The Minnesota Timberwolves’ decision to waive and stretch John Konchar wasn’t just about trimming a roster. It was about creating room to keep building around Jonathan Kuminga.
Minnesota had already agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million deal with Kuminga to make him the starting power forward, but the move couldn’t become official until the Wolves cleared enough salary. The team was running up against its second apron hard cap and couldn’t absorb Kuminga’s $6 million starting salary without making another move.
Josh Green’s $14.6 million expiring contract was the cleanest place to start, and Minnesota did use it, sending Green to the Utah Jazz in a deal that brought back Konchar and Cody Williams, both of whom make about $6 million. That trade created just enough breathing room for Kuminga and also filled all 15 roster spots.
Then the Wolves went a step further and waived and stretched Konchar.
On the surface, that looked like a sharp turn for a player who had carved out a useful role for multiple playoff-caliber Memphis Grizzlies teams before landing in Utah as part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. But from Minnesota’s side, the math and the roster logic line up.
Stretching Konchar’s deal pushes two-thirds of his contract into the future, and the hit is relatively light by NBA standards. The dead money comes out to $2 million, which is only 1.25 percent of the salary cap. Even better for Minnesota, that money falls off the books in the same summer the roster is set to get much pricier.
Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, and Jaden McDaniels are all set to become free agents after the 2028-29 season, and all three are expected to command significant raises. By then, every bit of cap space will matter more. For now, the Wolves have a window where carrying a small amount of dead salary is far less painful than it will be later.
The move also reopens the final roster spot, giving Minnesota options. The Wolves can keep the roster at 14 players to start the season, or more likely, add a veteran on a minimum contract who can help with leadership and frontcourt depth.
There’s another path, too. If Trey Lyles doesn’t work out in his role, Minnesota could release him before his contract becomes fully guaranteed on January 10 and create enough room for another signing.
The Wolves could have waived Cody Williams instead, but they chose to keep the upside of the former tenth overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. Williams has been a negative on-court player so far, but Minnesota clearly sees value in giving him a fresh start.
In the end, the message is pretty clear: the Wolves think the player they can add with that final minimum slot will help them more than Konchar would have. With Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, and Joe Ingles no longer in Minnesota, the team wants a veteran presence around Edwards, Ball, and McDaniels.
Konchar might have fit that need, but Minnesota preferred to turn his contract into flexibility and use that flexibility on the best available fit for a very specific roster need.
That’s especially important because the Wolves already have a crowded wing mix, with Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark, and eventually Donte DiVincenzo in the fold. In that kind of setup, Konchar’s value gets squeezed.
Whoever fills that last spot probably won’t have a major role on the court. Minnesota appears to want someone in the Joe Ingles mold: a player who understands the minutes will be limited but still brings value in other ways.
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Timberwolves Just Turned One Move Into A Fascinating Cody Williams Bet
The Timberwolves kept the more interesting piece of their swap with Utah, landing Cody Williams in a deal that sent Josh Green and cash the other way and then moving quickly to waive and stretch John Konchar to open up financial flexibility. It was a tidy bit of roster housekeeping, but the bigger point was what Minnesota chose to preserve: a young wing with real pedigree who still has plenty to prove.
Williams arrives with a different kind of opportunity than he had before, because the Timberwolves are not a rebuilding team handing out empty minutes. They have a strong roster and championship expectations, which makes his path more defined and the pressure more immediate. For a former top draft pick who has had a hard time getting traction early in his career, this looks less like a flyer and more like a calculated bet on whether a change of scenery can unlock something the Jazz never quite got to see. [Read more 🡒]