7. Minnesota Timberwolves
Key additions: Anthony Tolliver (FA)
Key losses: Nmenja Bjelica (FA)
THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES kept relatively quiet in free agency. They lost Nemanja Bjelica, whose free agency experience felt like an episode of the Kardashians, but replaced him with Anthony Tolliver. Tolliver is a quality locker room guy who shot 43.6 percent from 3 last year and can defend 3 positions. He’s better and cheaper than Bjelica.
While they also retained Derrick Rose, who played surprisingly well upon being reunited with Tom Thibedou, progressing off of the status quo feels like the direction Minnesota is heading.
Keeping Jimmy Butler around should be number one on their priority list. Butler reportedly rejected a contract extension from the Wolves, and there have been rumours about his displeasure playing alongside Andrew Wiggins. Thibs must find a way to mesh their styles better; although the team played at a 51-win pace with Jimmy playing last year, Minnesota cannot afford to upset him and lose one of the league’s twelve best guys for nothing next summer.
If they struggle out of the gate, I wouldn’t be surprised if Thibs entertained offers for Butler. He serves as both coach and president of basketball operations and has always been one of the league’s most competitive coaches. If he feared in the slightest Jimmy might walk away, he would certainly listen to offers from teams with multiple young assets/draft picks like the Lakers, Celtics, and 76ers.
While the T-Wolves are oozing with young talent, they are desolate in terms of depth and have real spacing concerns (30th in both threes made and attempted last year). Butler and star center Karl-Anthony Towns are All-NBA talents, but guys like Wiggins, Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson, Gorgui Dieng, and Tyus Jones aren’t much more than middling pieces. If the Wolves really want to contend, they are another star ball handler and a few shooters short.
In a perfect world, Golden State accepted their Kevin Love for Klay Thompson offer in 2014, preventing the Warriors from becoming the Warriors and solving all of Minnesota’s problems. The NBA: a place of what-ifs constantly changing history. You could write a totally separate story for the league based on just a few small tweaks through its history. Novel idea #12315.
Timberwolves projected record: 48-34
Timberwolves odds of beating the Warriors in a series: 3-5 percent