Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Shake Milton has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Timberwolves, per Adrian Wojnarowski. Milton spent the first five years of his career in Philadelphia, where he averaged 9.3 points, 2.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds. Last season, he was the Sixers’ fourth rotation guard behind James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and De’Anthony Melton, though barely saw the floor in the playoffs when they shortened the bench. He should presumably have more opportunity with Wolves.
Milton agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with Timberwolves, per source. https://t.co/H6t05UqO8Y
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2023
Milton is a useful complementary ball-handler, playmaker and floor-spacer (36.5 percent from deep for his career). At 6’5 with a 7-foot wingspan, he loves to wield hesitations and changes of pace as a slasher and will burrow through or around undersized defenders. Thirty-eight percent of his shots were at the rim in 2022-23 (83rd percentile among combo guards, per Cleaning The Glass) and he converted 63 percent of them (58th percentile). However, he’s a bit stiff and upright defensively, which complicates his screen navigation and viability at the point-of-attack.
His playing time was erratic at times with the Sixers, but he seemingly always delivered when called upon. In 11 starts last year, he averaged 20.3 points (61.8 percent true shooting), 7.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds. His most prolific campaign came in 2020-21, averaging a career-high 13.0 points, along with 3.1 assists and 2.3 rebounds. The 26-year-old is a legitimate rotation player and will help invigorate Minnesota’s cast of guards for the foreseeable future as he enters his prime.
Milton joins Troy Brown Jr. as the Timberwolves biggest additions to start free agency, as they also re-signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker and, most crucially, Naz Reid days before free agency began.