Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 players facing most pressure in 2019-20

2. Jeff Teague

Jeff Teague is in a dangerous spot with the Minnesota Timberwolves as of now. The 31-year-old veteran is coming off of his worst two seasons in regards to shooting since his first two seasons in the NBA, and he hasn’t shown that he’s able to stay healthy for long enough to lead a team, as he’s averaged just 56 games played over these past two seasons.

With the addition of Jarrett Culver, Jaylen Nowell, and Jordan McLaughlin, the Wolves seem to be skewing towards the younger end of the spectrum when it comes to guards, and offseason signings of Jake Layman and Jordan Bell imply that Ryan Saunders wants to work with a young core that he could help develop for the next few years. If he keeps up this level of play, Teague may not be a part of those plans.

Teague exercised his player option for next season, but after 2019-2020 he will become an unrestricted free agent. Currently, he is making just under $20 million, and if the Timberwolves are hoping to cut some salary to become a more attractive destination for free agents, Teague will almost certainly take a pay cut.

If he does step up, the Timberwolves could hold out on re-signing him, because they have his Bird Rights, so they could target other players first and then sign Teague and go over the cap. If he doesn’t step up though, Teague’s days as a starter on a promising NBA team are numbered, and he could look to go somewhere in a complete rebuild to make his money.