Minnesota Timberwolves sign Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to training camp deal

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed veteran forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to a non-guaranteed contract.

There are a few boxes to check when it comes to players that the Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to sign.

If they’re a wing or forward, can they guard multiple positions? Also, did they play for the Denver Nuggets or Brooklyn Nets?

Veteran Rondae Hollis-Jefferson checks all of those boxes, and he’s now the latest member of the Minnesota Timberwolves training camp roster.

Minnesota Timberwolves sign Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to training camp deal

The signing was first reported by Yahoo’s Chris Haynes and was noted as a non-guaranteed deal by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.

Hollis-Jefferson made too much sense from the beginning as a fringey rotation player for the Wolves. In fact, yours truly mentioned him in a couple of pieces, first as a suitable backup option and then as one of the final four options the Wolves should consider to round out their roster.

Here’s part of why we identified Hollis-Jefferson as a solid fit:

"Hollis-Jefferson consistently turns in above-average defensive metrics, and at 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, he checks the boxes in terms of positional flexibility and switchability as well. He should be able to lockdown 3s and most 4s, fitting what the Wolves are trying to do on defense.The biggest issue with RHJ is his lack of long-range shooting ability; he’s a career 21.3 percent 3-point shooter and has taken only 0.7 threes per-game across his four seasons in the league.…Hollis-Jefferson has been one of the league leaders in terms of players who finish plays as cutters in the half-court over the past couple of years, although his success rate hasn’t been great, putting up only 1.08 points per possession (PPP) last season in Toronto and just 0.96 PPP two years ago in Brooklyn."

Hollis-Jefferson was part of the Brooklyn Nets’ rotation during the 2018-19 season when they won 42 games and made the playoffs. Of course, offensive coordinator Pablo Prigioni was on that coaching staff and Wolves guard D’Angelo Russell was an All-Star that season.

The Wolves roster has solid depth on the wing at this point, but only Josh Okogie qualifies as a clearly above-average defender. Jarrett Culver was solid defensively as a rookie but is best-suited to guard 1s and 2s, and Anthony Edwards can’t be counted on after a rough year defensively at the University of Georgia.

Before the addition of RHJ, Jake Layman was the only player on the roster that was capable of guarding both 3s and 4s and playing each spot offensively. Hollis-Jefferson has played both roles plenty in his four years in the league, and his 3-point shooting shortcomings are the only significant hole in his game.

As noted above by Krawzynski, the Wolves still have one roster spot open (plus a two-way deal available) and are clearly waiting to see how things shake out over the next couple of weeks before locking themselves into a commitment.

Regardless, Hollis-Jefferson should stand to have a solid chance at making the roster given his defensive track record, ability as a cutter, and the veteran presence he would bring to the locker room.