The Timberwolves are opening up their cap picture by moving on from Julian Phillips. According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, Minnesota is declining the wing’s $2.4 million team option for the upcoming season, which sends the 2023 second-round pick into unrestricted free agency before what would have been his fourth NBA year.
Phillips landed in Minnesota as part of the February trade with Chicago that also brought Ayo Dosunmu to the Wolves and sent Rob Dillingham and Leonard Miller to the Bulls, along with several second-round picks. The 6-foot-6 wing appeared in 13 regular-season games and five postseason contests as a reserve, and he closed the regular season by scoring 16 points in the final game.
His path to this point has already been a winding one. After one season at Tennessee, Phillips was drafted 35th overall by the Celtics in 2023, then traded to the Wizards and later the Bulls in the same week. He saw stretches of rotation time in Chicago over the past couple of seasons, but never locked down steady minutes.
Minnesota’s bigger roster picture is still being shaped by the massive multi-team trade involving LaMelo Ball, Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and several other players, plus new contracts for Dosunmu and Jaylen Clark. Based on that framework, the Wolves’ 2026-27 roster currently leaves them with about $9 million under the second apron, which they are hard-capped at, and at least three standard roster spots still to fill since 14 players are required.
Rocco Zikarsky, Enrique Freeman, and second-round pick Trey Kaufmann-Renn are projected to be on two-way deals.
There’s also a path to more flexibility if Minnesota moves Green’s expiring contract. That could open up additional room, and it would matter because the Wolves have the $6.1 million taxpayer mid-level exception available to use on a free agent - though they may need to move Green first to spend the full amount.
For potential cheap additions, Minnesota could also revisit some familiar names from last season’s roster. Kyle Anderson, Bones Hyland, and Mike Conley are all listed as possible free-agent targets on short deals.
The challenge now is obvious: after dealing Randle and Reid, the Wolves need help at power forward, whether that’s a starter or someone who can handle a meaningful bench role. The money isn’t there in abundance, but the minutes are. As Krawczynski noted, that kind of opportunity can matter for a player looking to bet on himself for a year.
One name that fits that mold is Kenrich Williams, whose team option was declined by the Thunder on Monday. He’s a 6-foot-7 wing who shot just under 39 percent from three over six seasons in Oklahoma City, and Minnesota was flagged as a team that should be in the mix.
In Other News...
Thunder May Have Opened A Door The Wolves Desperately Needed
Minnesotas search for frontcourt help has a familiar urgency to it after the roster churn that followed the trades of Julius Randle and Naz Reid. The Timberwolves still need another reliable power forward type, and with limited flexibility, they are likely to keep circling the same kind of name: a dependable, low-cost veteran who can play within the structure of a playoff team without needing the ball in his hands much.
Kenrich Williams fits that mold as well as anyone on the market. The Thunder used him in a rotational bench role, and his appeal is obvious for a Wolves team trying to patch depth without overextending itself: he spaces the floor, defends multiple spots and brings toughness every night. In a market where some alternatives will cost more, a player like Williams can quietly become the sort of addition that makes the rest of the rotation easier to manage. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Conleys Timberwolves Return Suddenly Feels Far Less Certain
Mike Conley has been part of the Timberwolves fabric for the last three full seasons, giving Minnesota the kind of steady, veteran presence teams usually spend years trying to find. As he approaches his 20th NBA season and turns 39 in October, the expectation around the league has been that if he plays next season, he will do so in Minnesota, where his leadership and calm have mattered as much as any box-score contribution.
But the offseason picture has gotten a little less settled, and that matters for a Wolves team that could use another lead guard option heading into next year. A recent report from Jake Fischer linked Conley to outside interest, and with his next contract likely to be at the minimum salary level, the conversation is no longer just about whether he can still help, but about where that help will land if Minnesota has to compete to keep him in place. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Green's Timberwolves Future Suddenly Feels Far From Settled
Josh Green arrived in Minnesota as part of the recent LaMelo Ball deal, and almost immediately his place with the Timberwolves started looking a little fuzzy. He has one season left on his contract at roughly $14.7 million, which gives the Wolves a movable piece, a potential rotation guard and a clean financial lever all at once. In a league where expiring deals can mean as much for roster-building as production, that kind of flexibility usually keeps a player on the radar for multiple reasons.
Minnesotas thinking is made more complicated by Donte DiVincenzos torn Achilles, which could open a path for Green to matter on the floor sooner rather than later. At the same time, salary cap realities mean the Wolves could also view him as a piece to hold, then shop later if the right deal comes along. For now, the big question is less about what Green can do in a vacuum and more about whether Minnesota sees him as part of the rotation or part of the next transaction. [Read more 🡒]