Timberwolves would likely need to shake up their roster to sign Jonathan Kuminga

Amid their need for a power forward, the Minnesota Timberwolves have recently expressed interest in free agent Jonathan Kuminga, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. 

“After missing out on their pursuit of LeBron James, the Minnesota Timberwolves have also expressed interest in Kuminga with their starting power forward spot up for grabs and their $6.06 million taxpayer mid-level exception available for the taking, league sources told HoopsHype," Scotto wrote. 

Now, despite Scotto noting that the Wolves have access to the taxpayer mid-level exception, according to Spotrac, Minnesota is $4 million below the second apron. As such, they can currently only offer Kuminga the veteran's minimum unless they make another roster move (which is possible). 

Maybe Kuminga takes a prove-it deal and is fine with playing on a minimum for one year. Still, Jovan Buha previously reported that Kuminga is seeking a deal closer to $20 million a year, so this would be a big change (even if the deal is closer to $6 million). Considering this, the Timberwolves might have to shake up their roster (in one way or another) to make signing Kuminga possible. 

Why signing Kuminga would likely have to be paired with another move

Waiving and stretching Josh Green's $14.6 million contract would be a clear path to opening up the TMLE. Again, this would require Kuminga to be open to taking a smaller deal. Regardless, it's inherently more likely he'd be open to the TMLE than the minimum. 

Simply salary-dumping Green is another possibility. That would be challenging, though, since the Wolves are devoid of draft picks. Donte DiVincenzo could be another trade candidate, but the Wolves have been adamant about keeping him thus far. Per Charlie Walton of Sports Illustrated, either moving off of Green or Donte would be needed to free up cap space for a sign-and-trade. 

Doing so is the Timberwolves' best chance to sign Kuminga to a contract above that $6 million range. The Atlanta Hawks' side needs to be considered here, though. Would they want to take on another contract amid their roster crunch? Probably not.

The point is that signing Kuminga would be tricky for the Wolves.

Would signing Kuminga be worth it for the Timberwolves?

With that out of the way, I think it's important to ask: Is signing Kuminga worth it? Not to be a fence-sitter, but it depends. Firstly, in a vacuum, yes, absolutely, he'd walk in as the team's starting power forward, which, as we all know, is a clear need. I also think the Timberwolves' culture and free-flowing offense could maximize him.

Kuminga's combination of athleticism, creation, and play-finishing would uplift the Wolves' offense. And Minnesota's defensive culture could maximize his two-way upside. If the Wolves can convince him to sign a minimum contract, signing him is absolutely worth it, particularly given their limited forward depth.

While I like Green, waiving him feels like a reasonable move if they can sign Kuminga to that $6 million deal. I'd strongly prefer to keep DiVincenzo, and it sounds like the Wolves do too. 

It's also worth noting that if the Wolves do make a sign-and-trade for Kuminga, they'll have to sign him to a three or four-year deal. That's a big investment. 

Let's not forget that Kuminga is super flawed and a risky player. That's why he's still available! Kuminga's talent is undeniable, but his decision-making and consistency are problematic, making a long-term investment unwise.

Look, Kuminga is super intriguing, and he's by far the best power forward left on the open market. Nevertheless, there are some clear hurdles to getting a deal done that would likely require a roster change, and he's not someone the Timberwolves should do whatever it takes to sign.

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