NBA Free Agency 2012: Is Brandon Roy a Fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves?

Minnesota Timberwolves fans who wished the Randy Foye-for-Brandon Roy trade never happened may finally get their wish.

The veteran guard, who recently announced he is attempting a comeback after sitting out the 2011-12 season with degenerative knees, will reportedly be offered a two-year contract in the near future, according to ESPN radio 1500 AM in Minneapolis.

(Because Roy was amnestied by the Portland Trail Blazers, he can sign prior to the beginning of the NBA free-agency period.)

The Timberwolves have had a need at shooting guard since Martell Webster and Wes "Holy @#$%" Johnson couldn't knock down an open jump shot all season, but is it really worth making a contract offer to a recently retired 27-year-old (that will turn 28 on July 23) with bad knees?

It's easy to focus on the negatives in this situation, but there are plenty of positives that a Roy signing could bring to Minnesota.

First, there's the leadership aspect. The Timberwolves roster is still pretty young. They could benefit from a veteran player such as Roy that's been in a couple of intense playoff battles as a member of the Trail Blazers.

Second, despite his knees looking like grape Jell-O, Roy could still have the jump-shooting ability to knock down a couple of those previously mentioned wide-open jumpers and give the Wolves the shooting guard that they desperately need.

Finally, Roy is familiar with Timberwolves assistant coach Bill Bayno. Bayno coached Roy while he was in Portland from 2006-2011 and, according to an ESPN Radio 1500 AM, has been the driving force to convince Roy to come to Minnesota.

With his knees, Roy will probably never be the explosive player that he was when he could drive to the basket easily in Portland. However, Roy still could have a killer shot and has high basketball intelligence that may make such a gamble pay off.