Money for nothing? Not if you are the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that has pushed their payroll to the limit in an effort to shake this team from the NBA limbo that has locked the team in a powerful riptide that has swept this team from the ranks of NBA contender to the NBA basement, over and over.
The first bit of good news that I can share with you today is the fact that the Minnesota Timberwolves finally snapped that vicious cycle, and were an NBA Playoff team for the second consecutive season. But if that was the only bit of good news, it is not news at all.
The NBA salary cap will come in higher than expected, league sources tell @spotrac.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 21, 2023
Cap = $136M
Tax = $165M
1st Tax Apron = $172M
2nd Tax Apron - $182.5M
$2M on the cap and about $3M higher on the tax and the aprons.
Well? What does this all mean for the Minnesota Timberwolves? It means financial freedom for a Timberwolves team that has every reason to believe that the Timberwolves roster is set to compete hard in the 2023-24 NBA season. The only problem so far was that the money, the lifeblood of the Timberwolves team, just didn’t add up.
The break Timberwolves have been looking for
Now, it may be adding up after all:
Big for the Wolves. I believe this means the Wolves can stay under the luxury tax while doing this (if this is all possible)...
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) June 21, 2023
- Sign Naz for $12.2M
- Sign NAW for $6.5M
- Guarantee TP at $7.5M
- Opt in on JMac + Knight
- Sign two rookies to 2nd rd minimums
Plugged that in here https://t.co/at7OUeEEE2 pic.twitter.com/TZDZlpj7kc
The key is getting Naz Reid back on a deal that gives him what he wants, but that does not dictate his role. The Timberwolves have plenty of minutes to absorb in their frontcourt rotation this season, and having Reid plug in at either the 4 or the 5 is a huge deal.
Still, the Timberwolves have a starting five rotation that does not include Naz Reid just yet. Still, as the Timberwolves pivot to building a team around Anthony Edwards, one thing is crystal clear. Edwards wants Reid back.
Does Anthony Edwards have that type of clout with the team just yet? I think he does, to be quite honest.