5 Potential Timberwolves free agent targets with ties to Rudy Gobert
By Austin McGee
2. Royce O'Neale
A younger, less physically gifted alternative to Batum—Royce O'Neale might land the most expensive deal of players on the list. The 6-foot-4 forward is younger than the previously mentioned players, but he's by no means a spring chicken.
O'Neale has appeared in 525 games, 329 alongside Gobert. The duo spent five seasons in Salt Lake City together before both parting ways with the franchise via trade in the 2022 offseason. Since departing Utah, O'Neale hasn't missed a beat.
The former Baylor Bear averaged a career-high in points and assists playing for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2022-23 season. This past season, O'Neale split time between Brooklyn and Phoenix—excelling in his role for both squads.
Now a free agent for the first time in his professional career, O'Neale will assuredly hit the open market with hopes of joining a contender. As a 3-and-D, low-usage wing, O'Neale's best fit is on a team with championship aspirations.
While O'Neale may covet a starting role, he only started 14 of 79 games this past year, displaying his willingness to accept any responsibility. Regardless of his role, O'Neale's versatility shines. At 6-foot-4 and nearly 230 pounds, he's burly enough to defend power forwards and agile enough to defend guards.
O'Neale is as 3-and-D as 3-and-D gets. He registered a bottom-20 usage rate and nearly 80 percent of his field goal attempts came from beyond the arc. As two of the previous three players' fits have been described, O'Neale will fit right in as a shooting specialist and versatile defender off the pine.