With ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropping one Woj Bomb after another, NBA Twitter’s beginning to look like a war zone. And with so many league-altering trades occurring over the last few days, it’s a bit shocking to see Sachin Gupta and the Minnesota Timberwolves still standing idle.
Teams are looking to gain a competitive advantage nearly four months into the NBA regular season and have begun to exchange players. And with just hours before the Feb. 10 trade deadline, player names are making their rounds about the rumor mill.
Timberwolves fans have clamored for the franchise’s front office to keep the current roster intact. It’s not just that the Wolves are winning more games this season. There now seems to be a newfound harmony on the roster reminiscent of the 2018-19 Brooklyn Nets.
And while other teams scramble to improve their roster, Gupta seems likely to stay put for the time being.
The eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers sit only games back of Minnesota and acquired Norman Powell and Robert Covington in a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. With chances of either Kawhi Leonard or Paul George returning to the team remaining relatively low, the depleted Clippers felt the need to pursue replacements to increase their odds of making the postseason. And with Los Angeles committing larceny by trading away next to nothing for the versatile forwards, the 27-win team is looking to finish the year ahead of the Wolves.
With Portland reportedly trying to reshape the roster around superstar point guard Damian Lillard, the New Orleans Pelicans’ front office latched onto the chance of acquiring CJ McCollum, one of the retooling team’s most prized possessions. The Pelicans have been without franchise forward Zion Williamson for what feels like an eternity. Yet, they’ve somehow managed to peck their way into the Western Conference’s final play-in spot. And by adding McCollum’s offensive skill set to a team that already has a premier scoring threat in Brandon Ingram, the Pels are trying to prove that they can compete, even without their 2019 first-overall pick.
And with one of the most preposterous moves in recent memory, the Sacramento Kings traded second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana Pacers for All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis. It’s not clear how this deal affects the Kings. But for the Pacers, it signals the kickstart to their rebuild. And with only their focus seeming to be building around Haliburton through draft assets, teams looking to make a late-season playoff push could look to try and seize seventh-year center Myles Turner.
A projected Wolves trade target, Turner has reportedly drawn interest from the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers. If Indiana trades him to the Lakers, who are only 2.5 games behind Minny, the Wolves could have their hands full trying to hold off the purple and gold.
With the amount of publicity that follows the trade deadline, it can be tempting for franchises to stretch to make trades. The fear of missing out on trades by front offices appears to be a real factor in some of the trades we see at the deadline. Nobody wants to be the GM of a team that didn’t pull the lever on a trade that could have potentially put them over the top. Then again, nobody wants to deal with the consequences of a botched trade. And with this being Gupta’s first year as an actual NBA GM, how will the man behind the trade machine handle the limelight of an actual trade deadline?
With over 50 games under their belts, the Timberwolves have demonstrated that they are a team to be reckoned with. Yes, the team has been mentioned sparingly as we approach Feb. 10. Malik Beasley to the Boston Celtics. A Minnesota-Thaddeus Young reunion. Wait, Sacramento traded who?! But with playoff hopefuls swapping so many players and picks, it’s not crazy to question: Is this team enough? The long haul is here.
Multiple teams are making a push to pass the Wolves in the standings. Sure, the aura around this Minnesota’s locker room is different from past years. But aura doesn’t win you games. What happens when push comes to shove? Injuries happen. Shooting slumps occur. And opponents’ newly-acquired players begin to settle into their new teams. Is Minnesota’s current roster enough to keep their heads above water as the flood gates open?
It all comes down to Gupta and Co.’s thoughts on a roster Gersson Rosas constructed. If management feels that the Wolves are a competent enough team to squeeze into the top-6 out West, why not allow the players to continue to grow into their given roles. Consider Beasley, who started the year out slowly but began to resemble his former self. However, with so many inter-conference teams reevaluating their current makeup, the race to escape the play-in tournament will be no easy task for Minnesota.
