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The Minnesota Timberwolves will have some change in their front office, with the firing of David Kahn and the hiring of former coach Flip Saunders as the team’s new president of basketball operations. Time will tell if Saunders is suited to his new role, but at the top of his offseason checklist has to be adding a capable shooting guard to a roster that looks solid elsewhere if everyone is healthy.
Corey Brewer had a solid campaign as a primary reserve for the Denver Nuggets this season, averaging 12.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game while playing all 82 games (two starts). He spent his first three-plus NBA seasons with the Timberwolves after being selected seventh overall in 2007, with by far his best season coming in 2009-2010 (13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game). Brewer was traded to the New York Knicks in February of 2011 as part of a three-team trade, but he ultimately landed with the Dallas Mavericks for the rest of that season before spending the last two seasons with Denver.
Brewer is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but recent speculation from the Denver Post suggests he is a strong candidate for the mid-level exception, which would be worth $5.1 million next season for any team that is not a luxury tax payer. That relative affordability stands to have plenty of teams interested in Brewer, but are the Timberwolves a potential fit?
The most glaring weakness in Brewer’s game to this point in his career has been his shooting, as he has made less than 30 percent of his three-pointers and less than 42 percent (41.6 percent) of his shots from the floor overall. His energy is a perfect fit for the Nuggets’ up-tempo style of play, but they may look for a more proficient shooter in free agency to take his place on the roster.
It’s nice to see that Brewer has revived his career some after his dismal first stint with the Timberwolves, and it’s worth noting that Saunders and head coach Rick Adelman were not involved in the franchise during that time. But Minnesota needs to add someone that is physically suited to playing shooting guard and is a viable perimeter shooter, and Brewer fails on both counts.
Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.
