The Timberwolves have set their 2024/25 regular season roster by waiving veteran forward Keita Bates-Diop, the team announced in a press release.
A report over the weekend stated Minnesota was looking to move off Bates-Diop’s $2,654,644 salary, which is fully guaranteed, but clearly the Wolves were unable to find a suitable trade. Assuming he goes unclaimed, Minnesota will now carry that figure as a dead-money cap hit for ’24/25.
According to Keith Smith of Sporac (Twitter link), Bates-Diop’s salary will cost the Wolves a projected $14.8MM when accounting for their luxury tax payment, though that’s a tentative figure that won’t be finalized until the season concludes.
The Wolves didn’t need to finalize their opening night roster until Monday evening. Bates-Diop wasn’t in attendance for Saturday’s practice, indicating that he was likely the odd man out. Removing him from the roster allows the club to hang onto PJ Dozier, whose salary is partially guaranteed.
A former second-round pick (No. 48 overall in 2018) who starred in college at Ohio State, Bates-Diop is a six-year veteran who holds career averages of 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds on .474/.333/.751 shooting in 283 regular season games with Minnesota, Denver, San Antonio, Phoenix and Brooklyn. He signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Suns last season before being traded to the Nets at the February deadline.
Bates-Diop was sent to New York in the Mikal Bridges trade and then was re-routed to Minnesota as a throw-in for salary-matching purposes in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster, so it makes sense that he’s not in the Wolves’ plans.
The 28-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday if he clears waivers.