Minnesota Timberwolves Facing Painful Decision With Luka Garza

Former Iowa Hawkeyes star Luka Garza has not exactly materialized with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which is definitely disappointing given how strong his repertoire is offensively.

However, Garza's defensive deficiencies have made it difficult for him to find consistent playing time on the NBA level, and in this space-and-pace era where being able to switch and guard multiple positions is imperative, Garza could simply be out of luck.

The Timberwolves are now facing a tough decision with the fan favorite, who was originally selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft and eventually joined Minnesota during the summer of 2022.

The Wolves have a $2.3 million club option on Garza that they have until June 29 to exercise, and given the team's rather tenuous salary cap situation, it will be difficult for the Timberwolves to retain him.

Yes, that may not sound like a lot of money, but in a world where second aprons are now a thing, saving every bit of cash you can is paramount, and Minnesota may be better served pocketing that money rather than extending Garza — who barely plays — for another year.

Garza has appeared in a grand total of 92 games in three seasons with the Wolves, averaging 4.9 points and two rebounds over 7.8 minutes per game during that span.

The 26-year-old was a force at Iowa, however, registering well over 20 points per game in back-to-back campaigns to conclude his collegiate career in 2019-20 and 2020-21. He won the Player of the Year award in the latter season after posting 24.1 points and 8.7 boards a night on 55.3/44.0/70.9 shooting splits, demonstrating his brilliant all-around offensive skills.

Obviously, that has not translated onto the NBA level, and based on what we have seen over his first four professional seasons, it probably never will.

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