How trading for Trae Young could help save the Minnesota Timberwolves

Trading Karl-Anthony Towns gives Anthony Edwards the space he needs to thrive

To help set themselves up for success, the Timberwolves need to focus on two things: Maximizing Edwards’s potential and trying to salvage what they can from the Rudy Gobert trade. They accomplish both of these by trading for Atlanta Hawks star point guard Trae Young.

Trading Towns can be the elusive addition-by-subtraction for the Timberwolves. Even though he’s undoubtedly one of the best offensive big men of his generation – maybe in the history of the NBA – his fit with Edwards has yet to lead Minnesota to the success that many hoped it would. Of course, his 2022-23 NBA season was hampered by an injury that benched him for 53 games. But the proof is in the pudding. It’s time for Minnesota to call a spade a spade and pull the plug on this duo.

It isn’t a debate that Edwards is better when he doesn’t have to share the ball with Towns, the numbers back it up. Over the last two seasons, when it’s just Edwards out there the Wolves have outscored their opponents by about 2 points per 100 possessions. When Towns and Edwards play together they’re getting beat by 5 points per 100 possessions. That’s a significant swing and the sample size is large enough to prove that it’s not an anomaly.

Let’s all agree that the Jazz fleeced the Timberwolves

Additionally, let’s all agree that the Wolves got fleeced in the trade for Rudy Gobert. Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, who was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves only to be traded to the Jazz in the Gobert trade, is developing into one of the best young defensive centers in the NBA.

But what of the other players traded away? Power forward, Jared Vanderbilt is bringing the same defensive fire to the Los Angeles Lakers that he had for the Timberwolves. And shooting guard Malik Beasley is still a reliable sparkplug off the bench, now also playing for the Lakers as well. Then there is the matter of four first-round picks sitting in the Jazz war chest right now in 2023, 2025, 2027, and the 2029 NBA Drafts, that the Wolves would desperately love to have.

Gobert’s time on the Timberwolves roster got off to a rocky start as his chemistry with former PG D’Angelo Russell was a bit strained. That seemed when he reconnected with PG Mike Conley Jr. The two have deep familiarity as pick-and-roll partners dating back to their time in Utah and reestablished that connection to impressive effect in Minnesota, outscoring the competition by 3.4 points per 100 possessions in their minutes together.