Three-team trade revamps the Timberwolves’ backcourt

The Minnesota Timberwolves bet a lot of assets, including the next six years of drafts, that they would be a contender with Rudy Gobert. Perhaps not a title favorite right away, but a clear playoff team in line to host at least one series. Their over/under before the season was around 48 wins.

The Timberwolves are currently below .500 and fighting just to stay in the bottom of the Play-In race. They have a negative point differential, the pairing of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns was floundering before Towns went down with a calf injury, and Anthony Edwards’ growth has been patchy at best this season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been a major disappointment this season.

One approach to the situation is to stand pat, get healthy, hope the recent signs of life blossom into something more consistent and try to fight their way up the standings. For all of their struggles, they are still within a few games of getting into the Top-6.

The other approach is to recognize that their current construction isn’t going to be enough to make noise in the postseason. With D’Angelo Russell a pending free agent, a trade that moves him to another team and brings back a different look at point guard could set them up for a run this year and a better chance next season.

A three-team trade was recently pitched by by NBA trade site Fanspo that could do just that and more, revamping the Timberwolves’ entire backcourt around Edwards. Let’s take a look at the trade and see if it would work for all parties.