Pass or Pursue: 3 Timberwolves trade targets from the Raptors
Pass or Pursue Timberwolves trade targets: OG Anunoby
We can start with the obvious: the Wolves can’t afford to trade for OG Anunoby right now, not unless they included Anthony Edwards (not happening). The 25-year-old wing is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and has grown as an interior and help defender now, to the point that he seems like a lock for an All-Defense team.
Add in his career-best 19 points per game and his bargain contract (just $38 million total for the next two seasons) and Anunoby is outside of the Wolves’ price range. Any team trading for him has to send either a blue-chip player or one or more premium draft assets.
Yet the Raptors probably can’t consistently play Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, and Anunoby together and still have a center on the court; the spacing is too cramped and their half-court offense has been strangled. That could lead to Toronto listening to offers for Anunoby.
If he is still in Toronto come the summer, the Wolves could consider something wild. Would the Raptors trade Anunoby and another contract with a couple of first-round picks for Rudy Gobert? Or would a sign-and-trade with VanVleet and Anunoby work to send Karl-Anthony Towns to Toronto? These are vague ideas, but if the Wolves could pair Anunoby and Jaden McDaniels at the 3 and 4 their defense would be elite, and they could build an offensive identity around Edwards.
Next. Like it or not, Minnesota Timberwolves need perimeter shooters. dark
It’s a wild idea, but the Wolves should think about contingency plans for breaking up the Twin Towers look if it fails all season. It would mean selling low on Towns or accepting a loss on Gobert, but that happens sometimes. If they do start looking around, a defensive whiz like Anunoby could be an intriguing one to look at.
Verdict: Pass…at least for now