The Minnesota Timberwolves' list of free agents during this offseason was never stuffed with big names, with Kyle Anderson being by far the most coveted player this team had hitting the market. Even so, Tim Connelly made it clear the front office's main goal was to get their guys back and maintain roster consistency headed into next season.
They obviously fell short of that goal when it was announced Anderson had been dealt to the Warriors in a sign-and-trade agreement. To add on top of that, we recently found out that the Timberwolves would be choosing not to re-sign Jordan McLaughlin, and would allow him to pursue a deal elsewhere.
That officially came to fruition when McLaughlin signed a one-year, $2.4 million deal with the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The former Wolves guard will continue his NBA career with one of Minnesota's Western Conference rivals.
Free agent guard Jordan McLaughlin has agreed to a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, agent Greg Lawrence of @wassbasketball tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2024
Jordan McLaughlin signed with Sacramento
After the 2023-24 year, McLaughlin had finished up the third and final season of his three-year, $6.4 million deal with the Timberwolves he agreed to prior to the 2021-22 season. He brought solid enough production to the floor as a backup point guard and even became something of a fan favorite, but McLaughlin's production was simply not enough to warrant inking him to a new deal.
This past season, Jordan was down to a career-low 11.2 minutes per night, and there did not appear to be a path forward that involved a larger role for him. Once you factored in the effect that drafting Rob Dillingham would likely have on his minutes, it made far too much sense for McLaughlin to move on.
Fans will undoubtedly miss his big heart in comparison to his small stature. After playing the first five seasons of his career in Minnesota, it feels safe to say McLaughlin will always have a special connection to the Timberwolves.