Minnesota Timberwolves roundtable: Kyrie Irving talk

3. Would you trade Wiggins (straight up) for Kyrie?

Dan: If I’m the Wolves, I would not. I get the intrigue, especially after trading for Jimmy Butler and with Wiggins coming up on a mega extension, but there’s no guarantee Irving stays with you after two years. Given that you have this same problem with Butler, it seems smarter to soldier on with a player you can have under team control for at least the next half-decade.

Plus, the Wolves’ defense wasn’t great last season. There were protracted stretches of brilliance, anchored in large part by Karl-Anthony Towns’ flashes and ultra-underrated Gorgui Dieng. But they still finished 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions—and 28th after the All-Star break.

Dealing away Kris Dunn and Ricky Rubio is fine when you’ve added Butler. But introducing Irving into the fold is like having another Zach LaVine. And when his arrival comes at the expense of someone, in Wiggins, who you’re hoping grows into a top-notch stopper, it’s too much of a risk.

Tom Thibodeau is not a miracle-worker. That much became clear last season. And with all the other baggage attached to Irving, his defensive limitations—particularly in a backcourt that may also include Teague—should be the factor that tilts the Timberwolves toward standing pat.

Max: Yes. While the possibility of Wiggins is very, very tough to pass on, making this deal would be best for the Wolves.

With the NBA being a league where the best teams have top heavy rosters, adding Irving would give us three top-five players at their positions along with KAT and Jimmy Buckets. Adding in solid veterans like Taj Gibson, Jeff Teague, and Jamal Crawford only makes Wolves fans more excited.

Also, adding Uncle Drew into the fold would address one of our biggest weaknesses: 3-point shooting. Not only is Irving able to get his shot off from anywhere, he was a 40 percent shooter from downtown last season. The top two 3-point shooters for the Wolves last year were two guys who are no longer on the team: Zach Lavine and Brandon Rush. The highest percentage of a player still on the team was Gorgui Dieng at 37 percent, but he averaged less than one 3-ball a game attempted.

One problem with this proposed swap would be the roster imbalance. Minnesota would have three point guards and the only wings on the roster would be Butler and Crawford. Having Irving and Teague both start would be extremely dynamic on the offensive side of things, but would struggle badly on defense, where neither excels.

If you are a Minnesota fan, I can see your dilemma. Never has a player of Irving’s pedigree wanted to actually play for the Wolves. Plus a Big Three of with Towns and Butler sounds like something that might be able to give even the Warriors some trouble. On the other side of the coin, Wiggins is dripping with potential. If, and that’s a big if, he can live up to it, Minnesota could be the next NBA dynasty. I can see both sides of the argument, but I would go with the proven product and get this deal done!

Ethan: Irving for Wiggins can’t happen unless the Timberwolves re-sign him and then deal him to Cleveland. If we are talking what ifs, Wiggins for Irving makes sense for both sides.

With the acquisition, the Wolves can move Teague to a sixth man or two-guard, or they can bring Jamal Crawford off the bench and allow Irving to run the point. Cleveland would, in turn, wash its hands of the drama, get a serviceable two-guard to play alongside Lebron James and would have a personality that is already acclimated to playing alongside superstars, but can take his turn when needed. That is exactly the type of player Lebron needs, despite the fact the Cavaliers thought it would be better to trade Wiggins to acquire Kevin Love in the first place.

If I’m the general manager, however, I do not make the trade. As I’ve already stated on the record, Wiggins can do nearly everything Irving can. Also, he is younger and has yet to reach his full potential. Meanwhile, Irving has yet to play a full 82 game schedule, while Wiggins has played and started in all but one game in his three-year tenure in Minnesota.

To get a better feel for the situation, examining year three for both players offers us a bit of an inside track on how this could turn out. Wiggins averaged 2.8 more points per game, .4 more rebounds, shot .022 better from the field, played two more minutes per game and started in 11 more games. Irving shot just .002 better from three, had .4 more turnovers per contest and had half a steal more per game than Wiggins. The half a steal and obviously the assists total are greater, but the overall stats, minus a few categories, favor Wiggins. He has been with the team from the beginning and the franchise had enough confidence in him to trade away Kevin Love, why bail on him now?

Next: Minnesota Timberwolves roundtable: Grading Wolves' offseason

There is finally players around him and now, just because someone throws a wild card into the equation, you want to ship him off thinking your fortunes will turn out better? This would not only be the wrong move from a player to player standpoint, but it also verges on being the wrong move morally. Keep Wiggins, give him the contract he deserves and play with the team you have now. There is always next season to sign a player to address any weaknesses you find this season.