Minnesota Timberwolves: 10 wing options in free agency

With free agency kicking off this weekend, we finish our series of players to keep an eye on for with our top 10 options on the wing for the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer.

Our fee agency series started with a look at five centers that the Timberwolves could consider signing. Then, we considered 10 forwards, primarily those that play the three and the four positions.

That means that it’s time to look at wings that play both the small forward and shooting guard spots. (We won’t cover point guards, as unless a Tyus Jones trade occurs the Timberwolves will surely just be looking to add a veteran as a third point, similar to the Aaron Brooks addition last summer.)

The same ground rules that applied to the forwards piece applies here. Once again:

These players are primarily “wings” by trade, meaning that they either play the two or the three as their main position, but ideally can fill in at both spots. In some unique cases, they could even qualify as combo guards or fill in as a small-ball power forward, but most are going to be 2/3 combos.

Secondly, these aren’t necessarily the 10 best wings on the market; you won’t find LeBron James on this list. This is the list of the 10 best fits for the Timberwolves who would be somewhat realistic acquisitions for Tom Thibodeau and company. (For example, J.J. Redick won’t hit this list, either, because the Wolves would need to get creative to find enough cap space to bring him to Minnesota.)

There are a few names on this list that the Timberwolves have had confirmed interest in, either this year or in the past, but there are several that we haven’t heard either way on.

Let’s get into it.

10. Corey Brewer and Arron Afflalo

We’ll go ahead and start with a cop-out at No. 10. Let’s just say that if the Timberwolves end up with either of these guys as their main free agency pickup, than it will have been a disappointing offseason.

Corey Brewer and Arron Afflalo could both be decent bench pieces as fourth wings, provided they aren’t relied on much.

Brewer would be enjoying his third separate stint in Minnesota if he were to return; not much has changed since his most recent tour of Target Center, back in 2013-15. He still can’t shoot 3-pointers, never having managed to hit on even 30 percent in a season. He’s still really fast, and still gambles (and wins) in the passing lanes with frequency.

He remains a solid defender, and his chaotic style of play can be succesful at times. Brewer hit something of a second wind after joining the Oklahoma City Thunder down the stretch of the 2017-18 season, starting 16 of 18 regular season games and all six playoff contests, shooting 34.4 percent on threes during the balance of the regular season and 45.5 percent on threes in the playoffs.

While it would be fun to have Brew back in a Timberwolves uniform, he shouldn’t be relied on as a sixth man, as he simply isn’t a consistent offensive player.

Afflalo, on the other hand, really only brings the ability to knock down threes. The 33-year-old is a career 38.6 percent 3-point shooter, which is, coincidentally, the exact same rate he converted at last year in his second stint with Orlando. Two years ago, Afflalo made 41.1 percent of his threes in Sacramento.

He’s been a bad defender for a few years now, and has clearly lost a step in trying to get to the rim, too. He doesn’t draw fouls anymore, and is best used as a spot-up shooter and must be hidden on the defensive end of the floor.

At any rate, each of these guys would be a solid add as a 10th man, but nothing more.

9. Avery Bradley

Avery Bradley is one of the players that Darren Wolfson mentioned on his podcast earlier in the week as someone the Timberwolves will likely have interest in acquiring.

The long-time Boston Celtic split last season between Detroit and the Clippers. He remains an extremely average 3-point shooter, logging a career mark of 36.6 percent, and rarely gets to the free throw line, never even managing to average two free throw attempts per game in his eight-year career.

Bradley has a reputation as a good defender, although his skill on that end of the floor seems to be a bit exaggerated. Over the course of his career, advances stats and metrics suggest that he’s largely a below average defensive player, and while that may not necessarily be true, it is certainly damaging to his overall image as a defensive player.

For instance, according to ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus, Bradley came in at 49th among shooting guards with a defensive real plus-minus of -0.53.

Bradley would still be a solid contributor off the bench, but he’s the prototypical good-at-most-things-but-not-great-at-anything player. That’s okay for a sixth man, but for the way that Tom Thibodeau staggers his lineup, it’s likely more prudent for the Wolves to find a couple of players that would classify as specialists.

8. Omri Casspi

Wolves fans may recall that Omri Casspi spent 13 games with the Timberwolves during the 2016-17 season after being injured and waived from the Pelicans. Last offseason, he took the veteran’s minimum from the Golden State Warriors to chase a ring, and while he’ll get his jewelry, he was actually waived just prior to the playoffs in a roster crunch.

There’s obviously some history between Casspi and Coach Thibs and the Timberwolves organization, so this could be a realistic addition.

Casspi is truly a small forward who can play some small-ball four, so he’s unique compared to some of the other names on this list. He’s a career 36.6.9 percent 3-point shooter, although he made 45.5 percent of his attempts last year while averaging 14.4 minutes per game in 53 appearances for the Warriors.

In some ways, Casspi is the best version of Nemanja Bjelica, who the Wolves are likely to lose in restricted free agency. He’s a solid all-around defender, and can guard most threes and fours and switches well in the pick-and-roll.

If last summer is any indication, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Casspi look to take less money to play with a championship contender again this year. Then again, he may have a sour taste in his mouth given how last year shook out.

7. Gerald Green

Gerald Green, of course, would also be enjoying his second tour of duty with the Timberwolves. (If you missed the first time around, well, maybe this will remind you.)

He’s also another player that Darren Wolfson has listed that the Timberwolves have had interest in under the Thibodeau regime. Last year, he picked Houston over Minnesota.

Green is still ultra-athletic and is fun in transition. He’s also a 36.2 percent 3-point shooter who converted on 36.9 percent of his long-range attempts last year.

It’s notable that Green has only played in 88 combined games over the past two seasons, partially due to injuries and partially due to not signing until the season had already begun; he’ll turn 33 years old in January of next year and as the athleticism begins to slip, his defensive value will drop as well.

Green still qualifies as a three-and-D wing, and while there’s a bit of baggage still attached to him (you’ll recall that he spent years bouncing from the then-D-League to the NBA to Europe and back to the NBA), he’d be a fine addition as a sixth-man.

Green will no doubt have a variety of options and may again not sign right away. There’s always a solid chance that he returns to Houston, too. But if not, the Wolves should be sure to give him a call early in free agency.

6. Marco Belinelli

Marco Belinelli reportedly wasn’t interested in joining the Timberwolves this spring after he was waived by Atlanta; he ultimately went straight to Philadelphia and was an important contributor down the stretch of the season.

But if Belinelli were to be added and promised a role similar to that vacated by Crawford (18 to 20 minutes per game), Minnesota may be a semi-attractive option in free agency for the veteran. After all, the Wolves need guys on the second unit who are glue guys, and he would see plenty of time alongside some of the stars in the starting lineup.

Belinelli has always been a solid NBA player. His career 3-point percentage sits at 37.7, which is exactly what he hit at last year, split between the Hawks and the 76ers. He’s a true wing player, capable of playing both the two and the three, although he’s a below-average defender at each spot.

He’s a smart player and has played in a number of different offenses, so there wouldn’t be much concern regarding on-court fit.

There isn’t much upside here, of course, as Belinelli will be 32 next season. But he’ll be consistent, and would be a solid addition to Thibodeau’s rotation.

5. Joe Harris

Joe Harris will be entering his fifth season in the NBA and has shown marked improvement over the course of his career, with his first two seasons spent in Cleveland and the last two in Brooklyn.

Harris is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard who has been a 40 percent 3-point shooter thus far, including hitting on 41.9 percent last year, when he started 14 of 78 games for the Nets. He’s improved his all-around scoring, including free throw shooting and his frequency of getting to the line, and has largely been able to hold his own defensively.

He has the size to play some small forward, although he tends to be exposed a bit at that spot. With his ability to stretch the floor, he would play well alongside either Andrew Wiggins or Jimmy Butler in 20 minutes or so per game off the bench.

Harris would be a better fit on the bench than, say, Jamal Crawford was, as he’s a low-usage player who can knock down open threes at a higher rate. If Wiggins or Butler is going to play with the second unit anyway, than having another player who can knock down 3-pointers 40 percent of the time, there would simply be more floor to work with for the guys who have the ball in their hands most often.

There’s also a bit of upside remaining for the soon-to-be 27-year-old. Harris would be an intriguing addition for the Timberwolves, to be sure.

4. Wayne Ellington

Here’s another former Timberwolf who has found (much more) success playing elsewhere.

Ellington has bounced around quite a bit after leaving the Timberwolves via trade back in 2012. It took him awhile to find his niche in the NBA, but he found his role as a sharpshooter and legitimate rotation player with the Miami Heat over the past two seasons.

His career 3-point percentage is 38.1 percent, including a consistent 37.8 percent two years ago in Miami and 39.2 percent last year. Notably, he’s also a 42.6 percent shooter from the corners, and has made 45.9 percent of his corner threes in a Heat uniform.

Since going to Miami, Ellington attempted 77.5 percent of his field goal attempts from beyond the arc. Prior to being with the Heat, only 40.3 percent of his field goal attempts were threes.

Ellington has also turned into a decent defender, and while he’s primarily a shooting guard, can play the three — and even the one — in a pinch.

Somehow, Ellington will already be in his age-31 season next year. But if he maintains the same role that he had under Erik Spoelstra in Miami, he’ll be a valuable NBA contributor for the next several years.

3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was reportedly the player that Flip Saunders and the Timberwolves front office wanted during the 2013 draft. He was picked right before Flip took Trey Burke and shipped him to Utah for Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng.

KCP was supposed to be a sharpshooter from day one, but shot just 31.9 percent from beyond the arc as a rookie. It took him until his fourth season to shoot 35 percent on 3-point attempts, and after joining the Lakers last year, he hit on a career-high 38.3 percent.

He’s actually a decent rebounder for a player who largely played the two, and his 3-point rate has improved each season until reaching .520 last year in L.A.

Caldwell-Pope is good defender, doing a solid job against most twos and, at 6-foot-5, is able to switch onto some small forwards and holding his own. Having a strong 3-point shooter and defender coming off the bench to slot in next to Jimmy Butler or Andrew Wiggins would be a huge step in the right direction for the Wolves.

He’ll probably get more money in free agency than the Timberwolves are able to offer as their cap space is currently allocated, but there is absolutely some upside remaining and he could be worth some creativity to add what could be a valuable sixth man.

2. Trevor Ariza

Trevor Ariza remains the quintessential 3-and-D wing. He’s a 35.3 percent 3-point shooter who has made 36.6 percent over the last six seasons and can guard both twos and threes, and still has the athleticism to score in the open floor and make an impact in transition.

Ariza has played the last four seasons with the Houston Rockets, and would add experience and a level of toughness on the perimeter for the Timberwolves. He was exclusively a starter in Houston, however, and would have to transition into a sixth man role in Minnesota, so it remains to be seen if he would be willing to accept a non-starting position.

It seems fairly likely that Ariza will return to the Rockets; there is obviously familiarity there and they surely would have a starting role for him, or at least a more significant bench role that Tom Thibodeau is likely to promise. But the Wolves should do their due diligence in trying to get him in a Wolves uniform, as they won’t find the combination of shooting, defense, versatility, and experience anywhere else on the free agent market.

Of course, the competition for his services, combined with the money that he’ll likely command, will make the acquisition a difficult one to pull off.

1. Will Barton

Will Barton is the absolute best combination of upside, athleticism, shooting, and defensive ability on the open market. Of course, Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Saturday that the Nuggets are expecting to re-sign Barton almost immediately on Sunday morning after free agency officially opens.

Barton was a second-round pick of Portland back in 2012 and has spent the last three-and-a-half seasons in Denver, shooting 36.2 percent from beyond the arc over the last three seasons. He averaged 15.7 point per game last year in 81 games, including 40 starts.

Barton is still only 27 years old and has seen his assist and 3-point rates climb over recent seasons. He has room to grow on defense still, but has the athleticism and size to continue to improve.

While he started half of the Nuggets games last year, he’s still probably best cast as a sixth man, with the ability to get hot in a hurry and put up a ton of points. He’s obviously a better defender than, say, Jamal Crawford, and would be an immediate upgrade for the bench.

He’s primarily a shooting guard and is a bit undersized to play heavy minutes at the three, but both Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins could slide over and play small forward if Barton is on the floor as a two.

Next: 10 forward options in free agency for the Timberwolves

Again, it seems most likely that he’ll be staying in Denver with the Nuggets, but if the Wolves could sneak in a call at 12:01 a.m. and try to make something work, well … they should.