Timberwolves named as potential fit for All-Star point guard

The NBA Draft is just a few short days away, and the offseason plan for the Minnesota Timberwolves will soon become clearer. Owning the 27th and 37th selections in the 2024 draft, the Wolves will have an opportunity to select some league-ready talent that could potentially help them right away.

This is one of Minnesota's clearest avenues to leveling up for next season. With the heavy restrictions of the second apron tax bracket, they are left without any major space to add players not on minimum contracts. Their main options for this offseason are to run it back and improve internally, or take a chance by moving one of their big contracts for another star player.

If they opt for the second option, the Timberwolves will have plenty of options, given the amount of league-wide interest in players like Karl-Anthony Towns. With KAT's extension kicking in next season, paying him becomes a much more difficult task in the long-term.

If Minnesota opts to move Towns, one player that would potentially be available they could get in return is Trae Young. The Hawks have reportedly been open to moving their starting point guard, and one article from Bleacher Report recently listed the Timberwolves as a "surprise landing spot" for Young.

B/R listed the Timberwolves as a "surprise landing spot" for Trae Young

The idea behind the trade pairing would be that Young and the Wolves are not necessarily the most obvious fit with each other, as Trae has been rumored as a bigger target by other teams. But from a basketball perspective, this is a pairing that could absolutely make sense.

It is no secret that the Wolves are in desperate need of more scoring power. In the Western Conference Finals, their offensive depth was tested, and it was ultimately one of the biggest reasons they fell to the Mavericks. Minnesota not being able to come up with enough reliable scoring options in close-game situations was their undoing, and they are well aware that is something that needs fixing this summer.

The article from Bleacher Report proposes a trade that would involve the Wolves sending KAT to Atlanta while getting Young in return. The money would be relatively easy to make work here, and Minnesota would get another high-level scorer to pair with Anthony Edwards.

If the Timberwolves put Trae in their starting lineup, it could also allow Mike Conley to move to the bench and be even more effective against opposing reserve players as his career begins to wind down. This kind of move would certainly be something of a swing for the fences, and the risks of shaking up this roster could be significant.

But as we look at how a team like the Boston Celtics was unafraid to make moves to improve, perhaps it is something Minnesota should consider.