At this juncture, it seems likely that second-year guard Rob Dillingham will find a new home at the trade deadline. He has been out of the Minnesota Timberwolves' rotation since mid-December, and when Dillingham has played, he's struggled. The 6-foot-2 guard is averaging 3.6 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 33.8/35.5/75 shooting splits.
Two weeks ago, Jake Fischer reported that trading Dillingham is on the table ahead of February's deadline. Despite Dillingham's struggles, he still may have some value as a 2024 lottery pick, and trading him for a point guard would be logical.
Dillingham shouldn't be the only young Timberwolves player on the trade block, though. Most notably, I think a Terrence Shannon Jr. trade should be on the table for the Wolves.
Dillingham and TSJ should be clear trade candidates
Shannon has been sidelined with a foot injury for the past 11 games. And when he has played, much like Dillingham, the second-year wing has struggled. TSJ is averaging just 4.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.6 assists on 39.5/40.5/77.8 shooting splits.
While Shannon has struggled and is four years older than Dillingham at 25, he might have more value on the open market. Frankly, Shannon has shown more evidence of being a productive NBA player than Dillingham. The high point for Shannon's career was scoring 35 points in the last three games of the 2025 Western Conference finals. Plus, the floor of a 6-foot-6 wing is always going to be higher than the floor of a wiry 6-foot-2 guard.
Despite Shannon's intriguing skill set, the reality is that he hasn't been able to produce when given minutes this season. When Shannon returns to the court, it's unclear what role (if any) he'll have with the team.
You never want to give up on a second-year player. Nevertheless, positioning themselves for a championship run is the clear priority for the Wolves. And if trading Dillingham is on the table, trading TSJ should be too.
If trading Shannon could yield the Wolves a solid rotational guard such as Scotty Pippen Jr., Tre Jones, or Kris Dunn, that's something they absolutely should pursue. Perhaps the Wolves could package both Dillingham and Shannon in a deal for a PG.
Most of the focus around the Timberwolves' possible deadline moves will (understandably) be on Dillingham's future with the team. Yet, Shannon's future should be something to watch for a similar reason.
When it's all said and done, I wouldn't be surprised if both players are moved at the deadline.