6 trades for the Timberwolves’ first pick in the 2020 NBA Draft
By Nate Ackert
You already know.
**Suns also receive:**
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2020 First Round Pick (MIN)
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2023 First Round Pick (MIN)
Why the Wolves Say Yes:
This one is easy. This is the trade Wolves fans have been salivating over since D’Angelo Russell’s infamous quote in his SLAM Magazine interview with Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker:
"Y’all got in on footage. When we’re all on the same team – I ain’t gonna tell you which because I don’t know – we’re gonna do this again."
Booker would give the Wolves offensive firepower as a shot creator that can light it up on any given night. A career 35.5% shooter from behind the arc, Booker could provide a reliable kick out shooter for D’Lo and KAT’s pick-and-rolls. Beyond that, Booker’s ability to score at high volumes makes the Wolves more versatile on offense, giving teams one more scoring threat to worry about. The Wolves would be in contention for one of the league’s top offenses with the addition of Booker, and a young Wolves core would have executives around the league fearing for the future.
Why the Wolves Say No:
The addition of Booker does little to combat the Wolves’ defensive woes. Booker’s defensive rating has decreased in each of his 5 seasons in the NBA, and the Wolves desperately need better on-ball defenders. Booker’s inability to defend the pick-and-roll could leave the Wolves’ starting lineup even more vulnerable to scoring guards than it already is. Beyond Booker’s defense, the Wolves may find the Suns’ asking price to be too high. They may ask for even more than the assets in this trade to give up the face of their franchise, and the Wolves only have so many assets available for trade this year. This is another situation where the exact lottery order may be significant, as the Suns are another team that are looking at a similar pick to the Wolves in this year’s draft. Finally, the Wolves may see Malik Beasley as their Shooting Guard for the future, which would prompt them to use their assets to improve at other positions.
Why the Suns Say Yes:
Booker is under contract through the 2023-24 season, so Booker would need to request a trade for anything to happen. Booker has publicly expressed his frustration with losing, but has not directly taken issue with the front office. However, if Booker were to request a trade, the Suns could accept this trade to restart their rebuild while DeAndre Ayton is still young. This trade gives the Suns two immediate starters in Johnson and Beasley while giving the Suns another high pick in this year’s draft. A young core of Ayton, Beasley, Culver, Kelly Oubre Jr., and two potential top-10 draft picks could have a very high ceiling under the right circumstances.
Why the Suns Say No:
Even if Booker were to make a trade request, the Suns can always say deny it . On top of that, even if they were looking to trade Booker, they may be able to get better assets than what the Wolves are willing to offer. Jarrett Culver’s trade value is questionable at this point due to his offensive consistency as a rookie, and the Suns may not be interested in investing in a draft that is 3 years away as their young core begins to reach their respective primes. The Suns’ attempt to build around Booker, Ayton, and Oubre Jr. haven’t made them contenders to this point, but there is always a strong possibility that they will remain committed to this plan.
While some of these trades may seem ambitious, turbulent times such as these often call for bold decision-making. Depending on how the lottery balls fall, the Timberwolves may be in a great position to trade their first pick for a package that will help complete Gersson Rosas’ vision for the franchise. As a team with few trade assets, the Wolves’ upcoming draft pick may be their best chance to make a blockbuster trade that will move the franchise one step closer to championship contention.