5 Minnesota Timberwolves players who are having career years

5. Malik Beasley

If we are going to talk about career years, Malik Beasley has to be at the center of the conversation for this Wolves squad.

The versatile scorer came over from Denver as part of the four-team trade that happened within days of the trade deadline. Much like former and current teammate Juancho Hernangomez, he struggled to find a consistent role in Denver due to the backlog of guards and wings in their rotation.

Again, Rosas took the chance on a player that is set to hit restricted free agency this offseason.

If Beasley came to the Wolves last summer and was putting up his current numbers, he would be in the conversation for Most Improved Player. Beasley averaged 7.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 36 percent from three on 3.9 attempts per game in 41 contests for Denver. Beasley was playing 18.2 minutes a night for the Nuggets.

Since joining the Wolves, Beasley’s role has increased to the tune of 33.1 minutes per game. He took advantage of his increased minutes and rewarded Rosas for taking a chance on him. With his increased playing time, Beasley also increased his production to 20.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 42.6 percent from three on 8.2 attempts per game.

Bringing Beasley in at the deadline was interesting, to be sure, but it would be hard to believe if anyone claims that they saw this sort of production coming. This has been by far the best year of Beasley’s career thus far and we are all lucky to see it (or, at least 14 games of it) come while in a Timberwolves uniform.

The Wolves are in a position to match Beasley’s offer sheet this offseason, but the increase in production will likely come with an increased salary demand this summer.

Beasley reportedly turned down a three-year, $30 million dollar extension from the Nuggets, which means he will likely be looking for more than that come this offseason. His return to the Wolves is dependent on the offer sheet he signs during free agency and if Rosas feels he is worth the money.

The Wolves had their fair share of improved players this season. Now, they’ll have some difficult decisions to make over the summer regarding how much of their roster will be returning.