During his time as the Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations (and with the Denver Nuggets before that), Tim Connelly has been known to make unexpected yet impactful moves. Connelly's blockbuster trades for Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle are the two biggest examples of this strength. Heck, even trading for Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 2023 illustrates this ability.
Ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, Wolves fans are eager to see what Connelly has up his sleeve. Of course, the Wolves are in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, there are a lot of moving parts to pulling this off, and it's not super likely. With Connelly at the helm, though, this possibility can't be counted out.
And if the Wolves strike out on Giannis (which is likely), how will Connelly pivot? The logical area the Wolves would target is point guard play. Earlier on Monday, Brian Windhorst noted the Wolves are the most aggressive team in the Western Conference. But how aggressive can they really be with only having access to one first-round pick swap and being stuck in the first-tax apron?
What move can Connelly and the Wolves make?
According to Michael Scotto, the Wolves are (understandably) resistant to parting ways with Jaden McDaniels, Donte DiVincenzo, and Naz Reid, which makes a big move difficult. Now, Scotto didn't mention Julius Randle in this group (or as a trade candidate). My question, though, is what guard can the Wolves realistically trade for who is a clear upgrade over Randle?
Darius Garland would be the name that comes to mind. Nevertheless, it's unclear if he's available, and I don't think the Cleveland Cavaliers would pair Randle with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Maybe Connelly will work his magic, but pulling off a trade for a star will be challenging.
My mindset throughout this trade season has been that the Wolves are most likely to add a guard to bolster their depth. Connelly has been able to find diamond in the rough players before, with the aforementioned Alexander-Walker being the best example. Nevertheless, doing so (again) is easier said than done.
Trading their top-six for a non-star-level player seems unlikely and understandably so. However, per Jake Fischer, the Wolves also aren't keen on trading Mike Conley. That leaves Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr., and seven second-round picks as the Wolves' main trade candidates. Simply based on contracts, it's hard to find a high-impact player for under $10 million.
Beyond that, both Dillingham and Shannon have struggled. Thus, despite their intrigue as young players and the inclusion of some draft picks, it's unclear what level of player the Wolves will be able to land. I've pitched the likes of Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, and Jose Alvarado as lower-cost trade targets.
Will someone like this be enough to propel Minnesota to another deep playoff run, and will the Wolves even have a strong enough offer? Only time will tell.
Now, I suppose the Wolves could change their Mike Conley stance and pull off a bigger trade for someone like Coby White or Collin Sexton. It remains to be seen if the Wolves are open to this, though.
In any event, finding a way to upgrade the roster around Anthony Edwards despite a lack of assets will be the biggest test of Connelly's career.