3 Free agents Minnesota Timberwolves could still add

The calendar has hit September, and there will officially be NBA basketball happening before the end of the month. For the Minnesota Timberwolves, the preseason will tip off on October 4th at 7:30 P.M. against the Miami Heat.

The NBA offseason featured several big name players like Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell finding new homes, with others like Kevin Durant running it back with their current team.

Minnesota followed up their huge signing of Rudy Gobert with the addition of several important role players via free agency. These are the pieces that will fill out the team’s bench and give them the depth needed to compete in the deep Western Conference.

While the Timberwolves’ roster is now mostly complete and the team is nearing training camp, there’s still a few notable free agents on the market Minnesota could look at picking up. Here are three players that would make sense to add to the Wolves’ roster.

1. Montrezl Harrell

Less than three seasons removed from winning Sixth Man of the Year in 2020, Montrezl Harrell is one of the most valuable commodities still available on the free agent market.

He began 2021-22 with the Washington Wizards before finishing the season with the Charlotte Hornets. For the year, he averaged 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in just 23.1 minutes played per contest.

Acting as a offensive spark plug, Harrell is an adept rebounder and finisher, routinely putting himself in the right place at the right time to optimize the flow of his team’s offense. He’s a rim-runner and a lob threat, making him a great fit with distributors like D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards.

The Timberwolves would be able to get back some of the same mojo that Jarred Vanderbilt brought to the team if they were to sign Trezz, and he wouldn’t need to play a ton of minutes to have an impact on winning.

2. Rodney Hood

After heading to Los Angeles in their trade for Serge Ibaka, it appears the Clippers may not be keeping Rodney Hood around long-term.

While he’s bounced around between a few different teams in the last several seasons, Hood is still a better player than he’s largely given credit for.

In fact, he’s one of the more solid wing players in the NBA that’s never been an All-Star. He’s shown to be a steady three-point shooter throughout his career, and even shot 54% from outside for LA last year, albeit on limited attempts.

Hood’s combination of length and size make him the ideal prototype of a modern wing in the NBA. He’s strong and skilled enough to take larger defenders to the cup and score over them. And defensively, Hood has quick instincts and a high IQ.

He was enjoying one of his best pro seasons with the Portland Trailblazers in 2019 before his Achilles injury. In 21 games, he put up 11.0 points per game on 50% shooting, including a blazing (pun intended) 49% from outside the arc.

It’s clear that while he’s not a superstar, Hood has the attributes to still be a high-level role player in this league. Minnesota could boost their wing depth by adding him.

3. DeMarcus Cousins

Now a 12-year league veteran, DeMarcus Cousins isn’t the perennial All-Star that he used to be. An unfortunate bout of injuries has limited what the former All-NBAer can do on the court, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still be an important piece for a team with championship aspirations.

But why would Cousins be a good fit for this Minnesota Timberwolves team, and why now? We can start with the fact that he’s already shown interest in playing for the franchise, calling out to Timberwolves GM Tim Connelly during an interview back in July, telling Connelly to sign him.

Boogie could be a good fit on this Wolves roster as a backup big. He’d be able to relieve Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, giving the team solid minutes of production at center while the two star big men rest on the bench.

Of all the bigs left on the free agent market, there’s an argument to be made that Cousins is the best one still available. With the Nuggets last season, he played a mere 13.9 minutes per game, but put up a hair under nine points and 5.5 rebounds, while shooting a respectable 32% from beyond the arc.

DeMarcus Cousins may not be the player he once was, but even in his post-injury years, he’s shown to be a reliable backup center. The Timberwolves may be wise to buy low on him, as it could end up paying big dividends.