There has been plenty of discussion about the Minnesota Timberwolves trading for a point guard ahead of February's trade deadline. Even with Bones Hyland's emergence, I think the Wolves would benefit from another ball handler. It's unlikely that a PG room of Hyland, Mike Conley, and Rob Dillingham is championship caliber. Likewise, playing next to a true point guard would benefit Anthony Edwards.
The Wolves need a lot from their possible future point guard. Playmaking, spot-up shooting, creation, and defense are key skills for the Wolves. Now, finding someone who can provide all of this, especially if they trade for a role player, will be tricky.
Frankly, you're likely going to have to sacrifice some of these skills. Even so well-rounded players, like Jose Alvarado and Tre Jones, catch my eye as solid options. While it's fine if the Wolves can check all the boxes with their trade target, defense should be a priority.
This is one reason why I am lukewarm on a Coby White trade and out on a trade for Ja Morant or LaMelo Ball. White's price point makes me slightly more open to a trade, but I'm still not fully sold due to his defense and pending free agency. Overall, though, finding some level of defense back in a trade is ideal for the Wolves.
The Timberwolves must focus on defense in a possible trade
The Timberwolves have been playing below their defensive standards all season long. Yes, they still have the eighth-ranked defense overall per Cleaning the Glass. However, they also ranked 26th in defensive rating over the first eight games of the season. Furthermore, when Rudy Gobert is off the court, the team has a 123.7 DRTG, which translates to the 29th-ranked defense.
Minnesota could certainly use another point of attack defender, especially in the non-Rudy minutes. Getting a poor defender could make these minutes even worse.
Jaden McDaniels is a fantastic defender, but I'd like to see him roaming off the ball more. As McDaniels is taking on a bigger offensive role, he shouldn't have so many defensive responsibilities, and the Wolves would benefit from his ability to wreak havoc off the ball. If the Wolves trade for a poor perimeter defender, though, it would be all but guaranteed that McDaniels would be overtaxed on defense.
In playoff settings, if you have one bad defender, opposing teams will relentlessly hunt that player. While McDaniels, Gobert, and even Jaylen Clark can make up for this, overcoming a clear weak point is challenging for any defense.
I'm not saying the Wolves have to trade for some All-Defensive level perimter player, but someone with some level of defensive competence is necessary if a move does indeed happen.