How trading for Trae Young could help save the Minnesota Timberwolves

Trading for Trae Young is a risk worth taking for Timberwolves

I can’t pretend like this wouldn’t be a risky trade for the Timberwolves, it absolutely would be. But with how things have gone for the past few seasons I think it’s one that they have to at least explore making.

They dug themselves into a draft capital hole with the Rudy Gobert trade and have no choice but to make lemonade with their expensive lemons. To do that they need to make adjustments. Ideally, those adjustments could be smaller and less dramatic but sometimes a big shake-up is what it takes to help a team find that next level.

If it all works out, the Wolves could finally have a point guard who spaces the floor as well as anyone in the league and gives Ant the room he needs to attack the rim while also getting the most out of Gobert and finding their shooters for easy catch and shoot looks.

The defensive concerns around Young are valid but the Wolves have the framework of an elite defense in place and would have the best defensive players that Young has ever played with. I’m confident that they could cover for him enough on that end of the floor to make this trade worth it.

The big hang-up is on Young’s willingness to evolve into the premier off-ball threat that he can be. Maybe a change of scenery, new teammates, and new coaching staff plus the potential to change his reputation by leading a team in a title hunt would be enough to get him to change his ways. If that doesn’t do it I can’t imagine what would.

It’s a risky move but superstar swaps of this magnitude are never completely without risk. And if you’re Tim Connely and you really believe that Trae Young can help push this team in its current construction further than Karl-Anthony Towns can, then the path forward is clear. Get the Hawks on the phone and make this happen.