It's late August, and the Minnesota Timberwolves are still searching for a power forward. The problem is that there aren't many power forwards who are still on the open market and can contribute quality minutes. Minnesota's last chance to find such a player in free agency is Jonathan Kuminga. This is especially the case since Georges Niang signed with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday evening.
Free agent forward Georges Niang has agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Niang -- a career 40% 3-point shooter -- enters his 11th NBA season after missing 2025-26 due to injury. pic.twitter.com/XFD2t1XKNm
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 25, 2026
The Timberwolves were indirectly linked to Niang throughout the offseason. Beyond their clear need for a power forward, in July, The Stein Line (subscription required) previously reported that teams in the mix for LeBron James were eyeing Niang.
Due to his high-level spot-up shooting and general connectivity, Niang would have been a clear fit. While he missed last season with a foot injury, Niang was a quality contributor in the 2024-25 season. Tim Connelly has also talked about the value of players who can do more with less, which describes Niang.
With Niang off the board, though, the Timberwolves don't have a clear backup plan if they miss out on Kuminga.
The Timberwolves don't have another clear option if they strike out on Kuminga
The chances of the Timberwolves signing Kuminga went up after Peyton Watson signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's now between them, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Milwaukee Bucks. Still, the Timberwolves face some hurdles to signing Kuminga. As things stand, they can only sign him to a minimum contract.
Barring some roster maneuvering (which isn't impossible), Kuminga would have to be comfortable sacrificing some significant money to sign with Minnesota. Now, the Timberwolves could waive and stretch Josh Green to open up some cap space. There's also the possibility of a sign-and-trade. Neither scenario would be seamless.
Even if you think the Timberwolves have a strong chance to sign Kuminga (which I do), the Lakers still have a smoother path to signing him and can offer him a winning situation.
As such, having an easy pivot option would've been ideal, and Niang seemed like he could be exactly that. Alas, the Timberwolves might have to settle for a veteran depth piece such as Kevin Love or Jeff Green if they strike out on Kuminga.
The other option would be waiting until Green is eligible to be aggregated in a deal with other Timberwolves players on September 10 and pursuing a trade for a mid-salaried forward. A trade like this wouldn't be impossible, yet Minnesota's lack of draft capital and high-end trade candidates would make it tricky.
Considering this, if the Timberwolves don't land Kuminga, they will now likely be committing to a power forward by committee rotation with the likes of Green, Jaden McDaniels, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Jaylen Clark playing out of position. Heck, even Anthony Edwards could see significant time guarding fours.
This might not be a detrimental flaw given the lack of star physical forwards across the league and the Timberwolves' strong defensive infrastructure. Nevertheless, in an ideal world, the Timberwolves would find a more natural power forward who can provide rotation minutes. Unfortunately, Niang signing with the Warriors further limits their options.
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