There wasn’t much fanfare when the Minnesota Timberwolves signed Trey Lyles. He wasn’t on many fans’ radars because he spent last season playing overseas.
Still, there was a time when Lyles was the only legitimate power forward on the roster. That changed when the Timberwolves signed Jonathan Kuminga to join their starting lineup late in the offseason.
Speaking at media day on Monday, Lyles was asked what he thinks his role will be this season.
“Right now, I just want to be more of a locker room guy,” Lyles said. “I’m going on my 11th year, so I’ve seen and been through quite a few different situations. So for me personally, I just want to bring confidence to this team.”
That quote shows Lyles understands he may not get regular playing time this season. The Timberwolves could use veteran leadership, though, after they lost a lot of it in the offseason.
Lyles is the second-oldest player on the roster
As Lyles stated, this is now his 11th season in the NBA. Turning 31 on November 5, Lyles has never played fewer than 15.6 minutes per game in any of his first 10 years. He has always found himself squarely in the rotation, with about 80 percent of his career outings coming off the bench.
During his career, Lyles often didn’t play on great teams, though. Only in three of those 11 years did his team make the postseason. The only time he stayed in his team's playoff rotation in those three postseason trips was when he was a member of the 2023 “Light the Beam” Sacramento Kings.
Signed to a one-year veteran’s minimum deal, Lyles isn’t a major investment for the Timberwolves. A locker-room guy still has value, and Minnesota could use another player like that.
The Wolves are a much younger club than they were last season. Kyle Anderson, Joe Ingles, and the ultimate pro’s pro, Mike Conley, are no longer on the team. Naz Reid is only 27, but he had the longest tenure on the Wolves until he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets this offseason.
Now, the only player on the roster older than 30 besides Lyles is Rudy Gobert. Anthony Edwards looks to have taken note, as he has transitioned into more of a leadership role this offseason.
Lyles has qualities the other bigs on the team don’t have, such as the ability to knock down outside shots. He can be a nice depth piece. When the team is at—or near—full strength, playing time could be sparse. That doesn’t mean Lyles is a waste of a signing if he takes on a veteran leadership role that he seems to be ready to embrace.
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