2024 NBA Offseason Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves

A year ago at this time, the Timberwolves‘ 2022 trade for Rudy Gobert was widely viewed as an unmitigated disaster and a cautionary tale for teams who were considering the idea of selling the farm for a single player.

That blockbuster deal cost Minnesota three solid rotation pieces (Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, and Jarred Vanderbilt), a young center who had a terrific rookie season with his new team in 2022/23 (Walker Kessler), the 2023 draft pick that became Keyonte George, and four more future draft assets, including two unprotected first-round picks, a top-five protected first-rounder, and an unprotected first-round swap.

In their first season with Gobert, the Timberwolves took a step back, winning just 42 games after posting a 46-36 record in 2021/22, and the three-time Defensive Player of the Year struggled to adapt to his new situation. When the 2023 offseason got underway, there were myriad calls from pundits and fans for Minnesota to break up its frontcourt by trading either Gobert or (more likely) Karl-Anthony Towns.

What a difference a year makes.

Instead of dismantling their core, the Wolves chose to stand relatively pat last summer, betting they’d be just fine with better health from Towns, more acclimation time for Gobert, another year of growth for rising star Anthony Edwards, and the stabilizing influence of 2023 deadline addition Mike Conley. They were right.

The Wolves’ 56-26 record was just one game off the top mark in the Western Conference, and Gobert looked far more comfortable in his second year in Minnesota, as he anchored a unit that posted the NBA’s best defensive rating (108.4) and won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award.

After passing their regular season test with flying colors, the Wolves entered the playoffs looking for their first postseason series victory since 2004. Not only did they get it, but they made it look easy, sweeping Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and the Suns out of round one. For good measure, Minnesota followed up that dominant first-round showing by knocking off the defending champions in round two, eliminating the division-rival Nuggets in a hard-fought seven-game series.

A dream season to that point ended on a sour note, however. Despite entering the Western Conference finals as the higher seed and a heavy favorite against Dallas, Minnesota had no answer for the firepower of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, dropping three games at home to the Mavericks en route to a 4-1 series loss.

While it was a disappointing finish, the season was a major success overall for the Wolves, as Edwards’ ascension to stardom and their dominant defensive play provided reason to believe that more lengthy postseason runs are possible in the coming years. The challenge now will be keeping the core intact as the cost of the roster gets higher and billionaires battle over control of the franchise.

Edwards, Towns, and All-Defensive wing Jaden McDaniels will all get huge raises this summer, pushing team salary over the second tax apron, while longtime owner Glen Taylor and the new prospective ownership group led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez head to arbitration in an effort to determine who will ultimately be the club’s majority stakeholder.

This is a roster capable of contending for a title and worth paying a hefty luxury tax bill. But operating over the second apron will restrict the front office’s ability to make additional moves, and not knowing who will be on the hook for those tax bills raises concerns about the sustainability of such a high payroll.


The Timberwolves’ Offseason Plan

Let’s start with the cap situation. Towns, Gobert, and Edwards are now all on maximum-salary contracts that will be worth between $42-50MM in 2024/25, so that trio alone will take up nearly the entire $141MM cap. Throw in McDaniels at $23MM, Naz Reid at $14MM, Conley at $10MM, and this roster gets expensive in a real hurry.

The second apron is projected to be $189.5MM; Minnesota’s nine players on guaranteed contracts are owed a combined $191MM, and that doesn’t account for the cap hit for the team’s first-round pick ($2.55MM) or new contracts for free agents like Kyle Anderson, Monte Morris, and Jordan McLaughlin. If no cost-cutting moves are made, team salary will likely end up north of $200MM, with a luxury tax penalty of at least $75MM, and those are relatively conservative estimates.

There are some teams who wouldn’t bat an eye at those figures, especially for a roster capable of vying for a title. The Clippers reportedly paid $142MM+ in taxes this season for a team that didn’t make the second round of the playoffs; the Warriors were on the hook for $177MM in tax penalties for a club that didn’t even make the playoffs.

But the Wolves under Taylor have never been eager to surpass the luxury tax line, having not paid a tax bill larger than $1MM in two decades. And it’s unclear if Lore and Rodriguez would be big spenders either, given that they’ve repeatedly had to raise capital during the process of buying into the franchise and had reportedly projected a payroll decrease for 2024/25 (though that’s said to be a common practice that doesn’t preclude subsequent revisions).

Towns would be the player to watch if the Wolves decide they need to clean up their cap situation. He’s one of the best frontcourt shooters in NBA history, but he has become a second option on offense due to Edwards’ emergence, and he isn’t a valuable asset on defense — playing him next to Gobert is a challenge in certain matchups, since neither big man is at his best when he’s chasing forwards or wings out on the perimeter.

Towns’ $49.35MM cap hit in 2024/25 will also be the highest for any Minnesota player, and the team has a bench player capable of replacing him in the starting five if necessary — Reid isn’t KAT, but the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year is coming off his best season and is making a fraction of Towns’ salary.

Still, all the reasons that make Towns the most likely odd man out among the team’s highest-paid players would work against the Wolves if they placed him on the trade block. His four-year, maximum-salary contract will be onerous and impractical for many clubs to carry under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and any trade partner would need to be in position to surround him with the right personnel. Plus, the Wolves won’t just be looking to dump Towns’ salary — they’d want to get back quality rotation players who come in at a much lower price point. It’ll be a challenge.

My bet is the Wolves won’t do anything too drastic this summer. We saw a year ago that Tim Connelly and his front office are willing to be patient to give a talented roster time to jell, and for most of the season, the current group worked just fine together. As for ownership, that standoff seems unlikely to be resolved within the next few weeks, and as long as Taylor maintains majority control, I doubt he’ll want to take the PR flack that would ensue if he slashed salary after the team’s best season in 20 years.

If no big moves are in the cards, it could be a pretty quiet summer in Minnesota, with the priority being to build depth beyond a top seven of Edwards, Towns, Gobert, McDaniels, Conley, Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. As a second-apron team, the Wolves won’t have any form of mid-level or bi-annual exception available and won’t be able to aggregate salaries in trades, limiting their options.

Wendell Moore, Leonard Miller, and Josh Minott have contracts for next season (Minott’s salary is non-guaranteed), and I’d expect Miller and Minott to be back, since their cap hits will come in below the two-year veteran’s minimum. But Moore is slightly pricier and has barely played in his first two seasons, so he’s a trade candidate unless the Wolves remain bullish on his upside.

If two of those three youngsters return, that would leave at least five open roster spots for Minnesota to fill. I imagine the team would welcome back Anderson, Morris, and/or McLaughlin if they’re willing to accept minimum-salary deals, but Anderson and Morris, at least, should have stronger offers — McLaughlin might too. The Wolves have the Bird rights necessary to make any of those players competitive offers, but it would cost exponentially more than just the player’s salary, given how far into the tax the club will be.

Minnesota also controls the 27th and 37th picks in this year’s draft, putting the team in position to add a couple more low-cost prospects to the roster. But if Anderson and Morris depart, the front office will likely head to the free agent market on the lookout for at least a couple veterans capable of playing rotation minutes, especially in the backcourt and on the wing. Kyle Lowry, Cameron Payne, Alec Burks, Lonnie Walker, and Justin Holiday are some of the free agents who might be available for the minimum and who could be fits on the Wolves’ roster.

Gobert is the only notable extension candidate to monitor this offseason, as he’ll be eligible to reach free agency as early as next summer if he declines a 2025/26 player option. He’ll remain extension-eligible even after the regular season begins though, so the Wolves shouldn’t feel urgency to get anything done by opening night.


Salary Cap Situation

Guaranteed Salary

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • Josh Minott ($2,019,699)
    • Minott’s salary will become guaranteed if he remains under contract through June 28.
  • Jaylen Clark (two-way)
  • Total: $2,019,699

Dead/Retained Salary

  • None

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Restricted Free Agents

  • Luka Garza ($2,368,944 qualifying offer / $2,368,944 cap hold): Bird rights
  • Total (cap holds): $2,368,944

Two-Way Free Agents

Draft Picks

  • No. 27 overall pick ($2,554,200 cap hold)
  • No. 37 overall pick (no cap hold)
  • Total (cap holds): $2,554,200

Extension-Eligible Players

  • Rudy Gobert (veteran)
  • Jordan McLaughlin (veteran)
    • Extension-eligible until June 30.
  • Josh Minott (veteran)
  • Monte Morris (veteran)
    • Extension-eligible until June 30.

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, these players are eligible for extensions beginning in July.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Other Cap Holds

Note: The cap holds for these players are on the Timberwolves’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.

Cap Exceptions Available

Note: The Timberwolves project to operate over the cap and over the second tax apron. That means they won’t have access to the mid-level exception, the bi-annual exception, or their trade exception worth $4MM. If they move below the second apron, they would gain access to the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,183,000). If they operate below both aprons, they could access the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12,859,000), the bi-annual exception ($4,681,0001), and their trade exception.

  • None

Southwest Notes: Grant, Doncic, Pelicans Draft, Williams

The Mavericks are among the teams who are monitoring the availability of Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports. Grant is entering the second season of a five-year, $160MM contract, so the Mavericks would have to figure out a way to match salaries and add draft compensation and/or young players to entice Portland to move the veteran forward. He averaged 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this past season and made over 40% of his three-point attempts for the second straight year.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

  • Luka Doncic‘s status for the Olympic qualifying tournament next month will hinge on a medical evaluation from his national team’s medical staff, Sports Illustrated’s Grant Afseth relays. Slovenian medical experts will examine the Mavericks’ superstar’s right knee, which he injured during the first round of the playoffs. Doncic also played through a left ankle injury and thoracic contusion during the postseason. Slovenia’s tournament opener in Greece will be held July 2 against Croatia.
  • The Pelicans hold the No. 21 pick in the draft and the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Christian Clark provides a closer look at three prospects they might select at that spot — USC guard Isaiah Collier, Purdue center Zach Edey and Baylor center Yves Missi.
  • The Spurs have the No. 4 selection in the draft and a dark-horse candidate could be Colorado forward Cody Williams. The San Antonio Express-News’ Jeff McDonald explores the pros and cons of drafting Williams at that spot.

Celtics’ Brissett To Decline Option, Become Free Agrent

Oshae Brissett will decline his $2.5MM option in order to become an unrestricted free agent, Spotrac’s Keith Smith tweets.

Brissett signed a two-year contract with the Celtics at the start of free agency late last June. He appeared in 55 regular-season games with the Celtics, including one start, and averaged 3.7 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 11.5 MPG.

The 26-year-old came off the bench in 10 postseason contests, averaging 1.6 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 5.5 MPG. His biggest impact during the championship run came in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana when he collected three rebounds and three steals in 12 minutes.

A 6’7″ combo forward, Brissett went undrafted in 2019 after two college seasons at Syracuse. He originally signed an Exhibit 10 deal with his hometown Raptors, which was converted into a two-way deal for his rookie season.

Brissett was waived by Toronto in December 2020, later catching on with the Pacers in April 2021 on a couple of 10-day contracts. He played so well for Indiana to close ’20/21 (he averaged 10.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.0 BPG and 0.9 SPG on .483/.423/.769 shooting in 24 games) that he earned a multiyear contract for the veteran’s minimum.

His numbers declined in ’21/22, but were still solid enough for his contract. However, his role was further reduced in ’22/23, with Brissett averaging 6.1 PPG and 3.4 RPG while shooting 31% from three-point range in 65 games (16.7 MPG).

Brissett will have a busy summer as he looks for a new team, though he could still circle back and re-sign with Boston. He has also been named to Team Canada’s preliminary Olympic roster.

Stein’s Latest: Caldwell-Pope, Sixers, Westbrook, Paul, Clippers, Lakers

Current Nuggets shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be among the top potential free agents this summer if he declines his $15.4MM player option for 2024/25. A three-and-D swingman still in his prime at age 31, Caldwell-Pope has been a starter on a pair of title teams this decade, with the 2020 Lakers and the 2023 Nuggets.

A pair of Eastern Conference contenders with major projected cap space have interest in the 6’5″ wing, according to Marc Stein (Substack link), who hears from sources that the Magic and Sixers are considering pursuing Caldwell-Pope.

Across 76 contests last season, the former Georgia standout averaged 10.1 points on .460/.406/.894 shooting splits, along with 2.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.6 blocks a night.

Here’s more from Stein’s most recent NBA intel:

  • Should the Sixers be unable to add a top potential free agent like Paul George, OG Anunoby or Caldwell-Pope, Stein notes that Philadelphia could opt to trade for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram or Heat wing Jimmy Butler, the latter a former Sixer. Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, who could reach free agency should he not agree to an extension by June 30, is also an option, Stein adds.
  • Former MVP Russell Westbrook, now a bench guard for the Clippers, has a $4MM player option for 2024/25, but that may not stop L.A. from considering an upgrade at the position. The team has been linked to veterans Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry, both of whom are significantly better shooters and also more comfortable playing off the ball.
  • Stein hears that Paul would also draw interest from the Lakers if he reaches free agency, though the team’s interest in him may not be unanimous within the organization.
  • As far as the league’s two head coaching vacancies go, Stein reports that the Cavaliers are expected to make a decision soon, while the Pistons may wait until at least July to select their Monty Williams replacement. That would take Detroit through the draft this week and the start of free agency next weekend without a head coach.

New York Notes: Nets, Thomas, Claxton, Knicks, Luxury Tax

The Nets find themselves in a bit of a pickle when it comes to deciding how to handle guard Cam Thomas‘ future with the club, says Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Thomas enjoyed a breakout season for the 32-50 Nets in 2023/24. His scoring improved markedly, from 10.6 points per game in 2022/23 to 22.5 PPG in ’23/24. The 6’4″ guard is owed $4MM on an expiring deal in 2024/25, but Brooklyn could ink him to a rookie scale extension this summer. Brooklyn could also take a wait-and-see approach to Thomas, allow him to hit restricted free agency next summer and then make a determination on how much he’s worth to them.

Lewis notes that Thomas also improved significantly as a facilitator, especially out of the pick-and-roll, though his pick-and-roll defense on the other end is somewhat troubling. He averaged 3.6 assists a game to close out the year after Kevin Ollie took over for Jacque Vaughn as interim head coach. He had averaged just 1.4 APG in his first two pro seasons.

“Just knowing that I could be doubled a lot more, coming off screens and stuff, or even in one-on-one situations, reading where the double will come from, seeing where teams double me, and the way teams double me,” Thomas said. “It’ll be reading, watching film and seeing where I can make quicker reads.”

There’s more out of the Big Apple:

  • The Nets want to re-sign free agent center Nic Claxton, but are hoping to not overpay him. In a separate piece, Lewis unpacks what is coloring Brooklyn’s thinking with regards to the big man’s next contract. Given that Claxton is probably the best center on the free agent market, bidding could get costly in a hurry.
  • Following a solid 50-32 finish in 2023/24 and another second-round appearance in the playoffs, the Knicks seem to be on the verge of finally returning to fringe contender status. Fred Katz of The Athletic unpacks some intriguing hypothetical trades, submitted by readers, that could possibly help New York reach the next level.
  • To truly contend, the Knicks will need to be open to paying the luxury tax going forward, argues Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. With Leon Rose at the helm of their front office over the past four seasons, the Knicks have yet to pay the tax. This summer, retaining 3-and-D forward OG Anunoby and starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, plus bringing back sharpshooting stretch four Bojan Bogdanovic, could move the team close to the NBA’s second luxury tax apron.

Knicks May Pursue Paul George Trade

The Knicks are a team to watch as a potential trade suitor for Clippers All-Star forward Paul George this summer, a “trusted source” tells Marc Stein (Substack link).

George, who has yet to reach an extension agreement with L.A., holds a $48.8MM player option for the 2024/25 season. New York doesn’t have the cap room necessary to sign him if he opts out to become a free agent, and wouldn’t be able to acquire him via sign-and-trade, but could trade for him if he were to pick up his option. Stein notes, however, that George’s preference remains staying with the Clippers.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has also repeatedly mentioned the idea of an opt-in-and-trade scenario involving George and the Knicks during recent TV segments.

Anchored by All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson and All-Star power forward Julius Randle, the Knicks rode a scrappy, gritty group to a 50-32 record and the conference’s No. 2 seed. The team struggled through a series of injuries to critical contributors during the playoffs, eventually falling to the sixth-seeded Pacers in a seven-game semifinal series.

Across 74 contests in 2023/24 for the 51-31 Clippers last season, George averaged 22.6 points on .471/.413/.907 shooting splits. He also chipped in 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks a night.

Wizards Interested In Mitchell Robinson?

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has recently popped up in trade rumors. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, the Wizards are among the teams who have talked to New York about Robinson.

Known as a strong defensive player, Robinson was limited to 31 games in 2023/24 due to injuries, including two different surgeries on his left ankle. The second surgery, which took place in May, ended the 26-year-old’s season.

Despite his lengthy injury history, Robinson could appeal to rival teams as a starting-caliber big man with a declining contract. He’ll earn $14.3MM in ’24/25 and just under $13MM in ’25/26.

Begley previously cited the Lakers, Grizzlies and Pelicans as teams “closely monitoring” the market for centers this offseason.

According to Begley, the Knicks have been evaluating their options at the five in case they lose Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency or trade Robinson. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that New York appears to be in the driver’s seat to re-sign Hartenstein.

Begley hears Magic center Goga Bitadze is a player the Knicks would have interest in if they end up needing depth in the middle. Bitadze is an unrestricted free agent.

Nuggets To Decline 2024/25 Team Option On Vlatko Cancar

The Nuggets have decided to decline their 2024/25 team option on Vlatko Cancar, a source tells Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter links).

However, it sounds like there’s mutual interest in a reunion.

As Durando observes, the Nuggets are declining the $2,346,606 option due to luxury tax concerns. But if Cancar re-signs with Denver on a minimum-salary deal, he would project to make $2,432,511 in ’24/25 while the Nuggets would carry a cap hit of $2,093,637.

Durando believes the 27-year-old is “likely” to return to the Nuggets on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract.

Cancar missed the entire ’23/24 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee last summer. As Durando notes, Cancar has been preparing to play with the Slovenian national team ahead of the country’s Olympic qualifying tournament, which takes place early next month in Greece.

A former second-round pick who was stashed overseas for a couple years before coming stateside in 2019, Cancar averaged 5.0 PPG and 2.1 RPG on .476/.374/.927 shooting in 60 games (14.8 MPG) in ’22/23, when the Nuggets won their first championship.

The full list of team option decisions for next season can be found right here. June 23 was the deadline for Denver’s decision on Cancar, but most other decisions aren’t due until June 29.

And-Ones: Italy, Melli, Biggest Need, NBA, France, Paul

The Italian national team has trimmed its roster down to 13 players ahead of next month’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. Italy will have to cut one more player to finalize its 12-man roster.

Veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, who spent last season with Wizards, Pistons and Bucks, is the only current NBA player on Italy’s roster. The 35-year-old’s contract with Milwaukee expires at the end of June, making him an unrestricted free agent. The current 13-man roster also features former NBA players Nico Mannion and Nicolo Melli. Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio, another Italian player, will not be participating with the national team after undergoing toe surgery last month.

In order to advance to the Olympics in late July, Italy will have to win the six-team tournament, which also features Bahrain, Puerto Rico, Ivory Coast, Lithuania and Mexico.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Melli, who played two seasons with New Orleans and Detroit from 2019-21, has spent most of his career with Olimpia Milano in Italy. However, the team decided to part ways with its captain, leaving his future unclear, as Eurohoops relays. “Two or three days ago, I received a 45-second phone call in which (coach) Ettore (Messina) told me the club decided to part ways with me. I repeat: it’s a legitimate choice, but I wasn’t told if the reason behind it was a technical matter or something else,” Melli said.
  • Zulfi Sheikh of Sportsnet.ca lists the biggest need for each of the NBA’s 30 teams ahead of free agency. According to Sheikh, the last-place Pistons need a wing who can space the floor, while the title-winning Celtics could use an eventual replacement for Al Horford. The 38-year-old, who is under contract through 2024/25, recently suggested he doesn’t plan to retire this summer.
  • The NBA and the LNB (France’s top basketball league) are working to finalize a development program to improve the domestic options of talented young players in France, per Théo Quintard of Le Monde (hat tip to Askounis of Eurohoops). “This program will allow a certain number of players to be supported and highlighted in order to magnify an already excellent French team,” Fabrice Jouhaud, the general director of the LNB, told Le Monde. According to Quintard, the NBA could pay the salaries of certain draft prospects to help the LNB remain competitive with other organizations, such as Australia’s NBL and the NCAA. “The clubs will also benefit from logistical and financial assistance to encourage them to trust young people,” Jouhaud said.
  • Rich Paul of Klutch Sports spoke to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer about his strategy of trying to steer draft-eligible clients to preferred destinations. Paul was candid last week about which teams he believes are interested in Bronny James.

Community Shootaround: Steal Of The Draft

Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller were easy first-team choices for the All-Rookie team, but other top picks in last year’s draft didn’t fare as well. No. 4 selection Amen Thompson had a strong finish to the season to earn second-team honors, but Scoot Henderson (No. 3) and Ausar Thompson (No. 5) were left off entirely. Also omitted were Anthony Black (No. 6), Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7), Jarace Walker (No. 8) and Taylor Hendricks (No. 9).

Eighteenth pick Jaime Jaquez and 19th selection Brandin Podziemski joined Wembanyama and Miller on the first team, along with Chet Holmgren, the second choice in 2022.

These results provide a reminder that the draft can be unpredictable, even with a highly touted group of prospects at the top. Without a clear hierarchy this year, it’s even harder to figure out who’s going to succeed.

With the draft just four days away, the No. 1 pick is still unsettled, with the Hawks rumored to still be deciding among French big man Alexandre Sarr, French forward Zaccharie Risacher and UConn center Donovan Clingan. The Wizards are believed to be ready to pounce on Sarr if he’s still on the board, but Clingan or Risacher could face a bit of a slide if they don’t go in the top two.

The Rockets, Spurs and Pistons reportedly have interest in Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, UConn guard Stephon Castle and G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis with the next three picks, but that order is far from set in stone. A late trade or surprise selection could upend the whole process and send teams scrambling to their phones on draft night.

It took a long time for Sarr, Risacher and Clingan to emerge as the top prospects, and it’s still easy to find one or more mock drafts that suggest at least one of them is being vastly overrated. USC point guard Isaiah Collier, G League Ignite guard Ron Holland and Colorado forward Cody Williams were among the names floated as potential top picks over the past 12 months, but they’ve all dropped to varying degrees.

As we’ve seen repeatedly, a lot more than talent goes into determining whether NBA rookies are successful. There’s also playing time, fit, belief from the coaching staff and the chance to be part of a successful team. Jaquez and Podziemski were both rewarded because they played rotation minutes for teams that stayed in the playoff race all season long.

Our mission tonight is to try to identify players expected to be taken outside the top five — or even the top 10 — who have the chance to make an impact right away. Scouts love Devin Carter‘s defense and tenacity, Dalton Knecht‘s shooting touch and Rob Dillingham‘s explosiveness, even if other parts of their game might be lacking. Zach Edey, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jared McCain, Kel’el Ware and Carlton Carrington are a few others who may be able to contribute immediately if they land in the right situation.

We want to get your opinion on this year’s potential draft steals. Which players do you expect to excel even if they slide down the draft board? Head to the comments section to give us your input.