Timberwolves trade deadline acquisition must provide a crucial skill

The Wolves have a lot of dynamic offensive players. Anthony Edwards can give you 30 a night. Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and Donte DiVincenzo are all prone to catching fire and having big offensive games, but on the other side of the ball, outside of a few players, the inconsistencies on defense catch up with the team.

Rudy Gobert is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, McDaniels possesses all-defensive abilities, and Edwards has the tools to be a great defender; however, due to his heavy offensive load, he's prone to taking plays off. Jaylen Clark is probably the Wolves' second-best defender, but his offense is so raw that it makes it hard to play him in close games.

With the Wolves strongly linked to point guards before the trade deadline, it would make most sense to go after one with two-way ability. Two names that would fill those needs are Dejounte Murray and Collin Sexton.

The case for Dejounte Murray

He's a polarizing player, and the last time we saw him play, it was pretty forgettable basketball. I'll give him grace, though, as the entire Pelicans organization has been kind of a dumpster fire for a few years now. In theory, what Murray could bring in terms of versatility and stuffing the box score could prove a perfect fit for the Wolves.

Now he is coming off a torn Achilles, so there's always a chance that he isn't the same player. But he was never a guy whose game was built on crazy athleticism.

If he can be 80 percent of what he was in Atlanta, which I don't think is out of the question, then he could be a match made in heaven with his mix of shot creation, perimeter defense, and rebounding. Not to mention, he's the perfect buy-low candidate.

The case for Collin Sexton

While Murray might be the better player, Sexton might be the more attainable of the two. He's on a cheaper, expiring contract, and it also doesn't currently hurt, which might be more of an incentive to trade for him.

Sexton's numbers are slightly down this year in Charlotte due to playing behind the likes of LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel, but he's still been productive in limited minutes, averaging 14.9 points and 4 assists while shooting a respectable 37% from 3-point range.

He got the nickname "Young Bull" due to his intensity on the defensive end, diving for loose balls, and picking up 94 feet. This type of tenacity would be welcomed in Minnesota, and a lineup of Sexton, Clark, Ant, McDaniels, and Gobert sounds ferocious on defense.

Any point guard would be better than no point guard, but having a guy next to Ant that can contain the ball on the perimeter, while also being a threat on offense, is this team's number-one flaw, preventing them from taking that next step as a team.