The Timberwolves shelled out big money to Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson over the weekend but it appears they’re not done making moves.
According to Mark Medina of the LA Times, Minnesota is interested in Lakers shooting guard Nick Young (or as the cool kids call him, Swaggy P.). Meanwhile, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reported the Timberwolves have inquired about veteran Gerald Green too.
Here’s a closer look at where both stand.
Can the Wolves lure Young?
Swaggy P. had a career season last year, drilling 40 percent of his shots from behind the arc. With Zach LaVine gone, Minnesota is lacking a cold-blooded shooter.
The Golden State Warriors are believed to be the favorite to land Young. He was even hanging out with Draymond Green over the weekend. Other Western Conference juggernauts like the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans have also been linked to Young.
It’s worth noting Young would have a larger role in Minnesota as a shooting guard than Golden State. But the idea of playing for the Warriors is a tough one to pass up.
Can Green keep it up?
Gerald Green is a veteran shooting guard/small forward who’s played for six different teams this decade alone – he was even in Minnesota in 2007-08, landing here as part of the Kevin Garnett trade.
The 31-year-old knocked down 35 percent of his 3-point attempts last season but he was inactive frequently. After playing in just 48 games during the regular season last year for Boston, Green turned it up to another level in the playoffs, helping the Celtics reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
If he were to sign with Minnesota, it’s likely Tom Thibodeau would have him play a larger role off the bench. Green hasn’t played a full 82-game season since 2013-14, so durability may be a concern.
How much cap space does Minnesota have left?
The Timberwolves only have about $6.5 million in cap space, according to sportrac.com.
The team already renounced Shabazz Muhammad – making him an unrestricted free agent – and they could add some more space if they were able to move Cole Adrich, who is set to make $7.3 million next season.
