NBA FREE AGENCY
Key Free Agents: F Jarred Vanderbilt (2020-21 salary – $1.6M)
Other Free Agents: F/C Ed Davis ($5M), G Jordan McLaughlin (Two-Way)
Depending on whether or not the Timberwolves make any significant trades will determine if they will be able to do anything in free agency this year. Heading into the offseason, Minnesota is already $19.2M over the salary cap for the 2021-22 season and as a result, they will not really be able to target anyone in free agency.
Aside from targeting anyone, the Timberwolves do not really have to worry about retaining anybody either! Jarred Vanderbilt is their only “significant” free agent and there has been no word on whether or not they plan to bring him back on a long-term deal. The 22-year-old power-forward is set to become a restricted free agent after spending the last year and a half in Minnesota.
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Vanderbilt was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in February of 2020 as part of a 4-team trade between the Timberwolves, Rockets, Hawks and Nuggets that was highlighted by Clint Capela going to the Atlanta Hawks.
With the Timberwolves drafting Jaden McDaniels in the first-round of the 2020 NBA Draft and the rookie having a really solid season, it is hard to imagine that Minnesota would want to keep Vanderbilt long-term. He had a decent season, averaging 5.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and shooting 60.6% from the floor, but with McDaniels, Hernangomez and Jake Layman all under contract for next season, there is not enough room salary and roster wise to add Vanderbilt back to the mix as well.
Ed Davis and Jordan McLaughlin are also going to be free agents for the Timberwolves, with McLaughlin likely to be considered for a minimum deal or another two-way contract for the 2021-22 season. As mentioned before, a lot of what Minnesota has planned this offseason and in free agency will depend on what kind of deals they will potentially make.
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Ricky Rubio ($17.8M), Jarrett Culver ($6.3M), Josh Okogie ($4M) and Jake Layman ($3.9M) are all potentially guys that Minnesota will look to trade away this offseason in order to free up some salary space. Not only could they look to trade some guys on their roster away, but the Timberwolves also have two guys with non-guaranteed contracts for the 2021-22 season.
Both Naz Reid and Jaylen Nowell are owed about $1.8M next season on non-guaranteed contracts and both of them could potentially be waived in the offseason or traded away in order to free up tiny bits of cap space that Minnesota could play around with.
While they do have a lot of young players with a lot of potential, the Timberwolves will be looking to make moves this offseason to set them up for success moving forward. Keeping their current roster that they have together does not offer this chance, which is why they will be moving around a lot of pieces on their roster in the offseason.
