Should the Minnesota Timberwolves re-sign Juan Hernangomez?

The Minnesota Timberwolves brought in three pieces when they traded away Robert Covington in February: Malik Beasley, a 2020 first-round pick from Brooklyn, and Juan Hernangomez.

Hernangomez, who has become a solid contributor in the rotation, is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. He has shown some promise, but given Gersson Rosas acquired him via trade, he may look to extend him long-term (after only playing 12 games in a Timberwolves uniform.

Hernangomez averaged six points, four rebounds, and one assist this season (although that jumped to about 13 points, six rebounds, and one assist while on the Wolves). He also had solid shooting splits of 45/42/61.

Hernangomez is a stretch-four that brings limited defensive capabilities but could prove to be a contributor off of the bench. While his perimeter defense and interior rim protection could use some work, his shooting has been enough to warrant a second contract — albeit a cautious one.

Despite not having much of a role for a loaded Nuggets team, Hernangomez has carved out a possible spot next to Karl-Anthony Towns. While he will almost certainly not be a consistent starter, bringing him in for certain stretches of a game can absolutely help an offense’s spacing — especially from one of the big spots.

The question of how much Hernangomez is going to make is not a simple one. Being a restricted free agent in a relatively talentless free agency class will almost certainly boost the amount of money he could possibly make. The top free agents in this class are Anthony Davis, Brandon Ingram, and Fred VanVleet, all three of which are projected to be re-signed by their original team(s).

That leaves a ton of role players on the market. For teams that need shooting/spacing, Hernangomez could be extremely valuable.

A one-year prove-it type deal is absolutely on the table. Hernangomez’s qualifying offer is worth roughly $5 million. It is also possible he signs a Frank Kaminsky-type deal, a two-year contract worth $10 million, evenly split over the two seasons.

It is hard to see Hernangomez re-upping on a long-term (three/four-year contract) after only twelve games of being a full-time rotation player, most of which without the likes of franchise centerpiece Karl-Anthony Towns.

Juan Hernangomez did a lot for the Timberwolves over the last dozen games of the season, but there is still room for growth, and should he realize that growth in the future, it will absolutely warrant a long-term deal with more money.