The Minnesota Timberwolves have now lost five games in a row after Sunday’s non-competitive defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. Their 27-19 record has them seventh in the Western Conference, behind the Phoenix Suns via tiebreaker, and thus in a play-in position for now.
Of course, the goals and aspirations heading into the season were to be a title contender. Luckily for the Timberwolves, they employ Tim Connelly, who has shown in his Minnesota tenure that he is certainly unafraid to make deals that he believes will help the team.
They clearly need more depth come playoff time
It was yet another game on Sunday where the Timberwolves’ bench got completely outplayed by the opposing reserves. Golden State’s bench outscored Minnesota’s 42-13. That includes late 3-pointers by Joe Ingles and Rob Dillingham once both sides cleared their benches because the game was out of reach.
Right now, Chris Finch has no clear option to play in a playoff game off the bench other than Naz Reid. Connelly is an intelligent basketball mind, and I’m sure he is well aware of the large issue at hand. The trade deadline is now just 10 days away, and with each consecutive loss, Connelly is likely working the phone lines even harder.
With the team so close to being a second apron one, unfortunately it’s going to be hard to make a deal for a more-established player without dealing someone like Julius Randle or Reid. Perhaps Connelly and the Wolves can acquire a point guard that sends Donte DiVincenzo back to the bench, a role he was in last season, and one that would improve the bench this year.
As great as Anthony Edwards has been, he hasn’t yet taken that step forward with his playmaking, and a deal for a young guard can rid him of some of those responsibilities.
Or, the team can acquire a scorer off the bench, someone in the mold of a Malik Monk or Bennedict Mathurin. Unless Finch and the team plans on playing all 5 starters and Naz Reid 40 minutes a night come postseason time, a trade (or trades) is pertinent by February 5.
Connelly has wheeled and dealed with the Timberwolves
The reason I’m so confident that Minnesota will make at least one trade by the deadline is because of its history with Connelly. It took him less than two months into his time with the team to make the blockbuster trade to bring in Rudy Gobert.
Since then, he has acquired Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker from the Utah Jazz. The seismic move, of course, was dealing Karl-Anthony Towns and bringing back Randle, DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick (Joan Beringer was selected with it). Connelly sent the San Antonio Spurs a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap in exchange for the eighth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which was used on Dillingham.
That trade hasn’t worked out, but it’s just another example of Connelly not being shy in making a deal.
What player(s) will the Timberwolves add (if any) by February 5? Add the right one(s) and Minnesota’s ceiling can rise substantially.