The Minnesota Timberwolves just concluded one of their best seasons in franchise history. After taking home their most regular season wins in 20 years, the Wolves proved they have a recipe for success for years to come.
Over the course of the season, we saw the superstar talent of Anthony Edwards grow, the defensive prowess of Rudy Gobert consistently stifle opponents, and the entire roster work cohesively to become one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Now, they will look to take their next steps forward.
The NBA is all about matchups, and the Timberwolves will want to create an even more well-balanced roster in order to create less matchup disadvantages once the playoffs roll around next year. In the conference finals against Dallas, they clearly struggled to generate offense, especially in clutch time.
So naturally, they will want to pursue free agents that can provide a boost to their offense while still maintaining their identity as a strong defensive team. These are five free agents Minnesota could go after, ordered by their three-point shooting percentage.
5. Dennis Smith Jr. - 29.8%
Coming into the league known for his supreme athleticism, Dennis Smith has had to change his style of play in order to remain a rotation-level player. Once he arrived in the NBA where he was no longer the best athlete on the court by a mile, he had some very clear flaws in his game that needed to be addressed.
But it is evident that he has changed his game for the better. Before signing with the Hornets ahead of the 2022-23 season, Dennis nearly attempted to play football in the NFL. But now, he has developed into a strong three-and-D player, and could be a solid backup point guard in the Wolves' rotation.
Minnesota will likely only be able to sign minimum contract players this summer with their payroll likely to put them into the second apron. If that is the case, Smith could be a solid option.
4. Kelly Oubre Jr. - 32.7%
The Timberwolves ran into some trouble with Kyle Anderson this past season. The usually steady playmaking wing did not look like his usual self for much of the regular season, and he was virtually unplayable at times. A surprising development given the quality of player Anderson typically is.
But as we would learn during the Western Conference Finals, Kyle was still suffering from lingering effects of his eye surgery that took place last summer for most of the season. What many thought was him regressing as a player was simply the byproduct of a particularly handicapping injury. If Anderson continues to progress and gets back to being the player he once was, Minnesota would likely love to have him around.
On the flip side, in the event Kyle's eyesight continues to suffer, the Wolves may want to look into a replacement. Kelly Oubre would be a fantastic option for the type of offensive firepower he brings to the table. While not the most efficient jump-shooter in the league, Oubre has the ability to catch fire. With the scoring lapses Minnesota endured during the 2024 playoffs, having a heat check type of player could be valuable in the postseason.
The best part is that Kelly should be available for cheap after playing on a one-year, $2.8 million minimum deal with Philadelphia this past season.
3. Josh Richardson - 36.4%
Another area the Timberwolves could seek to improve this summer is at point guard. Mike Conley will still be this team's starting ball-handler for the foreseeable future. He may be getting up there in age, but Minnesota Mike has kept up a high level of play and continues to contribute in meaningful ways with knockdown catch-and-shoot ability along with serviceable defense and a strong mind for the game.
But as the Wolves consider the future of that position, they will likely hope to acquire at least a more solid backup point guard. The midseason acquisition of Monte Morris was far from a failure, but he was more of a placeholder for when Conley was off the floor and was not able to do much to elevate his teammates while he was on the floor. Minnesota will have a few solid options on the free agent market.
One is Josh Richardson. With a player option on his contract with the Heat this summer, Richardson could choose to make a move to a contender. If he does, he could be an excellent fit in the Timberwolves' backcourt. Coming off the bench would give him an opportunity to move without the ball and knock down spot-up threes like he is so used to doing.
2. Eric Gordon - 37.1%
Now, we move into the more lethal-shooting free agents on this list. As Minnesota scours the free agent market for good fits, they may have to give serious consideration to Eric Gordon. The long-tenured wing is a gritty, playoff-tested veteran that has been in many battles against some of the best teams of the last decade in the NBA.
During his time with the Rockets, Gordon competed against the 2017 Spurs, 2018 Warriors, 2019 Warriors and 2020 Lakers, all considered to be some of the top teams in the 10 years in this league. More recently, he suited up for the Suns in the 2024 playoffs as the Timberwolves completed a four-game sweep of Phoenix. Now, he could be a great fit in Minnesota if he is willing to both sign for the minimum as well as join the team that defeated him in the postseason.
Some may wonder what the value of adding another aging player to an already relatively old roster would be, but the answer lies in Gordon's experience. We saw the massive impact that Mike Conley's leadership had in this Wolves locker room all season, and Gordon could give this group a similar type of boost.
1. Seth Curry - 43.1%
We all saw how the Timberwolves' offensive struggles led to their ultimate downfall against the Mavericks. The team struggled against the defense of big wings like PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr., and Minnesota simply did not have enough firepower to break them out of slumps. Oftemtimes, Anthony Edwards was the Wolves' only reliable shot creator.
For the playoffs as a whole, the Timberwolves ranked 8th out of the 16 playoff teams in terms of three-point percentage. They connected on 35.9% of their three-point shots in the postseason, which is a decent mark, but one that will need to be improved on if they are to create more matchup advantages and make a deeper run next year. Both teams currently competing in the NBA Finals ranked higher than the Wolves in this crucial category.
One big-time shooter Minnesota can bring in to help with this issue is Seth Curry. The brother of the greatest shooter of all time, Seth has more than a decent shot himself. He can boast at least a 40% three-point shooting percentage in eight of his 11 professional seasons to this point, including four seasons with at least a 45% mark. His dead-eye shooting would be a big lift to the Timberwolves, and he would be a great option if Charlotte does not keep him around past this summer.