Should the Minnesota Timberwolves re-sign Jarred Vanderbilt?
The Minnesota Timberwolves haven’t made much noise in free agency, but that was expected with their cap situation. Thus far, they’ve signed McKinley Wright IV and Nathan Knight to two-way contracts. The roster is still incomplete, but would re-signing Jarred Vanderbilt be a wise decision?
Vanderbilt was a highly touted player out of high school, ranking 13th in ESPN’s top-100. From there, he went to Kentucky and played 14 games off the bench. Kentucky’s roster is littered with talent, so it’s hard to fault him for not starting.
After being a one-and-done, he was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 41st pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Denver’s roster is deep and because of that, he rarely saw consistent playing time – playing 26 games through two seasons. Whereas with the Timberwolves, he’s appeared in 66 games and has started in 30 games (64 of the 66 were in 2020-21).
Last year, he averaged 5.8 rebounds, 5.4 points, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.7 blocks, and shot 60.6 percent from the field on 3.7 attempts.
Minnesota has plenty of offensive weapons, and Vanderbilt doesn’t take shots away from Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley.
One reason for that is Vanderbilt’s offensive game is limited. He’s not someone who’s going to stretch the floor or take over a game offensively. Analytically, it’s smarter to focus the bulk of your shots at the rim or from 3-point range. Last season he attempted 236 field goals, and seven of those were outside the painted area.
While his offensive game is limited, Vanderbilt is one of the best defensive players on the Wolves roster.
Vanderbilt isn’t your prototypical rim defender, but his athleticism and quickness are what make him a pest on defense. Last season, his defensive rating was 109.2, which ranks fourth behind Jake Layman, Jordan McLaughlin and Ed Davis (of players who played more than 20 games).
Darren Wolfson of KSTP gave an update on Vanderbilt’s contract situation on Skor North, The Scoop podcast:
In particular with Vanderbilt, everything is on the table, including signing the qualifying offer, which would then lead him to be an unrestricted free agent in a year. But the hope is a long-term, a multi-year contract can be worked out.
After trading for Patrick Beverley, it’s worth noting that it’s hard to see Minnesota prioritizing McLaughlin over Vanderbilt. Russell will be the starting point guard, and Beverley will be the backup. Jaylen Nowell can also handle the ball, which means McLaughlin is more expendable. Minnesota needs depth in the frontcourt, so it’s easy to see them making Vanderbilt their next priority.
Vanderbilt is only 22 years old and still developing. His defense is important for the Wolves’ success, and if he ever comes around on offense, his value will be immensely higher.
