NBA Rumors: Trading First-Round Pick Would Be Bad Move for Young Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a strong base of young talent led by Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, but they are still a couple seasons away from becoming contenders. Trading their first-round pick in this season's draft would be a mistake.

Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press reports several teams have shown interest in the Timberwolves' No. 18 pick, which they acquired from the Utah Jazz. Executives from around the league are in Minnesota this week scouting players with less than a month until the draft, making David Kahn a busy man.

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"It's always easier when you see people in person," Kahn said Thursday, May 31, of the casual talks between workout sessions. "Some people pulled me aside and dropped a hint or were more forceful than that. We have to stay open to everything. We need to get better."

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Getting better is one thing. Sacrificing a young prospect even though the team isn't prepared to compete in the Western Conference yet is another. The Timberwolves should be focused solely on the future, not on their hopes for next season.

Rubio and Love give them two rising stars to build around. In a league where star power dominates the game, that's a nice foundation.

Having a good, young point guard has become an extremely valuable commodity in the NBA, with so many teams struggling to get consistent production from that position. Before he went down with an injury, Rubio was one of the league's most impressive rookies.

He averaged 11 points, eight assists and two steals. What his stat line doesn't show is how much more fluid the Minnesota offense ran with him on the court and how he excited an entire fanbase with his dynamic ability.

Equally impressive was Love, who was generating some MVP hype before suffering an injury of his own that ended his season early. He finished the year at 26 points and 13 rebounds per game, and was usually the hardest-working player on the floor.

After a nondescript rookie season, he's slowly developed into one of the NBA's best young players. At 23 and with a terrific work ethic, he has nearly unlimited potential, and gives the Timberwolves the go-to post player every team needs.

What the team's front office must focus on now is adding more depth. The most cost effective way to do that continues to be through the draft, instead of trading for a player with a big deal or signing a free agent to a bloated contract.

Minnesota has a couple of players like Derrick Williams and Wes Johnson, who need more playing time next season to develop into valuable contributors. Adding more young players to the mix so that they can grow into one cohesive unit will be crucial.

The team's biggest need right now is a player who can handle the perimeter scoring load alongside Rubio. The front office should use that No. 18 pick to target a shooting guard. Dion Waiters and Doron Lamb are two prospects that would make sense.

Going that route will keep the team on track for success in a few years, and wouldn't present as much risk as a trade would. After all, a mid-round pick can't have too much value on the market.

The Timberwolves have a bright future, and building through the draft will be the best way to keep things moving in the right direction. That's what they should be worried about.