5. Signed Shake Milton
Signed former Philadelphia 76ers guard Shake Milton to a 2-year, $10 million contract
The Philadelphia 76ers were caught in limbo at the start of free agency, with James Harden opting into his contract and demanding a trade just as the market opened, essentially freezing the Sixers as they worked through their options. That allowed other teams to pounce and sign away Philadelphia’s free agents.
The Wolves were one of the beneficiaries, signing Shake Milton to a two-year, $10 million contract. He has some on-ball juice and is a career 36.5 percent shooter from deep; he won’t set any records in Minnesota, but he is a perfectly reasonable backup guard and is being paid so little that it is okay if he isn’t in the rotation every night. Between Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Shake Milton, the Wolves are paying less than $10 million per year for bench depth that they will use frequently.
Grade: B-
6. Signed Troy Brown Jr.
Waived Taurean Prince, and replaced him by signing Troy Brown Jr. to a 2-year, $8 million contract
The Timberwolves made the decision not to retain Taurean Prince for next season, waiving him before his $7.45 million deal was guaranteed. Prince signed a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Wolves signed former Lakers forward Troy Brown Jr., a pair of moves that sort of worked as a “trade” of defensive-minded forwards.
Brown had a solid season for the Lakers last year, but his offensive limitations have held him back since he went 15th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. If last season’s 38.1 percent 3-point shooting is real, he’ll be a solid contributor next season. If he settles back to the 35.4 percent mark he has shot for his career, his lack of other offensive skills will likely push him behind other players in the rotation.
Grade: C+