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The Minnesota Timberwolves have made roster-altering moves this offseason after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Minnesota made a big trade by sending Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, four first-round picks and a pick swap for Rudy Gobert.
Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner and one of the top centers in the league. This trade shocked the NBA world, as it was a major haul for Gobert. It was also surprising for the Timberwolves to make this move as they already had an elite center in Karl Anthony Towns.
Towns will now move over to the power forward position, which could be a better fit for him. It is unknown how Towns and Gobert will fit, as a two-big lineup is run rarely in the modern NBA. There are sides to both arguments on whether it can work.
Offensively, Towns’ ability to shoot will pair well with Gobert being an around-the-rim player. Defensively, it is much more complicated. Having Gobert as a top-tier rim protector next to Towns is beneficial, as he is not known as a great defender. However, neither of them is great at guarding the perimeter, and teams could take advantage. Small-ball is becoming more and more common. Towns or Gobert having to guard a perimeter player like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokoummpo and others will be difficult.
Outside of the Gobert move, the Timberwolves have made some signings to add depth—much-needed after trading away multiple rotational players for Gobert.
With that said, here are the 2022 NBA Free Agency grades for every key Minnesota Timberwolves signing.
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Minnesota Timberwolves 2022 NBA Free Agency Grades
Kyle Anderson: A-
Kyle Anderson was an excellent pickup for the Timberwolves as a solid forward. While Anderson is not an elite defender or shooter, he was a solid role player for the Memphis Grizzlies. After trading away a lot of their depth for Gobert, Anderson should have a significant role in the rotation.
Last season, Anderson averaged 7.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 33 percent from three. He also contributed on the defensive end, with 1.1 steals per contest.
Although this isn’t a flashy addition, Anderson will be a key component to the Timberwolves in the upcoming season.
Bryn Forbes: B
Another addition made to increase the depth for Minnesota wasForbes. The sharpshooter signed for a one-year deal minimum deal and will be a backup guard. This past season Forbes spent time with the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets. In those games, he averaged 8.8 points per game, shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from behind the arc.
While Forbes doesn’t offer a ton defensively, he will be an excellent shooter off the bench. Trading away Beasley and Beverley in the Gobert deal vastly weakened the depth Minnesota had at guard. Forbes isn’t a solution to this problem but helps improve their depth.
Despite trading away rotational pieces and draft capital, the Timberwolves have a window to compete. Young star Anthony Edwards should continue to rise up with Towns and Gobert alongside him. D’Angelo Russell will also need to perform well as a scorer and a facilitator.
Although these signings don’t blow people away, Anderson and Forbes will be crucial role players for this season.
Austin Rivers: B+
While this isn’t a game-changing addition, signing Rivers is a good move for the Timberwolves. Rivers will provide depth as a backup point guard who can contribute well on both ends of the floor.
Rivers spent last season with the Denver Nuggets and had a decent season. He averaged 6.0 points per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from 3-point. He will get a good amount of minutes behind D’Angelo Russell and should be a solid contributor for Minnesota.