5 reasons the Timberwolves should trade for Kyrie Irving

Earlier this month, the biggest leak this side of the White House happened when Brian Windhorst reported that Kyrie Irving wanted to be traded from the reigning Eastern Conference Champion, Cleveland Cavaliers.

Irving’s summer of discontent sent shockwaves around the NBA.

One major tremor made its way northwest to Target Center. Shockingly, the four-time All-Star point guard included the Minnesota Timberwolves on his list of preferred destinations.

Since 1989, no star of Irving’s stature has ever uttered such a desire.

On the contrary, Minnesota has had several players — from Stephon Marbury to Kevin Love — want out. The Wolves have tried to make it work with others — Kevin Garnett and Ricky Rubio — who wanted to stay but could never get the right pieces around them.

Now, the team has two youngsters in line for five-year maximum extensions in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, another member of great Eastern Conference exodus in Jimmy Butler, and, finally, a potential marriage with Irving as well.

Uncle Drew to the Wolves?! Thomas Friedman was right: the world is, indeed, flat.

Regardless of what happens, it’s clear the Timberwolves are finally gaining some respect around the league.

With Tom Thibodeau at the helm, a trio of young stars on the court, building renovations happening this summer, and a new logo and uniforms coming out soon; the Wolves brand is as strong as it’s been since Kevin Garnett led Minnesota to the 2004 Western Conference Finals.

For now, Wolves’ fans can rejoice in the simple fact that Minnesota is not the laughing stock of the league.

Let’s get back to the potential trade.

With all of hoopla surrounding this rumor, one thing is becoming clear for Minnesota. No Wiggins, no Irving. As it stands right now, the Wolves have made an offer to Cleveland, according to the Wizard of the Web, Adrian Wojnarowski. It’s unknown whether Maple Jordan was included in this offer, but we can surmise that he probably wasn’t.

For one, if he was and Cleveland said no, that might’ve been leaked by the same source. And two, Cleveland most likely agrees to a Wiggins’ offer if and when it happens.

If Minnesota has yet to offer Andrew Wiggins, who apparently is still in max-contract negotiations with the team, they should. And should quickly.

Here are the top five reasons why the Timberwolves need to acquire Kyrie Irving.

Number 5: ‘Win now’ is already happening

If I was king of the Timberwolves, I would’ve kept the young guys — Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns — together for the next half-decade and built around them.

Well, I’m not running the Wolves, Tom Thibodeau is. And on draft night, Thibs decided to parlay LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the number-seven pick into Jimmy Butler. Experts and fans around the league lauded the Wolves for the June heist.

That move, plus the subsequent free agent signings, places the Wolves squarely in win-now mode.

Butler, KAT, and the rest of the crew are ready to compete, but not contend, right now. While the Wolves are still behind the upper echelon of the Western Conference, they can now provide their long-suffering fanbase with playoff dreams.

One player, however, still may not make a positive impact on the team, and that’s Andrew Wiggins.

Much of his hype lies in the fact that he was a blue chip prospect in high school, he was selected number one in the NBA Draft, and he has shown glimpses of superstardom during his three years with the Wolves. Those glimpses, however, have not turned into consistent play.

Irving, on the other hand, is a finished product. At 25, he’s mature enough to win now, yet young enough to play for several years beside KAT and Butler.

In June, Thibs ditched part of the youth movement for a proven veteran. He might as well go all in now and flip another young pup for a player with championship pedigree.

Number 4: Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins are redundant

In Dunking With Wolves most recent podcast, co-experts Brian Sampson and Ben Beecken, reiterated the notion that Butler and Wiggins on the same team are somewhat superfluous.

Some might say that’s a good thing because the young player can learn from the veteran player.

Critics, on the other hand, recognize that they both have similar offensive skill sets. Further, each skill set does not involve great three-point shooting.

From that standpoint, Zach LaVine would make a better pairing with Butler. However, LaVine was the Wolves’ third best asset at the time. Wiggins was their second.

Now that the Wolves have acquired Butler, they have two untouchable talents in him and Towns. Wiggins, despite Glen Taylor’s public remarks of being off limits, has now moved to third in the pecking order behind his two running mates.

Related Story: Glen Taylor on Wiggins' contract situation

During the trade talks with Chicago, the Bulls were quickly informed that Wiggins was not on the table. Now, the table may have turned for the young Canadian, for the Wolves have an older, wiser, better version of him in Butler; plus, Thibodeau and Layden have to decide whether or not they want to commit to Wiggins long-term, a prospect that is not as much of a slam dunk as it is for Towns.

Simply put, Irving, Butler, and Towns are a great fit, whereas Wiggins, Butler, and Towns are, er, maybe going to work well together on offense if Butler and Wiggins can hit the three ball enough to space the floor.

The hypothetical Big Three would give the Wolves a star at point, on the wing, and in the post. Both KAT and Kyrie have holes on defense, but Wiggins can’t defend either, so it’s not as if the Wolves would be losing defense in the transaction.

Furthermore, it solves an even bigger problem with Wiggins…

Number 3: To max or not to max

The timing of the Irving news came right on the heels of the first reports that Thibodeau and crew were working on a Wiggins’ extension.

In fact, during last week’s roundtable, before the Irving news broke, I called it a “no brainer” for the Wolves to max Wiggins.

The point being, Wiggins, although he hasn’t played like a max player, certainly has max player potential. If the Wolves chose not to give him a max extension this off-season, a competitor certainly would next summer when Wiggs entered restricted free agency. Then, the Wolves could either match that contract or let him walk.

Whatever your thoughts are on Wiggins, he’s simply too talented and too young to let walk for nothing, especially in a market like Minnesota where it’s darn near impossible to attract top-level free agents.

Related Story: Wiggins unique path to max contract

However, Wiggins extension, although a “no-brainer”, is certainly not the slam dunk extension that KAT will sign next summer. No one in the Wolves front office, fanbase, or anywhere around the league would think twice before offering Towns a max contract the second he’s eligible.

The Kyrie Irving drama, consequently, makes this decision much easier for the Wolves. While there are risks to both, mainly Irving is guaranteed for two years and Wiggins could be here for at least six, the Irving risk is the better one to take now.

Wiggins, if he does not improve his all-around game, may one day carry an albatross of a contract. Irving’s current deal, $18.9 million next season, is a steal in today’s salary cap.

We now come to the flip side of those risks: the rewards.

Number 2: Where’s there’s risk, there’s reward

While it may seem to some that six years of Wiggins is better than two years of Irving, it’s not as simple as that.

In the end, Thibodeau and the Wolves are trying to win a championship, are they not? These moves, then, should be assessed on whether they would put the team closer to a championship or further away from one.

Let me put it this way: could the Andrew Wiggins we know right now be the third best player on a championship team?

Did you hesitate?

I certainly did. If so, that means he’s not that player, yet.

Now, could Kyrie Irving be the third best player on a championship team? Of course! He’s been the second-best player on the three-time Eastern Conference Champion and the 2016 NBA Champion. At times, he’s even been their go-to option down the stretch.

The reward for Kyrie Irving is Western Conference Champion contention over the next two years. An Irving, Butler, Towns big three gives the Timberwolves the NBA’s best trio east of the San Fransisco Bay.

Whether they can beat the Warriors over the next two seasons with that potential group is unlikely, but they will certainly be able to compete with them. At least as good as anybody else in the league will be able to over the next 24 months.

A Wiggins, Butler, Towns trifecta puts the Wolves in the playoffs this year. Beyond that, things are a little unclear.

The fear here is whether or not Irving and Butler would walk after two years, leaving the Timberwolves with a lone wolf scenario, a scary thought that goes back to KG’s days.

Have no fear, Wolves fans, a new NBA is here.

Number 1: Irving helps the Wolves build for the future more than Wiggins

Contrary to popular belief, Irving helps Minnesota more than Wiggins does both now and in the future.

Let’s imagine the worst-case scenario, shall we? That should be light work, we are Timberwolves’ fans, after all.

The Wolves trade Wiggins and some combination of players to the Cavs for Irving. Irving, Butler, and Towns do well in Minnesota but both Irving and Butler bolt after two years, leaving the big KAT to fend for himself.

However, this is the new NBA. An NBA where stars align with other stars in situations that work well for them, their brands, their legacies, and their pocketbooks.

Minnesota, as we learned from Irving’s demand, is now a place where stars can see themselves aligning.

That’s partly due to the presence of Towns. Players around the league can see that KAT is a once-in-generation talent. He’s only 21, and he’s going to be with the Timberwolves for the next seven seasons.

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Over the next two seasons, the new “Big Three” provide success on the court. Thibodeau further cements his reputation as a top-tier coach. He develops his legacy as a front office man willing to take risks. The Timberwolves’ fanbase re-energizes a revamped Target Center. And, players around the NBA take notice.

Players in Towns’ era, two years from now, will see all of that and want to play with KAT. They will also see that Towns, having just entered the first year of his max contract extension, will not be able to go anywhere, anytime soon.

Therefore, Thibodeau needs to bet on himself and his big man. Whatever happens when Irving and Butler’s player options kick in at the end of the 2019 season, he and Towns present the league with a dynamic duo whom players will want to play for and play with.

And, don’t look now, Wolves faithful, but when all of these veteran contracts expire in two, three, and four years; another young buck will hit the open market, looking for a place to build the super team of the future.

I don’t think I’m off-track with the notion that Thibs may be planning to take a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo in a few years time.

The Greek Freak is watching, and he must like the way Thibs is caring for his KAT.

Having one superstar is nice, but having two or three is how the league operates now. It’s how the Warriors are winning, the Cavs won, the Heat before that, and all the way down the line.

Again, this is the new NBA. And in the new NBA, there may not be a process, no matter how much people want to trust it.

This NBA is about getting stars. And, Tom Thibodeau showed this summer that is what he plans to do. He’s got one to build around for the next seven seasons.

Let’s hope he makes the right move this summer and adds another one in Irving.

Next: DWW Roundtable: On Kyrie Irving

Doing so will only bring the Wolves more good fortune in the future.