Minnesota Timberwolves: Potential buyout targets for the Wolves

The Feb. 10 trade deadline came and went, and the Minnesota Timberwolves decided to stick with their current roster. But could they choose to make an addition on the buyout market?

Minnesota Timberwolves: Potential buyout targets for the Wolves

Despite reportedly being involved in several trade talks, the Timberwolves didn’t find any offers enticing enough to get a deal done. Still, the front office still has an opportunity to acquire a player via the buyout market if they want.

The trick here is that March 1 is the last date that a player can be bought out and still participate in the playoffs once added to a new team.

Of course, the players available won’t necessarily be game changers but they can give a team some much-needed depth. The three names below are all still under contract but are candidates to be bought-out in the next couple of days.

PF/C Derrick Favors

If the Timberwolves end up getting a player in the buyout market, it would make sense that they would target a big. One of the potentially available bigs would be Derrick Favors. With Favors, the Wolves would get another veteran in the locker room who can be a solid backup for Karl-Anthony Towns and Jarred Vanderbilt.

Favors is currently in the middle year of a three-year, $29 million deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and next year is a player option worth over $10 million. While the contract complicates the buyout process a bit, he would give the Wolves another big body in the paint and a solid defender.

When it comes to frontcourt players in the buyout market, Favors may be less likely actually hit the street than some of the other names, but he’d be a great fit if it became possible.

C Robin Lopez

A more likely player to be bought out is Orlando Magic center Robin Lopez. If the Wolves ended up going with Lopez, they would get another veteran who is also a solid defender in the paint. Lopez could give the Wolves six or seven points per game off the bench, but more importantly, he can give the Wolves more protection in the paint.

Even though the Wolves are top-10 in points allowed in the paint this year, they seem to struggle when it comes to defending the best big men in the league and Lopez could potentially help with that.

Lopez is making five million dollars on a one-year deal with the Magic, so a buyout is certainly possible.

PF Paul Millsap

Another possible buy-out candidate is 76ers power forward Paul Millsap. While he’s a fringe part of the rotation on a good team, it’s certainly possible he seeks a larger role somewhere else.

If the Wolves end up going after Millsap, they will be getting someone whose primary impact would be on defense at this stage in his career. He’s 37 years old and doesn’t add much in terms of offensive punch, but he could absolutely be a decent role player for Minnesota for the rest of the season.

Millsap is currently making just over $2.5 million on the one-year contract he initially signed with the Brooklyn Nets, so a buyout is feasible and Millsap would be cheap rental for the rest of the season.

The Wolves have some salary cap gymnastics to try and figure out to make an addition work, so it’s probably more likely than not that they don’t sign anyone. But it’s definitely worth tracking.