Development Over Change: Why the Timberwolves Shouldn't Be Thinking of Trades

Most NBA teams with a 4-13 record would be thinking about making trades to avoid this kind of record.

The Wolves, however, are in an odd situation. There are a lot of players that they have that are good, but there are also some that could be moved.

However, the best option for the Wolves may be to keep everything put.

Look at the Wolves starting five to start the season: Milicic, Love, Beasley, Johnson, and Ridnour. Darko, Kevin and Michael are all players that are up for contention for the Most Improved Player of the Year award and are putting up fantastic numbers. Love is leading the league in rebounds, and Milicic is leading in blocked shots.

Beasley is having a comeback year in Minnesota, putting up over 20 points per game and jump starting the Wolves on most nights. He's still learning, but who can blame him for wanting to take big shots for the first time in his NBA career? He's a keeper.

Johnson is also still learning. He's a rookie, and despite not putting up brilliant numbers, no team in the top five so far can really say that they drafted better than the Wolves did. The shinning rookies right now are the Knicks' Landry Fields and the 2009 first pick, Blake Griffin. He's someone the Wolves should keep around and compliments Beasley well at the 2 as a shooter, runner, and defender.

So that leaves the point guard position questionable. If you've watched a recent Wolves game, you've noticed quite a few turnovers. Well, Ridnour has not been particularly effective in a lot of Wolves games, and he's not exactly the starting point guard of the future.

So if the Wolves were to make a trade, it would be for a point guard, right?

Well break down what else is happening. Jonny Flynn, our real starting PG, is still recovering from injury. A year into the Wolves complex system already, Jonny should be ready to have a breakout season in 2011.

Now if this doesn't happen, we have to remember what next summer brings. The Wolves are going to have two incredible rookies next year. If the Wolves were to keep up this kind of play, the lowest pick they could get would be five. And the Wolves are expected to have a certain Ricky Rubio coming over in the next year. So picture this roster for next year:

• Darko Milicic
• Michael Beasley
• Kevin Love
• Ricky Rubio
• Wesley Johnson
• Jonny Flynn
• Martell Webster
• Corey Brewer
• Anthony Tolliver
• AND the first through fifth overall pick

That's when the Wolves could really do some damage with some trades. Other teams in the past have been building in similar ways, waiting for the right draft pick/rookie or developing player to change everything. The Thunder and Bucks broke out of nowhere last season, and the Warriors are the early favorite to do it this year.

The Wolves should just play their best brand of basketball, suck up some losses, and prepare for an offseason where they could really find some better players than they ever could in a trade right now.