The Timberwolves’ offseason took a sharp turn last week when they landed star Hornets guard LaMelo Ball in a deal that sent Naz Reid and draft compensation out the door. Lost a bit in the shuffle was Josh Green, another piece of the trade whose future in Minnesota is still unclear.
Green comes from the same 2020 NBA Draft class as Ball, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. The Mavericks took him 18th overall, and over time he’s built a reputation as a useful 3&D wing. He’s 25, and Minnesota is taking him on with one season and about $14.7 million left on his contract.
The full structure of the Ball trade - along with the move that sent Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets - still appears to be in flux. At this point, it sounds like a three-team arrangement involving Minnesota, Charlotte and Brooklyn. That leaves the key question hanging: was Green included mainly to balance the money, or does the Wolves’ front office actually plan to use him?
On paper, Green gives them a player with a track record. He put up 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds last season in 58 regular-season games off the bench. He’s a career 38.7% shooter from three on 2.4 attempts a night, and his best scoring season came in 2022-23, when he averaged 9.1 points per game.
There’s also a real path to minutes. Minnesota will be without Donte DiVincenzo for most of the 2026-27 regular season while he recovers from a torn Achilles, which opens the door for someone like Green to work his way into the rotation.
He started 67 games for Charlotte in the 2024-25 season and averaged 7.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists. At 6-foot-6, he at least gives the Wolves a similar look to DiVincenzo if they want to go that route.
Still, nothing is settled. The Wolves may expect DiVincenzo back near the end of the regular season, which could make Green more of a short-term piece than a long-term answer. Minnesota could keep him to start the year and then explore moving him at the trade deadline.
That expiring $14.7 million deal is part of what makes him so interesting. It’s a hefty number, but it also gives the Wolves flexibility if they want to chase another power forward this offseason. In that sense, Green may not be the headline name from the trade, but he could end up being one of the most important moving parts in how Minnesota shapes the rest of its roster.
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Timberwolves Linked To Another Key Upgrade But Fans May Hate This Catch
After swinging a deal for LaMelo Ball, the Timberwolves are still hunting for ways to sharpen the roster before the next season, and one possible upgrade has already surfaced in a familiar place: the frontcourt. John Collins, the unrestricted free agent who spent last season with the Clippers, has been mentioned as a name Minnesota people around the league are watching, which at least tells you the front office is still thinking big after the Ball move.
The catch is the same one that tends to show up once teams start stacking ambitious moves. Sources say Minnesota may not have enough cap room to make a real run at Collins, and it would not be a solo chase anyway. Orlando, San Antonio, Philadelphia and Chicago are also expected to be in the mix, which means any Wolves pursuit would have to be both creative and fast if it is going to amount to more than just another name on the board. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves May Have Found A Risky Answer To Their Frontcourt Void
The Timberwolves have been searching for a way to patch the frontcourt minutes they opened up by moving Julius Randle and Naz Reid, and Marvin Bagley III has emerged as a plausible free-agent fit in that hunt. His appeal is pretty straightforward for a team trying to stay competitive while reworking the rotation: he brings size, some scoring touch and enough mobility to survive in a modern frontcourt, even if the profile comes with obvious questions.
Bagleys recent numbers suggest there is still something usable there, and Minnesotas interest would make sense if the front office is looking for a low-cost swing rather than a clean long-term answer. The catch is the same one that has followed him for much of his career, because any decision on him would come with some risk attached and would likely depend on how the Timberwolves weigh him against the other options still on the board. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Just Made A Quiet Enrique Freeman Decision
The Timberwolves have made one of those quiet roster moves that usually flies under the radar until free agency starts sorting itself out. Enrique Freeman, who spent last season on a two-way contract, has been tendered a qualifying offer, which keeps Minnesota in position to maintain control of his rights while he continues the transition from developmental depth to a more defined NBA role.
Freemans year was split between brief NBA time and a larger G League workload, the kind of season that often decides whether a player sticks, moves on, or comes back on another two-way arrangement. Minnesota also issued a qualifying offer to Jaylen Clark, though the bigger picture there already looks settled, leaving Freeman as one of the more interesting lower-profile names on the Wolves summer board. [Read more 🡒]