Free agent forward Shabazz Muhammad is finishing up a one-year, $1.6 million minimum deal to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Timberwolves will now be able to sign Muhammad to a long-term deal by keeping his bird rights until next summer, likely exceeding the cap in 2018-19, according to ESPN Insider Bobby Marks.
Muhammad had been in a back-and-forth battle to return to the team, but had his reservations after the team was only able to offer minimum contracts for the last four open spots.
The Los Angeles Lakers were previously rumored to keep an eye on the L.A. native that played one year at UCLA before declaring for the NBA Draft.
Minnesota now boasts two potent scorers, a lefty and a righty on Muhammad and Jamal Crawford, two major scoring punches off the bench that can catch fire at any time.
His addition will help bolster a bench that will need to keep up with the star-studded starting lineup and contrast the outside shooting deficiency they're expected to have with the starting core.
A four-year veteran, Muhammad averaged 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season; notching only one start in 78 appearances with the team, shooting an effective 48.2 percent from the field.
The 24-year-old's aggressive style off the bench clearly warranted a strong decision from president and head coach Tom Thibodeau, one that is certain to give a much-needed boost to this bench.
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