Timberwolves predicted to re-sign Jaylen Nowell for cheap

Five days into free agency, the Minnesota Timberwolves have already gotten many of their big moves out of the way. Re-signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker was a crucial transaction, bringing valuable defense and three-point shooting back to the Wolves’ bench.

Then, the additions of Troy Brown Jr. and Shake Milton ensured the loss of Taurean Prince will not sting quite as badly. Team President Tim Connelly and the rest of Minnesota’s front office had a strong start to the free agency period.

What they will do next is anyone’s guess. It is entirely possible we could see Karl-Anthony Towns traded any day now. But one move that Bleacher Report thinks the Timberwolves will make is to re-sign reserve Jaylen Nowell. It would have seemed far less likely a few weeks ago, but there is reason to believe Nowell may actually be back on Minnesota’s bench next season.

Jaylen Nowell could be back with the Timberwolves next season after all.

After a lackluster season in 2022-23, Jaylen Nowell’s value had taken a hit. Gaining traction as a reliable scoring threat off the bench for the first three years of his career, Nowell’s percentages took a sharp dip during this past season.

While he averaged a career-best 10.8 points from the game, his efficiency suffered. Nowell shot an abysmal 28% from three-point range over the course of the regular season last year, which led to him becoming a liability down the stretch of games.

The expectation was that the Timberwolves would not be prioritizing re-signing Jaylen Nowell, and that appeared to be the case through the first week of free agency with no new deals in place. However, the fact that no other team has decided to scoop him up yet could leave the door open for a return to Minnesota on a cheaper deal.

The Minnesota Timberwolves may bring back Jaylen Nowell at a discounted price.

There was never any sense in the Timberwolves pursuing a new deal with Nowell if another team was going to offer him a multi-year deal worth $15 or $20 million. But with those offers seemingly never materializing, the door has opened back up for Minnesota to make a move.

Some fans may prefer to simply send Jaylen Nowell packing after his less-than-desirable campaign last season. But there is always the chance 2022-23 was an anomaly, and he could return to his previous form sooner rather than later.

The Timberwolves have more than enough leverage to re-sign Nowell on a minimum deal, where they would be committed to paying him no more than $2.7 million for one year, the low end for veterans in the NBA. In the end, a “prove it” year could be just what the doctor ordered for Jaylen Nowell.