The Minnesota Timberwolves are expected to be buyers at the trade deadline. It's easy to see why they've made back-to-back conference finals runs, yet are still a notch below the top teams in the West. Point guard remains the most discussed need, and likely the one Minnesota will heavily pursue.
Even if they trade for a PG, though, the Wolves will still likely have some sort of problem on their hands. The reward could end up outweighing the risk. However, I think it's important to acknowledge that making a trade is more challenging than it seems at face value.
Trading for a star guard has clear risks
Listen, I think everyone would like to see the Wolves trade for a star point guard. However, the guards who could possibly be available are all problematic. The most mentioned names include Ja Morant, James Harden, Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, and Darius Garland.
All of these players are negative defenders. With the expectation of Harden and Young, all of these players have extensive injury concerns. Still, it's unclear how Harden or Young would fit next to Anthony Edwards given their heliocentric playstyles. Furthermore, at 36, Harden's age is a serious concern.
The Wolves would have to trade one of their frontcourt players, Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, or Naz Reid, to pull off such a trade, as Jaden McDaniels is considered untouchable. Randle or Reid are the most likely of the two, but the Timberwolves would also have to sacrifice their depth to make a trade for a star, given the high contracts of these players.
While the Randle-Reid minutes have been awful defensively, the Wolves would likely have to throw rookie Joan Beringer into the fire if they make a trade for a star guard. That's clearly risky for a team with title hopes.
Frankly, the non-Gobert minutes have looked like just as big a problem as the lack of a point guard recently, and this could get worse in the event they trade for a star-level PG.
Now, what about somebody like Coby White, who is a notch below stardom? White has an expiring contract, and the easiest path to trading for him would be moving off Donte DiVincenzo, who is a better player with more years on his contract. For these reasons, the Wolves are supposedly out on White.
Trading for a role player isn't a perfect solution either
Okay, so what if the Wolves simply trade for a role player to fill their point guard void? This is my personal preference ahead of February's deadline. I've pitched the likes of Tre Jones and Jose Alvarado as point guard options.
Nevertheless, I must acknowledge that simply trading for a role player is not a perfect option.
The Timberwolves would have to trade some of their young players to make a move. What value do these players truly have, though? I don't think you can trade one of Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr., or Jaylen Clark for an impactful role player.
As a result, the Wolves might have to part ways with some of their limited draft capital (along with a young player) to make a move. That's a tough pill to swallow, especially if you're trading Dillingham, after trading two future firsts to draft him just a year and a half ago.
Overall, I think the Wolves will make a trade, but there's no guaranteeing it will be a perfect outcome, and in fact, it may end up creating another problem.