Recent news from Marc Stein suggests that the Dallas Mavericks are shutting down any incoming trade calls involving their star point guard, Kyrie Irving. It's not a secret that Tim Connelly was one of those people calling about Irving.
Now I'm not a buyer that Irving is completely untouchable, especially this early in the offseason. It's likely a tactic to get interested teams to up their trade offers. But still, this news makes the importance of the Minnesota Timberwolves having a Plan B much greater.
The worst thing they can do is run back this same roster next season, and fortunately, I think the chances of that happening are slim to none. If Irving is truly not available for trade, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Wolves eyeing a different point guard who will 110 percent be available this summer.
It's no secret that Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies' relationship is pretty fractured. The Grizzlies are nosediving into a rebuild, and Morant has struggled to stay on the court the past couple of years.
There are a lot of bad narratives surrounding Morant, and a lot of Wolves fans have strong opinions of him, like: "he can't shoot," "he's already hit his peak," "we don't want that locker room cancer around the team," and others. While some of these are valid concerns, I feel as though people aren't looking at the positives of potentially acquiring Morant.
The risk could pay massive dividends
For one, his value is in the toilet right now. I don't think it can get any lower; in fact, there are rumblings that the Grizzlies may even attach an asset or draft capital to move off of him. He isn't going to cost the Wolves any more than Julius Randle (who fans want gone anyway), Donte DiVincenzo (it is unfortunate, but given his injury, he has to be treated like just a salary filler), and maybe some second-round picks.
People forget that just a few years ago, Morant was a player teams would mortgage their entire franchise for, and now (granted, coming off of a rough few years), the Wolves can potentially get him for 25 cents on the dollar. He's only 26 years old, which lines up perfectly with the Wolves' current core as well.
Yes, he does have his flaws. He isn't a great 3-point shooter (although I think he's due for some positive regression), he isn't a great defender, and durability will always be a concern. The off-the-court things are pretty overblown in my opinion, as he hasn't had any issues with that in years, and from everything his teammates say, he's a phenomenal teammate.
But Ja also happens to be awesome at some things the Wolves sorely need. He is an elite passer, both in pick-and-roll and in free-flowing offense. Morant can get to the rim at will, and he's elite at creating looks for himself in the paint. He's one of the best transition threats in the league, and he's a known big-game player with multiple 40-point games in the playoffs in his young career.
The Timberwolves have to be honest with themselves. With what they're willing to give up, they aren't getting a risk-free player. But given that it may cost next to nothing to acquire a potential All-NBA guard that also happens to fit the timeline of your core pieces, that has to be a risk you're willing to take.
Playing it safe won't get you anywhere in the Western Conference, and it's time for the Wolves to swing for the fences.
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