The Minnesota Timberwolves have been mentioned in numerous trade rumors so far this season, and for good reason. At 16-18, they are achieving far below their preseason expectations. With multiple players falling short of their expected production, more Timberwolves have been on the chopping block than expected.
It was not too long ago we found out that the Miami Heat have interest in making a trade with the Timberwolves. With D’Angelo Russell’s up-and-down play this year, the Heat were one of the teams that expressed interest in taking on Russell’s contract.
Moving D-Lo is Minnesota’s most likely avenue to making a trade this season, given his expiring contract. A potential trade with Miami could be exciting, as they have multiple assets that would be of use to the Timberwolves.
This proposed trade would land the Minnesota Timberwolves a first-round pick
The Heat’s interest in D’Angelo Russell is likely twofold. On one hand, they could see him as a long-term replacement for a regressing Kyle Lowry, and could envision him as a ceiling-raiser for their championship hopes.
On the other hand, Miami would not be locked into employing Russell in the long-term, with him playing out the final year of his contract in the current season. If they were to acquire D-Lo’s services but decide after four months that he was not a great fit, the Heat would be more than happy to have the cap space his expiring contract will create.
One imagined trade that could see this situation become a reality was proposed by a fan on Twitter, and it is certainly close to realistic.
In this deal, the Timberwolves would send Russell and Kyle Anderson to Miami while getting Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and a first-round pick in return. The Heat would get their new floor general, while swapping out a couple of their role players for a swiss army knife and defensive stalwart in Kyle Anderson.
For the Timberwolves, arguably the biggest aspect of this deal would be the first-round pick the Heat would be sending. After losing four first-rounders in the trade for Rudy Gobert back in the summer, Minnesota desperately needs to recoup its assets. Getting one from the Heat would be a great deal.
In terms of where the pick will land, the odds may be more favorable for the Wolves than one would think. As good as Miami’s roster is, they are just barely hanging on to a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. The chance that their pick ends up in the high 20s where it would be less valuable is low.
The Timberwolves would also be able to address one of their biggest concerns with a deal like this: three-point shooting. Although his percentages have regressed a tad this season, a player like Duncan Robinson would still provide an immediate boost to the Wolves’ sorely lacking three-point production. If Minnesota is able to move off D’Angelo Russell while getting valuable assets in return, it is something they must consider.