#1 – Wayne Ellington
First up is a player that I can see filling the role of what Jamal Crawford did best, and hopefully for a similar price.
Crawford made less than $4.5 million last season with the Wolves, while Ellington is coming off a 2-year $12 million deal is seven years younger, and had somewhat of a breakout season in Miami.
The market for Ellington is yet to be seen, however there are surely to be some suitors for the knock-down shooter. Thus, the Timberwolves may have to spend a little more than they wish to secure a player of his caliber.
But with the promise of a sixth-man to add to the roster, and with the knowledge that Tom Thibodeau chooses to stick to a tight rotation, the addition of Ellington could be well worth spending a bit more in the long run.
Last season for the Miami Heat, Ellington shot 39% percent from 3-point range on his way to averaging a career-high 11.2 points per game off the bench.
Debatably, the Timberwolves are in a better position to challenge for a championship compared to Ellington’s Miami Heat, which may be a card the Wolves can play to lure to shooting guard to Minnesota.
You may recall that Ellington played his first three NBA seasons in Minnesota after the Wolves drafted him 28th in the 2009 NBA Draft. I would be happy to welcome Ellington back to Minnesota as he could fill the bench role left by Crawford, and lead the Wolves’ second unit.