How to Complete the Minnesota Timberwolves' Rebuild in 2 Easy Steps
Almost every rebuilding NBA team reaches a point when it must stop, look at the roster and shout "Hey! We're rebuilding!" from the tops of mountains, skyscrapers or executive bow front desks.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have reached that point of their rebuild.
Trading Kevin Love ahead of 2014-15 was the first part of the process. Pushing the reset button farther down is the next part—the most important part.
It's time for coach, president and part-owner Flip Saunders to invest in prospects, picks and imminent salary-cap relief more than he already has. That means unloading roster outliers—veteran performers who, for want of better phrasing, help the Timberwolves win too much now.
Rather than burning valuable developmental minutes and money on talents such as Nikola Pekovic, Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer, the Timberwolves should look to open more playing time for those who figure into their long-term plans. Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammad, Gorgui Dieng, Anthony Bennett—all those guys, many of whom are already integral parts of the rotation.
Holding a veteran fire sale also increases the value of Minnesota's draft pick. The Phoenix Suns own the rights to the Timberwolves' first-rounder this year, but it's top-12 protected. That pick will assuredly stay with the Timberwolves no matter what; embracing the future simply gives them a better chance at moving up the lottery ladder.
Injuries make this transition much easier for Saunders to justify as well. Like Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes, the temptation for him to prioritize wins over the future is gone:
"A season that started with what Saunders called a 'retool' with a 'blended' roster — mixed with veterans and youngsters after last summer’s Kevin Love trade — now appears headed toward what he terms a 'rebuild' instead. ...
... That changed philosophy likely will include shopping veterans who have more value for teams aimed at contending for an NBA championship than a Wolves team that would be admitting, unlike this season’s start, that their future has nothing to do with now.
"
With contending for a surprise playoff spot now firmly out of the question, it's full steam ahead for the Timberwolves' rebuild. And with the help of Bleacher Report's resident Timberwolves apologist, Joel Cordes, yours truly has just the trades—each of which is totally speculative—to help nudge Saunders' squad in the right direction.
Boston Celtics Receive: C Nikola Pekovic
Charlotte Hornets Receive: PF Brandon Bass, SG Kevin Martin and C Ronny Turiaf
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: SG Gerald Henderson, SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF Gerald Wallace and the Los Angeles Clippers' 2015 first-round pick (via Boston)
Saunders and the Timberwolves execute this deal for obvious reasons. Absorbing Wallace's contract stings, but he comes off the books two years before Pekovic, who doesn't fit the fast-paced model Minnesota is running; Dieng is a better fit at the 5 than the 4.
Minnesota also gets the rest of this season and next to evaluate Kidd-Gilchrist. He and Wiggins could eventually form the most harrowing defensive wing combination in the league. And the Timberwolves need defense.
Opponents are draining 39.3 percent of their deep balls against Minnesota, the third-highest conversion rate in the league. The team also ranks 29th in points allowed per 100 possessions.
Taking on the pacts of Henderson and Wallace is a small price to pay for the opportunity to acquire lasting defensive improvement.
The Celtics pull the trigger on this deal if they're interested in expediting their rebuild. Sources told ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne they intend to re-sign All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo this summer, so assuming the contract of someone who can help improve their 19th-ranked offense shouldn't be out of the question.
(Also: Good luck finding a capable center earning under $12.5 million annually once the salary cap erupts in 2016.)
Purging the books of Wallace's deal is equally huge. He's owed more than $20 million through the end of next season. Turning him, Bass—who can leave in free agency this summer—and a low-end first-round pick into one of the game's most offensively apt centers is a win that will inevitably culminate in more wins.
If there's one party that might balk, it's the Hornets. Even so, this trade does wonders for their floor-spacing capacity. They are shooting 30.6 percent from deep on the season, have just three players shooting north of 35 percent from long range overall and own one of the NBA's five worst offenses.
Martin instantly becomes their most dangerous shooter upon returning from injury. He can be a defensive liability, but he's a perfect complement to the ball-dominant Lance Stephenson and Kemba Walker, as well as the post-preferring Al Jefferson. That he was burying 48.7 percent of his catch-and-shoot treys before bowing out means he'll be a huge offensive boon.
Bass, meanwhile, is a contractual upgrade over Henderson, who is on the ledger through 2015-16. He also adds depth at power forward for a Hornets team that hasn't seen much from rookie Noah Vonleh. Turiaf is a financial filler who can log spot minutes whenever coach Steve Clifford is feeling anti-Bismack Biyombo.
Forfeiting Kidd-Gilchrist, the No. 2 pick in 2012, isn't ideal. But he'll be due for an extension after this season, and while the Hornets could let his situation play out, they need to be mindful of sinking any more money into a core that isn't postseason-bound at the moment.
Besides, the Hornets can use Stephenson—who can be traded as of Dec. 15—as bait for a savvy three-and-D wing. Grantland's Zach Lowe says they're scouring the trade market, looking to make improvements. Landing someone who can both guard the small forward position and consistently knock down threes gives them an upgrade over Kidd-Gilchrist.
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: C Meyers Leonard and SF Dorell Wright
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: SF Corey Brewer
Dealing away Pekovic leaves an opening for a body to come off the bench behind Dieng, making the 7'1" Leonard a viable fit. The former lottery pick isn't even on the rotational radar in Portland and adds size to a Timberwolves talent stable that would have just dealt away two of its three players who stand 6'11" or taller.
Wright is simply contract fodder. He comes off the books after this season, and he's basically a poor man's Brewer at this point—someone who could possibly score, might defend and may hit the occasional three.
Brewer gives the Blazers a much-needed bench boom. Steve Blake and Chris Kaman have injected energy in coach Terry Stotts' puddle-deep rotation, but the Blazers' second unit still ranks 21st in offensive efficiency, per HoopStats.com.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, he was available via trade at one point. Saunders later denied the rumor, saying Brewer was "too valuable" to move, per The Associated Press' Jon Krawczynski. But there's a chance he's changed his tune now that the Timberwolves have the Western Conference's worst record.
There's also a better chance of the Blazers sustaining their top-three defense the entire season if they acquire an athletic presence who can come in and supplant Nicolas Batum or Wesley Matthews. Although Brewer has routinely been torched by perimeter weapons—the offshoot of frequently guarding the best outside scorer—opponents are shooting just 42.6 percent from the floor when being defended by him.
Passing up a deal to deepen what is right now a top-three Western Conference contingent isn't something the Blazers should consider.
Voila!
Neither of the suggested trades is a blockbuster. Not even close.
But they do help the Timberwolves create cap space in time for the summer of 2016, while netting them prospects and picks to build around or parlay into other assets moving forward.
Just look at what their full-strength rotation options could be following this foray into the trade market:
| Ricky Rubio | Andrew Wiggins | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | Thaddeus Young | Gorgui Dieng | Glenn Robinson III |
| Zach LaVine | Gerald Henderson | Shabazz Muhammad | Anthony Bennett | Meyers Leonard | Gerald Wallace |
| Mo Williams | Jeff Adrien | Dorell Wright |
At that point, the Timberwolves could look to flip Young, who can enter free agency over the offseason, for another prospect or pick. Yet he himself could factor into the big picture. He's young enough (26) to remain a part of this process and athletic enough to fit the system—like nearly everyone else they would employ.
“When you’re doing a rebuild, it’s not pleasant for anybody,” Saunders said, per Zgoda. “It’s not pleasant for fans, for you guys [media members], for coaches, for players. But sometimes you’re forced to do some things that maybe you didn’t plan on doing."
Pulling the current core apart at the seams clearly wasn't on the early-season agenda.
Plans have changed, though.
They've had to.
In the wake of injuries and the addition of developing talent, the Timberwolves' best—and only—option is to delve deeper into a rebuild one roster shakeup away from becoming a polished vision.
*Stats via Basketball-Reference and NBA.com unless otherwise cited and are accurate as of games played on Dec. 9, 2014. Salary information and draft-pick commitments via ShamSports and RealGM.
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