Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 trade ideas for the deadline
By TJ Bain
![MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 30: Gorgui Dieng #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 30: Gorgui Dieng #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/e5b3863926809f607983e67220d07eec6c14992da2e53de97977bf865ced1d8a.jpg)
This is a great trade for the Timberwolves on many levels and could help them make a playoff push this season as well as improve the roster for the future.
Adding a quality guard in Cory Joseph would greatly help the Wolves right now and replace Tyus Jones‘ minutes for the rest of the year. Jones is a restricted free agent this summer, and while Joseph will also hit the open market, it fills a need as the Wolves help the Pacers upgrade their backup point guard spot.
Cory Joseph hits the rainbow three! #Pacers pic.twitter.com/K0uAZ1dHiv
— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) January 24, 2019
Additionally, depth is a big problem for the Wolves and Doug McDermott is an excellent addition to the second unit.
McDermott is a career 40.1 percent shooter from beyond the arc and would instantly add an element to the Wolves’ bench that they continue to lack. He would be a better fit at the backup small forward spot than the minutes that Tolliver has found himself playing there, too.
https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1052711820878901249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Adding Joseph and McDermott to the roster would help the Timberwolves get what they need from the second unit if they want to be a playoff team. McDermott is under contract at a reasonable number for the next couple of seasons, as well, and replacing Gorgui Dieng‘s contract with McDermott’s would be a better use of resources.
Sending Dieng out would save the organization roughly $16 million in each of the next three years. That would free up a lot of cap space for the Wolves giving them about 30 million to go after high-level free agents.
The Timberwolves are admittedly in a weird spot right now as they want to make the playoffs but also know they have to sell this team for the good of the future. They have several one-year contracts that they can dangle to other teams but also have a few bad contracts that are difficult to move.
Next. Could the Wolves trade with the Knicks?. dark
If the front office can find some buyers, however, they should definitely err on the side of selling rather than buying.