5 Players the Wolves should target in buyout market

5. Ersan Ilyasova

Ersan Ilyasova was a player that was possibly on the move before the trade deadline. The Atlanta Hawks ultimately decided not to trade him, but could be viewed as a buyout candidate. He’s 30 years old, which means he’s not going to be with Atlanta much longer. The Hawks are going through a rebuild and will be looking to go through a youth movement.

Ilyasova is not known for being a defensive player, but a player that can stretch the floor. That would be an area in which Minnesota could desperately receive help upon. This season he’s shooting it 36.5 percent from 3.

To go along with his ability to shoot the ball from distance, he is averaging 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Adding Ilyasova would be a huge push for Minnesota’s bench. Often times we’ve seen Karl-Anthony Towns start the second or fourth quarter. Adding Ilyasova would allow a bench combo of Gorgui Dieng and Nemanja Bjelica. Bjelica has excelled at the small forward position in the past, which makes this sign a viable option moving forward.

Dieng has certainly improved his three-point shooting this season. So, a lineup composed of Tyus Jones–Jamal Crawford-Bjelica-Ilyasova-Dieng; would be an improved three-point scoring bench. I think Ilyasova and Bjelica would be an interesting combo to watch, with Bjelica benefiting the most because of his size and strength against other small forwards.

It would be smart for Minnesota to look at Ilyasova because it would allow a nice combo of big men to play off the bench, and would add scoring and 3-point shooting.