The 2025 Wolves Off Season

[Klomp]

Bones Hyland has emerged as the frontrunner to be signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves for their final planned roster spot heading into the 2025-26 season. Hyland signed a Two-Way contract with the Wolves in February.

The Wolves have also considered Malcolm Brogdon, Cam Payne and Landry Shamet.

Tim Connelly was the lead executive of the Denver Nuggets when they drafted Hyland in the first round in 2021. Hyland appeared in 24 games last season with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Wolves, averaging 6.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 9.9 minutes.

Hyland also averaged 33.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 40.8 minutes in two G League games.

Jon Krawczynski/The Athletic

Two factors to point to as why this shouldn't be a surprise.
1. Tim Connelly drafted Bones Hyland and was rumored to have him on the radar for years.
2. Tim Connelly values familiarity and continuity as much as anything during roster-building.

[younggunsmn]

According to Jon K, Bones Hyland has the inside track on the 14th spot, which is..... completely disgusting.
Hard to think of a player I would like less for that final roster spot.
Even Johnny Juzang is twice the player Hyland is.

Timmy C channeling the guy who wants to be besties with all his x girlfriends again.
Small D NRG.

Maybe a better player (with actual PG skills please) will crack and accept the minimum before camp opens.

[winforlose]

According to Jon K, Bones Hyland has the inside track on the 14th spot, which is..... completely disgusting.
Hard to think of a player I would like less for that final roster spot.
Even Johnny Juzang is twice the player Hyland is.

Timmy C channeling the guy who wants to be besties with all his x girlfriends again.
Small D NRG.

Maybe a better player (with actual PG skills please) will crack and accept the minimum before camp opens.

Not like having a functional PG with playoff experience is important. Much better to have a mascot on the bench because TC feels sorry for them and no other team will take them. I mean look how well it worked with PJ Dozier last year. There is no way Monte Morris would be more valuable than Bones Hyland.

F*** TC.

[KGdaBom]

Bones Hyland has emerged as the frontrunner to be signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves for their final planned roster spot heading into the 2025-26 season. Hyland signed a Two-Way contract with the Wolves in February.

The Wolves have also considered Malcolm Brogdon, Cam Payne and Landry Shamet.

Tim Connelly was the lead executive of the Denver Nuggets when they drafted Hyland in the first round in 2021. Hyland appeared in 24 games last season with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Wolves, averaging 6.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 9.9 minutes.

Hyland also averaged 33.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 40.8 minutes in two G League games.

Jon Krawczynski/The Athletic

I was definitely hoping for Brogdon over Bones. Impressive G league numbers in a small sample size.

[BlacJacMac]

Bones Hyland has emerged as the frontrunner to be signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves for their final planned roster spot heading into the 2025-26 season. Hyland signed a Two-Way contract with the Wolves in February.

The Wolves have also considered Malcolm Brogdon, Cam Payne and Landry Shamet.

Tim Connelly was the lead executive of the Denver Nuggets when they drafted Hyland in the first round in 2021. Hyland appeared in 24 games last season with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Wolves, averaging 6.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 9.9 minutes.

Hyland also averaged 33.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 40.8 minutes in two G League games.

Jon Krawczynski/The Athletic

I was definitely hoping for Brogdon over Bones. Impressive G league numbers in a small sample size.

Unfortunately we have 4 years and 186 NBA games for a better sample of who he is.

[KGdaBom]

Bones Hyland has emerged as the frontrunner to be signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves for their final planned roster spot heading into the 2025-26 season. Hyland signed a Two-Way contract with the Wolves in February.

The Wolves have also considered Malcolm Brogdon, Cam Payne and Landry Shamet.

Tim Connelly was the lead executive of the Denver Nuggets when they drafted Hyland in the first round in 2021. Hyland appeared in 24 games last season with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Wolves, averaging 6.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 9.9 minutes.

Hyland also averaged 33.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 40.8 minutes in two G League games.

Jon Krawczynski/The Athletic

I was definitely hoping for Brogdon over Bones. Impressive G league numbers in a small sample size.

Unfortunately we have 4 years and 186 NBA games for a better sample of who he is.

Hence me preferring Brogdon to Bones. I was just looking for some positive spin.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

Much better got Brogdon than Bones. Brainless player....

[Klomp]

According to Jon K, Bones Hyland has the inside track on the 14th spot, which is..... completely disgusting.
Hard to think of a player I would like less for that final roster spot.
Even Johnny Juzang is twice the player Hyland is.

Timmy C channeling the guy who wants to be besties with all his x girlfriends again.
Small D NRG.

Maybe a better player (with actual PG skills please) will crack and accept the minimum before camp opens.

Not like having a functional PG with playoff experience is important. Much better to have a mascot on the bench because TC feels sorry for them and no other team will take them. I mean look how well it worked with PJ Dozier last year. There is no way Monte Morris would be more valuable than Bones Hyland.

F*** TC.

"Playoff experience".....this was his most recent playoff series, three years ago.

Brogdon was limited to just eight minutes in Boston's Game 5 win last week, going 0-for-2 from the floor and finishing scoreless. He struggled mightily in Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, going just 1-for-11 from the floor and 0-for-5 from 3-point range.

Brogdon was reportedly dealing with elbow soreness during the Eastern Conference semifinals against Philadelphia, and made the injury worse while battling for a rebound early in Game 1 against the Heat. In his five games against Miami, Brogdon has averaged just 6.8 points off 33 percent shooting overall and a woeful 19 percent from 3-point range.

Those numbers are way down from his regular season averages, when Brogdon scored 14.9 points per game off 48.4/44.4 shooting splits for the Celtics.

https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/malcolm-brogdon-questionable-celtics-heat-game-7-eastern-conference-finals-nba-playoffs/

That's the types of performances Randle had in New York when you same two people were lambasting Connelly for acquiring him.

[winforlose]

According to Jon K, Bones Hyland has the inside track on the 14th spot, which is..... completely disgusting.
Hard to think of a player I would like less for that final roster spot.
Even Johnny Juzang is twice the player Hyland is.

Timmy C channeling the guy who wants to be besties with all his x girlfriends again.
Small D NRG.

Maybe a better player (with actual PG skills please) will crack and accept the minimum before camp opens.

Not like having a functional PG with playoff experience is important. Much better to have a mascot on the bench because TC feels sorry for them and no other team will take them. I mean look how well it worked with PJ Dozier last year. There is no way Monte Morris would be more valuable than Bones Hyland.

F*** TC.

"Playoff experience".....this was his most recent playoff series, three years ago.

Brogdon was limited to just eight minutes in Boston's Game 5 win last week, going 0-for-2 from the floor and finishing scoreless. He struggled mightily in Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, going just 1-for-11 from the floor and 0-for-5 from 3-point range.

Brogdon was reportedly dealing with elbow soreness during the Eastern Conference semifinals against Philadelphia, and made the injury worse while battling for a rebound early in Game 1 against the Heat. In his five games against Miami, Brogdon has averaged just 6.8 points off 33 percent shooting overall and a woeful 19 percent from 3-point range.

Those numbers are way down from his regular season averages, when Brogdon scored 14.9 points per game off 48.4/44.4 shooting splits for the Celtics.

https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/malcolm-brogdon-questionable-celtics-heat-game-7-eastern-conference-finals-nba-playoffs/

That's the types of performances Randle had in New York when you same two people were lambasting Connelly for acquiring him.

Monte Morris has 57 playoff games played I mentioned Morris above not Brogdon.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/morrimo01.html

[Klomp]

Monte Morris would have been the exact same "Connelly's guys" argument if the discussion was happening in good faith. That's why I figured it had to be Brogdon. You could also point to Morris' even more lackluster playoff performances as well.

[Dalvin]

I think this is a welcome problem. Guys cussing out TC for the 14th man on our team. Just means, that we already have a good 1-13 roster. We could only dream of such a scenario barely 5 years ago.

[winforlose]

I think this is a welcome problem. Guys cussing out TC for the 14th man on our team. Just means, that we already have a good 1-13 roster. We could only dream of such a scenario barely 5 years ago.

If you count Dilly as a worthy PG 2 (which I don’t,) then you have a proven top 7 and maybe 8 with TSJ. Monty would have been the 8th man, Hyland isn’t even worth being 14th. It is a major failing of the roster construction and front office.

[winforlose]

Monte Morris would have been the exact same "Connelly's guys" argument if the discussion was happening in good faith. That's why I figured it had to be Brogdon. You could also point to Morris' even more lackluster playoff performances as well.

Morris is a solid NBA rotation player, Hyland is not. Morris is not just a TC guy, he fits a need and if Dilly sucks is the perfect PG 2. Not even close to the same thing.

[KATKlownFeet]

Wolves only have 12 guys. Joe Ingles is just a cheerleader. Bones is a terrible player and shouldn't get any playing time and then you have a vacant spot. Can't say I'm happy with how TC is addressing spots 13-15. Hopefully JK is wet on this prediction.

[shrink]

I hope our playoff success did not lead to a “stand pat” mentality.

I would never dismiss the Wolves making the WCF last season. They beat who they had to beat, including upsetting the favored Lakers. But going into the playoffs, I would say that in the west, there was OKC, and MIN was in a tier with seven other teams takentwise to challenge the Thunder.

While MIN should improve next year with internal growth and continuity, Tim Connelly wasn’t able to address the Wolves biggest problems through trades or free agency. I hope we don’t see them slide as we see rivals improve.

[KGdaBom]

I really hoped they would have gone for a back up center. If Rudy goes down with an injury, the season is lost.

Hopefully it will mean Berlinger can handle some minutes.

Le Berricade will be just fine. I don't mean that to say he can replace Rudy without us losing anything, but he will be as good or better than any cheap backup center we can find FA.

[KGdaBom]

I really hoped they would have gone for a back up center. If Rudy goes down with an injury, the season is lost.

Who would be willing to sign up to make the minimum and take DNP-CDs as injury insurance for a center who is generally healthy and one of the most physically fit big men in the league?

Absolutely. Also Le Berricade is going to get better and better as the season progresses if he's given minutes. By the playoffs he could be a strong contributor.

[Biff Cooper]

I don't buy that the Wolves are just going to give Bones the 14th roster spot guaranteed. It makes a lot more sense that they give him a non-guaranteed contract like Juzang and make him earn the spot in training camp.

[Guest84]

At this point, I'm not concerned with who TC adds for the 14th spot. However, we do have some unknowns at the guard spot going into the season. Due to the abundance of players fighting for the same spot over the last few years, we weren't able to see what guys could do with this group.

Wasn't Monte coming off a serious injury the prior year? So he wasn't in peak condition. You also added DDV to the sg spot when you already had NAW and Ant. So now they're playing next to Ant instead of behind him. Enter Rob and the lack of playing time, now you have no idea what he's capable of. Add in the decline of Mike and the team is in a tough spot now.

Were they a little too thirsty for DVV in the trade? Did they jump the gun on Rob in the draft? Time will tell. But with DVV possibly being out, this could give Rob the much-needed chance to prove himself.

[NebWolvesFan]

I feel like Bones rumor is from Bones' agent. Do I think he can get a one-year non-guaranteed deal similar to Juzang's? Yes, but I feel like Bones' agents are trying to get a guaranteed deal. He supposedly has deals available in Europe. I'm sure he would like to stay here.

I think TC wants any deal for the 14th or 15th player to be non-guaranteed so he can dump them in January if they need space and flexibility. There's no way Brogdon or Cam are taking deals like that.

Also, I think we need to wait until GS situation plays out. Lots of players are hoping to land there for better cash. The Warriors only have 9 players signed. If GS signs JK as well as Melton, Horford and Lyles, Brogdon might be without a landing spot, and take another look at Minnesota.