Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 bargain bin targets in 2019 NBA free agency

2. Khem Birch

Khem Birch went undrafted in 2014, fell down to the G League, and it seemed like he would never quite realize his dream of playing in the NBA. Then, in the 2017-18 season, the Orlando Magic gave him a shot, and he ended up playing in 42 games, averaging 4.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.5 blocks in 13.8 minutes per game. Birch did all this on 54.0 percent shooting.

Last season, Birch saw his role reduced to 12.9 minutes per game, but he was still able to average 4.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on 60.3 percent field goal shooting. He also grabbed his first NBA career start, in which he recorded five points, six rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes. His defense was a huge part of Orlando’s playoff push once Mohammed Bamba went down.

Birch could be a nice rotation piece that the Wolves could pick up for cheap if the Magic are more focused on re-signing Nikola Vucevic. Orlando can match any offer for Birch, a restricted free agent, but will the team be able to afford minutes for Vucevic, Birch and Bamba next year?

At 6’9″, he could fill in at either power forward or center for a few minutes before moving back to the bench for a starter. He would also have a chance to learn from Gorgei Dieng, who has a similar build, and he would have the opportunity to play on a mildly successful team with Minnesota. All in all, he would probably welcome a change of scenery for a fairly cheap price — just not too cheap for Orlando to match.