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NBA Free Agency 2018: 5 offseason targets for the Minnesota Timberwolves

By Jerry Christodoulatos

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: Jimmy Butler #23 and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrate defeating the Denver Nuggets after the game on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: Jimmy Butler #23 and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrate defeating the Denver Nuggets after the game on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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Despite making the NBA Playoffs, tensions are rising in Minnesota. What players can the Timberwolves add to build on a fairly successful 2017-2018 campaign?

For a franchise as snake-bitten and downtrodden as the Minnesota Timberwolves, one might assume making the playoffs for the first time in 14 years would temporarily cure any organizational instability. But Minnesota carries an air of uneasiness heading into the offseason amidst reports about internal turmoil and front office strife. Franchise player Karl-Anthony Towns has come up in trade rumors. Former no. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins has been the focus of trade speculation since he signed an enormous extension last fall. And an apocryphal tale involving coach Tom Thibodeau throwing a computer through a glass wall surfaced a few weeks ago. So, Everything is far from hunky dory.

The Wolves won 47 games despite missing Jimmy Butler for a substantial chunk of the season, but they often left you wanting more. Statistically they were an awesome offensive team in the regular season, finishing fourth in offensive efficiency. Even so, the Wolves were a frustrating team to watch because a few simple changes could have made them far more potent. Minnesota, in the most fitting fashion for a Thibs team, finished dead last in the NBA in 3-point attempt rate.

The best 3-point shooter on the team is probably Towns, which is simultaneously promising and alarming. None of the Butler, Wiggins, Teague trio is a killer shooter from deep and incumbent power forward Taj Gibson has no 3-point range. The only floor spacer this team played at the 4 spot was Nemanja Bjelica — he contributed just 20 minutes per game. The floor was often tight and the Wolves worked in the tricky floater zone and mid-range areas far too frequently. And perhaps most infuriatingly of all, Wiggins led the Wolves in shot attempts. That’s not ideal when you have Towns on the roster.

Though Minnesota was a top-five offense during the regular season, its offensive system proved unsustainable. The Rockets locked the Wolves down in their round one series as Minnesota’s offensive rating dipped 6 points per 100 below its regular season average, which proved to be a catastrophic difference in output.

While Minnesota’s attack was often vexing, the defense was legitimately concerning. This team was in the same ballpark as the Phoenix Suns and the Cleveland Cavaliers in defensive efficiency. That’s not the kind of company you want to be keeping. Defensive mastermind Thibs hasn’t improved Minnesota’s defense these past two years. Much of the TImberwolves’ inability to defend stems from Towns’ surprising ineffectiveness on that end. He has the talent, but at times his effort seems lackluster at best.

Heading into the summer of 2018, Minnesota has numerous issues to address. Getting some shooting at the 4 spot will be vital for this spacing-challenged team. Adding depth on the wing including players who don’t need the ball to impact the offense would help as well. The resources the front office will have at its disposal to address these issues are fairly limited though. The Wolves aren’t in immediate danger of paying the tax, and they can dodge it with relative ease this summer if they don’t spend much.

But if they dish out a contract at the full midlevel-exception, they will run into tax and spending apron issues. Minnesota will look to avoid such payments before extending KAT and potentially re-signing Butler next year. Using the taxpayer MLE and pursuing trades are their only real options to add another rotation piece. Here are five players the Wolves could acquire as we head into the summer.

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