After trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a glaring flaw at the power forward position. Finding someone with the same blend of 3-point shooting and connectivity as Reid would be ideal, given the Wolves' established talent.
Without a doubt, Sandro Mamukelashvili is a high-end target to fill this void in free agency. Minnesota has the taxpayer mid-level exception (worth just over $6 million a year) as spending power. Unfortunately, it looks like Mamukelashvili is being priced out of the Wolves' plans, as reporting from The Stein Line indicates that he could receive up to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
"The Raptors hope to come to terms on a new deal with the Georgian forward before the marketplace opens, but Mamukelashvili is expected to have multiple suitors at a sizable portion of the full $15 million midlevel exception if he does not score a new deal from Toronto before Tuesday evening at 6 PM ET," The Stein Line wrote.
Sandro Mamukelashvili would be a picture-perfect Naz Reid replacement
This update stings for Wolves fans, as Mamukelashvili felt like a fairly realistic target to fill this major void, and he offers a similar complementary skill set to Reid.
Mamukelashvili played with the Toronto Raptors this past season, averaging 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists with shooting splits of 52.3/38.9/74.7.
The biggest thing with Mamukelashvili, regarding his ability to replace Reid, is his floor spacing. Having a 6-foot-9 power forward who can stretch the floor while having complementary skills like passing, rebounding and hustle, would be perfect alongside Minnesota's established talent.
To be clear, Reid is still a better player than Mamukelashvili, but in terms of replicating the connective floor spacing skill set, there's no better option on the open market.
Other options for the Timberwolves
While things can always change, based on this report, it looks like the Wolves have to start exploring other options.
There's no doubt that the Wolves will find a way to fill this power forward void, either in free agency or via the trade market. Reporting from The Stein Line also indicates that Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (who could similarly help the Wolves from a floor spacing and connectivity standpoint) could have a similar price range to Mamukelashvili.
Thankfully, there are still other options for Minnesota. Should his team option be declined by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kenrich Williams would be a solid target for the Wolves. Harrison Barnes could be a solid veteran addition. Jonathan Isaac will be an affordable target, but his injury problems should make the Wolves steer clear of him.
On the trade market, re-routing Josh Green in a deal paired with Terrence Shannon Jr., to land someone like P.J. Washington or Obi Toppin, could be the highest-end path to solving this void. But who knows if this is an option. Nikola Jovic could be a lower-end target in a deal strictly for Green.
Minnesota might be able to get someone with more overall talent than Mamukelashvili, particularly in the trade market. However, in terms of finding a player who perfectly fills the role Reid has played, Mamukelashvili would make the most sense, but again, unfortunately, signing him doesn't seem to be in the cards.
