With injuries at the point guard position, Jerryd Bayless has been playing big minutes for the Minnesota Timberwolves. If they can, flipping him to a playoff contender for an asset might be the right idea.
While Jeff Teague, Tyus Jones, and Derrick Rose has nursed lower body injuries in recent weeks, the Minnesota Timberwolves have had to call upon Jerryd Bayless to step up.
Bayless has responded, posting 14.4 points and 7.1 assists on 40/54.3/67 shooting splits in seven games with his increased role.
Bayless has been a nice fill-in option and it would be smart for the Timberwolves to look to deal him before Thursday’s trade deadline.
It wouldn’t be super easy to move Bayless, as he makes $8.5 million and the Wolves would need to find a similar salary to bring back. His deal does expire after this season, however, and a playoff contender would be smart to bring in his shooting and veteran experience to back up a more talented guard.
A potential deal that could be beneficial for both sides is a deal involving the Kings.
This isn’t a major needle-mover for either team, and the Kings may look to acquire a bigger name at the deadline as they try to make a playoff push. Sacramento, however, could use a guard that could play with both D’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield and Bayless fits that bill.
The Kings may be reluctant to give Shumpert up unless they are receiving a wing in return as he has been starting for them for most of the season. He has shot just 38.2 percent from the floor, however, so moving on from him may not be the worst idea.
The Wolves here would be hoping to get a good look at Shumpert before he hits free agency this summer. Needing some long-term depth at wing, acquiring Shump and his Bird Rights wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Another intriguing deal would be with the Orlando Magic.
This trade would be done for similar reasoning as the one with the Kings: the Magic want to make the playoffs and the Wolves need some wing depth.
Like Shumpert, Simmons shoots poorly from the field — just 36.4 percent. After averaging a career-high 13.9 points on 46.5 percent shooting last season, it’s possible that Simmons is just in a lengthy slump and could use a change of scenery to return to last season’s level of production.
Unlike Shumpert, Simmons is on the hook for $5.7 million next season, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. That’s a bargain contract for a productive rotation player.
For the Magic, they would have another veteran guard join D.J. Augustin to help boost their playoff chances. Bayless’s 3-point shooting would be a huge upgrade over Simmons’s (37.3 percent compared to 22.9 percent) and could be a lethal combination with fellow reserve guard Terrence Ross.
It’s hard to tell whether the Wolves would be open to dealing Bayless or not considering how well he’s played. But considering the fact that Teague, Jones, and Rose will be back to health soon and Bayless’s minutes will be crunched, putting him on the market and seeing what they could fetch would be wise.