Stop me if you've heard this before: the Minnesota Timberwolves need a power forward. Admittedly, this has been pretty obvious after the Wolves traded Naz Reid and Julius Randle. Currently, the Wolves' lone forward is Jaden McDaniels, while Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer are the lone centers. So yeah, some extra size in a typical power forward role is much needed.
How the Wolves would go about filling this need remains unclear, as nearly 48 hours into free agency, they have yet to address this major flaw. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype may have given fans a hint about Minnesota's plans, though.
"Following the blockbuster LaMelo Ball trade, NBA executives around the league believe the Minnesota Timberwolves will now look to add a big man who can stretch the floor, with the working assumption that the organization could look to flip the expiring $14.68 million contract of Josh Green or look to dip into their taxpayer mid-level exception with $6.06 million," Scotto wrote.
Based on Scotto's reporting and the fact that the Wolves' power forward free agency options are quickly dwindling, trading Green seems to be Minnesota's best chance to fill their need for a power forward. It's worth noting that Kyle Anderson recently signed with the Toronto Raptors, and Kenrich Williams re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, giving the Wolves two fewer options.
While Scotto mentioned the possibility of a taxpayer mid-level signing, the Wolves need to open up cap space to do so and have space to round out their roster, according to Bobby Marks.
Waiving and stretching Green could help them get there. As such, the Wolves' most likely option to solve their biggest flaw involves parting ways with Green in one way or another.
It's becoming increasingly likely that Josh Green won't play for the Timberwolves
Frankly, the possibility of the Timberwolves parting ways with Green shouldn't be a shocker -- I have speculated about this possibility several times since his arrival. However, it's notable that there's credible reporting behind this idea.Â
To me, trading Green makes a lot of sense for the Timberwolves.
Ideally, you could package him with Terrence Shannon Jr. (which is vital given Minnesota's lack of draft capital) to trade for P.J. Washington, who could be more available after the Dallas Mavericks traded for Santi Aldama. Washington offers an ideal blend of defense and versatility. He'd be my top target, and it's not close.Â
Seeing if the Indiana Pacers would be open to trading Obi Toppin would be another great option. Toppin's blend of athleticism and versatility would make him an exciting addition.Â
Now, I must admit these targets don't fit in with the idea of floor spacing, though they are solid shooters.
Nonetheless, both Washington and Toppin provide enough all-around value to make up for this. Furthermore, it's hard to pinpoint true stretch fours, especially with Aldama being traded and Sandro Mamukelashvili signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.Â
If the Wolves simply look to trade Green, Nikola Jovic and Dorian Finney-Smith are two realistic buy-low options. Neither player is an ideal option, but if Jovic can bounce back from a down year, he could be a true stretch four, while Finney-Smith's defensive versatility could make him a positive player (if he bounces back).Â
Then there's the aforementioned possibility of waiving and stretching Green.Â
Could the Wolves go after Jonathan Kuminga? This would certainly be a high-upside but somewhat risky swing, even if he could be affordable. Would they have any shot of signing Rui Hachimura? That could be ideal, but I don't think it's feasible even with some extra cap space. The point being, a trade involving Green feels more likely than not.
For now, though, fans can only patiently wait to see how the Timberwolves address their need for a power forward, but it sure sounds like Green will never play for the team.Â
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