While the Minnesota Timberwolves are in the midst of a five-game winning streak, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for improvement.
The Timberwolves’ power forward situation still needs improving
There’s certainly a school of thought related to not rocking the boat. The Wolves are currently tied for No. 8 in the Western Conference and have won five consecutive games. Then again … they were 4-9 just over a week ago and there is certainly room for improvement.
While the Wolves have a couple of solid power forwards in Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt, they both have their limitations and it’s fair to say that it’s the most obvious area where the roster could clearly improve.
McDaniels has had problems with fouling so far this season, averaging 3.8 personal fouls per game and has fouled out of four games to this point. While he’s played better after moving to the bench, McDaniels is still having some growing pains in his sophomore season, and bringing in a starting caliber power forward could take off some pressure from him.
Vanderbilt has been a solid defender and generally decent on offense, but he doesn’t space the floor as much as the Wolves would like him to.
Put simply, both McDaniels and Vanderbilt are good players but neither are likely to be long-term answers at power forward, at least in terms of being a starter.
One player that would improve Minnesota’s power forward situation immediately is Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner. Turner has been tied to Minnesota in trade rumors this past offseason and he could be a good fit for the Wolves.
Our own Dominic Woods mentioned a few months ago that Turner would be a good trade target for the Wolves, largely for the combination of his rim protection and floor-stretching abilities.
Not only can Myles Turner shoot the three and defend the paint, but he can also provide some much-needed height. Even though Turner only averages 7.5 rebounds per game this season, it still would be nice to have a big body in the paint on defense.
As noted in the above-linked piece by our own Ben Beecken, Turner would be a great fit defensively, checking many of the same boxes that Vanderbilt does while offering something on offense as well. Turner is shooting 40.4 percent from beyond the arc this year on 4.5 attempts per game.
Turner is still only 25 years old but has quite a bit of playoff experience and could provide some veteran leadership to younger bigs like McDaniels and Vanderbilt.
At this time, it’s tough to say if there’s a set value for Turner. The Pacers are currently No. 13 in the Eastern Conference after a disappointing start to the season, and there is a chance that Indiana might want to rebuild. If that is the case, the price for Turner may not be that steep.
Yes, Vanderbilt and McDaniels have both been solid this season, but adding Turner would elevate the Wolves and put them safely in the play-in range.