NBA Trade Rumors: A Deal for Kevin Martin Would Put Timberwolves over the Top

If the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, they will have 17 wins.

This is significant because the Wolves won 17 games all of last season.

Yes, the Wolves are a much better team than they were a year ago. It's been fun to watch, as they're a talented young team that promises to get even better as the key youngsters on their roster accumulate more experience. 

They can get better, of course. For example, they could use a stud shooting guard. Somebody like Kevin Martin would be perfect.

A deal for Martin is not beyond the realm of possibility, apparently. Here's the latest from Bill Ingram of HOOPSWORLD:

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It’s also no secret that Rick Adelman would welcome Martin with open arms, should the Rockets value something from the Timberwolves’ roster worthy of a trade for Martin. To date that connection has not been made, but it’s something that’s slow-cooking on the back burner as the trade deadline inches closer. Sources close to the situation believe the Rockets prefer to keep Courtney Lee, who is a better defender and will ultimately cost the team less money than Martin.

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This rumor is a little on the vague side. It sounds like there is not and hasn't been any real discussion between the Wolves and Rockets, but the "slow-cooking on the back burner" passage makes it sound like the two teams are gravitating towards one another. It's easy to see why they would, as the Rockets have a disgruntled star and the Wolves have the assets to trade for said disgruntled star.

Regardless of how much substance there actually is to this rumor, it's definitely one of those rumors that makes you rub your chin and say "Hmmm..."

It would be pretty cool to see Martin end up in a Wolves uniform. They have gotten virtually no production out of the two guard spot this season, yet they are still one of the higher-scoring teams in the league. If you add a scorer like Martin to the mix, the Wolves offense would be lethal.

If the Wolves are somehow able to swing a deal for Martin before the deadline (March 15), they would immediately become a threat to make the Western Conference playoff cut. They'd still be lacking in overall team experience, but they would have more than enough talent to make a push once in the playoffs. And since Rick Adelman and Martin are no strangers to one another, it wouldn't be very difficult to get Martin involved.

Yes sir, this would be a great deal for the Wolves.

But you probably know what I'm going to say next.

Right now, this rumor is little more than a nice idea. It sounds like the Rockets and Martin are on the verge of having a falling out, but that doesn't mean they're about to trade him. From the sound of things, the Rockets haven't yet reached the point where they're even considering trading Martin.

Still, I'd classify this as a "stay tuned" situation. There's plenty of time for the Rockets and Wolves to get the ball rolling on a potential deal.