Wolves Offseason Forward Options

[BeenLurkin]

I dunno, I’d rather not have a 6’7” power forward…cause you really need to be tall to play that position. Tall makes the most sense.

6'7" does seem short for a PF, but only if you're blocking shots with the top of your head! But wingspan enters into the equation, and PJ's near 8' standing reach is more than adequate for a PF. He's always been known as a good defender too playing almost exclusively PF (except for one season where he played mostly center for Charlotte!).

Wow 8”????

Jaden’s is only 8’11”.

But yeah let’s guy out glue guys for less standing reach.

[FNG]

I dunno, I’d rather not have a 6’7” power forward…cause you really need to be tall to play that position. Tall makes the most sense.

6'7" does seem short for a PF, but only if you're blocking shots with the top of your head! But wingspan enters into the equation, and PJ's near 8' standing reach is more than adequate for a PF. He's always been known as a good defender too playing almost exclusively PF (except for one season where he played mostly center for Charlotte!).

Wow 8”????

Jaden’s is only 8’11”.

But yeah let’s guy out glue guys for less standing reach.

Whoops, fat finger alert...PJ is nearly 9 feet, not 8!

[BeenLurkin]

Ahhh. So it’s a wash.

[Phenom]

Shams Charania
Free agent forward Jeremy Sochan has agreed to a one-year deal to sign with the Portland Trail Blazers, agent Deirunas Visockas of Gersh Sports tells ESPN. Sochan -- who has averaged 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists entering his fifth NBA season -- finished 2025-26 on the championship Knicks.

Lip I'm here for you if you need support.

I'm hearing that Sochan putting Ketchup on his pizza wasn't gonna go over well in the locker room so we had to move on.

Clearly the Wolves had zero interest considering its a non guaranteed contract to go to a team with quite a few bigs.

I'm quite intrigued about who TC is actually targeting.

[Coolbreeze44]

Shams Charania
Free agent forward Jeremy Sochan has agreed to a one-year deal to sign with the Portland Trail Blazers, agent Deirunas Visockas of Gersh Sports tells ESPN. Sochan -- who has averaged 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists entering his fifth NBA season -- finished 2025-26 on the championship Knicks.

Lip I'm here for you if you need support.

I'm hearing that Sochan putting Ketchup on his pizza wasn't gonna go over well in the locker room so we had to move on.

Clearly the Wolves had zero interest considering its a non guaranteed contract to go to a team with quite a few bigs.

I'm quite intrigued about who TC is actually targeting.

Yes, it is very interesting. I just hope it's a guy who can start and play some minutes. Glad I don't have to read the name Sochan anymore.

[Lipoli390]

Or, trade Green and Donte for PJ Washington, which creates extra cap room and opens a roster spot to sign Love… The roster would be pretty balanced, giving Finch all sorts of options.

I would do that deal. It makes some sense for Dallas because they’d escape the long term cap implications of PJ’s contract. I don’t think TC would do that deal.

I agree that deal would make a lot of sense for Dallas, but I don't think TC would do it either. I'd be on the fence.

I’m curious, FNG. Why wouldn’t you do that deal?

[Lipoli390]

I asked AI Gemini whether PJ Washington or Jonathan Kuminga would be the better fit for the Wolves. Here was it’s answer:

P.J. Washington is currently the better basketball fit for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Following a massive offseason trade that sent Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for LaMelo Ball, the Timberwolves are severely thin in the frontcourt. Evaluating how both players fit the team's newly formed core reveals distinct advantages and financial hurdles for each option.

The Case for P.J. Washington:

The Better FitSpacing: Washington is a proven floor-spacer with a 35.4% career average from three-point range. He is elite from the corners, making him an excellent option to catch passes from LaMelo Ball or pick-and-pop alongside Anthony Edwards.

Defensive Versatility: Standing at 6'7", Washington offers the lateral quickness to guard perimeter wings and the strength to hold his own closer to the basket.

Playoff Dependability: He has a reliable baseline of execution and won't require significant tactical maneuvering or development to complement Minnesota’s stars immediately.

The Case for Jonathan Kuminga:

The High-Upside AlternativeAthletic Transition: Kuminga is an elite, high-flying athlete who thrives in transition. If the Timberwolves want to push the pace with LaMelo Ball, Kuminga's rim-running is highly attractive.

Positional Correction: Inserting Kuminga at power forward allows Jaden McDaniels to shift permanently to his natural small forward position, creating a highly switchable defensive unit.

The Shooting Flaw: Unlike Washington, Kuminga’s outside jumper is a massive work in progress (shooting roughly 33.3% from deep last season). Sharing the floor with Rudy Gobert would severely compromise Minnesota's interior spacing.

[Lipoli390]

I generally agree with Gemini’s analysis comparing the fit of PJ v Kuminga for the Wolves. But then you have to factor in the comparative acquisition cost and contract cost.

We know that it would likely take at least Green and Donte to acquire PJ. That’s a significant cost. We also know that PJ has a fairly large 4-year contract starting at $19.8M next season and climbing to $24.56M in 2029-30. That’s not a terrible contract as it spans PJ’s prime years from age 28 through 31, but it’s pretty steep for a 5th starter - especially given the Wolves already large payroll, which will escalate internally.

We don’t know what, if anything, it would cost to acquire Kuminga or what his contract cost would be. I don’t think we can sign Kuminga straight up as a free agent. I suspect the market will give him more and that the only realistic chance for the Wolves to acquire him would be a sign-and-trade. And I suspect any sign-and-trade for Kuminga would invariably involve Green to get Kuminga to a salary that he’d otherwise get from one of the other teams pursuing him. I wouldn’t offer anything more than Green for Kuminga and I don’t know if Atlanta would be interested in that deal. If TC can somehow entice Kuminga to sign for the vet minimum, then I’ll take it. But I’ve already expressed my misgivings about Kuminga and I’m not even sure I’d swap Green straight up for him in a sign-and-trade.

The Green + Donte swap for PJ seems to make too much sense for both teams not to happen. I don’t know if Dallas would do that deal, but I do think it would make sense for them. I would NOT include TSJ in that deal. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to advocate for signing Kevin Love now that my guy Jeremy is going to Portland. . Signing Love would not preclude a Green + Donte deal for PJ in September. Having Love on the roster helps with or without a PJ Washington deal.

[Lipoli390]

Shams Charania
Free agent forward Jeremy Sochan has agreed to a one-year deal to sign with the Portland Trail Blazers, agent Deirunas Visockas of Gersh Sports tells ESPN. Sochan -- who has averaged 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists entering his fifth NBA season -- finished 2025-26 on the championship Knicks.

Lip I'm here for you if you need support.

I'm hearing that Sochan putting Ketchup on his pizza wasn't gonna go over well in the locker room so we had to move on.

Clearly the Wolves had zero interest considering its a non guaranteed contract to go to a team with quite a few bigs.

I'm quite intrigued about who TC is actually targeting.

So am I, Phenom. I don’t believe he’s going to start the season without adding a quality rotation PF either by trade or free agency. Looking at the remaining crop of free agents, I can’t see him relying on any of them, except maybe Kuminga, to fill that gap. So I think we should expect a trade sometime in mid-September. The obvious deal to me would be Green + Donte for PJ Washington, but based on TC’s track record it’s not going to be the obvious deal. Instead, it will be something out of the blue that none of us expected.

[Monster]

I asked AI Gemini whether PJ Washington or Jonathan Kuminga would be the better fit for the Wolves. Here was it’s answer:

P.J. Washington is currently the better basketball fit for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Following a massive offseason trade that sent Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for LaMelo Ball, the Timberwolves are severely thin in the frontcourt. Evaluating how both players fit the team's newly formed core reveals distinct advantages and financial hurdles for each option.

The Case for P.J. Washington:

The Better FitSpacing: Washington is a proven floor-spacer with a 35.4% career average from three-point range. He is elite from the corners, making him an excellent option to catch passes from LaMelo Ball or pick-and-pop alongside Anthony Edwards.

Defensive Versatility: Standing at 6'7", Washington offers the lateral quickness to guard perimeter wings and the strength to hold his own closer to the basket.

Playoff Dependability: He has a reliable baseline of execution and won't require significant tactical maneuvering or development to complement Minnesota’s stars immediately.

The Case for Jonathan Kuminga:

The High-Upside AlternativeAthletic Transition: Kuminga is an elite, high-flying athlete who thrives in transition. If the Timberwolves want to push the pace with LaMelo Ball, Kuminga's rim-running is highly attractive.

Positional Correction: Inserting Kuminga at power forward allows Jaden McDaniels to shift permanently to his natural small forward position, creating a highly switchable defensive unit.

The Shooting Flaw: Unlike Washington, Kuminga’s outside jumper is a massive work in progress (shooting roughly 33.3% from deep last season). Sharing the floor with Rudy Gobert would severely compromise Minnesota's interior spacing.

A 35.4% career 3 point shooter is a "proven floor spacer"? My bar is lower than some here for whether or not a guy is a worthwhile 3 point shooter but that goes too far for me. Washington is also pretty far from elite from the corners he shoots exactly the same percentage there for his career as his overall 3 point percentage 35.4%.