The Timberwolves are staring at a thin market if their Jonathan Kuminga pursuit goes nowhere, and that’s the reality this late in the offseason: the pool of available power forwards has dropped off hard after him. At this stage, Minnesota isn’t looking for a perfect answer so much as a usable one - a big body who can help in spots and keep the roster from feeling too light up front.
Kuminga is clearly the target, and with the remaining free-agent options, the Wolves should be right in the middle of the chase. But if he lands somewhere else, they’ll need another plan. Even if the next guy isn’t an every-night rotation piece, adding depth in the frontcourt still makes sense.
Georges Niang is one name that fits the bill. He spent last season with the Utah Jazz before getting dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, though he never played in a game because he was rehabbing foot surgery. Before that, he had carved out a steady role with playoff teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Atlanta Hawks.
Niang also lines up with the kind of player Tim Connelly described in a live show with Wolves beat writer Jon Krawczynski when he talked about doing more with less. The idea there is simple: the complementary pieces around Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball need to be able to contribute without demanding a heavy dose of touches.
That’s Niang in a nutshell. He’s been a reliable catch-and-shoot threat throughout his career, and since entering the league in the 2016-2017 season, he’s hit 39.9% from 3-point range.
He’s not an explosive athlete, but he uses his basketball IQ to stay from being a defensive liability. Coming off injury, he’d likely be available on the veteran minimum, which makes him the kind of bargain the Wolves could circle back to late in free agency.
And it’s worth remembering he signed a three-year, $25.5 million deal in 2023, so the talent level hasn’t exactly vanished.
Kevin Love is the other option, and that one comes with a different kind of appeal. It’s the homecoming angle. Love remains one of the best players in Timberwolves history and, during the stretch between Kevin Garnett and Karl-Anthony Towns, he was basically the franchise’s lone bright spot.
His peak in Minnesota came in the 2011-2012 season, when he put up 26 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. That version of Love is long gone, but he can still stretch the floor and bring solid feel at the four.
Last season with the Jazz, Love bounced in and out of the rotation, yet he still produced 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 16.6 minutes per game while shooting 37.3% from deep. The rebounding stood out, too, and he would help Minnesota on the defensive glass.
He’s more feel-good story than sure-thing rotation fix, but he showed enough last season to suggest he can still give a team useful minutes in bursts. At this point, that’s about as much as the Wolves can ask from a free agent forward - and the Minnesota connection doesn’t hurt.
In Other News...
Anthony Edwards Faces One Legacy Test Minnesota Fans Know Well
Anthony Edwards has already done the part that usually comes later for a 25-year-old, playing like one of the NBAs top performers and giving Minnesota a star worth building around. The bigger question around him now is the one that tends to follow elite talent in this market: whether great regular-season production can turn into the kind of postseason run that changes how a player is viewed beyond his own fan base.
The Timberwolves addition of LaMelo Ball only adds to the sense that the window around Edwards could keep opening, and that is why the conversation around his standing has gotten louder. What comes next for him is less about whether he belongs in the leagues upper tier and more about what happens if this roster finally gives him a real chance to chase the one thing Minnesota fans know can settle a legacy debate faster than anything else. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Could Finally Fix An Old Draft Regret With Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga has suddenly become the kind of free agent who can reshape a roster if the price is right, and Minnesota is right in the middle of the conversation. The Timberwolves and Lakers are viewed as the main suitors, but the financial wrinkle is obvious: Kuminga is reportedly seeking a deal that could be difficult for teams to swallow without a sign-and-trade. For Minnesota, the appeal goes beyond fit. This is also a chance to revisit a draft regret that has hung around since the club moved on from the pick that eventually became Kuminga.
If the Wolves can get him, Kuminga could step into a starting role and add another young, explosive piece to a core that already has plenty of established talent. The catch is the path to making it happen may require real compromise, with a short-term deal at a reduced salary likely the cleanest way for Minnesota to bring him in and let him rebuild his value. Whether that is enough to lure him away from bigger-market alternatives remains the unresolved part, and it is what makes this one worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Ownership Shakeup Could Decide Tim Connellys Future
The Timberwolves front office is moving through another potentially consequential transition, with ownership once again at the center of the conversation. Marc Lore has sold his majority stake in the team and the Lynx, and the expectation is that Marc Stad will emerge as the new majority owner once the NBA signs off, adding a fresh layer of uncertainty around a franchise that has already spent plenty of time sorting out its long-term direction.
For Tim Connelly, that matters because he is entering the final year of his contract and his future could be tied as much to the new power structure as to the roster itself. Minnesota has already been active this offseason, making changes that include adding LaMelo Ball and parting with Julius Randle and Naz Reid, and the sense around the league is that Connellys standing remains strong as the ownership situation settles into place. [Read more 🡒]