Dunking With Wolves
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Potential trades the Timberwolves should (or shouldn’t) pursue

By Justin Pinotti

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 24: The Minnesota Timberwolves make their way back on court as they play against the Miami Heat on November 24, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 24: The Minnesota Timberwolves make their way back on court as they play against the Miami Heat on November 24, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – NOVEMBER 13: Shabazz Muhammad #15 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during their game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on November 13, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – NOVEMBER 13: Shabazz Muhammad #15 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during their game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on November 13, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

2) Cole Aldrich, Nemanja Bjelica and Shabazz Muhammad for Kent Bazemore

Why should the Wolves do this?

Wolves need a backup wing so bad. Even though moving Bjelica may hurt our post depth, I personally have enough faith in Taj and Gorgui to just let them run wild as our main posts. Both have proven they can mitigate spacing issues respectably, and are our two best post defensive players by a wide margin. I think getting something for Bjelica after a hot shooting start would be a wise move.

Who are the Timberwolves getting?

Kent Bazemore is a pretty good cautionary tale for why it’s important to not overvalue thing that are trending. The ‘3-and-D’ wing has become one of the hottest NBA buzz words over the last few years, to the point where many people starting treating and paying 3-and-D wings like they are true franchise cornerstones.

3-and-D wings are like offensive tackles in the NFL. If you have the star quarterback and stud wide receiver in place already, a star tackle comes in and can help anchor a great offense, you become the 2016 Atlanta Falcons. But if you build your team around a tackle, you run the risk of becoming the Cleveland Browns with poor Joe Thomas, one of the best left tackles of the past 15 years, never having made the playoffs.

The Atlanta Basketball Hawks found this out the hard way, and now they have an okay player making a lot of money. However, he plays “poorly” because he’s one of the best players on the team, but his game isn’t set up to be one of the best players on a team. He’s supposed to be a role player playing with something like two to four players better than him on the roster.

Half-assed justification for why the Hawks do this:

I think they might, actually. The Hawks are a team going nowhere, headed toward a rebuild, and don’t have much use for a role player making 16 million a year. The Wolves can send then enough contracts that are expiring in the offseason to make it worth their wild. In addition to cap relief we’ll send them a player in Bjelica they may value, too.

Would I do this?

Yes. I have some concern about the amount of long-term money that Minnesota would tie up here, but we could definitely use trades that get us a player like Bazemore. Without the ability to create a ton of cap space moving forward, it would be helpful to get a player who is under contract, even if he’s expensive.

It might be better to see if you can get the Hawks to just bite on Gorgui for Baze swap, as then our long term money on the books wouldn’t be quite so voluminous, but I think getting Baze for practically nothing would be a boost to the Wolves bench.