Minnesota Timberwolves: Predicting which players will return next season

Predicting which Timberwolves players will return next season: Bigs

Karl-Anthony Towns

Prediction: WILL return to the Wolves next season
Certainty: High

Don’t listen to fake rumors. He’s not going anywhere. At least not this offseason, that is.

Naz Reid

Prediction: WILL return to the Wolves next season
Certainty: Medium

Naz Reid showed the ability to play both the 4 and 5 positions this season, which adds even more value to his $800,000-per-year contract.

Reid is an extremely high value contract for the Wolves, and in order to improve the starting lineup this offseason, the Wolves are going to need high-value contracts like Reid’s and Nowell’s to succeed. With that said, the Wolves also need trade assets, and a 6-foot-10 stretch-big on a bargain contract is certainly valuable.

Trading Naz isn’t off the table for the Wolves, but it makes a lot of sense to keep him in Minnesota next season.

Ed Davis

Prediction: WILL NOT return to the Wolves next season
Certainty: High 

One of the few expiring contracts on the Wolves, Ed Davis was only used out of bare necessity as a foul machine in KAT’s absence. The Davis trade will go down as one of Rosas’ most questionable moves. No chance he’s back next year no matter the cost.

Jarred Vanderbilt

Prediction: WILL return to the Wolves next season
Certainty: Medium

One of three players that is not under contract for 2021-22, Vanderbilt will enter restricted free agency this summer.

Vanderbilt proved his value on the defensive end for the Wolves. Though he is limited offensively, Vanderbilt’s energy on defense is something the Wolves desperately need off the bench. It’s difficult to gauge how much interest Vanderbilt will receive from other teams in free agency as a relatively unknown commodity, but it’s realistic to assume that the Wolves would be willing to match any reasonable offer sheet Vanderbilt would receive.

Re-signing Vanderbilt would give the Wolves another cap-friendly bench player, which is key for any non-destination market to be successful.

Change is inevitable in the NBA, and as a team looking to escape the lowest ranks of the NBA, and any steps the Wolves take towards will likely require roster turnover. It will definitely be interesting to see how the Minnesota front office’s actions will determine which players from the 2020-21 roster return next season.