Grade the Trade: Minnesota acquires point guard of the future in mock deal
By Austin McGee
A recent report linked the Cleveland Cavaliers star guard, Darius Garland, to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The report came after the Cavaliers were bounced from the second round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
In the wake of the loss, Donovan Mitchell was the centerpiece of the trade chatter. First, it was reported that Mitchell was disgruntled with Cleveland's young roster. However, the All-Star guard later refuted the report.
Next up on the hypothetical trade board, Garland's name came up. It was reported that Garland is a potential trade candidate if Mitchell re-signs with the Cavaliers. Along with the star point guard, Cleveland could also shop their star big man, Jarrett Allen.
Acquiring a center such as Allen is implausible. The Wolves already roster one the biggest teams in the association with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert up front. However, a point guard of Garland's stature is intriguing.
Minnesota's current point guard depth chart is as follows. Mike Conley, Monte Morris, and Jordan McLaughlin. Although 36 years old, Conley is an extremely important piece of the Wolves' core. He played 76 games this season and averaged 28.9 minutes per game. The veteran guard's minutes per game has gone up in the postseason—to 31.7.
Besides Conley, Minnesota rosters Morris and McLaughlin. After performing as a pseudo-starter for several years, the 28-year-old Morris has seen a decline in play this season. The midseason acquisition is only averaging 8.3 minutes per game in the postseason.
Finally, McLaughlin has suited up for Minnesota since 2019. Despite his long-ish tenure, he's never served as the primary backup floor general. The 6-foot point guard is best suited as third on the depth chart.
Garland makes sense in Minneapolis. He's young (24 years old), and a dynamic playmaker. Also, the 6-foot-1 guard's defensive deficiencies will be well hidden on the Timberwolves. However, the main questions are whether the Wolves would part with several integral pieces to acquire Garland and if Minnesota wants to pay his pricey contract through 2028.
Here, we'll grade a hypothetical trade involving Cleveland and Minnesota. We'll account for positional fit, team needs, and contract value. It appears Garland may be on his way out, and the Timberwolves could be interested in adding to their already-star flush core.