Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 potential Malik Beasley trades

Minnesota Timberwolves: Trading Malik Beasley for Marvin Bagley III

The last trade proposal is the biggest wildcard for the Timberwolves.

Marvin Bagley III was the second pick in the loaded 2018 draft that features some of the NBA’s biggest young stars like Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Deandre Ayton.

We’re only three years in, and Bagley is already the black sheep of the draft. Taken behind an emergent Ayton and ahead of All-Pro Doncic and rising superstar Young, Bagley’s first three years have been littered with disruption and distraction.

He missed all but 13 games last season with a broken thumb and a foot injury and fractured his hand this season after playing just 43 games. All signs point to Bagley wanting out of Sacramento, especially after his father tweeted that he wants the Kings to trade his son.

It might seem as though Bagley would be too toxic for the Wolves to touch in the offseason, but there are upsides to taking a chance on the disgruntled power forward. The former Duke star is only 22 years old and would slot right in with Minnesota’s young core.

He’s a 6-foot-11, 235-pound, athletic power forward who can give the Wolves an imposing 1-2 punch in the post. Even with his struggles, Bagley is averaging 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game over his first three seasons.

The Timberwolves are one of the most chaotic and dysfunctional franchises of the last decade and a half, but if there was one even more dysfunctional place to play over that time it would be Sacramento. The Kings haven’t made the playoffs since 2006, the longest streak in the NBA. There’s a chance the Wolves with their roster of young and established stars could rehabilitate Bagley and turn him into the two-way menace he was projected to be when the Kings took him second overall.

The issue with a Bagley deal is that he’s a horrendous defender. He isn’t a rim protector, and his fit with Towns would be suspect at best. Minnesota would be trading a terrible wing defender for an arguably worse post defender.

For all the risks, he still might be a safer bet than Beasley and his off-the-court issues.

The Kings would likely have to throw in a solid role player like Moe Harkless and perhaps even a future second-round pick, depending on how much they want to get rid of Bagley.

The Wolves should take advantage of the panic around the league and be aggressive with their trade offers.

Giving up Beasley a year after signing him to a team-friendly contract isn’t a hasty move if they can get the right package for the three-point specialist. Targeting Ben Simmons, Myles Turner, or Marvin Bagley could be risky, but the rewards might be worth it to get the Wolves over the talent hump in a loaded Western Conference.