Minnesota Timberwolves: This offseason is the time for a big trade

After two disappointing seasons to begin his tenure in charge of the Minnesota Timberwolves front office, Gersson Rosas is undoubtedly feeling pressure to perform next season.

The pressure is only magnified by the change in ownership going on in the background, as Mark Lore and Alex Rodriguez will begin their transition into majority ownership beginning in the 2021-2022 season. In other words, Rosas has new bosses to impress.

This offseason is the time to get a major trade completed.

Minnesota Timberwolves: This offseason is the time for a big trade

Fortunately for Rosas, in large part due to moves of his own, the Wolves have a handful of star-caliber players that can help Chris Finch’s team become competitive in the Western Conference.

Rosas inherited Karl-Anthony Towns, acquired D’Angelo Russell, and had an extraordinary 2020 draft which was highlighted by Anthony Edwards being selected first overall.

However, at this point in time, it’s hard to envision Towns, Russell, and Edwards being enough to propel the Wolves to an impactful playoff run. Though we really haven’t seen a whole lot of this trio on the floor together, there are a few things we know are true as of right now.

First, know that this trio is defensively deficient. Russell and Edwards had the two worst defensive ratings on the team last season at 116.8 and 115.6, respectively. Towns, though improved on defense, still had a defensive rating of 114.7, which was the fifth-worst on the team. Everyone knows the offensive ceiling of this trio is unlimited, but defensive help is badly needed.

Additionally, know that health has been a concern over the past two seasons. After not missing a game his first four seasons, Towns has combined to play in 85 games over the past two seasons and Russell has only played 87 games over the same stretch. The inability of the Wolves’ roster to help carry the load when one of their stars is absent has been detrimental over the last few years.

We know that another big is needed. To put it simply, the Wolves didn’t have a starting-caliber power forward last year. While it remains to be seen what KAT’s role will be in the frontcourt, either as a 4 or a 5, the Wolves have lacked a frontcourt player to support Towns over the past few years, particularly on the defensive end (see Taj Gibson for further details).

Put simply, the Wolves are equipped to make a deal. They have expendable, desirable assets to match a contract for a big time player. Ricky Rubio was expendable due to role and contract and has already been traded. Malik Beasley is expendable due to Edwards’ improvement and the need for backcourt defense. Beasley’s contract is desirable because he is one of the best shooters in the NBA, and teams are typically willing to overpay for shooting in today’s NBA. Beasley, the plethora of young Wolves assets, including Jaden McDaniels, Josh Okogie, and Naz Reid, are all expendable and desirable, which makes the team well-equipped to add another big-time player to their existing trio of ‘stars’.

Ultimately, we know that these three players aren’t necessarily on the same timeline. Rosas is caught in a weird place right now. The timeline of D’Lo and KAT exists due to their contracts and age being similar. These are two players about to enter their primes. However, with the emergence of Edwards, a new timeline was seemingly introduced. Edwards being only 19 means he likely will need some time to reach his prime. The conflict between the D’Lo/KAT timeline and the Edwards timeline puts Rosas in a tough spot – which timeline should he ride with?

Knowing these five things makes one thing clear: Now is the time for a big move.

There have been a handful of ‘big names’ associated with the Wolves in trade rumors, including Ben Simmons, Myles Turner, John Collins, and more.

Making a trade for a big name to play with D’Lo, KAT, and Ant makes so much sense based on what we know.

• Players like Simmons and Turner would drastically help the Wolves’ defense.
• Another big name player would be extremely helpful in cases of injuries to one or more of the Wolves’ stars.
• Simmons, Turner, and Collins all fit the bill of a big that is needed to play alongside KAT.
• The Wolves definitely have the assets to make a Collins or Turner trade happen without trading one of their Big Three and having too much detriment to the roster. Simmons, on the other hand, may not fit that bill.

This final point is key:

• Adding a fourth star to the Wolves lineup would help provide clarity as to which timeline is the right one for the Wolves to pursue. If adding a fourth big name works, stick with the Towns/Russell timeline and capitalize on Edwards’ affordable deal for a few more years. If not, it may be time to reset and build around Edwards.

The stars have aligned for Gersson Rosas to make a big move. The clock is ticking in a number of ways for the Wolves: KAT’s contract, D’Lo’s contract, Rosas’ job, and ownership changes. Because of this, the 2021 offseason is the time for Rosas to make a potentially career-defining move by rolling the dice and trading for a big name player.

Based on what we know, it’s Rosas’ best chance to produce a competitive playoff team in the Western Conference.