Minnesota Timberwolves: Could the Wolves swap Andrew Wiggins for Otto Porter?

The Minnesota Timberwolves should take advantage of the Washington Wizards’ tenuous situation and attempt to make a challenge trade by swapping Andrew Wiggins for Otto Porter.

With plenty of dysfunction in our nation’s capital, the Minnesota Timberwolves should do what they can to take advantage.

No, I’m not advocating that anyone in the Timberwolves organization runs for national office. We’re simply noting that the Washington Wizards are a dumpster fire and apparently desperate to shake things up.

Now, just how desperate they’ve become is exactly what the Tom Thibodeau and Scott Layden should push to find out.

With the recent report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Wizards are putting each and every player on the roster on the table as a possible trade target for the rest of the league, it’s time to find out just how serious they are about changing up what has been a disastrous season thus far for the Wiz.

Before we get into trade specifics, let’s set the stage.

The Wizards sit at just 5-11 entering play on Tuesday. They’re coming off a decrease in wins from 49 in 2016-17 and a second-round playoff loss to just 43 wins last year and a first-round playoff defeat. Now, they’re on a 25-win pace and head coach Scott Brooks is on what is perhaps the league’s hottest seat.

Oh, and John Wall was fined for cursing Brooks out at a recent practice, making Jimmy Butler‘s disastrous cameo at Wolves practice about six weeks ago look downright tame.

So, yeah, things aren’t going so well in D.C. And the Wolves should pounce.

While Minnesota admittedly doesn’t exactly have a stable of attractive assets, they certainly could match salaries and add draft picks to a challenge trade of sorts.

Here’s the trade, which works in the ESPN Trade Machine:

Let’s get this out of the way: Otto Porter is undoubtedly a better player than Andrew Wiggins. The Wolves would be well-served to have Porter’s shooting (career mark of 40.2 percent on 3-pointers) and rebounding (10.3 percent career rebounding rate), and Porter would be an upgrade over Wiggins defensively, too.

(For the record, Wiggins’ 3-point percentage is 33.5 for his career and his rebounding rate is just 6.6 percent.)

If the Wizards believe that Andrew Wiggins can still become a star — he’s still just 23 years old — than they’ll be excited to have him for two years longer; Wiggins has four years on his deal after this season to Porter’s two. Plus, Porter is two years older than Wiggins.

If Washington wants a reset of sorts and would rather shake up its roster with a chance to develop a third star, than this might be something that the Wizards could be talked into. Throw in a first-round pick, and perhaps it’s enough to get it done.

This trade makes even more sense if the Wizards are able to move Beal for requisite value. John Wall is practically untradeable, but if Washington can get back some picks and expiring contracts for Beal and a pick and Wiggins for Porter, then they’ve successfully completed a reboot.

A long shot? Sure. But the Wolves would be committing organizational malpractice (again) if they didn’t at least ready their best sales pitch and make a phone call.