It is no secret the Minnesota Timberwolves' backup point guard situation is a mess. Minnesota relies on one lead guard, an aging 36-year-old veteran, without a true backup point.
Minnesota’s starting point guard Mike Conley has missed five games so far this season, three of which are losses that have come against subpar squads; the Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and San Antonio Spurs, who have a combined record of 29-79 this season.
With a lack of assets and cap space, the Wolves are hard-pressed to find their answer at the deadline. Although a trade is perhaps unlikely, the Wolves are arguably the best team in the NBA with the ability to add a player via the buyout market.
Luckily for Minnesota, they fall under the second tax apron, allowing them to add any player during the buyout period, regardless of their previous contract.
A veteran who's flown under the radar as a potential buyout candidate is Golde State Warriors point guard Chris Paul. The Warriors are currently 12th in the Western Conference at 19-22. With Paul owed $30 million at the end of the season, the Warriors have plenty of reasons to trade him in a salary dump, similar to the recent Kyle Lowry trade. Or Golden State may buy him out.
Paul to the Wolves would be a perfect fit for both sides. For one, the 38-year-old guard gets to be part of a contending team. And, the Wolves get insurance at the point guard position with a future Hall of Famer.
CP3 has never played with Minnesota center Rudy Gobert, so he won’t have the same seamless transition Conley had, but stylistically it works. Both Paul and Conley are pick-and-roll point guards who work best in the mid-range.
The Golden State guard has a reputation for elevating those around him. Paul’s history with Deandre Jordan, Blake Griffin, David West, and Deandre Ayton demonstrates his ability to work with all types of bigs. It's not difficult to envision Paul running a pick-and-pop with Towns or a pick-and-roll with Gobert.
As he's aged, Conley has become more injury-prone. So, in a worst-case scenario where Conley gets injured during the postseason, Paul would easily fill in and operate the offense as if Conley hadn't left the lineup.
Paul as a buyout candidate isn't a guarantee, but he should certainly be a high priority for the Timberwolves if the Warriors were to cut the veteran floor general.