The Timberwolves’ move to land LaMelo Ball in last week’s blockbuster deal left a glaring hole at power forward, and it’s one they may have to fill on the open market. With Naz Reid gone, Minnesota doesn’t really have a natural four on the roster, which makes another veteran addition feel more like a necessity than a luxury.
The big question is money. Right now, the Wolves might not have much more than the $6.1 million taxpayer mid-level exception to work with, which immediately puts a ceiling on what they can realistically chase.
That’s why names like Svi Mykhailiuk and John Collins are getting attention, even if both may be out of reach unless they’re willing to take a steep haircut. Mamukelashvili recently opted out of his player option, while Collins is headed into unrestricted free agency, but both would likely need to leave a lot on the table to land in Minnesota at that price.
They’re appealing fits, but Tim Connelly and the front office would have to get creative.
Beyond the splashier names, there are a few more practical options that could make sense for the Wolves. Moritz Wagner is one of them.
His market is tough to project, but starting on a playoff team like Minnesota could be enough to catch his eye. Wagner missed time after a torn ACL in 2024, then returned to post 6.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in 2025-26.
A one-year prove-it deal would fit the profile here.
Harrison Barnes is another possibility, and he brings a different kind of value. At 34, he’s an undersized four at 6-foot-7, but he’s still a versatile defender and he just put together a productive season, averaging 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the field and 38.8% from three. In Minnesota’s system, that kind of steadiness could go a long way.
Then there’s Jonathan Isaac, a classic buy-low swing. The Magic waived him after he spent his entire NBA career in Orlando since 2017, and the injury history is impossible to ignore.
He’s only 28, but he hasn’t averaged more than 7.0 points per game since the 2019-20 season and has played more than 50 games in a season only three times. Still, he’s the sort of upside gamble that can work if Minnesota isn’t relying on him to be the only veteran addition.
Kyle Anderson also belongs in the conversation, especially because he’s already been in Minnesota. The Wolves brought him in at the buy-out market last season, and he now hits unrestricted free agency after averaging 19.1 minutes in 19 regular season games for the team.
He finished with 4.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, and at 32, he still looks like he has something left. If he’s willing to come back on a team-friendly deal, it would make a lot of sense.
Rounding out the list is Kenrich Williams, another undersized forward who has shown he can handle power forwards at a high level. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season, shooting 47.3% from the field and 38.8% from deep. After six seasons with the Thunder, he also brings the kind of winning experience teams value when they’re trying to patch a roster hole without breaking the bank.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Suddenly Linked To A Rumor That Changes Everything
Minnesotas offseason already has a drastically different look after the front office moved on from Julius Randle and Naz Reid while bringing in LaMelo Ball, reshaping the roster around a new core. Even before training camp noise settles, the Timberwolves have been one of the leagues more unpredictable teams on paper, and that alone makes any veteran-star speculation around them worth a closer look.
Now Sam Amick of The Athletic has added another layer by reporting that the Wolves have at least been part of the broader conversation around LeBron James. It is the kind of idea that would have seemed far-fetched not long ago, and it remains very much in rumor territory, but Minnesota suddenly finds itself mentioned in a place reserved for teams with real ambitions and a willingness to swing big. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Conley Exit Leaves Wolves Losing More Than A Guard
Mike Conleys time in Minnesota gave the Timberwolves more than steady point guard play. Over 3.5 seasons, he brought organization, poise and a veteran presence that helped stabilize a roster built around Anthony Edwards and, more recently, LaMelo Ball. For a team that has valued continuity in the backcourt, losing Conley is about more than replacing minutes.
It also leaves the Wolves looking for another layer of depth behind their top guards, a need that becomes tougher when one of the leagues most reliable veterans is no longer in the mix. Conley is also set to join a remarkably small group by reaching 20 NBA seasons, a reminder that his next chapter is part of a career arc Minnesota got to see up close for a significant stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Rudy Gobert Trade Debate Just Got More Uncomfortable For Timberwolves Fans
The Rudy Gobert trade has lived under a microscope in Minnesota since the Timberwolves sent a massive package to Utah in 2022, and the conversation only gets trickier when the Jazz keep turning those assets into more future flexibility. Utahs latest move sent Walker Kessler to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade that brought back a haul of draft capital, another reminder that the return from the Gobert deal is still echoing across the league.
For Timberwolves fans, the discomfort is less about what Gobert has done in Minnesota and more about how the trade could look years from now when all those picks and swaps finally come due. Utah has already used part of the Wolves' original package on Keyonte George, and each new step the Jazz take makes it harder to view the deal as a finished story instead of a long-term ledger still being balanced. [Read more 🡒]