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2022 Free Agents - Jaylen Nowell

Summary
Nowell has gotten some legitimate playing time over the past two seasons, and has the potential to be a solid rotation player going forward. He has some craft on offense, with the ability to score at multiple levels. He's not a fully dependent player, as he has a pretty good handle and can create for himself off the dribble.

Nowell has hit a solid 38% from three in his career, including 42% in '21-'22, and that's while taking a majority from above-the-break. He's been more accurate from the corners (43% vs. 36%), so there's some evidence he could up his percentages by spotting up in the corner more. He's also hit almost half of his midrange attempts, and has started finishing well at the rim after struggling earlier in his career.

Overall, Nowell has some promise as a spark-plug scorer off the bench, but it's hard to imagine him playing more of a role than that. He wasn't able to crack the playoff rotation, but Nowell has shown enough that the Wolves will probably keep him around next season, and if they chose to let him go I think he could find a home fairly quickly, especially since he is only 23 years old.
 
Cap Considerations
Nowell has a $1.9 million team option for 2022-2023, and the Timberwolves may decline this option to make Nowell a restricted free agent in 2022, rather than picking up the option and having Nowell hit unrestricted free agency in 2023.

If the Timberwolves decline the option, Nowell will be a restricted free agent with a $2.2 million cap hold and Qualifying Offer. However, the Timberwolves could refuse to tender the QO, which would make Nowell an unrestricted free agent in 2022. I don't think the Timberwolves will feel the need to lock Nowell down in 2022, and would expect them to pick up his option.

If his option is declined, other teams will have multiple ways to sign Nowell as even teams without cap space could use any of the Non-Taxpayer MLE, Taxpayer MLE, or possibly even the Room MLE to sign him to an offer sheet.

However, Nowell being a restricted free agent would greatly lower his interest among teams, as they will worry that the only way to pry him away from Minnesota would be to overpay him. If the Timberwolves don't give Nowell a QO, this likely means he could be had for the minimum.

Potential Teams: Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Spurs, Raptors, Magic

Predicted Contract: Opt-In: $1.9 million
If opt-out: 3-year, $15 million with the Timberwolves

Actual Contract: Opt-In: $1.9 million
As expected, the Wolves exercised the team option for Nowell, and he will hit unrestricted free agency in 2023 unless an extension is agreed to before then.

Last updated: 6/30/2022

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