How Timberwolves can pull off a win-win trade for Bones Hyland

2 of 3

Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves. Photo by David Berding/Getty Images /

What would Timberwolves trade with Nuggets look like?

There are certainly a host of complicated trades the Timberwolves could make to try and retool their rotation, including trading D’Angelo Russell ahead of his free agency or using Taurean Prince to upgrade at another position. Yet the simplest deal might be moving Reid straight up for another low-salaried young player:

Bones Hyland has been one of the Denver Nuggets’ best bench players this season, taking another step forward as a scorer, averaging 22.3 points per 36 minutes. Given the fact he was drafted by Tim Connelly in Denver before Connelly joined the Timberwolves, the connection is obvious and has been reported as such. The salaries match up for a simply 1-to-1 player swap, with the Wolves tossing in a second-round pick to make Denver bite.

The Nuggets aren’t trying to dump Hyland, but they are shopping the young guard in search of an upgrade. They ideally want to get a defensive forward who can shoot, but every team in the league wants that. Adding a player like Naz Reid beefs up the frontcourt and gives them a different look at backup center to Zeke Nnaji.