Minnesota Timberwolves Bargain Basement Bigs I: Mo Bamba

The Minnesota Timberwolves boast one of the best big men in the NBA in Karl Anthony Towns. But behind him?  There is not much to talk about in terms of backup bigs on the Timberwolves roster. That has proven to be a huge vulnerability to the team, as giving KAT time to rest oftentimes means surrendering a hard-fought lead in the game.

It was clear that the Timberwolves need to add more front-court firepower to the team. Some have stated outright that the Memphis Grizzlies abused the Minnesota Timberwolves’ bigs in the NBA Playoffs. While I won’t go that far, I will say that it’s obvious that if Karl-Anthony Towns is in foul trouble, so are the chances of a win for the Wolves.

While there are plenty of directions that the Timberwolves can and will explore this off-season, I believe that getting stronger in the frontcourt is a direction that many fans can at least nod their heads in agreement to, if not openly lobby to pursue.

So now the question is, who would make viable free agent targets in free agency for the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Well, we’ve got to start somewhere, so we have been looking at a host of NBA bigs so far. Plenty of bigs so far.

They are:

We’ve covered nine. Now, did we save the best for last?

NBA Free Agency – I: Mo Bamba

Orlando Magic backup center Mohamed Bamba is one of the hot names heading into the NBA Free Agency market. Standing tall at 7-foot-0 and weighing a spry 231-pounds, Bamba has an ideal size to play the part of a quality NBA center. He is active on both halves of the basketball court, equipped with a complete arsenal of shots from layups and dunks out to a solid perimeter shot.

But he can also work for rebounds on the boards, can block shots, can generate turnovers, and can keep a handle on the ball. All of this at the tender age of 24 years old and just four NBA seasons under his belt? That means that he has plenty of room for growth.

The market for Bamba is expected to be hot, as many teams perceive him as an option for a starting role. While that is not what the Timberwolves can offer him, the Timberwolves can lure him into the chance of a significant role on an NBA playoff roster. His offense continues to improve each season, and he could be at the cusp of a breakout season. Cheap? Not really. But he clearly offers a huge upside, qualifying him for the final spot of our Minnesota Timberwolves Bargain Basement Big series.

Did we miss anyone?