The Minnesota Timberwolves have made back-to-back conference finals appearances. Minnesota is, of course, still looking to win its first championship. While the Wolves leaned into the idea of continuity this offseason, they might make another trade to reach their championship aspirations.
On a recent episode of The Zach Lowe Show, Lowe was discussing possible Lauri Markkanen trade destinations, and he mentioned the Wolves, calling him "an awesome fit." Despite signing an extension last summer, Markkanen is certainly a trade candidate as the Utah Jazz look to double down on a rebuild. The Wolves might not be the first team you think of in a possible Markkanen trade, but his fit is intriguing.
Markkanen's shooting would be the most valuable part of his fit with the Wolves. While Minnesota ranked fifth in 3-point shooting, Anthony Edwards is the Wolves' only consistent 3-point shooter in their starting lineup. This lack of shooting around Ant could hurt the Wolves in the playoffs. Plus, Markkanen is a gifted all-around scorer who has averaged 23 points over the past three seasons.
The Arizona product would also provide the Wolves with some solid frontcourt versatility on both ends of the court. Markkanen could allow Minnesota to run some super-sized lineups with him, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels. Markkanen can guard positions three through five and provides solid rim protection. While Markkanen's fit is intriguing, there are still some significant reasons to avoid trading for him.
Markkanen would come at a steep price for the Timberwolves
Markkanen is on a massive contract, making $48.9 million annually. As a result, to make the salaries work, the Wolves would have to trade Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and some of their young talent to land him. Lowe mentioned a package centered around Randle and DiVincenzo. This trade would have to take place in the middle of this season since Randle just signed an extension this summer.
It's worth wondering if the Jazz would even consider this type of package since they'd likely want something centered around draft capital, which is something the Wolves can't give up. Nevertheless, for argument's sake, let's say they would. In this scenario, the Wolves would be sacrificing some shot creation, playmaking, and depth to land Markkanen.
Simply focusing on the Randle aspect of this trade, I think many people overlook the value of his shot creation and playmaking. Randle isn't a perfect player. However, Randle's blend of self-creation and playmaking is vital next to Edwards. Notably, Randle's 4.7 assists led the team last season. Playmaking is the Wolves' biggest flaw, and sacrificing some of that for a subpar playmaker is less than ideal.
Randle is also a much better shot creator than Markkanen. For reference, 81.8 percent of Markkanen's made shots were assisted, while just 54.1 percent of Randle's were. We saw the limitations of Edwards playing next to Karl-Anthony Towns, who similarly provides elite shooting, yet not much creation or playmaking.
Beyond losing Randle, for someone who, in my eyes, is a lesser player, the Wolves would be losing one of the league's best bench players in DiVincenzo. Furthermore, giving up on some young talent wouldn't make much sense either. Ultimately, a Markkanen trade sounds much better in theory than in reality for the Wolves.