Monday, October 27, 2014

J.J. Barea is Leaving The Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves waived point guard J.J. Barea today in order to cut their roster down to 15 players.  Barea, who has only a 1 year $4.5 Million contract, will now have to clear waivers before any team can sign him.

It is expected that the Dallas Mavericks will pick Barea up from free agency once they can.  In Dallas he would rejoin with ex teammate Tyson Chandler, and also serve as a great threat off of the bench.

This is not only great news for Dallas, but also for the young guards in the Timberwolves' backcourt.  J.J. Barea's departure opens up a huge opportunity for rookie point guard Zach LaVine, who was expected to play limited minutes, but he will now have the opportunity to serve as back up point guard behind Ricky Rubio.  LaVine, who is known for his athleticism and ability to attack the rim, still has great room for improvement after only playing one college season at UCLA. Watch his vicious dunk from the other night right here.

The Timberwolves are also expecting a big year from fellow rookie Andrew Wiggins.  He was drafted #1 overall in this year's past draft then traded from the Cavs as a part of the Kevin Love trade.  Wiggins has drawn comparisons to being the next LeBron James or Kevin Durant, and he is surely going to put up monster like numbers under Minnesota's system.  Watch out for Andrew Wiggins and his crazy potential to win this years rookie of the year award.  Watch his highlights from the Timberwolves' Dunks After Dark here.
Together Wiggins and LaVine are going to be one of the most dynamic rookie duos in the league.  Both are freak athletes who can jump out of the gym and also both have a gigantic amount of potential.  With Barea gone and more minutes open to these rookies, look out for them every night on Sports Center's Top 10 Plays.  The Minnesota Timberwolves are going to be one of the most exciting and energizing teams in the NBA this season and are looking forward to a great season.

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