Fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves are well aware that the team does not currently have a first-round pick in next month’s NBA Draft. The Wolves sent their 2023 first-rounder to Utah in last summer’s deal for Rudy Gobert.
With that being the case, much of the discussion around the Timberwolves’ goals for the upcoming draft have been around who the team should be targeting with their second-round pick. But recently, conversations about Minnesota trading into the first round have picked up as well.
Oddly enough, there is a growing sentiment that the Wolves could be interested in acquiring G League Ignite star and consensus top-three pick Scoot Henderson. The electrifying point guard has drawn comparisons to the likes of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, and any team in the association would be thrilled to add him to their roster.
So how on earth would the Timberwolves have any shot at trading up to land such a coveted prospect? The answer is connected to Karl-Anthony Towns, who the Wolves would almost certainly have to trade to pull off a deal.
The Minnesota Timberwolves would have to trade Karl-Anthony Towns to have any shot at Scoot Henderson.
After the NBA Draft Lottery, we know that the San Antonio Spurs will unquestionably be selecting Victor Wembanyama with the top overall pick. After that, pundits are split over whether the Charlotte Hornets will take Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller with the second pick.
With the Hornets already possessing an All-Star caliber point guard, many suspect they could end up going with Miller, the high-level wing from Alabama. That would leave the Portland Trail Blazers with an easy choice of Henderson at third.
The only problem is, the Blazers are rumored to be shopping their top-three pick, hoping to acquire a star player to pair with Damian Lillard. Portland knows they have a limited window of potential contention with Lillard, and adding a 19-year old player is not the correct move. But a player like Karl-Anthony Towns could end up being exactly what they are looking for.
Scoot Henderson would give the Timberwolves one of the top frontcourts in the NBA.
Towns would give the Trail Blazers the star teammate they have been searching for to put next to Lillard. The kicker is that KAT cannot be traded until July 7, so if the two sides were to orchestrate a deal involving the third pick, they would have to have a verbal agreement wherein Portland would draft Scoot Henderson on behalf of Minnesota.
After that, working out a potential trade could get messy. The Timberwolves would be wary of taking on additional frontcourt pieces (e.g. Anfernee Simons), knowing that it could crowd the starting lineup. As talented as a player like Simons is, Minnesota would likely be flipping him for a future first-round pick in the scenario he becomes a Timberwolf.
If Scoot Henderson did end up in Minnesota, he and Anthony Edwards would form one of the premier backcourts in the NBA. Scoot’s insanely quick first step and slashing ability would be even more lethal a weapon with Edwards’ shooting prowess right next to him.
The Timberwolves should be calling Portland’s phone from now until draft day if they are still open to trading their third overall pick. If Minnesota is angling away from wanting to pay Karl-Anthony Towns the $50 million per year his upcoming supermax extension commands, this could be the perfect compromise.