Minnesota Timberwolves: Point guard options still on the market

The Minnesota Timberwolves technically have a full roster, but that may not stop them from exploring the option of adding another veteran to the mix in the backcourt.

The Minnesota Timberwolves already have 16 players under contract for next year, and both of their two-way contract slots are full.

That means that the Wolves aren’t an obvious landing spot for any of the veteran free agents still on the market this late in the summer. After all, why would Minnesota want to pay out on more than 16 guaranteed contracts.

Apparently, having a full roster won’t stop president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas from entertaining the idea of adding one more player to the mix, if the fit is right.

It’s a refreshing sentiment. To hear the Wolves’ front office boss acknowledge that they’d be open to spending some additional money — money that they don’t have need to spend — to ensure that they have the proper level of competition and optimal number of bodies in training camp.

Point guard is the logical place to add some depth, of course, with only Jeff Teague and Shabazz Napier under contract as pure point guards. Tyrone Wallace has a partially guaranteed contract and is more of a combo guard, and Jordan McLaughlin is a two-way player with no regular season NBA experience.

So if the Wolves are at all concerned about Teague’s return from a series of injuries last year that limited him to a career-low 42 games played, then they may be best served to consider adding some depth at the point.

Let’s take a quick spin through some of the names still out there on the market.

Raymond Felton. Felton may be entering his age-35 season, but he isn’t all that far removed from being a functional NBA backup. He was the primary backup point guard on playoff teams in 2016-17 (Clippers) and 2017-18 (Thunder) before playing in just 33 games last year for Oklahoma City. Felton used to be a decent defender but appears to have lost a step and is only a career 32.8 percent shooter from 3-point range.

Of course, the Wolves would only be looking at him as a third point guard option, so they could certainly do worse, assuming there’s still a bit of bounce in Felton’s step.

Devin Harris. Harris is a half-notch above Felton on my personal wish list for the No. 3 point guard role. He’ll provide a bit more on offense and not be much of a downgrade on defense. While he shot just 31 percent on 3-point attempts last season in Dallas, he’s a bit more of a steadier hand than Felton and could get the job done in a third-string role.

Jose Calderon. Just a couple of years ago, Calderon would have been the far-and-away favorite on this list, but he appears to have hit a firm wall. He’s gone from being a poor defender to one of the league’s worst, and after still managing to drain threes at a 46.4 percent clip just two seasons ago, hit on just 24.6 percent of his long-range attempts last season in 49 appearances with the Pistons. Entering his age-38 seasons, Calderon is probably a no-go. Also, he’s now apparently considering retirement.

Shaun Livingston. The 33-year-old guard remains on the free agent market after completing his sixth season with Golden State and 14th overall in the NBA. He saw his minutes decrease slightly each season with the Warriors and absolutely wouldn’t add anything from a floor-stretching perspective, but more championship pedigree and experience certainly wouldn’t hurt. That said, he might just be looking for a slightly larger role than one that the Wolves have to offer.

There are a few other guys who would certainly provide a bit more competition, especially for Wallace and McLaughlin, but may not be worth bringing in if guaranteed money is at stake.

This is worth keeping an eye on, but if the Wolves do opt to make a move, it will be sooner rather than later.