Maryland Basketball: How does Melo Trimble fit in with Minnesota?
By Chris Bengel
After going undrafted, Melo Trimble didn’t see a ton of playing time in NBA Summer League action.
Still, Trimble was able to sign a free agent contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal is partially guaranteed.
Trimble had signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia 76ers after he wasn’t selected in the June Draft. However, he only played more than 10 minutes in two games with the 76ers and really had only one noteworthy outing.
The former Terrapin guard will join the Timberwolves and look to make their roster out of training camp.
Minnesota already has two point guards in place in Tyus Jones and Jeff Teague. The Timberwolves signed Teague last month during free agency and traded Ricky Rubio to the Utah Jazz in exchange for a first round pick.
Jones hasn’t played a ton of minutes during his first two NBA seasons. During that time, the former Duke guard has averaged just 3.8 points and 2.7 assists per contest.
However, Jones was named the MVP of the Summer League in 2016.
So where exactly does that leave Trimble?
The Maryland guard certainly has a knack for scoring the basketball and that’s something that a young team like Minnesota can’t have enough of. Their starting backcourt will consist of Teague and All-Star Jimmy Butler, who was acquired from the Chicago Bulls during the draft.
While Trimble’s ideal spot is most likely at the point guard spot, the former Terp could also fill both guard positions for the Timberwolves.
At the shooting guard spot, Minnesota also has just two options in Butler and Jamal Crawford. Crawford was also brought in during the offseason.
While Trimble does a great job running an offense, he’s also a proven scorer. He’s been inconsistent shooting the three at times, but the potential is clearly there.
After all, Trimble shot 41.2 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman.
The one area where Trimble truly excels is getting to the free throw line. During his Maryland career, he had a knack for playing through contact and ended up shooting 84.1 percent from the charity stripe.
Even if Trimble is an end of the bench type of player, he’ll serve a purpose. In addition, if he isn’t getting playing time with the Timberwolves, he could spend time in the G League to further develop his game.
This may not be the situation that Trimble envisioned after a storied career at Maryland. Would things have turned out differently if he left College Park after his stellar freshman year?
Maybe, but Trimble still has a chance to make an impact and perhaps Minnesota is where he has a chance to do just that.