The Timberwolves are in an interesting spot as Thursday's trade deadline approaches.
Three types of Wolves trades that would actually make sense
While acknowledging that standing pat might be the smart move, these kinds of deals would work.
February 9, 2022 at 7:19PM
With a 29-25 record, they are in seventh place in the Western Conference. Just a game ahead of them in sixth place sits Denver — an important distinction as the top-six teams are automatically through to the playoffs while the 7-10 teams battle for the final two spots in the play-in tournament.
Lurking right below the Wolves are the Clippers and Lakers, two teams that could turn it on down the stretch. A top-10 finish feels pretty safe. A top-six finish is within reach. So what should they do?
On Wednesday's Daily Delivery podcast, I noted that the most prudent thing might be to do ... nothing. They've been playing with confidence and racking up wins lately. Why disrupt things?
But that's also boring. So let's also acknowledge there are a few kinds of moves they could make that might make sense:
- A medium-to-big-sized move: The name to watch here would be Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who is very much being shopped and has been linked to the Wolves.
I would not do the deal if it's for Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels, as suggested in the link above. But if it was Beasley and a lesser asset, I would consider it. For as well as Beasley has shot the ball at times this year, he is very streak. Smart is a lesser shooter but has good versatility and is an excellent defensive player.
Here's what it comes down to: Which player helps you more in the playoffs and in future years? To me, it's Smart.
- A low-to-medium-sized move for a rim protecting backup big man: The Wolves are still vulnerable against teams with size, and adding some bulk could prove to be handy in certain matchups if the deal was right.
- A fringe move: Let's say the Wolves found a trade partner looking ahead to the summer and wanting to clear cap space. Every little bit counts, and the Wolves could offer Jake Layman's expiring deal (about $4 million this year) for a low-cost player with upside and perhaps some minor draft capital.
At the end of the day, though, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Wolves do nothing. And for once, it might because the roster is intriguing enough right now to warrant keeping this group together.
When he was hired after the disastrous 2016 season to reshape the Twins, Derek Falvey brought a reputation for identifying and developing pitching talent. It took a while, but the pipeline we were promised is now materializing.
