Minnesota Timberwolves: Full roundup of Wolves free agency moves

Minnesota Timberwolves free agency moves: Kelan Martin is gone

After bringing back Beasley and Hernangomez and trading for Davis, the Wolves found themselves in a bit of a roster crunch with only Evans and Spellman on their way out.

Last year’s two-way players, McLaughlin and Martin, had each been issued qualifying offers late last week. Unfortunately, the numbers game did not play in the favor of Martin.

Martin had a solid season with the G League’s Iowa Wolves last year, putting up 18.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 37.7 percent from deep on 6.3 3-point attempts per game.

But when he received the call to the big club, Martin’s shooting suffered. With the Timberwolves, Martin shot only 25-of-96 (26 percent) on 3-point attempts and 39.2 percent overall from the floor in 31 games.

With his 6-foot-7 height and massive 7-foot-3 wingspan, the hope was that he could hit enough 3-pointers to be an effective 3-and-D contributor. That may still be in the cards for Martin, but it likely won’t be with the Wolves. He is now an unrestricted free agent.

Minnesota Timberwolves free agency moves: Wolves sign Ade Murkey

Lost in the shuffle between the draft and free agency, the Wolves signed Minnesota native and former University of Denver star Ade Murkey to an Exhibit 10 deal.

What is an Exhibit 10 deal, you ask? Basically, it’s a preferred G League contract, allowing the Wolves to later convert him into a two-way player or pay him a bonus if/when he is waived and signed to the Iowa Wolves.

Last year, the Wolves signed Summer League participants Jordan Murphy and Lindell Wigginton to Exhibit 10 contracts. Neither saw time in the NBA, but both were regular rotation players for the G League Wolves.

As for Murkey, here are his stats from last season:

Murkey took a big jump from his junior to senior seasons in terms of production but still shot 35 percent in his third year of college. There’s no wingspan measurement listed for Murkey online, but he stands 6-foot-5 and has good size for a guard.

KSTP’s Darren Wolfson did a feature on Murkey over the summer if you’re interested in learning more about the former St. Croix Lutheran star.

All things considered, it was a busy last two-plus days for the Wolves front office, even if they didn’t acquire any big names for the roster. Of course, more moves could be coming, but we’re likely close to seeing the same roster that will enter training camp together in just over a week.

Buckle up. Minnesota Timberwolves basketball is (finally) right around the corner.