Minnesota Timberwolves: Ranking the 2019-20 newcomers

1. Jake Layman, SF

The Minnesota Timberwolves gave Jake Layman the biggest deal of its free-agent signings, getting him for three years and $11.5 million. Looks can be deceiving, because Layman is another solid role player.

What he has over the other newcomers is flexibility. He is a small forward who can play power forward in small-ball lineups.

Layman didn’t get a real opportunity in Portland until last season, his third in the league, and he made considerable progress. He went from being the butt of jokes to someone who could light up a playoff game.

He only shot 32.6 percent from 3 in 2018-19, but his stroke is sound and he cuts well. Within Minnesota’s new hyperactive, handoff-heavy offense, Layman will get his looks, so expect that percent to noticeably jump.

The Timberwolves have built a roster that figures to play fast and perhaps even small. Jordan Bell and Noah Vonleh are not huge upgrades over Gorgui Dieng, which could figure the team slotting three wings around Jeff Teague and KAT in crunch time lineups.

The predominant wings this team has are: Andrew Wiggins, Robert Covington, Josh Okogie, Jarrett Culver and now, Jake Layman.

Covington is a lock to start and finish games, but of the remaining four, Layman has a case as the best shooter among them. If that’s the case it will be hard to keep him out of small ball lineups unless two of Wiggins, Okogie and Culver take the step to the next level.

Layman, like Shabazz Napier, Bell and Vonleh, are all on-the-margins acquisitions. None of them are fancy or sure to grab casual fans’ attention, but they will each get the chance to carve out roles for the 2019-20 Timberwolves.

Napier will be the backup point guard and Bell and Vonleh will compete to see if the team will rely on a traditional two-big lineup when it matters, but Layman has the clearest path — even if it isn’t an outright one — to consistently contributing for this team.