Ranking Timberwolves' Top Trade Targets After 2023 NBA Playoff Loss
Well, that didn't go as planned.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had enormous expectations for the 2022-23 NBA season. If they didn't, they never would have bet the farm—i.e., parted with five players, four first-round picks and a pick swap—on Rudy Gobert.
That type of trade is the final move a very good team makes to reach greatness. The Wolves, who weren't very good to begin with, wound up winning fewer games and once again failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs.
What now? Great question. Minnesota could pivot a number of different angles this offseason, as everything from minor moves to shore up depth to perhaps a major one involving Karl-Anthony Towns could be on the table.
3. Draft Picks
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Is it too soon for the Timberwolves to ditch their hopes of contending and focus on the future? Not at all.
They have a few older players in their core, but the two most important players—or at least the two most likely to change this franchise's fortunes—on this roster are 21-year-old Anthony Edwards and 22-year-old Jaden McDaniels. If the Wolves sense that their near-team ceiling stops well short of crashing the championship party, they should focus on brightening their long-term outlook.
Replenishing their collection of draft picks would be huge. Trading Towns could get that done.
That wouldn't be an easy call to make. They spent the No. 1 pick of the 2015 draft on him and watched him become a three-time All-Star. There haven't been a ton of more talented players to pass through the Gopher State. But Towns clearly isn't a fit with Gobert, and while moving the latter is an option, the former would bring a substantially bigger trade haul.
2. Tyus Jones, Memphis Grizzlies
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Before Tyus Jones became one of the NBA's best backup guards in Memphis, he spent his first four seasons in Minnesota. The Timberwolves should welcome a reunion.
The best basketball the Wolves played all season was after they made a move for Mike Conley. The veteran floor general lived up to that label and consistently put his teammates in the right spot. However, the 35-year-old's tenure with the team could be brief since his salary is only partially guaranteed for next season.
Even if the Wolves bring Conley back, they need a long-term plan at point guard. Trading for Jones would give them one. He is one of the best decision-makers in the business (career 3.9 assists against 0.7 turnovers per game), and he keeps making strides as a scoring threat.
He also turns just 27 in May, meaning he could lead this nucleus for the next half-decade-plus.
1. Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks
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In a perfect summer, the Wolves would add both offensive firepower and top-notch defense.
A megatrade for Dejounte Murray could take care of that.
Can they afford such a swap after the Gobert deal? If the Atlanta Hawks are big Karl-Anthony Towns fans, it could happen. Both players are tremendously talented, but neither feels like an optimal fit in his current situation.
A defensive trio of Murray, Edwards and McDaniels on the perimeter feels like a cheat code, particularly when Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, would be patrolling the back line. The offensive spacing could get a little tight, but that shouldn't be a big enough concern to block a deal.
