoff aspirations. A move might not happen for a while and that’s okay. We’ve seen where acting quickly has gotten us to at this point, now it’s time to play the waiting game.