Winners and Losers of Timberwolves first NBA Free Agency signing

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been linked to former Denver Nuggets PG Bruce Brown, current Washington Wizards PG Monte Morris and Deion Wright, Milwaukee Bucks PG Jevon Carter, and even former Los Angeles Lakers PG Dennis Schroder. And the Timberwolves wasted no time in adding to their roster instantly at the 5:00 pm CT opening of the 2023 NBA Free Agency market. It was Brown.

Er . . . ex-Los Angeles Lakers small forward Troy Brown Jr., that is. So what do we know about him?

Troy Brown Jr. is a young and improving NBA wing who stands 6-foot-6, weighs 215 pounds, and has seen his role grow as he has matured. He played 76 games for the Lakers last season, starting in 45 of those contests. And while he is not lights out at putting points on the scoreboard, he has a sweet line-of-sight accuracy on his perimeter shot, draining them at a 38.1 percent clip. His stats line for last season is:

24.5 MPG | 7.1 PPG | 4.1 RPG | 1.3 APG | 0.8 SPG | 0.2 BPG

While you may not view Troy Brown Jr. as a blockbuster free agent signing, keep in mind that the Timberwolves are not adding individuals, but are assembling a complete NBA Championship-capable roster.

Losers of this signing:

Taurean Prince is the obvious loser in this one.  Prince has an identical 38.1 percent shot from the perimeter, and had nearly an identical amount of playing time in a 22.1 MPG, but could only average 2.4 RPG. Here are Prince’s stats for last season, appearing in 54 games and starting just four:

22.1 MPG | 9.1 PPG | 2.4 RPG | 1.6 APG | 0.5 SPG | 0.3 BPG

Clearly, in the grand scheme of the Minnesota Timberwolves roster, President Tim Connelly was willing to sacrifice what is likely the more expensive Prince to acquire the better boards player Brown Jr.

Winners of this signing:

Troy Brown Jr. is an obvious winner, as he leaves the Los Angeles Lakers and immediately gets added to another NBA roster, the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are expected to return to the NBA Playoffs. Brown is a better defender than Prince, and that is clearly an area of focus for the 2023-24 Minnesota Timberwolves roster.

Jordan McLaughlin is another winner of this signing.  Although he did not get more than expected, the initial belief from the Timberwolves clearing currency was that the team would be pursuing a solid point guard backup. Now, with Troy Brown Jr. coming aboard, the Timberwolves’ budget for another point guard is reduced.

With Troy Brown Jr coming aboard, that is one less roster slot for the Timberwolves to fill. Now, the Timberwolves must pivot to a point guard. How do you feel about this first free agent signing? Underwhelming? As expected? Better than expected? Let us know . . .