5 realistic big-name trade targets for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Trade #1 – Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday is one of the most overlooked players in the NBA. Sure, he’s not the most flashy player in the league, and might not be a transcendent franchise cornerstone, but he would be awesome on the Timberwolves.

Last season, he averaged 21.2 points, 7.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks in 35.9 minutes per game. As a career 35.5 percent 3-point shooter, he provides reliable shooting and lockdown defense on the ball.

Holiday joined Robert Covington on the 2017-18 All-Defensive First Team and landed on the All-Defensive Second Team in a tumultuous year for the Pelicans in 2018-19.

Although not seen as a natural point guard, Jrue is an excellent playmaker that is more than comfortable handling the ball in the pick and roll and either creating his own shot off the dribble, hitting rolling bigs, or getting the ball to his teammates in their spots.

As a 29-year-old heading into the third year of a five-year extension that will pay him a $80 million over the next three seasons, the price for acquiring him will be significantly less than other stars.

The Trade

The Pelicans go all-in on young talent and create a supremely athletic wing duo in Zion and Wiggins. They recoup perimeter defense in Okogie, but cough up a valuable first-round pick in addition to Jrue Holliday in order to get a potential offensive power in Wiggins and a good supplementary trade piece in the 2022 second-rounder.

Trade #2 – Caris LeVert

Yes, Caris LeVert just signed a three-year, $52.5 million extension with Brooklyn and appears to be in line to be the third guy behind Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but he could be a sell-high candidate for the Nets come February.

He’ll be the number two option on offense while KD is out and his inflated numbers could give teams a taste of what he could do in a complimentary role alongside a dominant superstar.

LeVert is a career 33 percent 3-point shooter that has displayed the potential to be a capable three-level scorer with much higher upside than experts thought when he was coming out of Michigan.

In Minnesota, he could benefit from more opportunities both as a spot-up shooter when teams double KAT and as a mismatch wing that can take the ball in handoff sets and get downhill to draw fouls and finish at the rim.

Standing at 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, LeVert could step into David Vanterpool’s defense alongside Andrew Wiggins and RoCo on the wing and create a long, athletic trio of disruptive off-ball defenders.

The Trade

The Nets add to their thin frontcourt with a switchable, athletic big man in Bell, while gaining some additional draft capital to give the front office more chips to work with in acquiring a true tertiary pieces to go alongside KD and Kyrie.

LeVert’s contract extension doesn’t kick into next year, so the Wolves can get away with giving up Bell’s $1.6 million minimum deal and Graham’s non-guaranteed $1.7 million deal.

Holiday and LeVert are both fun, less-likely hypotheticals to think about, but they would be good consolation prizes if the Wolves were to miss out on the aforementioned big names.

With Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and D’Angelo Russell all likely to become available via trade in between now and the February trade deadline, the Minnesota front office has their work cut out for them. The stars are within reach and the Wolves are one transcendent move away from crafting the one of the most talented teams in franchise history.

Karl-Anthony Towns loves the direction this franchise is headed in, and with Gersson Rosas leading the front office, I do too. Have no fear, KAT. Help is on the way!