In the Minnesota Timberwolves' recent press conference, where they officially introduced LaMelo Ball and Josh Green, one of the quotes that piqued Wolves fans' interest the most wasn't about either of their new acquisitions, but the potential next one.
"We’re down two great power forwards … There’s a couple free agents still available. We’re working one or two of them right now. We’ll see if that comes to fruition," Connelly said.
Now, the current free-agent market is pretty slim pickings, especially for players within the Wolves' price point. Nevertheless, there are a couple of names I could see contributing to this roster and filling a need.
The first one is obvious, and the biggest domino still to fall in the free agent market: LeBron James. Whether you think the Wolves have a shot at him or not, they're in the top five, and they certainly believe that they're well-positioned within the sweepstakes.
The second one is between a few names, none of which are household names, but they could be effective in a limited role. Kelly Olynyk, Spencer Jones, and Georges Niang are some guys that fit what the Wolves are looking for, and ultimately, I think Olynyk would be the best fit.
The Wolves are waiting to see where LeBron decides to go
It's expected that LeBron will make his decision sometime soon, and then soon after that, the rest of free agency should pick back up. I might be biased, but out of the five rumored teams, the Wolves are the best basketball fit for him. Now the major question is whether he wants to spend his twilight years in the NBA in Minnesota.
As fun as LeBron would be, I do ultimately think that the storybook ending in Cleveland would be too good to pass up. But it does make sense that it seems like they're holding out for his decision before making any other moves.
Kelly Olynyk would be a great fit in Minnesota on a budget
I know Olynyk wouldn't be the sexiest name on the market, and I could understand some frustration from the fan base if that's their solution to the power forward vacancy. However, I do think Olynyk has been pretty underrated in recent years, and he provides a lot of unique skills in a big man that would complement the roster nicely.
This past season, he wasn't in the everyday rotation for the San Antonio Spurs, but he played well in spot minutes. He's always been a good shooter for a big man and would give LaMelo Ball a nice pick-and-pop partner, which would be a contrast from Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer.
He's a career 36.9 percent 3-point shooter, but what intrigues me the most is his passing. He's a very smart playmaker at the four and has had multiple recent years with assist numbers hovering around four a game.
On the defensive side, he lacks athleticism and rim protection, but he uses his IQ to be disruptive in passing lanes, and he always seems to be in the right spot. He's certainly a much more offensively oriented player than defensively, which would blend nicely with the new identity of the team.
Olynyk may start, or maybe he provides value off the bench as a hybrid four/5. Either way, if he starts, I wouldn't envision more than 20 minutes a game, but he could be impactful in those minutes and provide a different element to the Wolves roster.
It's still a mystery as to what the rest of the Wolves' offseason will look like, but Connelly's comments made it clear: they aren't finished.
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