The Minnesota Timberwolves could trade for Kyle Kuzma but shouldn’t
By Andrew Ites
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the ability to make a compelling offer for Kyle Kuzma, but he ultimately would not be a good fit with this current roster.
The Minnesota Timberwolves enter the NBA’s trade season with the ability to either be buyers or sellers depending on what type of players become available.
Kyle Kuzma is reportedly one of those players that has been added to the trade block, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic (subscription required.)
Kuzma is an intriguing player for the Wolves’ front office to consider because he fits the timeline of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins at just 24 years old.
Also, you’d have to think the Lakers would be pretty interested in adding a three-and-D veteran like Robert Covington who would be a great fit alongside the dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Constructing a Kuzma trade to Minnesota is pretty simple as Robert Covington for Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gets it done financially, and the Wolves could throw in a second round pick or two if necessary.
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While it would be enticing to acquire a player with Kuzma’s level of talent at his age, he simply would not be a good fit in Minnesota.
Kuzma has been a pretty streaky three-point shooter thus far in his career, and the Wolves need to put a consistent shooter next to Andrew Wiggins in order to maximize their offensive efficiency.
Kuzma and Wiggins’ weaknesses of inconsistent outside shooting, questionable playmaking ability, and their struggles on defense make them a tough fit.
Their skillsets overlap too much for them to be a good fit together, and Wiggs is not going anywhere soon as he’s currently under contract through the 2022-23 season.
On top of that Kuzma is set to get a big money deal pretty soon, and the Wolves’ salary cap situation might not be flexible enough to make that happen which opens up the risk of losing him for nothing down the line.
I think Minnesota should definitely consider trading Robert Covington to a contender for a younger player with more upside before the trade deadline, but Kuzma isn’t a perfect fit for the Wolves and they should look elsewhere for that piece to add to their core.