I've been skeptical of Terrence Shannon Jr.'s fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves' revamped roster throughout the offseason. Shannon showed the world in the playoffs that he operates best with the ball in his hands. Chris Finch even admitted this and has since discussed empowering him on the ball.
That's all fine and dandy, but to empower Shannon on the ball, you have to limit opportunities for other players. On a Timberwolves team that's loaded with creators, doing so is easier said than done. There's no clear option for someone to play off the ball in favor of Shannon. In the starting lineup, there's Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, and Jonathan Kuminga—off the bench, Ayo Dosumnu and Bones Hyland offer some solid creation while being able to play off the ball. That's a lot of mouths to feed.
And while Shannon has some positive traits on the ball, he's ultimately a flawed creator. He lacks control as a driver and is overly left-hand reliant. Off the ball, Shannon has been a below-average spot-up shooter, netting 33.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot triples last season. This, paired with his frequent defensive lapses, makes him less-than-ideal in a pure complementary role.
At the end of the day, I still think Shannon has a solid NBA future. He can generate rim pressure, get to the free-throw line, and is a skilled difficult shot-maker. Still, I don't see how he fits with this Wolves team due to the on/off ball delimma.
While Shannon is poised to be part of the Timberwolves' rotation from day one, it's fair to wonder how long this will last. Given this and the Wolves' lack of frontcourt depth, Shannon is a clear trade candidate, but his value could very well decline if he falls out of Minnesota's rotation. Plus, at 26, he doesn't have as much upside as your typical third-year player.
This offseason, though, Shannon's trade value would've been fairly high after his solid playoffs.
Terrence Shannon Jr.'s trade value could very well start to decline
Not to toot my own horn (I'm often wrong), but my concerns about Shannon were evident in the preseason. In the four games in which both Shannon and the Wolves starters played, he averaged 6.6 points on 4-for-13 shooting from the field. There was a clear awkwardness about how he should be used on offense.
Furthermore, in the two games where the starters didn't play, Shannon's limitations as a self-creator were on display. Sure, he put up 19 points against the Miami Heat's reserves, but his decision-making around the rim was subpar.
On a positive note, I thought Shannon's playmaking was a bit better than in the past. It wasn't enough to justify an on-ball role, and it still wasn't perfect, but it was a step in the right direction.
Frankly, though, if Shannon plays as he did alongside the starters, Finch may soon pull the plug on him or at least reduce his minutes. Again, it's really hard to see how he fits cleanly with this team, and if the Wolves look to trade Shannon at the deadline, his value will be pretty low.
However, after the playoffs, Shannon's trade value may have been at an all-time high. Notably, Shannon averaged 11.8 points and even racked up 24 points in a closeout game against the Denver Nuggets.
I somewhat understand the Timberwolves wanting to see what he can do in year three after a strong playoff showing. Regardless, it was always clear to me that he is a clunky fit with this roster. Even from a pure roster balance standpoint, the Wolves have too many bench guards and wings and not enough true frontcourt players.
Trading Shannon for a young frontcourt player simply makes sense from several angles. With how things are shaping up, I think that the Timberwolves will look to trade Shannon, but they might be in for a rude awakening value-wise.
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