The Minnesota Timberwolves’ pursuit of LeBron James is now over after news broke that he has agreed to a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. The report by ESPN’s Shams Charania now means that everyone from NBA commissioner Adam Silver to Wolves fans can move on with their lives. And it’s especially true for Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.
Connelly made a public pitch to recruit James, but now that he’s signed, he can go out and look at other options to fill a hole at power forward. While the Wolves’ reported top target, Rui Hachimura, is off the board, there are still a few forwards available, and they could bring the missing piece that Minnesota needs going into the 2026-27 season.
Jonathan Kuminga
With James off the market, Kuminga is now the top prize for any team looking for a power forward. His game is a polarizing one, as he fell out of the Golden State Warriors' rotation and is an erratic player, but he would bring some explosiveness to the Timberwolves’ frontcourt.
At 6-foot-7, Kuminga is a little smaller than the Wolves would prefer, and it would put more pressure on Rudy Gobert to clean the glass. But he also could help out defensively both on the ball and near the rim while also fitting into the Timberwolves’ core of players 26 and under.
That being said, the drawbacks could convince the Wolves to work elsewhere. Kuminga is not an outside shooter, compiling a career 33.2 percent shooting percentage on 3-pointers during his career. The spacing issues with Gobert would also be a problem, and unless Kuminga is willing to sign for the minimum, bringing him in would require a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks for a Wolves team that is short on assets and cap space underneath the second apron.
Kuminga is the most intriguing of the players on the list, but for a player reportedly commanding $20 million per season, he may be bound for somewhere else.
P.J. Washington
If the Wolves want to dive deeper into the trade market, they may consider calling the Dallas Mavericks for P.J. Washington. Another 6-foot-7 power forward, he wouldn’t solve the Wolves’ lack of size in the frontcourt. But he does help with his ability to guard on the perimeter or close to the basket.
Washington is also a more productive player offensively than Kuminga. While last year’s numbers of 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game would make him a good fit, he is good enough from behind the arc to create spacing with a 35.4 career 3-point percentage.
An efficient player who can also play in transition and play in the pick-and-pop game, Washington would be a solid fit. But he comes with the same financial limitations. Carrying a salary of $19.8 million next season in the first year of a four-year, $88.7 million contract extension, the Wolves would have to match that salary dollar-for-dollar, though, and they can't aggregate Josh Green's contract until September.
This makes Washington a stylistic fit, but another that might not happen due to the Timberwolves’ salary situation.
Georges Niang
If the Wolves are looking at spacing at a cheap price point, Niang may be their best option. Niang hasn’t put up big numbers over his career, with 7.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game over nine seasons. But the one thing he can do is shoot from long-range.
Niang’s career 3-point percentage is 39.9 percent, and he was even better during the 2024-25 season, shooting 40.6 percent between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Hawks. His 3-point shooting has also finished over 40 percent in six of his past seven seasons, making him a pick-and-pop threat similar to Washington.
He is also strong enough to guard opposing forwards. However, Niang did miss all of last season dealing with a foot injury, which is a good reason why he’s available at a veteran minimum salary.
In the end, Niang might be the best choice. The Wolves could try to sign Niang and have him compete with free-agent addition Trey Lyles for a starting spot to begin the year. If it doesn’t pan out, Connelly can always check the market ahead of the trade deadline and add a player that could further solidify their push for the playoffs.
At this point of the offseason, the options are scarce, and it may mean the best strategy is making a lower-scale move that sets up for a bigger one down the road.
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