Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 potential Jarrett Culver trades
By Nate Ackert
Minnesota Timberwolves trade Jarrett Culver to the Detroit Pistons
Swapping 2019 first-rounders with the Detroit Pistons
A lot can be said about the trade the Timberwolves made during the 2019 draft, which sent Dario Saric (the recent recipient of a 3-year, $27 million contract) and the No. 11 pick to Phoenix in exchange for the No. 6 pick, which the Wolves used to select Jarrett Culver.
However, prior to trading up, Sekou Doumbouya was on the Wolves’ radar at No. 11. Doumbouya ultimately went No. 15 to the Detroit Pistons in 2019.
Similar to Culver, Doumbouya had his share of rookie struggles in Detroit. The combo forward averaged just 6.4 points per game on just 19.8 minutes per game. He simply failed to shoot the ball well enough to get minutes in the Pistons’ busy frontcourt, which included Blake Griffin, Tony Snell, and the unexpected emergence of Christian Wood.
For the Wolves, acquiring Doumbouya makes sense.
First, the backcourt is deep to the point where Jarrett Culver wouldn’t get anywhere near the minutes he received in his rookie campaign. This would be detrimental to his development and would decrease his market value over time.
On top of that, Doumbouya meets a Wolves positional need as a combo forward. The Wolves are thin at both the 3 and 4 positions, and Doumbouya’s 6-foot-8 build and athleticism would help at both positions.
For the Pistons, Culver would fill a positional need. As a team stuck between a rebuild and playoff contention, the Pistons could really use a young player who values defense.
On top of that, the Pistons’ offense runs at a much slower pace than the Wolves’ offense. The Wolves ranked first in the league in possessions per game last year while Detroit ranked No. 27. A slower-paced offense could significantly benefit Culver’s diverse offensive game, allowing him time to do things offensively that may not have been possible in the Minnesota offense.
Culver’s college tape showed the ability to post up and make mid-range jumpers, both of which would be more effective in a slower-paced offense.
Doumbouya hasn’t been up to par in Detroit and Culver hasn’t been up to par in Minnesota, but a change of scenery could do both players and teams a great service.