Insider drops 2 names as interesting Timberwolves point guard options
The point guard situation the Timberwolves have entering the 2023-24 NBA season features Mike Conley and Jordan McLaughlin, though McLaughlin's $2.3 million salary isn't guaranteed and based on what insider Jon Krawczysnki wrote Friday, backup point guard will be a priority for Minnesota this summer.
"There are two names I really like on the free-agent market, with a major problem," Krawczysnki wrote in an answer to a question from a fan. "Tre Jones and Ayo Dosunmu are both young guards who could complement (Anthony) Edwards well. But they’re both restricted free agents, making their acquisition, especially for a team so tight in the financial realm, unlikely."
Unlikely doesn't mean in impossible and if we've learned anything over the years it's that when Krawczynski talks, it's wise to listen.
Jones, the Apple Valley native who like his big brother Tyus Jones won the Mr. Basketball award as the top senior high school player in Minnesota, is entering his fourth NBA season. Last season, the 23-year-old averaged 12.8 points and 6.6 assists while shooting 45.9% overall and just 28.8% from 3.
As a restricted free agent, the Spurs have the right to match any offer Jones receives. And while Minnesota would represent a homecoming for Jones, it wouldn't be the starting job like he had last season in San Antonio. Why leave to be a backup when he could stay and be the starter?
As for Dosunmu, he's started 81 of 157 career games with the Bulls. He's averaged 8.7 points and just under three rebounds and three assists in two seasons, while shooting 50.6% overall and 34.4% from 3.
The Wolves could run it back with McLaughlin as Conley's backup. McLaughlin had a down season that was significantly strained by a calf injury.
"I do think [the Timberwolves] will look hard at adding a point guard. Jordan McLaughlin has been a great story, but he struggled mightily after coming back from his calf injury last season," Krawczynski wrote in his Friday mailbag. "When he’s humming, he can help a team. But they may look for more consistency at the position so they don’t have to rely as heavily on Conley as they did."
Krawczynski also wrote that he thinks Taurean Prince could be traded to free up money to help Minnesota bring back Naz Reid and/or Nickeil Alexander-Walker, both of whom are unrestricted free agents.
Prince's $7.5 million 2023-24 salary becomes guaranteed on June 28, so if he's going to be traded it will happen soon. The NBA Draft is next week (June 22), and that could be a period of high activity in the NBA.
Title: Bring Me The Sports co-owner, editor Email: joe@bringmethenews.com Twitter: @JoeBMTN Education: Southwest Minnesota State University Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Expertise: All things Minnesota sports Nelson has covered Minnesota sports for two decades, starting his media career in sports radio. He worked at small market Minnesota stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before joining one of the nation's highest-rated sports stations, KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. There, he was the producer of the top-rated mid-morning sports show with Minnesota Vikings announcer Paul Allen. His radio experience helped blossom a career as a sports writer, joining Minneapolis-based Bring Me The News in 2011. Nelson and Adam Uren became co-owners of Bring Me The News in 2018 and have since more than tripled the site's traffic and launched Bring Me The Sports in cooperation with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation umbrella. Nelson has covered the Super Bowl and numerous training camps, NFL combines, the MLB All-Star Game and Minnesota playoff games, in addition to the day-to-day happenings on and off the field of play. Nelson also has extensive knowledge of non-sports subjects, including news and weather. He works closely with Bring Me The News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard to produce a bevy of weather and climate information for Minnesota readers. Nelson helped launch and manage the Bring Me The News Radio Network, which provided more than 50 radio stations around Minnesota with daily news, sports and weather reports from 2011-17.