Minnesota moved Josh Green to Utah for Cody Williams and John Konchar, but the trade was about more than changing the Timberwolves’ wing rotation. The move also gives Minnesota the salary flexibility needed to complete Jonathan Kuminga’s arrival.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have made another significant roster move just days before the start of September, sending Josh Green and cash considerations to the Utah Jazz in exchange for former No. 10 overall pick Cody Williams and veteran wing John Konchar.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the trade, with Minnesota expected to keep Williams while waiving and stretching Konchar’s contract. The deal gives the Timberwolves a younger prospect while reducing the salary burden attached to Green.
But the biggest reason for the move was financial.
Why the Timberwolves traded Josh Green
Green entered the final year of his contract with a roughly $14.7 million salary for the 2026-27 season. Minnesota needed to create additional financial flexibility after agreeing to a two-year deal with Jonathan Kuminga.
Trading Green accomplished that without requiring the Timberwolves to stretch his contract over multiple seasons.
The alternative would have been to waive and stretch Green, which would have left Minnesota carrying a smaller but longer-term cap charge. Instead, the Timberwolves found a trade partner in Utah and moved the larger contract while taking back two players with significantly smaller salaries.
The trade therefore serves two purposes: Minnesota clears salary while also taking a chance on a young former lottery pick.
Cody Williams gets a second chance in Minnesota
Williams was selected No. 10 overall by Utah in the 2024 NBA Draft after one season at Colorado. The 21-year-old wing has not yet developed into the high-level prospect many expected, but Minnesota clearly sees enough upside to keep him rather than immediately move on.
During the 2025-26 regular season, Williams appeared in 67 games and made 41 starts. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field.
His situation in Minnesota will be different from Utah. The Timberwolves already have significant depth on the wing, meaning Williams is unlikely to walk into a major role immediately. Instead, the trade gives him an opportunity to compete for minutes while developing within a team with stronger immediate postseason ambitions.
Williams is also the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams, adding another layer of interest to his move to Minnesota.
What happens to John Konchar?
Konchar is not expected to remain on Minnesota’s roster.
Charania reported that the Timberwolves plan to waive and stretch the 30-year-old wing’s contract. NBA.com also reported the expectation that Konchar would be waived and stretched following the trade.
Konchar spent the 2025-26 season between Memphis and Utah. Across 56 games, he averaged 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks in 19.9 minutes per game.
His contract is worth about $6.2 million for the coming season. Under the expected stretch arrangement, Minnesota would spread the remaining cap impact across multiple seasons rather than carrying the full amount in 2026-27.
The Jonathan Kuminga connection
The trade makes much more sense when viewed alongside Minnesota’s pursuit of Kuminga.
The Timberwolves agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million contract with the 23-year-old forward earlier in the week, according to ESPN reporting cited by Reuters. Kuminga chose Minnesota after becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Green’s contract was the larger salary Minnesota could move to create the necessary room. By sending him to Utah and taking back Williams and Konchar, the Timberwolves reduced their salary commitment while keeping Williams as a developmental piece.
The result is a roster maneuver that helps Minnesota complete its Kuminga deal without simply sacrificing a young player for nothing.
What the trade means for Minnesota
For the Timberwolves, this is less about replacing Green with Williams and more about restructuring the roster around the team’s bigger offseason plans.
Green had only recently arrived in Minnesota as part of the offseason trade involving LaMelo Ball and Naz Reid, but his $14.7 million salary quickly became an obstacle once the Timberwolves added Kuminga.
Williams, meanwhile, comes with a much smaller salary and two more years remaining on his rookie-scale contract, giving Minnesota a low-cost player with room to improve.
That makes the trade a calculated gamble: Minnesota gives up a more established wing to gain financial flexibility and another young player whose potential has not yet been fully realized.
The Timberwolves now enter the final stages of roster construction with Kuminga becoming a central part of their offseason additions, while Williams will have the opportunity to determine how much of a role he can earn once training camp begins.
