The hits keep coming for the Minnesota Timberwolves when it comes to the health and safety protocols list. In response, they are reportedly adding an NBA veteran to the frontcourt.
The short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves continue to lose players
The Timberwolves found out on Sunday that they’d be adding one more player to the health and safety protocols list. At the same time, they removed two players from the list and saw them return to practice, although both are listed questionable for Tuesday night’s game as they partake in reconditioning.
With Karl-Anthony Towns and Jarred Vanderbilt already out, Naz Reid was added to the health and safety protocols list on Sunday. That leaves Nathan Knight as the only true big man on the roster, with Jaden McDaniels and 10-day contract signee Chris Silva as undersized power forward options.
Patrick Beverley and Josh Okogie participated in practice on Sunday after being removed from health and safety protocols, but both are listed as questionable for Monday night’s game as they work through the reconditioning process.
Minnesota Timberwolves sign Greg Monroe to 10-day contract
With no Towns, Vanderbilt, or Reid, the Timberwolves will reportedly sign nine-year NBA veteran Greg Monroe to a 10-day contract.
Monroe hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2019 playoffs when he was a bench piece for the Philadelphia 76ers. He spent the next couple of years playing overseas and was with the Capital City Go-Gos of the G League until the Wolves came calling.
The 31-year-old has always been a strong rebounder and continued that trend in the G League this season, pulling down 22 percent of available rebounds — a rate that would easily lead the Timberwolves this season. His career NBA rebound rate of 17.1 percent would clock in second on the Wolves this year behind only Vanderbilt.
In his prime, Monroe averaged 15.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game over a four-year stretch with the Detroit Pistons from 2011 to 2015. He signed a big contract in free agency with the Milwaukee Bucks and was a rotation big for them for two seasons before bouncing to four different organizations over the next couple of seasons.
The Wolves are simply looking for plug-and-play frontcourt depth to help them get through back-to-back home games on Monday and Tuesday before heading out west to take on the Utah Jazz and both LA squads later this week.
Expect Knight and McDaniels to start in the frontcourt on Monday with Monroe likely logging a decent allotment of minutes off the bench as the only true backup big on the roster.