4 disastrous mistakes Minnesota Timberwolves must avoid this summer

Mistake III: Not getting three extensions done lickety-split

The Minnesota Timberwolves may be in a tough spot financially, but the consensus among most NBA experts is that this team is struggling with an incredible problem. That problem? This Minnesota Timberwolves roster has three of the brightest NBA stars and the team must figure out ways to keep them all on the roster.

The first and perhaps the most difficult extension to ink is that of backup center Naz Reid. That does not spring from a Timberwolves team that is set on trying to lowball the guy, but rather Naz Reid’s expectation for a larger, and perhaps even a starting, role as an NBA center for the 2023-24 NBA season. While he has certainly done enough to warrant consideration, there are solid reasons for him to consider staying with the Timberwolves.

Reid did not compete in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, and that will certainly drive down his value and opportunity to start next season for any team. Added to that is the fact that big men are a bit more plentiful in the NBA right now. It would make more sense for Naz Reid to come back, if only for one more season, to the Minnesota Timberwolves and confirm that he is ready for the next step.

McDefense and Ant-Man

Jaden McDaniels is an NBA defensive force to be reckoned with. He too is a young NBA star who was unable to compete for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2023 NBA Playoffs due to an untimely injury. While that should not hurt his long-term career, it did derail the Timberwolves’ chances of pulling off an upset in Round 1, and that could play a part in the eventual contract terms that extend McDaniels with the Timberwolves for the foreseeable future.

McDaniels is certainly a player who ranks quite highly on the Timberwolves’ offseason priorities, but you have to wonder how he will perform as expectations increase. A deal will get done, but at what cost? The Timberwolves have a narrow path to success on this one, as money spent to keep McDaniels is money that cannot be spent elsewhere. Unlike fans’ perceptions, once negotiated, contracts cannot suddenly redirect compensation to the hot hand in a game or even a month during the regular season.

Of course, the top contract extension on the Timberwolves’ Totem pole is to re-sign Anthony Edwards and lock him in for the foreseeable future. There is no question from anyone over whether he deserves it, or how much he should be making. The Timberwolves want to throw the biggest stack of benjamins at their star shooting guard possible. But when it comes to contract terms, that is where and when it gets a bit tricky.

I won’t pretend to recite the rules of NBA compensation, but I do know that the money spent on a player can result in huge swings to a salary cap depending on how the eventual contract is structured. For example, a $40 million salary in the 2023-24 NBA season on a four-year contract equates to a $40 million hit to the team’s annual salary cap.  But a $40 million signing bonus on a four-year contract is only a $10 million hit to the salary cap, as the other money is spread evenly over the other three years.