With the end of the 2022 NBA trade deadline, a new season begins. Contracts that are expiring at the end of the year are set to be bought out by bottom-dwelling teams, proving an opportunity for title contenders and playoff hopefuls to get better overnight. One team that is likely happy to be on the buying side of the market this season is the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Wolves are hunting for the playoffs, currently standing seventh in the West at 29-27 with the chance to get much better in the buyout market. Here's a list of the top-three buyout candidates Minnesota should pursue after the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
Timberwolves Buyout Candidates
3. DeAndre' Bembry
Bembry was waived by the Brooklyn Nets in wake of the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade and should be an immediate priority for Minnesota. The Wolves' biggest issue right now is defense, and Bembry brings a ton of it. His per-game numbers and shooting percentages are unimpressive, but he was not brought in to provide offense for Brooklyn. He was their wing stopper next to Kevin Durant, boasting the quickness, length and wiry strength to defend multiple positions.
Minnesota's roster boasts a wealth of offensive talent, but only a few players who truly hang their hat on the defensive side of the ball. Bembry would join Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaden McDaniels as another defense-first player for coach Chris Finch, providing the Wolves some much-needed depth at guard and on the wing in the case of injury or foul trouble.
2. Gary Harris
Harris struggled to find his jumper for years, but has inally regained his perimeter stroke this season, shooting 38.1% from three. He is also a great defensive stopper at guard, once again in a place where the Timberwolves need it. Harris is making $20 million this season, but this is his last year under that deal. He was widely expected to be traded, but the Magic clearly did not find a package they liked enough and are now looking to offload him. Keeping him in Orlando does virtually nothing for both sides and Harris will be an available player soon.
Taking a shot on Harris would pose no risk to Minnesota. While the potential reward isn't sky-highl, any player can be useful in the NBA if put in the right context, especially under the playoff microscope. Harris played a pivotal role in Denver's stirring first-round win over the Utah Jazz in the 2020 playoffs, returning mid-series to help cool off a scorching-hot Donovan Mitchell. Don't be surprised if something similar happens this spring should Harris sign with the Timberwolves, giving them one of the fiercest defensive backcourt tandems in all of basketball.
While Harris and Bembry are good options, Thompson is an amazing one. While a long way from his title-winning prime with the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, Thompson is still a physical force inside who's a great rebounder and good defender. His presence would bolster the relatively thin Timberwolves frontline, currently consisting of just Towns, Vanderbilt and Naz Reid. Of course, there are other players on the roster that can play in the frontcourt, but options outside of these three are not better than Thompson.
His stint with the Sacramento Kings wasn't encouraging, but it deserves the caveat of broader context. Thompson was stuck playing on a terrible team with terrible management that was not well-coached. Yet, just last season, the Canadian veteran averaged 7.6 points and 8.1 rebounds for the Boston Celtics, shooting 51.8% from the field. He can be an efficient player when put in the right position by the right team, and the Timberwolves should concentrate on what he could achieve as a savvy veteran as opposed to the numbers he put up during his stay in Sacramento.