The Minnesota Timberwolves are filling their open two-way roster spot with big man Johni Broome. He was the No. 35 pick in the 2025 Draft and spent last season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Realistically, Broome won't play a big role for the Wolves. Two-way players are essentially a break glass in case of emergency insurance player for competitive teams. Nevertheless, Broome is a pretty solid signing on that note.
The Wolves have previously waived forward Enrique Freeman and have had an open two-way spot ever since. With all due respect to Freeman, Broome has more plug-and-play ability than Freeman.
In the end, this move probably won't be super relevant. However, if the Wolves run into some injuries, having an emergency frontcourt player could prove to be valuable, particularly given their subpar frontcourt depth. Currently, Rudy Gobert, Joan Beringer, and Trey Lyles are the Wolves' only three big men.
Moreover, there's a chance Broome thrives in the G League and ultimately earns a standard contract. Impressively, Broome ranks as a four-star prospect on Two-Way Talents.com, meaning he is a high-end option to fill this spot. Given the Wolves' positional needs and Broome's pedigree as an elite college player, signing him is a logical move. Frankly, it would be hard to find any better two-way option than Broome.
Johni Broome is a solid emergency frontcourt player
Broome is well known due to his college career. During his senior season at Auburn two years ago, Broome won SEC Player of the Year and was an All-American First Team member. He posted 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 blocks. I'm super comfortable betting on a player with this level of pedigree, especially on a two-way deal.
In fairness, Broome does have some concerns regarding his NBA viability. Broome struggles to consistently space the floor, isn't an athlete, and it's unclear what his ideal NBA position is. Still, Broome has some NBA-level skills. He is a very good rebounder, a quality interior scorer who can roll to the rim well, and has solid playmaking feel. The flip side of Broome's positional uncertainty is that, he can play either power forward or center.
As such, there are more paths for Broome to impact the game than a typical two-way player.
Look, it wouldn't be ideal if the Wolves are forced to play Broome, since that would mean they ran into some injuries. Regardless, he could step in and ensure that his minutes aren't a total disaster, and there's a path for him to make a positive impact. At the very least, he offers more plug-and-play ability than Freeman did or second-year big man Rocco Zikarsky does.
Overall, a big man with some NBA skills and potential to contribute when called upon is exactly what the Timberwolves need with their open two-way spot, and Broome gives them just that.
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