Minnesota Sports Forum

We’ve all been assuming that Josh was acquired to be moved for a big before the season and that the Wolves should move him. But I wanted to take a moment for us to take stock of the fact that Josh Green is a very good player who could potentially help us.

Let’s start with the fact that he’s an exception athlete even by NBA standards and has good size for the SF position and exceptional size for the SG position. Interestingly, he was drafted the same year as Ant and Ball. Here are his numbers from the 2020 Draft Combine:

- Standing Reach: 8’5.5
- Wingspan: 6’9.75
- Weight: 215
- Max Vertical: 39.5
- Lane Agility: 10.64 (5th best in his draft class)
- 3/4 Sprint: 3.12

He’s a very good defender with a career 38.7% three-point percentage (admittedly on low volume). He’s a 48% career FG shooter. And he’s still 25 years old. Here’s a scouting report on him:

“Green plays with infectious hustle He is incredibly quick laterally, can guard multiple positions, and is excellent at getting deflections and steals. He is a great cutter and runs the floor hard, making him a reliable option for fast-break buckets. As a shooter, he is highly efficient from the outside, regularly hitting corner threes at a strong clip.”

So I think the Wolves front office should absolutely consider keeping him. And to the extent they’re shopping him, his value extends beyond his expiring contract. He’s a very solid rotation role player who I would argue still has more upside.

I think he's our backup SG.

Josh Green hasn't been a good player even though he offers some plus skills. Last year showed that as a 15-17 mpg backup, he's average. The good news is that he'd almost never be asked to do much more than play 15 mpg because Ant's ahead of him and we have better backups who can handle SG if need be. He was starting alongside LaMelo for 2 years prior to this one and he was awful by every advanced metric. Why would that change now?


But realistically, he doesn't have a home here long term and won't have one long term here. He knows it. We know it. We have multiple contingency plans we'd rather see unfold than play him too much. He makes just enough to where you won't get anything great for him and can't get anything decent for him unless you attach something good with him. There's a reason why we got saddled with Green instead of Grant Williams who would be significantly more useful to us despite an extra year on his deal AND playing only 128 games in the last 3 seasons.


You know who Green reminds me of? Allen Crabbe. Unwanted guard at the end of an overpaid deal without any real prospects to break through and in Crabbe's case, lasted 5 weeks with us and got waived.

Listening to one of Howls & Growls podcasts last week Josh Greens FG% was something crazy like 15% better when playing with LaMelo then without. It was the highest of any Hornets player by quite a bit, although in lower minutes.

If no starting calibre PF is signed it would actually make sense to start Green next to Jaden in the front court allowing Ayo as 6th man. He has genuine size and defensive chops to guard 1 - 4 in certain matchups and is a good 3 point shooter.

KiwiMatt wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 7:33 pm Listening to one of Howls & Growls podcasts last week Josh Greens FG% was something crazy like 15% better when playing with LaMelo then without. It was the highest of any Hornets player by quite a bit, although in lower minutes.

If no starting calibre PF is signed it would actually make sense to start Green next to Jaden in the front court allowing Ayo as 6th man. He has genuine size and defensive chops to guard 1 - 4 in certain matchups and is a good 3 point shooter.

Off topic, but where are you finding those podcast? Whenever I look it up, the last episode is from 2023, and world wide wolves hasn't had an episode in months

AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 7:40 pm

KiwiMatt wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 7:33 pm Listening to one of Howls & Growls podcasts last week Josh Greens FG% was something crazy like 15% better when playing with LaMelo then without. It was the highest of any Hornets player by quite a bit, although in lower minutes.

If no starting calibre PF is signed it would actually make sense to start Green next to Jaden in the front court allowing Ayo as 6th man. He has genuine size and defensive chops to guard 1 - 4 in certain matchups and is a good 3 point shooter.

Off topic, but where are you finding those podcast? Whenever I look it up, the last episode is from 2023, and world wide wolves hasn't had an episode in months

YouTube.

KiwiMatt wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 7:42 pm

AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 7:40 pm

KiwiMatt wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 7:33 pm Listening to one of Howls & Growls podcasts last week Josh Greens FG% was something crazy like 15% better when playing with LaMelo then without. It was the highest of any Hornets player by quite a bit, although in lower minutes.

If no starting calibre PF is signed it would actually make sense to start Green next to Jaden in the front court allowing Ayo as 6th man. He has genuine size and defensive chops to guard 1 - 4 in certain matchups and is a good 3 point shooter.

Off topic, but where are you finding those podcast? Whenever I look it up, the last episode is from 2023, and world wide wolves hasn't had an episode in months

YouTube.

Gotcha, you're talking about one of his new vids.

Idk the more I think about it, the more I ask: why not just start Green?

I simply see more positive extranalities to that then starting Ayo even tho Ayo might be the better player.

Green on ball
Ant and Jaden on the wing and you can switch pretty much everything if you want.

You'll have to get creative against the Giannises and Zions of the world but those matchup are spares and Ant is actually a good defender in the gaps --- not that anyone here will want to admit that.

You bring Ayo, Joan, TJ and Clark of the bench and they all slide pretty easily into the same roles. Switch Clark for Green if he proves to be the better defender/shooter

AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 8:17 pm Idk the more I think about it, the more I ask: why not just start Green?

I simply see more positive extranalities to that then starting Ayo even tho Ayo might be the better player.

Green on ball
Ant and Jaden on the wing and you can switch pretty much everything if you want.

You'll have to get creative against the Giannises and Zions of the world but those matchup are spares and Ant is actually a good defender in the gaps --- not that anyone here will want to admit that.

You bring Ayo, Joan, TJ and Clark of the bench and they all slide pretty easily into the same roles. Switch Clark for Green if he proves to be the better defender/shooter

I think that makes some sense, Aussie. I like the idea of Ayo quarterbacking our 2nd unit as a 6th man.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 8:24 pm

AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 8:17 pm Idk the more I think about it, the more I ask: why not just start Green?

I simply see more positive extranalities to that then starting Ayo even tho Ayo might be the better player.

Green on ball
Ant and Jaden on the wing and you can switch pretty much everything if you want.

You'll have to get creative against the Giannises and Zions of the world but those matchup are spares and Ant is actually a good defender in the gaps --- not that anyone here will want to admit that.

You bring Ayo, Joan, TJ and Clark of the bench and they all slide pretty easily into the same roles. Switch Clark for Green if he proves to be the better defender/shooter

I think that makes some sense, Aussie. I like the idea of Ayo quarterbacking our 2nd unit as a 6th man.

I think you are giving Green too much credit! He is a SG that doesn't do much else other than having a decent 3-point shot. If we are playing Jaden at the 4, Ayo (or Shannon?) is the logical 5th starter.

60WinTim wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 8:36 pm

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 8:24 pm

AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2026 8:17 pm Idk the more I think about it, the more I ask: why not just start Green?

I simply see more positive extranalities to that then starting Ayo even tho Ayo might be the better player.

Green on ball
Ant and Jaden on the wing and you can switch pretty much everything if you want.

You'll have to get creative against the Giannises and Zions of the world but those matchup are spares and Ant is actually a good defender in the gaps --- not that anyone here will want to admit that.

You bring Ayo, Joan, TJ and Clark of the bench and they all slide pretty easily into the same roles. Switch Clark for Green if he proves to be the better defender/shooter

I think that makes some sense, Aussie. I like the idea of Ayo quarterbacking our 2nd unit as a 6th man.

I think you are giving Green too much credit! He is a SG that doesn't do much else other than having a decent 3-point shot. If we are playing Jaden at the 4, Ayo (or Shannon?) is the logical 5th starter.

My thought has always been playing TSJ at the SF if we’re going with Jaden at the 4. But I see logic in starting Green. I’d still go with TSJ.