All offseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been very cognizant of Kyle Anderson's situation. The versatile two-way wing was headed into free agency, coming off the second of a two-year deal he signed with the team back in the 2022 offseason.
From the jump, it was going to be hard for Minnesota to keep Anderson based on their current financial situation. They are firmly a second apron team - meaning they incur the harsh financial penalties of the newly created financial category.
In order to get out, they would likely have to offload at least one big contract. But seeing how Timberwolves management wants to keep all of their highest-paid players around for next season, they were likely just going to have to deal with all the repercussions.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the Wolves had officially agreed to a sign-and-trade agreement with the Warriors. The deal sends Kyle Anderson to Golden State, while Minnesota gets back a future second-round pick swap as well as cash. Slo-Mo will be joining Stephen Curry in his pursuit of a fifth championship.
The Wolves do create a $9M trade exception in the Kyle Anderson trade, but they basically just need to not be above the second apron to access it — which isn’t happening anytime soon.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) July 2, 2024
The Timberwolves can not currently use their trade exception
Now, getting Anderson off the books was good for Minnesota's financials, as Kyle had been making $9 million this past season. However, as Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore points out, the $9 million trade exception created in this deal is not yet able to be used.
According to Moore, the Wolves need to be below the second apron in order to access the trade exception. As of right now, it appears that scenario is far off from being reality. This is extremely frustrating for Timberwolves fans who are desperate to see this team create some flexibility.
In the meantime, multiple free agents are leaving. Yes, Luka Garza re-signed, but Monte Morris signed with Phoenix and Anderson has now departed as well. This team is losing pieces, and there remains very little room to add meaningful contributors to replace them, even with Slo-Mo gone.
The Western Conference will be every bit as stacked this upcoming season as it was last. In order to avoid falling from the top ranks, the Timberwolves must stay vigilant and push to upgrade the roster in the coming weeks.