Dunking With Wolves
Fansided

Former Timberwolves players still looking for work

By Ben Beecken

OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 4: Adreian Payne #33 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball during a game against the Golden State Warriors on April 4, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 4: Adreian Payne #33 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball during a game against the Golden State Warriors on April 4, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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As the off-season rolls on, a trio of Timberwolves players who all finished the 2016-17 season on Minnesota’s roster remain unsigned.

The Timberwolves had 16 players players suit up and appear in a game last season. Of that group, only six are currently under contract and seem all but certain to open the 2017-18 season on the Wolves roster: Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng, Nemanja Bjelica, Tyus Jones, and Cole Aldrich.

Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and Ricky Rubio were traded away, of course. John Lucas III was waived early in the season and Lance Stephenson returned to Indiana late in the year and has since re-upped with the Pacers.

That leaves free agents Omri Casspi, Jordan Hill, Adreian Payne, Brandon Rush. Casspi signed a modest deal with the Golden State Warriors early on, leaving the latter three players as the only unsigned players from last year’s Wolves team.

Rush has interest from a couple of teams, according to Darren Wolfson. Doogie had also previously reported that the Rush camp had not yet heard from the Timberwolves since season’s end, so it seems unlikely that he ends up back at Target Center.

After all, there are plenty of relatively cheap, end-of-the-bench shooting options out there, and while Rush was a semi-valuable veteran to have, it’s not a heart-breaker to see him not be retained.

Hill signed a $4 million deal late in the off-season nearly a year ago with a non-guaranteed second year and was waived just prior to this summer’s draft. He only appeared in seven games for the Wolves last year and is a strange case, as he was an effective contributor for the Pacers as recently as 2015-16. Entering his age-30 season, he should still be a rotational big on an NBA squad.

That leaves Payne, the lanky and often awkward big man that was acquired for a yet-to-be-conveyed draft pick from Flip Saunders prior to the trade deadline in 2015. Put simply, he has not been an effective NBA player after a four-year career at Michigan State.

Payne is a bouncy, energetic player who is most productive when he’s playing with reckless abandon. Which, of course, is exactly the issue. He has not figured out how to play within a team concept on either end of the floor, nor has he come close to converting his 40.9 percent 3-point shooting percentage from college into an NBA-caliber long-range stroke, as he’s shot just 23.2 percent from beyond the arc as a pro.

He found some success in short minutes last season, but primarily in transition and crashing the glass with no regard for anyone else on the court. Ultimately, there is probably a roster spot for him somewhere in the NBA, but there isn’t much upside for the 26-year-old and he can’t be overexposed as more than an energy player.

(Late on Monday, RealGM reported that the Orlando Magic have used one of their two-way roster spots on Payne. Interesting choice, as Payne is already 26 years of age and it’s…tough to project him as much more than he is today.)

Next: More Signing Are Coming Eventually For The Wolves

Here’s hoping that the trio of former Wolves each find new homes, although each of them is in a very different spot in their respective careers and are unlikely to end up back in Minnesota.