The Minnesota Timberwolves should trade for Spencer Dinwiddie

The Minnesota Timberwolves have had two losing streaks of 10 or more games already this season. It’s time to add some pieces.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are a point guard away from fielding a competitive team.

Sure, that may seem simple, but they need a facilitator who is a pass-first guard but can also score to take some of the burden off franchise players Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.

With Jeff Teague now on the Atlanta Hawks, the Wolves have a rotation slot open. With Shabazz Napier moving to the starting lineup and two-way guard Jordan McLaughlin performing backup duties, the team is woefully devoid of enough NBA-level talent.

Last year’s first-round pick Josh Okogie has been a disappointment so far this season, shooting an abysmal 25.9 percent on 3-point attempts and dishing out only 1.6 assists per game. This year’s first-round pick, Jarrett Culver, has been a mild disappointment as well.

Towns and Wiggins have only played in the playoffs once in their careers and this continued losing at some point could very well get them to demand a trade. But before it gets to that point, a trade for Spencer Dinwiddie could make sense for the Wolves.

The Dinwiddie and Kyrie Irving tandem is not working in Brooklyn. With Irving on the floor, Dinwiddie’s numbers drastically drop as he plays more off the ball. Over the past three seasons without Irving, Dinwiddie’s percent of 3-point field goals that are assisted have been 57.9, 59.6, and 55.6 percent, respectively. That means he was constantly running to find open spots, almost like a mini Klay Thompson, if you will.

This year, however, with Irving as the primary ball-handler, Dinwiddie has not been as effective off the ball as his percent of 3-point field goals that are assisted has dropped to 40.5 percent.

With the Wolves, Dinwiddie would have an opportunity for consistent playing time where he is the team’s primary ball-handler. He can blossom into a leader and take this team into the playoffs, just as he did last season with the Nets.

When Irving missed the entire month of December, Dinwiddie went on to average 27 points, 6.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. Those are All-Star numbers. Without Irving, Dinwiddie has scored in double-digits every time. With Irving in the lineup, Dinwiddie has had four games of seven points or less.

Salary-wise, the Wolves and Nets could trade Robert Covington for Dinwiddie straight up. The trade makes sense for the Nets because Covington is the modern-day power forward who is a good catch-and-shoot threat from 3-point range. When Kevin Durant returns next year, Covington becomes even more useful. He fills a role for the Nets they are lacking and he’s under contract for two more seasons at a more-than-reasonable price tag of under $25 million total for both seasons.

Getting a playmaker like Dinwiddie would give the Timberwolves that Big Three they solely need. He is a pass-first guard who can drop 20 on any given night. He’s a leader, which is something the Wolves have been lacking. Dinwiddie is under contract for one more season at $11.4 million and has a player option in 2021.

Getting Dinwiddie now and giving him a full season prior to free agency, you bet he would be motivated to have a stellar season so he can get paid during the offseason. If he stays with the Nets, especially next year with Durant back in the fold, he’d barely even see the ball and possibly lose out on a max contract.

Now that we’re two 10-game losing streaks deep this season, it’s time to shake things up and make a deal!