Minnesota Timberwolves sign a trio for G-League assignment

Does the Minnesota Timberwolves front office ever sleep? If the team’s recent flurry of activity is any indication, then the answer is no. Just hours after waiving guard P.J. Dozier, forward C.J. Elleby, and guard A.J. Lawson, the Timberwolves were back to signing a new trio to Exhibit 10 contracts.

All three waived players may ponder their next moves, but the mood right now seems to be that the Timberwolves front office hopes that all three players will sign on with the Iowa Wolves.

The Timberwolves front office is working overdrive right now, and I love it. Not only is the group not patting themselves for assembling a rather impressive group of players on the team’s roster, but they are not aggressively targeting players to stock on their G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves for further development.

To that point, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced the signing of three more players.

Less than two hours later, they were waived. Why? And who are they?

Timberwolves Free Agency signings

Wing player Matt Lewis was one of the Timberwolves’ summer league mini-stars who played quite well, but seemingly not well enough to earn a spot on the Timberwolves roster. He did have a short stint with the Timberwolves early in the 2021-22 NBA season before signing on with the Iowa Wolves for the season. This is a good-quality signing.

Signing grade: A

The Minnesota Timberwolves were linked to shooting guard Emmanuel Mudiay in the days leading up to the 2015 NBA Draft. Ultimately, Mudiay was chosen by the Denver Nuggets with the seventh overall pick in that draft by, you guessed it, Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly. While he never delivered the type of NBA career to become a core player, he has flashed excellent perimeter shooting at times.  He has faded off the radar, but he has incredible versatility and his six-year NBA career with four teams has blessed him with the ability to adapt to any scheme. He knows Connelly, and Connelly knows and likes him.

Signing grade: A+

The third and final player signed is forward Phillip Wheeler. If you recall, Wheeler was one of the first players signed to the Minnesota Timberwolves Summer League roster but was unable to participate due to a lingering injury. Wheeler has been aggressive in his pursuit of opportunities to compete and showcase his basketball abilities. While he is only 20 years old, he already has that level of maturity to focus on improving his game and rising to the challenge of his rivals. He has played in the Euroleague for several years, and will now have the opportunity to showcase what he has learned to American fans.

Signing grade: B+

The Timberwolves certainly have made some headline splashes this past off-season. But these signings confirm what I had suspected about the Minnesota Timberwolves all along. This organization is not out to win now. Rather, the goal for this team is to raise the bar of the level of play permanently, and for the foreseeable future.