There will be multiple important players in the Minnesota Timberwolves' locker room with free agency decisions to make this coming summer, not the least of which being Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The sixth-year swingman is currently playing in the final year of his current contract with the Wolves, and he is earning just $4.3 million for the season.
If you have paid any attention to the level of Alexander-Walker's play since he arrived in Minnesota two years ago, you know that he is playing far above that pay grade. A $4.3 million price tag is an absolute steal for his services, and everyone is painfully aware of that fact. It seemed relatively obvious that Nickeil was going to be due for a bigger contract in the offseason, but a bit of intel from an insider released recently gave us a more rounded view of what exactly that will look like.
According to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, NAW could earn a multi-year deal paying him $20 million per season this summer (subscription required). This will of course be a well-earned paycheck for him, as his play makes him worth every penny. But it is not necessarily a check the Timberwolves are going to be able to write.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is likely to earn a big payday
Shelling out this much money to Alexander-Walker would put Minnesota firmly in the second tax apron, which would significantly hinder their ability to further improve their roster from there. They still have to think about the future of Julius Randle and Naz Reid this summer as well. The latter will have a player option for next season, and it is likely the front office would value Reid over NAW if they had to choose to pay just one.
Alexander-Walker has been more than fantastic during his tenure in a Timberwolves uniform. When he came to town in the February 2023 D'Angelo Russell trade, he was really more of a throw-in than anything else. No one reasonably expected him to grow into the kind of legitimate rotation player and impact guy that he is today. Nickeil's growth has been phenomenal, and he has earned the ability to leave for a bigger check.
As time goes on, we are seeing that scenario become increasingly likely. It will hurt to lose him, but sacrifices are unfortunately going to have to be made in this new NBA landscape under the complicated collective bargaining agreement.