Examining a roller coaster free agency for the Minnesota Timberwolves

So … what’s next?

One player the Wolves are likely not going to lose is Apple Valley native Tyus Jones. He’s currently a restricted free agent (RFA) but hasn’t seemed to have too hot of a market.

While the RFA market typically heats up once the first wave of free agency slows down, this has not been the case for the 2016 Summer League MVP.

The Wolves one-year qualifying offer is worth $3.57 million and it is looking increasingly more likely that the Duke product will accept the offer and hit unrestricted free agency next year.

If Jones signs the offer sheet, it would leave Rosas and company with roughly $5.7 million in Mid-Level Exception (MLE) money to offer up to another free agent. However, if the Wolves keep Graham and Napier, signing Tyus would fill the Wolves’ 15th and final roster spot.

I assume Rosas will either waive or trade Graham, clearing the way for the Minnesota front office to throw the remaining MLE money at a free agent.

Some possible big men include JaMychal Green, Joakim Noah, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Trey Lyles. Green and Lyles are solid stretch 4s, while Noah and RHJ are defensive-minded bigs.

Guard options that are out there include Delon Wright, Kelly Oubre Jr, Justin Holiday, and Vince Carter, although not all of those guys are likely to sign for the MLE.

If Wright could shoot it consistently from deep, he would have been in for a huge payday this summer. In 26 appearances for the Grizzlies following the Marc Gasol trade last season, he averaged 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks per contest. Needless to say, those are some damn good numbers from a potential backup point guard. If the Wolves decide to part with Jones, it better be because they choose Wright instead.

Oubre Jr, Holiday, and Carter are all guys that shoot it well from deep and would provide an instant scoring impact to a Minnesota offense that is on the rise.

While the 2019 NBA Free Agency period can be seen as a disappointment because the Wolves struck out on Russell, it really shouldn’t be. The new-look front office has unveiled not only a never-before-seen aggression in chasing stars to pair with KAT, but also extreme savvy and composure in enacting a very smart Free Agency Plan B that has netted three great fits for less than $4 million.

With or without D’Angelo Russell, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a bright future, as it’s only a matter of time before Gersson Rosas gets KAT some star power that can help him put Wolves basketball back on the national map.

All that to say, it certainly seems unlikely that the Wolves’ roster looks the same in mid-September as it does now, during the second week of July.