Proposed trade with Spurs is fantastic for Timberwolves

We’re officially one game into the season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team from the Twin Cities is off to a great start, already setting records after just one contest. The Timberwolves’ roster is deep, and they’re in prime position to finish as one of the best teams in the Western Conference this year.

But it’s never too early to start thinking about what moves the team could make this season to improve their roster even more. After all, every great team that is serious about contending for a title is going to have a pulse on which players are available around the league, and be willing and ready to make a deal that helps them at the drop of a hat.

Bleacher Report published a list of proposed trades for each NBA team Friday morning, and their imagined deal for the Minnesota Timberwolves is one that would be fantastic for the team.

In this trade, the Timberwolves would send their 2022 first-round pick Wendell Moore along with wing Taurean Prince to the San Antonio Spurs, and in return, they would send back veteran guard Josh Richardson.

Trading for Josh Richardson would be a major win for Minnesota

Realistically, this is a trade that both sides would consider doing. The Spurs aren’t a team that’s going to win many games this season. As a result, they’ll be frequently calling up contenders to see who has interest in acquiring some of their more veteran players that are better suited on a contending team.

For the Timberwolves, acquiring Josh Richardson would be a major win. He’s a savvy vet that excels at scoring off-ball. He’s been coached by some of the best the NBA has to offer, and his on-court skills would suit what Minnesota needs.

Adding Richardson’s services would allow the Timberwolves to insert him in lineups where he can be a complementary piece to the other stars Minnesota employs. Instead of taking shots away from players like Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, J-Rich would be able to thrive off the ball and put up high-percentage shots like he did with the Spurs last season. In his 2021-22 campaign, he ranked in the 77th percentile of all NBA players in points per shot attempt.

On the other side of things, the Timberwolves would only be sacrificing rookie Wendell Moore Jr. and Taurean Prince. While both are solid pieces, their combined impact doesn’t make as much sense for Minnesota as Josh Richardson would. Moore is a ways away from contributing at a meaningful level, and Prince isn’t as efficient a scorer as Richardson.

If this deal were on the table for the Timberwolves, there should be no hesitation in getting it done.