With Two Open Roster Spots, Who Could Wolves Sign in Buyout Market?

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone. Giannis Antetokounmpo remains with the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Timberwolves did make a significant addition to their rotation. They dealt Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks to the Bulls for Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips. A couple days earlier, the Wolves traded Mike Conley in a salary dump that made their Dosunmu addition possible.

As things stand right now, the Timberwolves have gone from having one open roster spot to having two. They're currently around $1.5 million below the first luxury tax apron, so they have room to fill out the roster with at least one prorated veteran minimum contract. The next step is looking toward the buyout market for depth.

One thing that's worth noting is that one of the two roster spots could potentially go to Johnny Juzang. The fourth-year wing, who has appeared in 20 games this season, is almost out of active roster eligibility on his two-way contract, so he could be converted to a full NBA deal.

Regardless, the Wolves seem likely to explore the buyout market. Maybe they'll only have one spot available, but maybe they'll have multiple if they wait on Juzang or decide to waive someone like Phillips or Jaylen Clark. Here are some of the names that either are currently available or could become available in the near future.

Mike Conley

All of the signs are pointing towards Conley winding up back in Minnesota after being traded on Tuesday. He went to the Bulls initially but was then subsequently traded to the Hornets, who have since released him. Because he was traded twice before being bought out, Conley is eligible to re-join the Wolves via the "Andrew Bogut rule." Multiple Timberwolves reporters have indicated that such a reunion is a possibility, and Anthony Edwards sounds interested in that happening.

"Mike's my guy," Edwards said on Wednesday night. "He's like a OG to me. Just a great dude overall. Hopefully we can get him back. I keep hearing he can come back, so hopefully he will and I hope he see this. We want you back, Mike. He know we miss him."

Kyle Anderson

Another potential reunion candidate is Anderson, who was traded from the Jazz to the Grizzlies in the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal. If he's released by Memphis, "Slo Mo" could help the Wolves, who employed him from 2022-24. The 32-year-old has bounced around the league since leaving Minnesota, but his versatile skill set and familiarity with Minnesota could make him an appealing target.

Khris Middleton

Middleton is one of the biggest names who could hit the buyout market after going from Washington to Dallas in the Anthony Davis trade. He's 34 and no longer the player he once was, but Middleton has major scoring pedigree and could still be useful to a contender in a bench role. It doesn't hurt that the former Bucks standout has 80 games of playoff experience under his belt.

Cam Thomas

A surprise addition to the buyout market is Thomas, who was waived by the Nets on Thursday. The 24-year-old former first-round pick averaged 22.5 points for Brooklyn across 66 games a couple years ago. He's scored at least 40 points ten times in his five-year career. Thomas doesn't bring much beyond scoring and there are some questions about his shot selection and effort, but he could be an intriguing addition to a playoff team that needs more buckets off the bench.

Chris Boucher

Boucher was traded by the Celtics and is not going to remain with the Jazz. A lanky 6'8" forward, he's averaged 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game in a nine-year career spent almost entirely with the Raptors. He received some sixth man of the year votes back in 2021.

Lonzo Ball

It'll be interesting to see what happens to Ball, the former No. 2 overall pick who has seen his career derailed by injuries and poor shooting. He's only 28, but Ball has been a shell of his former self since missing two full seasons due to injury. This year, he has the worst shooting percentage in the NBA (30 percent) among all players with at least 60 field goal attempts. Will a team take a chance on his other skills (playmaking, defense) despite the atrocious shooting numbers?