Minnesota Timberwolves Bargain Basement Bigs VI: Montrezl Harrell

Imagine being new Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly and trying to sort out a list of priorities needed to make the team a stronger competitor in the NBA Playoffs.  Well to do that, Connelly will likely need to ask questions of his front office staff and coaches to help him focus on what are the greatest and immediate needs of the team.

Of course, he could always just click on Dunking with Wolves and get the latest consensus of needs for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as soon as we can determine them. But one area of need for the team that continues to show up is help in the frontcourt. Starting center Karl-Anthony Towns cannot play entire games, particularly when he gets himself into foul trouble.

So one of the goals for the team this offseason is to explore affordable but effective options to reinforce the frontcourt. While that may not exactly be the swinging for the fences type of move that some fans are looking for from Connelly’s debut, a solid low-risk high-reward is a more dependable strategy for this team.

NBA Free Agency – VI Montrezl Harrell

The versatile 6-foot-7 240-pound power forward/center Montrezl Harrell is another option for the Timberwolves. What he does not offer in terms of pure size and play under the basket, he gives in terms of versatility in coming in to play either the power forward or center role.

Emerging from just his seventh season, Harrell is in the prime of his NBA career. So how is he on the bargain basement bigs list? He is coming off a two-year / $18,978,900 contract that he signed with the LA Lakers in 2020. So what does he bring to the basketball court?

Harrell is a twitchy fast-hand big, a guy who can dish the ball to the open man, reach in for a steal, grab a rebound, and make the shot in the paint. While he is not the guy who can stretch the floor, he can get the ball to the perimeter and into the hands of someone who can. His best seasons were played off the bench with the LA Clippers, and when he was shooting 75 percent of his shots in the playoffs.

I believe that he could deliver that for the Timberwolves if given the chance.