Ranking Timberwolves free agents by likelihood to return next season

One of the most successful seasons in franchise history for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2023-24 means this offseason will be that much more difficult to manage for the front office. There is a significant amount of pressure to both keep this roster together as well as to make upgrades, and management will have their hands full trying to make everything happen smoothly.

With NBA free agency opening up in just a few short weeks, all eyes will turn to the Wolves' players set to hit the free agency market. In total, Minnesota has six players not under contract for next year that will look to land a new deal either in the Twin Cities or elsewhere before the start of next season.

The Timberwolves' front office will be carefully evaluating these players and considering both their on-court performance as well as potential contract price before deciding if it is appropriate to extend a new contract offer. Here, we will examine five of Minnesota's upcoming free agents (minus Daishen Nix, since he will be a restricted FA) and rank them based on their likelihood of returning in the fall.

Most likely to stay - Jordan McLaughlin

Out of the Wolves' five unrestricted free agents, Jordan McLaughlin has to be the most likely player to be back in Minnesota come October. He has been in the Timberwolves' locker room since 2019, and he has become a staple in terms of off-court leadership.

We do not have to sugar-coat it. J-Mac is not the most likely to return because he is expected to have some sort of monumental impact in terms of his on-court production. In fact, McLaughlin's playing time and points per game have gradually decreased as his five-year career has gone on.

But at the end of the day, Jordan can re-sign for the minimum and provide some insurance at the point guard position. Minnesota will still likely want to pursue a true second-stringer to play behind Mike Conley, but J-Mac can still stick around for cheap and continue doing what he does.