The Minnesota Timberwolves entered NBA Free Agency with a small amount of cap flexibility and a shortlist of frontcourt players in whom they had confirmed interest.
Unfortunately, several of those players found new homes in the opening hours of free agency.
Minnesota Timberwolves looking to add frontcourt help
The Wolves are primarily looking to add frontcourt help, and ideally, players that play the 4 with some defensive versatility.
We’ve talked at length here at Dunking With Wolves about some of the sign-and-trade possibilities, including the Chicago Bulls’ Lauri Markkanen and the Atlanta Hawks’ John Collins. They haven’t been moved yet, which is also true of the Hawks’ Danilo Gallinari, another rumored Wolves target.
Kyle Kuzma was moved by the Los Angeles Lakers to the Washington Wizards last week, but he could always be traded again.
But many of the options in free agency have already been snapped up.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Free agency targets coming off the board
JaMychal Green was a name floated in multiple places leading into the opening of free agency on Monday. He was a target for the Wolves last summer before he signed with the Denver Nuggets, but he opted out over the weekend.
Minnesota is perpetually seeking staunch rebounding and the ability to stretch the floor at the 4, and Green provides exactly that. While it was always likely that he signed back in Denver, the hope was that the Wolves could offer an expanded role and slightly more money than the Nuggets.
Alas, he headed right back to Denver on a two-year, $17 million deal.
Other fringe targets are gone, too. Former Portland Trail Blazers big man Zach Collins signed a three-year deal in San Antonio. Long-time Wolves trade target P.J. Tucker ended up in Miami. Torrey Craig signed in Indiana. Defensive stalwart Daniel Theis signed a whopping four-year, $36 million deal with the rebuilding Houston Rockets.
The Wolves still have north of $9 million in cap space and the ability to use the mid-level exception, potentially adding someone for up to four years and $40 million.
The one thing that Houston and San Antonio’s additions do to help the Wolves is that it likely takes them away as sign-and-trade possibilities for players such as Markkanen.
It’s always been true that the Wolves are most likely to improve their roster via trade, not free agency. Their remaining cap space could help facilitate such a trade, by taking back more salary than they send out. Or, they could make a fringe addition or two in free agency.
At this point, the smart money is on a trade. But there is still a real possibility that such a move could come as soon as this week, once the dust settles on the initial free agency frenzy.