The Minnesota Timberwolves finally have a power forward on the roster.
On Friday, the Wolves signed ten-year NBA veteran Trey Lyles to a one-year contract, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Krawczynski also reported that this signing does not take the Timberwolves out of the LeBron James sweepstakes and is just a signing to add depth at a position Minnesota did not currently have on the roster.
Last season, Lyles played in the EuroLeague for Real Madrid in Spain, averaging 12.6 points per game while shooting 42.1 from beyond the arc across 61 games. Before that, Lyles played 10 seasons with the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, and, most recently, with the Sacramento Kings.
The Wolves are now down to two open roster spots, at least one of which they are required to fill. Without a cost-cutting trade, they project to have less than $4 million in space under the second apron, which is Minnesota’s hard cap due to the Julius Randle and LaMelo Ball trades being combined.
Given the lack of financial space, the Wolves’ options for the 14th and likely final roster spot are slim. Free agent Rui Hachimura would be a perfect fit, but would likely demand a contract far greater than the Wolves in their current state could offer.
The Wolves could also decide to make one more depth signing, assuming LeBron James does not choose to come to Minnesota, and roll with both Ayo Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels in the starting lineup until a better option for a starting-caliber power forward makes itself available.
