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The Player the Wolves Need to Draft that Nobody is Talking About

By Ryan Heuer

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May 19, 2015 could become one of those days that us fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves look back on in 20 years and say it was the day that changed the franchise’s trajectory.

Or it could just be another disappointment in a long line of them.

Yes, the NBA draft lottery is May 19, and the Wolves will find out if they will select 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th overall. Regardless of where they end up picking, Flip Saunders remains confident that Minnesota will be able to add a solid player.

While the storyline of where the Wolves will end up and who they should select will dominate the topic of conversation, Minnesota has a couple other valuable selections that could be used to add another promising prospect.

Who? Tyus Jones.

The Apple Valley, Minn. native had an incredible run through the Final Four on the way to leading his Duke Blue Devils to a national title. By all accounts, he’s a great teammate, a true leader, a hard worker, and, oh yeah, he’s clutch.

Skip to 2:55 and watch the rest of the video. Notice how Grant Hill says “It’s Tyus Jones time” right before he ties the game with a 3.

Tyus is a fantastic passer and has a very high basketball IQ. There are questions about his athleticism and size, but with his work ethic I think he can become a very serviceable backup point guard in the NBA.

Needless to say, Minnesota has its starting point guard situation figured out with Ricky Rubio. Say what you will about his shooting but he’s a phenomenal player. However, successful teams need a player to run the second unit for 20 minutes a game who can make good decisions, protect the basketball, and get points on the board. That’s exactly what Tyus can bring to the Timberwolves.

How many years have the Wolves had a miserable second unit? It’s largely been due to a lack of talent, but it hasn’t helped having J.J. Barea, Lorenzo Brown, Robbie Hummel, etc. running the reserves.

Picture it with me: a second unit that features Tyus Jones, Zach LaVine, and Shabazz Muhammad could be filthy. The good kind of filthy.

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Now, to the real important stuff. How could this happen? Depending on the reports you read and the analysts you trust, Jones is expected to go anywhere from the late teens to the mid-20s. For the sake of argument, let’s meet in the middle and say he goes in the early 20s.

It is not uncommon for teams in the late first round to look to trade their selection. They are already in the playoffs and thus are typically satisfied with the foundation set for their roster. With so few roster spots in the NBA (15), they typically have enough quality players that they don’t need or want to develop a young player. Furthermore, if these teams move back into the early second round, they don’t have to guarantee the draft pick’s contract.

The team selecting 20th, the Raptors, doesn’t need another guard as they’ve got one of the best back courts in the league. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are two of the best young guards in the league, while shooting guard Lou Williams just won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.

Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Tyus Jones (5) shoots over Michigan State Spartans guard Travis Trice (20) in the second half of the 2015 NCAA Men

The Mavericks select next, and they are an interesting case. They’ve got Rajon Rondo, Monta Ellis, and Barea, but Rondo will sign elsewhere this summer and Barea is Barea. They could be in the market for a point guard.

The Bulls select 22nd, and the only reason they’d need a point guard is if they don’t have faith in Derrick Rose‘s health. The Blazers select 23rd, and they, too, have a dynamic young back court and aren’t in need of another guard.

Minnesota has two early second round selections — the first pick of the 2nd round (#31 overall) and the 36th overall pick. Saunders already said the team would not keep both picks and that all options were on the table when considering how to get rid of one (or both).

A package of the 31st and 36th picks wouldn’t be taken seriously if offered for one of those early 20s picks. But perhaps the Wolves could send #31, cash, and an expiring contract like Chase Budinger (who could be a solid situational shooter for a contender) to one of those teams.

I have absolutely zero idea what it would take to land one of those picks. I’m merely speculating. But if the Wolves wanted Tyus bad enough, they would find a way to move back into the first round to make it happen.

The question that Twitter user @xheisenbergx tweeted at Wolfson was in response to this tweet (I don’t know why it didn’t embed with that thread):

Now wouldn’t that be something. While I prefer Towns to Okafor, I wouldn’t complain one bit if we needed up with Okafor, Tyus, and their championship pedigree. I’d love to have a hometown kid with a taste of a championship do everything he can to bring one to this community so depraved of success.

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