The Minnesota Timberwolves need a guard who can take some of the shot creation and playmaking burden away from Anthony Edwards. Ideally, this guard can also fit into Minnesota's defensive culture.
Dejounte Murray checks these boxes. He is a former All-Star who can create for himself and others, and while providing positive defensive value (though he's not the All-Defensive player he was back in 2018). With Jeremiah Fears showing tons of promise as a rookie, the New Orleans Pelicans could be comfortable trading Murray, and he could prove to be in the Wolves' price range.
Murray is undoubtedly one of my favorite Timberwolves trade targets. However, there's one problem: Murray isn't a capable 3-point shooter. He has shot a ho-hum 33.9 percent from beyond the arc for his career, and his two years with the Atlanta Hawks didn't yield favorable results with him in an off-ball role.
As important as it is to find someone who can take the pressure off Ant as a creator, off-ball abilities would be a huge plus. Whoever the Wolves trade for will have to be at the very least comfortable playing off the ball and "letting Ant cook."
I think Murray is selfless enough to do this, but his shooting abilities are a genuine question mark.
The Timberwolves will be taking a risk with any trade they make, but Murray is worth the gamble
The reality is that the Wolves don't have enough assets, be it draft capital or high-end young talent, to pull off a trade for a perfect player. As such, the Wolves will have to be comfortable taking some level of risk with any move they make.
In addition to Murray's shooting risk, it's worth noting he is coming off an Achilles injury (though he did perform well in his 14 games back this past year).
Still, outside of this, Murray is a seamless fit with the Wolves. He can organize the offense as a traditional table setter and, at his best, is an All-Star-level shot creator who especially excels at getting to the rim. Notably, since 2021, Murray has ranked in at least the 80th percentile for rim attempts per game, with two seasons in the 90th percentile or higher per Databallr.
Having a guard who can consistently generate rim pressure is something the Wolves have long lacked. Ayo Dosunmu helped address this problem, but he doesn't provide the All-Star level scoring that Murray does. And having multiple guards who can generate rim pressure is a clear plus.
The advantages that Murray brings as a playmaker are undeniable. Per Basketball Index, Murray has ranked in the 90th percentile or higher for playmaking talent in the past three seasons. It's no secret that the Wolves lack a dependable playmaker and organizer (outside of an aging Mike Conley).
In late-game situations, Murray's presence would be especially vital. Overall, he could uplift Edwards as an off-ball scorer (while lessening his playmaking/creation load), and he could help elevate other players (most notably Jaden McDaniels).
Defensively, Murray is not an elite point-of-attack defender, but he can provide solid on-ball defense and be disruptive off the ball.
Murray offers an ideal blend of star-level shot creation, quality playmaking, and impactful defense. He would fill in some major gaps for the Wolves and could prove to be the team's missing piece.
So yes, Murray's shooting and recent injury are fair concerns, but at the end of the day, the pros outweigh the cons with him.
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