Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 options for offseason roster moves
By Nate Ackert
Save for a draft-night trade that sent Ricky Rubio to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Minnesota Timberwolves have remained quiet this offseason.
Following the draft, the Wolves signed McKinley Wright IV and Nathan Knight to two-way contracts, but the Wolves haven’t made a move since.
Conventional wisdom would suggest that a team with the sixth-worst record in the league would be looking at major changes in the offseason. While some fans may share this sentiment, the Wolves are arguably an exception due to the number of injuries they faced last season.
Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 options for offseason roster moves
The front office still hasn’t seen what a core of D’Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and Malik Beasley is fully capable of, so it’s easy to see why significant changes to the roster would be hard to justify.
With that said, this roster still has significant shortcomings. The Wolves were one of the worst defenses in the league last year and have done little to address that from a personnel perspective. The Wolves also lack a true, established starting power forward and they only have one point guard on the roster.
Fans disappointed in the lack of change this offseason can be comforted by the presence of Chris Finch at the helm for the Wolves. Finch has shown promise as a coach in his brief tenure with the Wolves, and the front office likely has faith in what Finch can do with this team with a full offseason.
Even so, there are still holes to fill on this roster, and the Wolves have very little cap space to work with and some expendable trade assets. Let’s take a look at the remaining options the Wolves have to address their roster with what is left of the offseason.
Minnesota Timberwolves Option No. 1: Re-sign restricted free agents
This summer, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jordan McLaughlin are restricted free agents and have yet to be re-signed by the Wolves. This is a signal that the Wolves have been exploring other options before committing to Vanderbilt and McLaughlin.
Vanderbilt provides value in his defense, something lacking on this roster. He is limited offensively, which limits his upside as a starter. Signing Vanderbilt would be a huge win for the Wolves’ defense, but it doesn’t really give the team a starting-caliber big to pair with KAT.
McLaughlin has shown high upside offensively but has shown to be streaky and not reliable defensively. The third-year point guard holds some leverage with D’Angelo Russell the only point guard on the roster. Still, the Wolves may have other visions for the position, whether that includes Jaylen Nowell getting minutes at point guard or the team exploring other options in free agency.
Another development to keep an eye on when considering re-signing Wolves players from last season is the Leandro Bolmaro situation. Multiple international outlets report that a contract agreement between the Timberwolves and Bolmaro is near. A first-round rookie contract will eat at the Wolves’ cap flexibility and take another roster spot.
Ultimately, re-signing players from last season is ultimately a neutral move. Vanderbilt and McLaughlin are players with strengths that help the team, but this move does little to significantly improve the Wolves roster.