Timberwolves agree to two-year deal with Kyle Anderson

After remaining dormant for the first few hours of free agency, Minnesota has added Kyle Anderson using their mid-level exception, giving him a two-year deal totaling $18 million. Anderson is a strong defender at the 4, as well as a good connector on offense capable of using his long, unorthodox strides to get to the rim. The rim pressure, in particular, seems as if it was a selling point for the Wolves.

While unorthodox, he does effectively find a way to bull his way to the rim. I still have nightmares of him running over a Minnesota guard on his way to the rim throughout the Wolves/Grizzlies playoff series.

Given the investment in Anderson, it’s fair to assume that the Wolves see him as a legitimate part of their plans and rotation for the upcoming season. It’s a bit early to speculate who will or won’t be in the rotation, but it doesn’t take a genius to see that the Wolves have more guys than there are rotation spots right now. When you take that information, acknowledge that they have a full roster at the moment, and are reportedly planning on adding another big, we can reasonably conclude that a consolidation trade is coming.

One positive to this that I could see, is that if they’d like Anderson and Jarred Vanderbilt to play most of the minutes at the 4, it would allow Taurean Prince and Jaden McDaniels to spend more time at the 3, which are likely more natural positions for them. At the very least, both players size is an advantage on the wing, where it is not at the 4.

All in all, this isn’t a sexy move by any means, but I think Anderson is a good player. I think adding good players to this team at a reasonable cost is good, and that competition within the roster is healthy to a certain point. There is really not much downside to this signing either, because if Anderson plays poorly it will still be easy to move an expiring $9 million contract. I’m a fan of the move, but I expect it to be just the tip of the iceberg for the Wolves offseason.