The Minnesota Timberwolves have been an active team in free agency this offseason and after bringing on swingman Corey Brewer on a deal, the team is looking at a number of other players for depth and one of those apparently is Ronny Turiaf.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, ESPN.com is reporting that the Timberwolves are one of the frontrunners to sign Turiaf and it would likely be for the league minimum. Turiaf is not an elite player by any stretch, but he is a minutes eater, a banger and a solid rebounder that can add some depth to the bench and strength in the middle of the court. The team already lost center Greg Stiemsma to the Pelicans and Turiaf could be a logical replacement for his size and production.
Turiaf is the definition of a journeyman player and while he has played for six teams already in the NBA, including the Knicks, he could be a very valuable addition to the roster for the Wolves. Turiaf was last with the Los Angeles Clippers and put in about 10 minutes per game for the team as they set a record for franchise wins.
Last season with the Clippers he played in 65 games and averaged 1.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and while he didn't start any games, he provided some solid depth and minutes for the playoff team. Turiaf has career averages of 4.7 points and 3.6 rebounds and he last got significant playing time while with the Knicks during the 2012-2011 season when he played just over 17 points per game. That season he started 21 games for the team and appeared in 64 and if he can give the Timberwolves some solid production that could be very valuable as Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love come back from injuries.
The Timberwolves also signed Kevin Martin as a free agent and reportedly agreed to a new extension with Nikola Pekovic to keep him in the fold as well. The team went just 31-51 last season and already traded away Luke Ridnour and now they will head into the season with Rubio as the main point guard and they hope he can remain healthy throughout the year.
