The Timberwolves are stacking moves in a hurry. Shams Charania reported Friday that Minnesota is sending Josh Green and cash to Utah for Cody Williams and John Konchar, with Konchar expected to be waived and stretched. Green just landed in Minnesota this summer as part of the LaMelo Ball trade with Charlotte. He is already gone.
The Wolves are essentially using this deal for two things. They add a 20-year-old with real draft pedigree, and they clear the cap room they needed to sign Jonathan Kuminga using the taxpayer mid-level exception.
Who Is Cody Williams
Cody Williams was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Colorado. Younger brother of Jalen Williams of the Thunder. Long, versatile wing profile that teams have been chasing for years. His rookie year in Utah was rough. He averaged 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 32.3 percent shooting across 50 games.
Year 2 was better. Meaningfully so. He posted 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 46.8 percent shooting. That is a real jump. Efficiency almost doubled. Usage climbed. He looked like an actual NBA player, and that is not something Utah could say for most of his rookie season.
Now he gets a change of scenery, a better roster around him, and a coaching staff in Chris Finch’s group that has done a strong job developing young players over the last several years.
The Cap Mechanics
Konchar’s $2.05 million gets waived and stretched across three years, which spreads out the hit and creates the room Minnesota needed to actually sign Kuminga. This is the kind of technical move that only front office people love, but it matters. Without it, the Kuminga deal is much harder to complete.
The trade also opens the 15th roster spot on the Wolves, giving them more flexibility to add another player before or during the season. That kind of optionality is valuable for a team that is expecting to be in playoff position and might want to be active around the trade deadline.
The Josh Green Piece
Josh Green was acquired to be a rotation wing and to give Minnesota length on the perimeter. His stock in the Wolves’ plans clearly changed once Kuminga became available. Given the choice between Green as a rotation guy and clearing space for a 23-year-old former Warriors starter with real offensive upside, Minnesota chose the ceiling play.
Utah gets a veteran contributor who can help their guards. The Jazz continue to prioritize adding win-now pieces to their young core, and Green is a fine fit for that.
Wolves Are Playing to Win
Add all of this up and Minnesota is having one of the most aggressive summers in the NBA. They landed LaMelo Ball earlier. They signed Kuminga to a bet-on-yourself deal. They flipped a wing to acquire a former top-10 pick and clear cap room. They are opening a roster spot for a future move.
The Anthony Edwards window is very much open. This front office is treating it that way. The Cody Williams deal is a small move on its own, but it is part of a much bigger picture. Minnesota looks ready to contend in a stacked Western Conference, and they are still finding new ways to add talent in August.
Cody Williams gets a fresh start. Minnesota gets a lottery pick on a rookie deal, cap flexibility, and an open roster spot. Utah gets a useful vet. Everyone can walk away happy.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
