The Minnesota Timberwolves famously traded for Rudy Gobert in the 2022 offseason. However, before pulling off a trade for Rudy, they were eyeing a Dejounte Murray trade, who was ultimately traded to the Atlanta Hawks for a price that Minnesota deemed to be too steep.
Of course, trading for Rudy has worked out brilliantly, as he's helped spark the team's most successful run in franchise history. Despite this, the Wolves are still a notch below true title contention, and they need to make some moves to reach the next level this summer.
The Wolves need a reliable co-star next to Anthony Edwards. Likewise, point guard is often the most mentioned position of need. Given the Wolves' lack of playmaking and creation alongside Edwards, this makes sense. Undoubtedly, Murray's playstyle would be an ideal fit next to Ant, and he's an attainable trade target.
Why Dejounte Murray is a logical trade target for the Timberwolves
The Wolves are devoid of much of their draft capital, and it's unclear how much value their top trade candidates (Gobert and Julius Randle) have. Minnesota is interested in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and fans are speculating about Kawhi Leonard. As enticing as this sounds, winning a bidding war for one of these stars could be challenging, and the Wolves might have to settle for a player with either some level of risk or notable flaws.
Murray suffered a torn Achilles injury in early 2025, which creates some risk in a possible trade. Still, his skill set is a perfect fit for the Wolves' main needs, and he looked good in his 14 games back this season. When it's all said and done, trading for Murray could be a worthy upside swing.
The Wolves need a point guard who can generate rim pressure, create shots for others, and defend at a high level. That's exactly what Murray can provide. Sure, you'd like some more consistent 3-point shooting, but Murray checks just about every other box you could ask for from a backcourt mate next to Ant.
Again, there's some risk attached to Murray based on his injury, but when at his best, he's a legitimate All-Star-level player. When the Wolves first wanted to trade for him back in 2022, Murray was fresh off an All-Star selection and was one of the best finishers, playmakers, and perimeter defenders in the league.
A career-altering injury and the fact that he'll be 30 years old before next season might change that, but the upside of the All-Star version of Murray remains. While he proved to be a poor fit in Atlanta alongside Trae Young, Murray still put up strong numbers, and his skill set is a much cleaner fit next to Ant.
If Murray can put it all together, he would be an ideal running mate for Edwards. And frankly, the Wolves might not be able to do any better than Murray if they hope to simply move off of Randle or Gobert.
What a Murray-Timberwolves trade might look like
The Pelicans front office has been known to do some strange things. However, I don't think they'd go as far as pairing Randle and Zion Williamson together.
One idea that's been tossed around social media, though, is Randle heading to Phoenix, Jalen Green to New Orleans, and Murray to Minnesota. This seems like, at the very least, a reasonable pathway for the Wolves to land Murray.
Alternatively, I don't think it's out of the question that the Pelicans could want Gobert as a defensive floor raiser. Thus, a Gobert for Murray swap could make sense for both sides, though the Wolves would undoubtedly need to make another move to improve their defense.
Whether a move happens or not, the Timberwolves should absolutely re-explore the possibility of trading for Murray.
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