On Friday, it was announced that the Minnesota Timberwolves have signed Trey Lyles to a one-year deal. The need for a power forward was clear, but it’s safe to say Lyles wasn’t a name on the radar for the majority of the fan base.
That’s because Lyles didn’t even spend last season in the NBA. Turning 31 years old on November 5, he spent the previous 10 years in the league before playing in Spain for Real Madrid last season.
The signing reunites Lyles with Tim Connelly, who previously acquired the 6-foot-9 forward while Connelly was employed by the Denver Nuggets.
For his NBA career, Lyles has posted averages of 7.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while connecting on 34.7 percent of his 3-point tries. He was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Kentucky.
Connelly previously traded for LylesÂ
Just a week after Connelly was named Denver’s president of basketball operations (the same position he now holds with the Timberwolves), the 2017 NBA Draft took place. After spending his first 2 years with the Utah Jazz, Lyles was acquired by Connelly along with the 24th pick (Tyler Lydon) in exchange for the 13th pick, which turned out to be…Donovan Mitchell.
Obviously, not one of Connelly’s best moves, but he clearly saw enough in Lyles to acquire him. Lyles would play two seasons for Denver, including 17.5 minutes per game in 2018-19 for a Nuggets team that finished second in the Western Conference, although his outside shooting accuracy fell off a cliff that year.
Once his contract expired after that season, the Nuggets withdrew their qualifying offer, making Lyles an unrestricted free agent. He ended up signing a two-year, $11 million deal to join the San Antonio Spurs.
Lyles’ main position during his playing career has been power forward. The Wolves didn’t have anyone on their roster before signing him that could say likewise.
A move like this won’t preclude Minnesota from keeping the dream alive (no matter how unlikely it seems) of bringing in LeBron James.
Signing Lyles seemingly came out of left field, though, as there wasn’t anything previously reported on the Timberwolves having interest in him.
Regardless, Connelly turned to a familiar face to help fill a need, and Lyles may see playing time off the bench (shot 44.3 percent from 3-point distance with Real Madrid in EuroLeague play) if nothing else is done at his position. Â
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