3. Gorgui Dieng
Dieng is the longest-tenured Timberwolf after being drafted in 2013 by the Utah Jazz and later traded to Minnesota on draft night with Shabazz Muhammad.
Dieng signed a four-year, $62.8 million deal during the summer of 2017. With the expected rising salary cap and the fact that Gorgui was a solid starter at the time, it didn’t seem like a terrible contract.
After receiving that deal, the Timberwolves signed Taj Gibson and that caused former head coach Tom Thibodeau to push Dieng to the bench. The former Louisville Cardinal has not done a good job coming off the bench and has played at a much higher level when inserted in the starting lineup.
- Starter: 25.7 MPG, 13.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 47.3 FG%, 40.8 3P%
- Bench: 12.0 MPG, 4.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.9 PG, 0.8 BPG, 0.6 SPG, 39.4 FG%, 34.1 3P%
The numbers are significantly lower when Gorgui comes off the bench, and he’s a liability when playing at that level. Dieng’s play has played better this season, and a large part of that improvement has been his three-point shooting ability.
With today’s game evolving, having a big man who can stretch the floor is an important factor to a team’s success. Dieng could be moved this trade deadline in part because he has shown the ability to shoot the three-ball and defend at a pretty high level. Plus, his contract makes it easier to match salaries in a potential trade, and he has about a year-and-a-half left on his current deal.