6 Best Trade Destinations for Minnesota Timberwolves' Corey Brewer
Corey Brewer may not be with the Minnesota Timberwolves for too much longer.
"The Minnesota Timberwolves, fresh off heavy back-to-back losses in New Orleans and Dallas and in the latest indication of their growing focus on the future, are in active trade discussions with multiple contending teams pursuing veteran swingman Corey Brewer, according to league sources," reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein, revealing the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets have emerged as the primary suitors for the 28-year-old's services.
So long as the Wolves can receive future assets in return, it makes sense for them to shop Brewer. After all, trading him would free up minutes for the many young players on Minnesota's roster, as well as clear the books a bit and save the organization some money. It's Shabazz Muhammad, Glenn Robinson III, Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins who are the future of this franchise on the wings after all.
Brewer, a small forward who can also play the 2, is averaging 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.7 steals through nine outings in 2014-15, but it's production that would be best utilized by a different team. Plus, we know he can do more when he's not playing behind Wiggins and receiving only 22.9 minutes per game.
Chances are, Brewer will be dealt to a contender in need of some perimeter defense and transition offense, if he's moved at all. But which squads present the best fit for his talents?
Chicago Bulls
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Tom Thibodeau can never have too much defensive talent at his disposal.
Though the Chicago Bulls have played with a distinct offensive feel during the early portion of the 2014-15 season, the work on the less-glamorous end is trending in the right direction (of course it is), and there's no doubt the team already has the makings of another great defensive squad. However, it could get even better through the addition of another quality wing player, especially because everyone could stay increasingly fresh for the inevitable playoff run.
Jimmy Butler and Tony Snell make for a great combo at the 2, while Mike Dunleavy and Doug McDermott have done a fine job holding down the fort at small forward. But adding one more piece into the mix allows Thibodeau to keep his key players healthy and at full strength throughout what's sure to be a grueling campaign.
In eight games, Butler has spent 318 minutes on the floor—an average of 39.8 per contest. While he's young enough to withstand that type of responsibility, he's such a key two-way player that it's in the Bulls' best long-term interests to shrink his playing time down to a more reasonable number.
And that can best be done through the acquisition of a veteran player Thibodeau can trust.
What Chicago Would Offer: Cameron Bairstow and a second-round pick
Cleveland Cavaliers
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As Stein explains in his original report, Brewer going to the Cleveland Cavaliers would be an ideal fit for multiple reasons:
"If Brewer winds up in Cleveland, he'd be reunited with Love, with whom he has a close relationship after their well-chronicled success on the fast break as teammates in Minnesota. Brewer ranked as one of the league's foremost scorers in transition last season on the end of Love's outlet passes.
It's an open secret, furthermore, that the Cavaliers are looking to get stronger at shooting guard as well reduce LeBron James' minutes load, so Brewer would likely play multiple positions should the Cavs seal a deal for him.
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The reunion with Kevin Love would surely be a positive for both Brewer and the Cavs, but the work he could do at the 2 is even more important. Currently, Cleveland is trying to play Shawn Marion out of position and hand an even heavier burden to LeBron James, both of which could force the veterans into premature levels of fatigue far too early.
The other options are Dion Waiters—a ball-stopping shooting guard who messes with the offensive flow and is best served either coming off the bench or traded to another team—and Joe Harris. While the Virginia product has held his own defensively, it's a bit risky to count on such an inexperienced player in a major role, especially when he has limited upside.
Brewer's perimeter defense would surely help the Cavs, even if he can't single-handedly turn around the fortunes of that unit. He'd be forced to avoid gambling as frequently as he typically does, given the lack of rim protection behind him, but he'd immediately become one of the few players on the roster capable of functioning as a game-changing defensive presence for short spurts.
What Cleveland Would Offer: Lou Amundson and a second-round pick
Dallas Mavericks
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Speaking of contenders with weak defenses, how about the Dallas Mavericks?
Under the tutelage of Rick Carlisle, this team has become decent on the defensive end. Now allowing 106.8 points per 100 possessions, via Basketball-Reference.com, Dallas ranks No. 19 throughout the NBA, which is by no means a terrible spot to be when the offense is so unstoppable. However, it can get better.
Much better, in fact.
Tyson Chandler is still capable of serving as a quality defensive anchor in the paint, but he needs perimeter players who are actually going to lighten his workload. Facing a constant assault on the rim night in and night out isn't going to promote success, especially given his aging body. As it stands, Dallas doesn't have many perimeter stoppers at all, especially with no true 2-guard backing up Monta Ellis when he needs a breather.
Not only would Brewer's transition stylings add another threatening piece to the Dallas attack, but he could shore up the wing defense. Plus, having both him and Al-Farouq Aminu on at the same time could give the Mavericks a brief defensive lean. The excessive gambling could be problematic, but you have to take the bad with the good when working with Brewer on the perimeter.
"We know, to be as good a team as we want to be, we've got to get into the top 10 in defense," Carlisle said during the preseason, as reported by Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. "And that's going to be challenging. On paper right now, we're somewhere in the middle of the pack if you go on individual analytics. I don't see it happening overnight, but I believe we can do it. We got pieces that fit."
The pieces would fit even better if Brewer was added to the mix, especially since Carlisle already knows what he's working with. After all, they were working together in 2011, even if the swingman rarely got off the pine.
What Dallas Would Offer: Raymond Felton and multiple second-round picks
Houston Rockets
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Along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Houston Rockets are one of the two primary destinations for Brewer in these trade rumors. But frankly, they don't make quite as much sense for his talents, even if they'd still be a good fit.
While the Cavs are struggling to play quality defense, Houston has capitalized on an easy schedule at the beginning of the year and dominated on that end of the floor. With a 94.8 defensive rating, per Basketball-Reference.com, the Rockets rank No. 1 in the category, and no one is even close to them. The Milwaukee Bucks, shockingly enough, are No. 2 and allowing 98 points per 100 possessions.
So does Houston really need another wing player to shore up the defense? Not really.
But depth would be nice.
The Rockets' second unit has featured players like Jason Terry, Isaiah Canaan, Troy Daniels, Nick Johnson, Francisco Garcia, Kostas Papanikolaou, Donatas Motiejunas and Tarik Black. And while it's worked thus far, it's hard to imagine such a nondescript and—outside of Terry and Garcia—inexperienced group of backups holding down the fort successfully throughout an 82-game campaign. A veteran addition would be nice, especially one who can contribute on both ends of the floor and start if either James Harden or Trevor Ariza need a breather.
"Brewer in Houston would be another athlete to throw in their up-tempo attack, he could come in off the bench and just attack the rim, giving them depth to rest James Harden for stretches..." Kurt Helin writes for NBC Sports. "He's also a riverboat gambler on defense who makes some steals but often gets burned and would leave Dwight Howard a lot to clean up at the rim in Houston."
Pairing Brewer with a rim-protecting big is a great way to maximize his talents, and Howard certainly qualifies as such.
What Houston Would Offer: Multiple second-round picks
Los Angeles Clippers
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Something has been off for the Los Angeles Clippers during the early portion of the 2014-15 season.
Though there's plenty of talent on the roster, much of it carried over from the successful 2013-14 go-round, the team's mojo is a bit off. The chemistry isn't there, and it's shown up on the defensive end in particular, with players missing rotations and failing to lock down to the extent of their individual capabilities. Plus, it doesn't help that the wing spots in the lineup have been rather uninspiring.
Beyond Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick, there isn't much established talent at the 2. On top of that, Matt Barnes has regressed significantly, Chris Douglas-Roberts isn't much of a difference-maker even when healthy and Doc Rivers seems awfully hesitant to give Reggie Bullock more run. Another piece is necessary, and Brewer's defensive inclinations (especially with DeAndre Jordan protecting the rim behind him) and transition stylings would both fit in quite nicely.
There's just one issue.
"Clips are right up against hard cap. They'd have to send out salary, whereas Cavs/Rockets have trade exceptions they could slot Brewer into," ESPN Los Angeles' Ramona Shelburne tweeted. Getting a deal done would be difficult with those restrictions, especially because the team's only movable salaries come at the wing positions, which Minnesota doesn't exactly need.
But if the right deal can be found, possibly by involving a third team, the Clippers would surely be a nice home for Brewer.
What Los Angeles Would Offer: Matt Barnes to a third party and a second-round pick to the Timberwolves
Portland Trail Blazers
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Depth, depth, depth.
The Portland Trail Blazers don't have it. But they certainly need it.
Through the team's first 10 games, only five backups are playing at least 10 minutes per contest—Steve Blake (21.6), Chris Kaman (19.3), Allen Crabbe (14.8), C.J. McCollum (12.6) and Will Barton (10.9). Problem is, Kaman has been the only beneficial second-string player, as the rest have struggled immensely. And when the group is isolated to the wing players, it looks even worse.
Per Basketball-Reference.com, Crabbe has produced a player efficiency rating of just 10.0. McCollum has been slightly better with his 11.1 PER, but Barton has been borderline unplayable with a PER of just 2.5. Nonetheless, Rip City has to soldier on with him in the rotation due to a dearth of alternative options.
An upgrade is necessary.
McCollum should still receive plenty of minutes due to his immense upside and youthful nature, but Portland needs a consistent veteran like Brewer if it hopes to make the next step in a difficult Western Conference. Expecting all five starters to remain healthy throughout the year is foolish, especially given the burdens they endured in 2013-14 and surely will experience once more during the current campaign. And as a result, finding an insurance policy like Brewer is vital.
Is Brewer the perfect fit for this squad? Not particularly, as his gambling wouldn't work ideally within the confines of Terry Stotts' schemes. Plus, he's not a particularly great half-court player on offense, and the Blazers haven't been one of the league's faster teams thus far.
Nonetheless, he's a fit simply because he's a workable body who would help provide that much-needed depth on the wings.
What Portland Would Offer: Dorell Wright and a second-round pick
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