5. Marco Belinelli – Guard/Atlanta Hawks
The journeyman sniper from Italy starts off the list here for potential mid-season acquisitions for the Timberwolves.
Part of me wants the Wolves to acquire him just to hear people get confused when they hear “Beli good for 3.” Actually, Belinelli is really good from deep range, he’s shooting a hair over 44 percent from beyond the arc this season.
He’d fit nicely alongside the rest of the guys on our bench creating a deadly one-two punch in order to space the floor with him and Bjelica. In addition to improving the bench, making a move for Belinelli would give Thibodeau even more lineup flexibility because he would have multiple reliable deep range guys.
So far this season he’s averaging 12 points a game for the last place Atlanta Hawks who don’t seem to be going anywhere for the foreseeable future. At age 31, he could be a low cost but very valuable pick up for a team still gaining their identity going forward.
This pick up could also be valuable in terms of playoff experience. Belinelli won a championship as a member of the San Antonio Spurs not that long ago and could help further mentor the young guys on the team.
Look for more rumors to pop up before the trade deadline connecting the Timberwolves to Belinelli and the Atlanta Hawks.