After signing Jonathan Kuminga and subsequently trading Josh Green for Cody Williams, the Minnesota Timberwolves have one open roster spot while being $4.5 million below the second tax apron. Thus, Minnesota can seamlessly get up to 15 players.
At this stage of free agency, and with the Timberwolves having ample established talent, this final player is unlikely to play a substantial role. And franchise legend Kevin Love makes a ton of sense for the Timberwolves to round out their roster.
Given Minnesota's need for forward depth and a lack of cap space, the idea of a Love-Timberwolves reunion has been discussed at various points this offseason. Even dating back to last offseason, it felt likely that Love would be bought out by the Utah Jazz, and naturally the Wolves were discussed as a landing spot.
Regarding this offseason, though, before signing Kuminga, the Wolves needed an impact player, specifically at the power forward position. Signing Love would've been fine basketball-wise and an awesome story, but he wouldn't have been a viable solution to the Wolves' forward woes.
As a veteran to round out the roster and give the Timberwolves another forward, though? Love would be perfect.
Why signing Kevin Love would make sense for the Timberwolves
Of course, Love returning to Minnesota, to perhaps close out his career, would be poetic. Love spent the first six seasons of his career with the Timberwolves. While it was a dark era for Wolves basketball, Love was an undeniable bright spot, averaging 19.2 points and 12.2 rebounds while making three All-Star teams. Without a doubt, he's one of the best players in team history.
Beyond the emotional side of things, the Timberwolves could use some extra frontcourt depth, even after signing Kuminga. Currently, Trey Lyles and Joan Beringer are the only backup big men who are on standard contracts. Now, you could argue that the Timberwolves should target a traditional center, since Lyles and Love are classic fours. This might be ideal basketball-wise, but frankly, there are a few true fives available, and whoever they sign will be a depth piece.
So why not sign a franchise icon to be that said depth piece?
Plus, while Love is far past his prime and would primarily be an end-of-bench player, he can still play minutes in a pinch. Notably, he averaged 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and hit 37.3 percent of his 3-pointers last season with the Jazz. Having a bench forward who can space the floor and rebound could be a real boon to the Timberwolves.
Another area that Love could help with is veteran leadership. Scoff if you will, but last season, the Timberwolves had Mike Conley, Joe Ingles, and Kyle Anderson (at the end of the year). For a team that had a recurring moodiness problem last season and has just two players 30 or older (Rudy Gobert and Lyles), this is a real void.
Overall, signing Love would put a smile on Timberwolves fans' faces, and while it's been speculated about before, now would be the perfect time for him to come home.
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