Timberwolves

The Wolves Should Consider Bargain Shopping With the Knicks

Photo Credit: Brad Penner (USA TODAY Sports)

The Minnesota Timberwolves have knocked off some of the NBA’s premier teams in the last week and a half. It started with a win over the Brooklyn Nets, and they’ve wiped clean the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets in back-to-back affairs. Currently, Chris Finch’s bunch sits in seventh place in a crowded Western Conference. If the front office wants to stay aggressive at the trade deadline, they could find a partner in the New York Knicks.

This year has not gone according to plan for Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks. New York has sputtered all season long after a 41-win campaign and a 4-seed a year ago. They haven’t been able to dip into the momentum they found in the second half a year ago.

Offseason additions of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier were supposed to take this team to the next level. Instead, it’s put a dent into any rhythm they hoped to have. Now, New York is emerging as a wild card come trade deadline time. Enter the Timberwolves.

There are many options the Wolves could go for if they do opt to dial up the Knicks. If they want to take a big swing, they could swing a deal involving Julius Randle.

Randle was the talk of the town last year after carrying the Knicks to the postseason amid an All-Star campaign that landed him as an All-Pro as well.

However, this year has been a disaster for him.

The expectations and the ante went up for Randle, and he’s been a shell of the player he was last year. He’s lost confidence, and the spotlight has engulfed him. The best thing for him now might be a change of scenery. There’s no way he’s lost everything that he was last year. It’s still in there somewhere. A market like Minneapolis and a young, talented squad like the Wolves could be just what the doctor ordered for Randle. But he likely wouldn’t come alone if Minnesota wanted to swing a trade.

Randle and Fournier could provide a lot for the Wolves if they are willing to part with D’Angelo Russell and perhaps throw in a future first-round pick as well.

This year, Fournier is still a sharpshooter and has been a microwave for the Knicks. They already have Malik Beasley in that slot, but it’s impossible to have too much shooting in the West. As for Randle, the fresh environment away from New York and pairing him in the frontcourt with Karl-Anthony Towns could be next-level great for Minnesota. Jarred Vanderbilt has been phenomenal for the Wolves this year and more than what they could’ve expected, but there’s no doubt that Randle could take things to another galaxy next to Towns.

The one big holdup would be how much the Wolves don’t want to shake the tree with a good thing that’s going. Any move to acquire Randle and others would likely cost them Russell and more.

Russell has been hot and cold most of the season, but he blends well with Anthony Edwards and KAT. Still, he’s not untouchable like those two. When the Wolves were reportedly in the Ben Simmons talks, Russell was a name that was assuredly going back to Philadelphia if anything had come to fruition. Knowing this, the Wolves likely have a price that they would deem too good not to send DLo elsewhere. It could be a Randle-Fournier package. There’s another option that could come to light as well.

If Minnesota is hell-bent on keeping the trio of Russell-Towns-Edwards intact, they could skip out on talks to get Randle and aim for a package centered around Fournier and Alec Burks. It would cost them far less.

Burks has been a constant for the Knicks the last two years and would be a welcome veteran presence for Minnesota. It’s entirely plausible that a Burks-Fournier deal would cost them picks and maybe a filler roster spot, and that’s all. It’s a less attractive option than going all out to get Randle, but it would keep DLo in Minneapolis. The Knicks will undoubtedly be active in one way or another at the trade deadline, and the Wolves should pounce on the opportunity.

Minnesota is in a peculiar spot, but it’s a good spot. They are right in the thick of the playoff hunt in the West, and they don’t appear to be going anywhere. If they want to put on a full-court press themselves, they can give the Knicks a ring and go through an array of different options to get even better for the second half. Yes, Minnesota is young, but that shouldn’t deter them from wheeling and dealing right now. It could all start with a call to the Big Apple.

Timberwolves
Jordan McLaughlin’s Adaptability Remains Invaluable For the Wolves
By Jonah Maves - Mar 28, 2024
Timberwolves
Draymond Green’s Antics Are Beneath the Wolves
By Andrew Dukowitz - Mar 27, 2024
Timberwolves

The Wolves Unlocked Something By Starting Naz Reid

Photo Credit: Brad Penner (USA TODAY Sports)

Naz Reid. Those two words were the only thing you could see or hear inside Target Center on Friday after in-arena host Jon Berry instructed the sold-out […]

Continue Reading