Timberwolves to sign former first-round pick for rest of season

The Timberwolves have agreed to sign forward T.J. Warren to a contract for the rest of the 2023-24 season, according to a report from Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

Warren’s second 10-day deal with Minnesota expired Monday night, so he can be re-signed anytime. The new agreement will presumably be formally finalized at some point before the Wolves face Detroit on Wednesday.

A free agent for most of the 2023-24 season, Warren signed with the Timberwolves on March 6. During his first 20 days with the club, he appeared in seven of nine possible games, averaging 4.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per night and a shooting line of .382/.182/.500.

Those numbers don’t jump off the page, especially for an accomplished player with a career scoring average of 14.6 PPG on .506/.354/.780 shooting entering this year. However, the Wolves trusted Warren enough to thrust him into a rotation role immediately. The club had a pair of open spots on its 15-man roster, so it makes sense to fill one of them with a veteran with postseason experience.

Assuming Warren officially signs his new contract on Tuesday, it will cover the final 20 days of the season. It will likely be worth $334,007, the same prorated minimum salary he earned during his first 20 days with the Wolves. He’ll be eligible to participate in the playoffs since he hasn’t been waived since March 1.

After re-adding Warren, Minnesota will have one open spot remaining on its roster. The club must fill that opening by the final day of the regular season in order to carry a 15th man on its playoff roster.