In order to clear enough cap space to make the Jonathan Kuminga signing official, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Josh Green to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Cody Williams and John Konchar. While Konchar will be waived, the Timberwolves are keeping Williams, who was the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft. Williams is a worthy upside swing in a cap-centric trade.
The Timberwolves are expected to keep Cody Williams, the No. 10 pick in 2024, and waive-and-stretch John Konchar, sources said. They found a home for Josh Green on a Jazz team that wanted an additional 3-and-D wing; moving his $14.7 million deal gives Minnesota the salary space… https://t.co/iyikXWZjvX
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 29, 2026
Honestly, I was a bit surprised that the Jazz parted ways with Williams in a deal like this. Yes, Williams' first two years have been rocky to say the least, and he's had plenty of opportunity in Utah. Regardless, the 6-foot-8 wing still has some level of upside and took some positive strides last season.
The Timberwolves have a track record of hitting on under-the-radar reclamation projects, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and, more recently, Bones Hyland. Williams has a chance to continue this trend. If you are scoffing at this idea, I get it. Again, Williams' first two years haven't been pretty, but Hyland was nearly out of the league before last season, and NAW was unproven.
My point is that the Timberwolves have an affinity for rejuvenating former first-round picks, and Williams could be next.
Cody Williams took some positive strides in his second year
For his career, Williams has averaged 7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 41.9/23.7/71.1 shooting splits. The shooting splits in particular are pretty alarming. Throughout his career, aggression (even dating back to his college days) has also been a key issue for Williams, who often feels invisible on offense.
Fortunately, Williams flashed his potential to close out last season and overall boosted his PPG by 4.4. In the final 20 games, he averaged 16 points and 4.6 assists, which included a career-high 34-point outing. You could argue that this stretch was because of "Mickey Mouse March," but what it shows me is that Williams isn't a lost cause.
While Williams' shot remains abysmal, he took some real strides as a finisher. As a rookie, Williams ranked in the 6th percentile for rim attempts per 75 possessions; he increased this to a much more respectable 77th percentile ranking while shooting 17.6 percentage higher at the rim. Whether it's attacking closeouts, cutting, or running in transition, being able to finish at the rim could help Williams thrive in a complementary role.
Perhaps LaMelo Ball can unlock more of Williams' offensive game.
On the other side of the floor, Williams has proven to be a pretty solid defender. He uses his 7-foot-1 wingspan to be disruptive. The University of Colorado product took on tough matchups, ranking in the 81st percentile for matchup difficulty while also ranking in the 76th percentile of perimeter isolation defense per B-Ball Index. Williams has also flashed some secondary rim protection chops, ranking in the 77th percentile for rim disruption according to B-Ball Index and the 67th percentile for blocks per 100 possessions via Databallar.
This isn't to say that Williams is some elite defender, but he can certainly guard. Typically, that's the starting point to earning minutes under Chris Finch.
Williams' path to minutes with the Timberwolves
Williams' path to minutes won't be guaranteed. Off the bench: Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr., Joan Beringer, Bones Hyland, and Jaylen Clark will all likely be given priority. Still, things can change over the course of a season. As noted earlier, nobody expected Bones Hyland to carve out a role last season.
Should one of these players underperform, or injuries pop up, Finch could give Williams a chance. And he might never look back.
Williams has spent most of his minutes as a two-guard with Utah. However, if he gets a real role with the Timberwolves, I'd expect him to play forward given their need for forward minutes off the bench and his size and length.
Overall, there's a fair chance we'll see Williams rejuvenate his career with the Timberwolves, and considering this trade was done for cap reasons, it's hard to argue against the logic of taking a flier on a young player like this.
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