5 Free agents who should no longer be on Timberwolves' radar after the NBA Draft

The 2024 NBA Draft has concluded, and free agency has begun with little time for the dust to settle. After debating whom to select for several months at the end of the first round, Tim Connelly pulled a rabbit out of a hat to trade up for top-10 prospect Rob Dillingham.

The Minnesota Timberwolves dealt a 2031 unprotected first-rounder and a 2030 pick swap with the San Antonio Spurs to acquire the electric guard's services. Still holding their 27th pick, Minnesota grabbed another volume scorer in Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr.

The Wolves prioritized bolstering the reserves with on-ball creators. Dillingham averaged 15.2 points in only 23.3 minutes per game as a freshman at Kentucky. Terrence Shannon Jr., who will turn 24 next month, ranked second in the Big 10 after averaging 23.0 points per game for the Fighting Illini.

Both draft picks are good shot-creators who can drain jumpers off the catch. Dillingham connected on 44.4 percent of his triples, and that percentage jumps to nearly 50 percent in catch-and-shoot scenarios. Shannon Jr. cashed in on 36.2 percent of his 6.7 attempts per game, however, he was more proficient off-the-dribble than as a spot-up shooter.

Assuming the Timberwolves drafted both Dillingham and Shannon Jr. to add spunk to the reserve backcourt, we'll eliminate several targets who were once linked or would have made good fits on Minnesota's roster pre-draft.

5. Dennis Smith Jr.

The Timberwolves have been linked to numerous free-agent point guards over the past couple of weeks. Of these guards, most are likely to sign a contract for the veteran's minimum. Former Brooklyn Nets point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is entering free agency for the fourth consecutive season.

After being selected ninth overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 2017, Smith Jr.'s career has seen its fair share of ups and downs. The NC State product averaged 15.2 points per game and was rewarded with All-NBA Rookie Second Team honors in the 2017-18 season.

Following Smith Jr.'s impressive, yet inefficient inaugural campaign, the Mavericks drafted Luka Doncic, seemingly ending the athletic point guard's time in Dallas. He was traded midway through his sophomore campaign and has never seen the same success since.

Smith Jr. has revived some of his value over the past two seasons. He's reinvented himself as a driving playmaker and a plus defender. The 27-year-old will likely never be a volume scorer like he once was, but he's certainly a viable option off the bench.

However, after selecting Dillingham, Smith Jr.'s services will no longer be needed in Minnesota. Of course, signing the former Net to a veteran minimum deal won't hurt, nevertheless, Smith Jr.'s inefficient perimeter shooting won't mesh well alongside Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the backcourt.