Nov 25, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard
Andrew Wiggins(22) reacts in celebration after getting fouled and making a layup in the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 99-95. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
#14 – Wolves Trade Kevin Love For Andrew Wiggins
Let’s start by acknowledging that yes, it’s bizarre that the 14th-best moment in Timberwolves franchise history was trading away the second-best player to date in that same franchise’s history.
But after seeing a Rookie of the Year season plus a handful of games in the 2015-16 campaign from Andrew Wiggins, it’s enough to put this trade solidly in the top-15 moments in Wolves history.
After all, the Timberwolves didn’t realistically have much leverage when Love remained on the roster in the summer of 2014. He was likely to become a free agent after the 2014-15 season, but that didn’t stop Wolves’ boss Flip Saunders from claiming that he fully intended to keep a reportedly disgruntled Love on the roster throughout the year and gamble that he could re-sign him in free agency in 2015.
The risk, of course, is that Love could have left and the Wolves would have received nothing in return. But the bluff worked and the Cavaliers blinked, looking for a complement to the returning LeBron James. Wiggins had just been drafted first-overall out of the University of Kansas and had been labeled Maple Jordan in high school, but wasn’t necessarily a perfect fit to help King James lead the Cavs to the promised land in Year One.
Cleveland agreed to swap Wiggins and 2013 #1 pick Anthony Bennett, along with additional pieces and the involvement of the Philadelphia 76ers. And to this point, the sky remains the limit for Wiggins. Time will tell whether or not this trade makes it into the top-five or even top-three moments in Wolves history or if it eventually slides further down the list.
Next: #13 - The Return of The Big Ticket