The Minnesota Timberwolves will be looking for a second superstar this offseason, but another thing they’ll be hunting for is depth. A short bench was one of the reasons why the Timberwolves failed to make it back to the conference finals for the third straight season and while landing a big fish like Giannis Antetokounmpo would be nice, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly also must add players who can provide depth.
That could be hard as the Wolves look to avoid the second salary apron, but they have a secret weapon in a $10.7 million traded player exception. The exception gives Connelly a CBA loophole to enhance the roster this summer and it could land a mid-tier player that could solve Minnesota’s bench woes and get them closer to contention in the 2026-27 season.
The Timberwolves’ trade exceptions could help land a solid role player this offseason
Traded player exception and other loopholes in the CBA can be confusing, but in short, a TPE allows the Wolves to take on extra money in a trade without matching salaries. Last summer, they generated a $7 million TPE after losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a sign-and-trade.
In this case, the Wolves have more money to play with as a $10.7 million TPE was acquired in a February trade that sent Mike Conley to the Chicago Bulls. While Minnesota got Conley back on the buyout market, they got to keep the exception, which gives them flexibility heading into the offseason.
A catch is that a sign-and-trade would trigger a hard cap at the NBA’s second salary apron, which is set at $222 million according to Spotrac. But the Wolves may not have to worry about that, even if they acquire a superstar, assuming they can find trade partners for Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert.
With the $10.7 million exception in hand, the Wolves could pair it with the 28th overall pick (or even some of their second-round picks instead) in this month’s draft and get a player of equal or lesser value. But the question is who that player could be.
Possible targets with the Wolves' TPE
Point guard could be a major need even if Ayo Dosunmu stays in free agency, and the Wolves could re-connect with Chicago to swing a trade for Tre Jones. Jones will be a coveted target this offseason after averaging a career-high 14.1 points per game and 5.4 assists over 65 games (41 starts) with the Chicago Bulls last year.
From the non-Minnesotan department, the Wolves could also swing a trade for reserve big man Jalen Smith. Smith averaged 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in 53 games (21 starts) for the Bulls and his $9.4 million salary could be of use as Naz Reid could be elevated to the starting lineup if the Wolves trade Randle.
Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick and New Orleans Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey could also be targets who could give the Wolves another player who could help deepen the bench or even provide a role without giving up a player in return.
Teams can not stack salaries in combination with the exception, so it won’t aid Minnesota in its search for a superstar. But it can help build a roster around them, which will be Connelly’s most difficult task as he retools the Timberwolves this summer.
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