The trade deadline might be over, but the Minnesota Timberwolves aren't done making moves -- as on Wednesday, they waived two-way player Johnny Juzang. Honestly, I was a bit surprised by this move, as I thought Juzang would actually get his contract converted to fill the Wolves' open roster spot. Either way, a decision had to be made soon about Juzang, whose eligibility was running out despite not seeing the court much.
Hopefully, Juzang lands on his feet somewhere because he has the skill set of an NBA contributor.
Now, though, the Wolves will (likely) shift their attention to the buyout market to round out their roster. I wouldn't expect an official move to happen until March 1, though, as at this date the tax penalties will lessen for the Wolves, who are just barely under the first tax apron.
The Wolves' buyout options (and beyond)
While I don't expect the Wolves to make a needle-moving addition on the buyout market, they do have several options.
Confirmed buyout players include Lonzo Ball, Eric Gordon, Chris Boucher, Georges Niang, Dario Saric, and Mason Plumlee. Some of these players are fairly big names, but at this stage of their careers, they don't contribute much on the court.
However, that's perfectly fine for a Wolves team that suddenly has a solid top-eight after trading for Ayo Dosunmu.
Outside of this group of confirmed buyout players, D'Angelo Russell is likely to be bought out. Furthermore, Khris Middleton, Kyle Anderson, and DeMar DeRozan are possible buyout candidates -- with DeRozan's buyout candidacy becoming more possible in the wake of Domantas Sabonis' season-ending injury.
Of this group, Russell will almost certainly be bought out while the others remain unclear. Frankly, I don't see the Wolves signing Middleton or DeRozan if they are indeed bought out. Both players, especially DeRozan, are good enough to demand minutes -- but with Dosunmu in the mix now, I don't see there being enough minutes to go around.
Russell would be more of a depth piece. However, I wouldn't bank on a reunion, given that things didn't end on the best of terms last time. Anderson is a more interesting option, and if the Wolves were to reunite with someone, he seems to be the most likely candidate.
Regardless, Anderson still hasn't been bought out, and I don't think that's a certainty given that he has previously spent time in Memphis.
Another intriguing option for the Wolves could be to search throughout the league and sign a two-way player from another team. This move would offer the Wolves a bit more upside than a veteran buyout player. However, it's unclear if the Wolves would like to add another younger player to the mix, given their title aspirations.
I would be shocked if either Rocco Zikarsky or Enrique Freeman got the bump up, as they have played a combined eight NBA minutes this season.
Ultimately, the Wolves have plenty of options to round out their roster with, and it will be interesting to see what path they go down -- but as of now, there's no clear favorite in my eyes.