Kyle Anderson's regret in joining the Golden State Warriors during 2024 free agency is now plain for all to see, with the veteran forward reportedly set to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Anderson has agreed to a contract buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and now plans to sign with the Timberwolves where he played for two seasons before joining the Warriors.
Kyle Anderson's Timberwolves return is proof of free agency regret
It's not overly surprising that Anderson and the Grizzlies have agreed to a buyout, with the 32-year-old clearly not on the same timeline of a franchise who are clearly focusing on the future and this year's draft lottery.
Memphis' 133-112 loss to the an incredibly short-handed Golden State on Wednesday was their 13th defeat in the past 16 games, having dealt star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz before the trade deadline in a move that saw Anderson return the other way.
It's also not very surprising that Anderson would choose to re-join the Timberwolves, having represented the last time he was a truly meaningful contributor on a good, playoff-contending team.
Kyle Anderson has agreed to a contract buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and plans to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves after clearing waivers, sources tell ESPN. Anderson spent two seasons with the Timberwolves (2022-24) and gets an opportunity to rejoin the West contender. pic.twitter.com/lzdq2lDayL
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 26, 2026
Anderson averaged over 22 minutes per game with Minnesota in the 2023-24 season, leading to his three-year, $27 million contract (third-year non-guaranteed) with Golden State that was part of a then-record six-team trade that saw Klay Thompson depart the franchise.
The 6'8" forward's high IQ and versatile skillset was supposed to be a perfect fit in Steve Kerr's system, yet Anderson became a victim of the Warriors having a deep but uncertain rotation through the first half of the season.
Anderson averaged just 15 minutes in his 36 games for Golden State, before being moved to the Miami Heat just over 12 months ago in the blockbuster trade that landed 6x All-Star Jimmy Butler. The former 30th overall pick also had a limited role in Miami late last season, leading to a trade to Utah during the summer.
Anderson appeared in just 20 games with the Jazz and four games with the Grizzlies prior to this buyout, raising major question marks on whether he can return to being an impactful rotation piece on a playoff team.
The familiarity of Minnesota gives Anderson a great opportunity to do just that, while proving that he might have just stuck at the franchise in the first place if he had his time over again.