The Minnesota Timberwolves have a need at point guard. They know they have a need at point guard. Could the solution be a massive blockbuster trade to add not only Trae Young but Kristaps Porzingis too? And what would the cost be to pull off such a deal?
Things have been fine for the Timberwolves to start the season. They are 7-4, good for sixth in the Western Conference, with the 5th-best net rating in the West and 7th-best in the NBA. They have a top-5 offense and a defense hovering around average.
If the Wolves' goal is to make the playoffs, they are in good shape. If their goal is to reach the NBA Finals after two consecutive years of losing in the Western Conference Finals, they have some glaring problems to address.
First in line is that their point guard position is a massive weakness. While Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle are having All-Star seasons, the point guard position has been a revolving door of mediocre options. Mike Conley is beloved but clearly doesn't have it anymore; Donte DiVincenzo is shooting well but isn't the playmaker they need at the position. Rob Dillingham isn't ready for primetime yet. Nickeil Alexander-Walker plays for the Atlanta Hawks now.
Speaking of the Hawks, however, one of the point guards likely to hit the market soon is Trae Young. The organization has been reluctant to offer him a contract extension of any kind and have put together a young, long, defensive nucleus where Young doesn't seem to be a natural fit. Moving on from him during the season would be notable, but not necessarily surprising.
Veteran NBA analyst Zach Lowe saw the two situations and had an idea that he pitched on a recent podcast: what if the Hawks and Wolves came together and tried to solve one another's problems? What if the Wolves' answer at point guard was not to go small but to go as big as possible?
Such a deal wouldn't merely be the Wolves taking on Trae Young; it would be a roster-transforming alteration. The bones of the deal? Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis for Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert.
A blockbuster trade for Trae Young would be wild
While that two-for-two swap is already breaking brains, it actually isn't legal because the salaries don't line all the way up. Joe Nelson of Sports Illustrated fixed that problem, adding in Mike Conley and Rob Dillingham to make the money work. Here is what that deal would look like in principle:
This isn't merely a big swing: this is a nuclear bomb dropped on both franchises. The Hawks are moving on from one of the most decorated players in franchise history and the new two-way center they traded for this summer to embrace a defensive identity. Gobert would pair with Onyeka Okongwu to give them an elite rim-defending duo, while McDaniels, Jalen Johnson, Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels would be a terrifying rotation of perimeter defenders. Conley is fine as a backup PG for this season behind Daniels, and Dillingham can grow into his replacement over the next couple of seasons.
Let's assume for the moment that the Hawks play ball; is this a deal the Wolves should make? They have had a defensive identity for the last half-decade with Gobert, and yet this season they are below-average on that end. This deal would jettison that identity entirely and stop trying to slow down the other team, instead, the Wolves would lean entirely into a 5-out all-offense look.
Could it work? It is certainly tempting. Young and Edwards are both dynamic with the ball in their hands, Porzingis is a legitimate 3-point threat, and when you slot in DiVincenzo and Randle and Naz Reid you get a fearsome collection of shooters and scorers. This group could have the No. 1 offense in the league.
It's also not like Gobert is getting any younger, and as his game drops off, his contract becomes an albatross. Porzingis is aging and has health issues, but he is also on an expiring deal. The Wolves would have flexibility to move in a different direction this summer.
And yet, Trae Young is a player with excruciatingly obvious weaknesses, and that has put a ceiling on his teams in the playoffs. He also hasn't proven able to survive next to another on-ball star; perhaps things would be different when Young is clearly the No. 2, but that's a huge if for this team to take on. He can also hit unrestricted free agency next summer and could walk for nothing.
This is an intriguing deal and the Wolves would be smart to consider it if the Hawks offer. In the end, however, Trae Young is not the star for this franchise to commit to.
Grade: C+