The Minnesota Timberwolves are slowly finalizing their roster for the 2022-23 season. With the draft behind us and free agency slowing down, there are only a few moves left to make before the Wolves will be all set for training camp.
On June 30, Minnesota was able to re-sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker, before landing Troy Brown Jr and Shake Milton in free agency. From there, the Timberwolves inked their 2023 second-round pick Jaylen Clark to a two-way deal. Luka Garza will also be returning to the team on a two-way contract.
The Wolves’ roster currently sits at 18 players, two short of the 20-player maximum for the offseason. So with two roster spots still open, Minnesota can add one additional two-way player as well as one more player on a standard contract.
Whoever they end up finding for the final standard deal will have to be a player willing to sign for a deal in the veteran minimum range, since the Timberwolves can only spend a maximum of $2.5 million on that spot. With numerous league vets still unsigned, we looked at five players Minnesota should consider signing to finalize their roster.
The Wolves still have one roster spot open (and a third two-way slot).
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) July 7, 2023
To stay under the tax, the Wolves can spend up to $2.5M on that final roster spot. Likely a veteran minimum contract, which carries a $2M cap hit. https://t.co/FyPPWYN6zI
Minnesota should be targeting these 5 veterans for the final roster spot:
1. JaMychal Green
A playoff-tested player through and through, JaMychal Green has been in the postseason in every year of his career but one. Earning his stripes with the Memphis Grizzlies in the latter half of the 2010s, Green solidified himself as a versatile player able to be utilized in many different lineups.
He has proven his abilities as a stout defender with a high feel for the game, and is generally much more valuable in a playoff setting than in the regular season. Green has logged three separate postseasons of shooting over 40% from three across playoff runs with multiple teams.
Like many of the vets listed here, JaMychal will bring experience playing with some of the best players in the world to whatever team he lands with next. He has been in the trenches with all-world talents like Kawhi Leonard, Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry.
JaMychal Green may be the only veteran on this list that would actually have a legitimate case to earn more than, say, 15 minutes per game in Minnesota. If the Timberwolves were to make him a last-minute addition to the roster he may seem like a bit of an afterthought. But Green could realistically crack Head Coach Chris Finch’s rotation before long.
2. Danny Green
One of just four players in NBA history to have won championships with three different teams, Danny Green remains one of the most valuable veterans in the league. After suffering a torn ACL in the 2022 playoffs, Green is still looking for a permanent home to ride out the twilight of his career. Minnesota could be the perfect spot.
Well-known for his shooting and rock-solid defense, Danny Green solidified his reputation as a reliable three-and-D player with the Spurs in San Antonio. In 2013, he set a then-record for number of threes made in an NBA Finals series in history.
He helped the Spurs capture the 2014 title while shooting a stunning 47% from three in the playoffs. Since then, he played a crucial role on both the Raptors’ and Lakers’ championship squads in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
While Danny has earned the nickname “Icy Hot” for a reason with his sometimes streaky shooting, he remains a 40% three-point shooter for his career. At this stage of his career, he is very much a player that can be plugged into nearly any roster and be a huge plus.
Minnesota would not even need Danny Green to be a major contributor for the team on the hardwood. Coming off an injury last season, he played just over 13 minutes per game in 11 contests for Memphis and Cleveland. Having Green around as a mentor to the Timberwolves’ young guns and to provide occasional defense and three-point shooting would be a major win for the team as a whole.
3. Ish Smith
Over the course of his 13-year career, Ish Smith has played for a grand total of 13 teams. No player in NBA history has ever made an appearance on as many teams in a career as Smith. By definition, he is the biggest career journeyman the NBA has ever seen.
Smith has played for the Rockets, Grizzlies, Warriors, Magic, Bucks, Suns, Thunder, 76ers, Pelicans, Pistons, Wizards, Hornets, and Nuggets since his pro debut in 2010. Why not add a 14th team in the Timberwolves?
No, Ish Smith would likely not sniff Minnesota’s rotation. With all the talent the Wolves have in the backcourt, it would be extremely hard for Smith to find any legitimate playing time. But that does not mean it would not be worth it to have him around as the team navigates its season.
When it comes to seasoned veterans, you can never have too many in a locker room. If they are truly looking to contend for a championship, the Timberwolves would be far better served giving their final roster spot to a playoff-tested leader like Smith than to waste it on a struggling young prospect that is on his way out of the league.
4. Blake Griffin
He is not the dazzling sensation he used to be. Blake Griffin in 2023 is a far cry from the must-see-TV player he was a decade ago. Even so, there could be something to having him around in Minnesota as he approaches the end of his professional career.
Unfortunately, injuries have added up for Griffin over the course of the last half-decade. Those injuries have been the primary culprit behind him taking a step back from high-flying dunker to simply a big forward with average athleticism.
But even with how his game has changed, Blake has found a way to stay relevant. With his playing time dwindling since leaving Detroit in 2021, Griffin has been humble enough to accept a smaller role while still often being a positive for the Nets and Celtics in limited minutes.
That is the primary reason he could be a good fit with the Timberwolves. Any time a former star can realize where they have regressed and be willing to step into a different role for the good of the team, it will always lead to positive results.
Late in his career, Griffin has also embraced more of a defensive mindset. He possesses solid footwork and defensive instincts, and could still provide quality minutes on that end for Minnesota. The Wolves should go ahead and pick him up before someone else does.
5. Serge Ibaka
Once one of the most petrifying shot-blockers in the game, Serge Ibaka is another player that has taken a step back as he continues to age. Playing just 70 games over the course of the last two seasons, Ibaka is likely looking to assume an end-of-the-bench role as his days in the NBA come to a close.
Playing the first seven seasons of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ibaka became known as a lethal threat defensive threat playing next to the likes of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. He was a big reason why OKC was a perennial contender in the West during the 2010s.
After a season in Orlando, he spent five years with the Raptors and was the third-leading scorer on the 2019 team that won the NBA Finals. Since then, he has found his way to the Clippers and Bucks as a rotational bench piece.
Ibaka has played with high-level talent like Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo and has been a key contributor for a team that won an NBA championship. His playing experience is second to very few, and bringing those valuable experiences to the Timberwolves locker room could be a huge boost.