Well, it happened: the Minnesota Timberwolves signed a power forward, Trey Lyles, as first reported by Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Okay, needless to say, signing Lyles to a one-year contract isn't the move that Timberwolves fans had hoped for. With Naz Reid and Julius Randle out of town, Jaden McDaniels was suddenly the team's lone forward.
Crucially, though, Krawczynski noted that Lyles is seen as a depth piece at a position of need, and this move does not mean the Wolves are out of the running for LeBron James or, presumably, other power forward options. Likewise, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype noted that the Wolves are keeping a roster spot open in the event that they can sign LeBron.
Signing Trey Lyles with another move in mind makes sense
The Wolves' way of thinking makes a ton of sense. Even if you aren't the favorites to land LeBron, if you have a chance to sign him (which Minnesota seems to have), you need to explore this option until the end.
If the Wolves strike out on James, they could add a remaining free agent or get more aggressive on the trade market (perhaps for P.J. Washington).
Waiving or trading Josh Green seems like a vital move. Parting ways with Green could either open up cap space for another signing or they could simply trade him for a forward. Regardless, signing Lyles (with the idea of still making another move) makes a lot of sense.
It's unclear if Lyles can crack the rotation, assuming the Wolves make another move. Throughout his 10-year career, he averaged 7.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 44.1/34.7/74.1 shooting splits.
Now, it's worth noting that Lyles was out of the league last season. Still, his blend of floor spacing, size and rebounding makes him a solid depth piece at the very least. Lyles notably shot 43 percent overseas last year.
To me, Lyles' ability to stretch the floor is the most intriguing part of his game, and this could give him a chance to crack the Wolves' rotation. Given that Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer struggle to space the floor, this element is especially beneficial.
He can't be viewed as the Wolves' lone solution to their lack of forward depth. If the Timberwolves opt not to add another forward, then yeah, signing Lyles doesn't make much sense. Thankfully, the current reporting makes it sound likely that signing Lyles will be paired with a subsequent move.
Again, who knows if LeBron will end up signing with the Wolves, but it's logical that they're keeping their options open after signing Lyles.
Whether it's LeBron or another forward, let's hope the Timberwolves find a higher-end solution to their forward problem than Lyles. With the ultra-aggressive Tim Connelly running the show, it's fair to expect some more moves.
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