5 free agents the Minnesota Timberwolves could sign after Day 1 of free agency frenzy

It’s likely all over but the shouting for the Minnesota Timberwolves now. In spite of the team still holding an open roster spot, the Timberwolves have all but spent their 2023 NBA Free Agency funds. And unless you are an angry sort of person by nature, there is plenty to love about the team’s ability to extend C Naz Reid, PG Jordan McLaughlin, and SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker, while adding SF Tony Brown Jr. and PG Shake Milton.

But even after the most filling Thanksgiving Day feast, I have yet to complete dinner without someone asking: What’s for dessert?  And so, here we are, gorged with familiar and new talent, and I’m quite certain that someone is thinking about who will be the next to be signed.

To sum it up, the Timberwolves add new free agents PG Shake Milton (formerly from the Philadelphia 76ers) and SF Troy Brown Jr. (formerly from the Los Angeles Lakes). But the more, the merrier, right?

NBA Free Agency: Day II

So let’s throw caution, logic, and frugality to the wind and talk about who could be added to a veteran minimum for the Timberwolves’ final roster spot. Some of the candidates are:

Now, who could the Timberwolves add to round out this list?

Before any of our would-be deputized Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations hit their scenario-speed dial, let’s discuss who and what the Timberwolves are likely focusing on right now. For starters, the Timberwolves have their starters and primary rotational pieces accounted for, so we are talking either a young player to develop or a senior NBA veteran who wants to sign on with a team bound for the NBA playoffs.

Now that we have established a basic foundation of criteria, let’s go shopping NBA Free Agency.

Shopping the NBA Free Agency market on a tight budget

When a team does not have fistfuls of cash to throw around, it all comes down to a heartfelt passionate sales pitch. It’s about finding the right words and triggers that lure the player and that player’s agent into considering a team-friendly contract purely out of the team’s:

Playoff potential
Career enhancement
Locker room culture
Historic rapport with coaches or players on the team

Of course, the first two players we cite have a history with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how they view how the team left things with them. So let’s jump right in:

PG Patrick Beverley

Even though he views himself as a starting point guard, and he is not much of a perimeter shooter, he remains a fan favorite. Patrick Beverley is 34 years old, and that could work in the Timberwolves’ favor as Beverley will likely be very interested in joining an NBA Playoffs team. Still, his ability to spread the floor is waning rapidly.

SG Malik Beasley

Malik Beasley is another former Timberwolves player who has had a difficult place finding his permanent team. He does bring the ability to stretch the floor with a sweet perimeter shot, and his age of just over 26 years of age is a positive quality too. But he wilted in the playoffs (again) and he really doesn’t bring much defense to the table.

Timberwolves Free Agency: Unfamiliar faces

If the Timberwolves would like to consider other options, the NBA Free Agency market is filled with almost any age, experience level, and price range to choose from. Sometimes, a tight budget limits the options of shopping the NBA Free Agency market, while at other times, the limit to funds can fuel a focus on signing the right player for the right reasons.

SG Austin Reaves

Austin Reaves is a young gutsy shooting guard who lit up the scoreboard for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. At just 25 years of age now, he actually got better in post-season competition. Standing 6-foot-5, he brings a lot of energy and a balanced game that adds both offense and defense to the basketball court. The Los Angeles Lakers would love to bring him back, but they are spending elsewhere. The Timberwolves could get Reaves on a cheap deal if they time their offer quickly.

SF Danny Green

While veteran Danny Green may not align with the Minnesota Timberwolves youth movement at the ripe old age of 36, there are multiple reasons for mutual interest. For starters, Green wants to play for a solid NBA playoff team, and I believe that the Timberwolves fit that description. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, want a long-range marksman who is a great locker-room presence and who can be okay with a dynamic backup role.

C Robin Lopez

You are not going to find a young energetic center for a deep discount. But who the Timberwolves could sign on a budget is veteran Robin Lopez. Boasting a 15-year NBA career, Lopez is a veteran of many seasons, teams, and postseason competitions that translate into a meaningful mentor for the Timberwolves. Best of all, he would be more interested in postseason potential than meaningful minutes

And so, there are options remaining for the Minnesota Timberwolves even now. How soon will the Timberwolves add one more player? I don’t have the answer to that, as the team may or may not be satisfied with the progress made with the Timberwolves roster so far.  At any point, the Timberwolves’ activity has quieted down momentarily.  This could simply be a chance for everyone to catch their collective breath or a long and timely intermission.