Minnesota Timberwolves: Why each new player fits the Wolves perfectly
By Ben Beecken
The Minnesota Timberwolves received an impressive haul from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for All-Star Jimmy Butler. Here’s how each player fits the squad.
Nearly two months after Jimmy Butler’s initial trade request, the Minnesota Timberwolves finally decided to bite the bullet and get what they could in return for the four-time All-Star.
After plenty of swirling rumors featuring more than 10 teams league-wide but largely centering on the Miami Heat and Houston Rockets, the final destination was one of the second-tier teams that has reportedly been in the discussion all along.
We’ll have time to debate whether or not the haul received from the 76ers is superior to the rumored trade with the Heat that was agreed on in principle but ultimately nixed when the Wolves asked for more assets at the eleventh hour. And debate it, we will. It’s what fans, fan blogs, and analysts do, right?
But for now, it’s time to discuss how each new Timberwolf fits into the Wolves plans for the current season, as well as the near future.
It was well known that head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau had zero interest in forking over Butler for future assets, therefore forfeiting the balance of the 2018-19 campaign. Thibodeau knows he wouldn’t be around for said future, so he wanted to win now.
Owner Glen Taylor, who is 77 years old, surely has similar thoughts, although he at least needs to pay some mind to future years.
As it turns out, Taylor, Thibodeau, and general manager Scott Layden apparently joined forces and managed to land the best of both worlds.
Ownership was heavily involved in the trade talks, with Philadelphia's Josh Harris and Minnesota's Glen Taylor working closely with management on executing a deal, sources tell @WindhorstESPN and me.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 10, 2018
Also according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Thibodeau decided that a Butler trade needed to happen as soon as possible — following the Wolves’ loss to the Kings on Friday night.
In a slightly differing report, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the deal was discussed prior to the Kings game, almost leading to Butler sitting out, and that it was completed before the team left to head back to Minnesota.
Regardless, things came together quickly, and with Josh Richardson reportedly off the table from Miami, this deal made plenty of sense.
So, how do Dario Saric, Robert Covington, and Jerryd Bayless fit the Timberwolves’ roster? Let’s go player by player and take a look.