MANKATO, Minn. — Talk to any Timberwolves player or observer of the informal workouts the team went through this summer, and it doesn’t take long for the conversation to move to Jake Layman.



The soft-spoken former Trail Blazer comes to Minnesota as part of an unheralded collection of new veterans that also includes Jordan Bell, Shabazz Napier, Noah Vonleh and Treveon Graham. Layman was the only one of those players to get a multiyear contract from Gersson Rosas and the Wolves front office, and there is plenty of intrigue about what his skill set can bring to a new team and a new system.



In some ways, Layman represents so much of what the new-look Wolves hope to be under Rosas and Ryan Saunders. He comes from a Portland offense predicated on ball movement and cutting, not isolation. He shoots plenty of 3-pointers, whether they go in or not. And at 6-foot-9 with loads of athleticism, Layman can play multiple positions and switch on defense to give Saunders a...