As the NBA Trade Deadline approached today, the rumors had it that the Wolves would probably be unable to pull off a trade for their longtime crush, D'Angelo Russell. There was still some scuttlebutt going around that they would try and pull it off, but the Warriors had appeared to set the price too high. This was the case when I went into my Economics class at 11:30 today.
About a half hour into class, my phone started buzzing. And buzzing. And buzzing. I had a little extra time before the end of the in-class activity I had just finished, so I decided to take a look at the phone. Boom.
The Timberwolves not only pulled off a trade for KAT's best buddy Russell, but they managed to lower the Warriors' asking price and get two rotation-level young players and send away Andrew Wiggins' contract. WOW. This news was so momentous that I called over my professor, told him the news, and promptly received a high five.
What does this trade mean for the Timberwolves?
The biggest takeaway from this trade is that the Wolves have added a (probably large) time to the doomsday clock that was slowly ticking down towards Karl-Anthony Towns' departure. The past few years, we have seen a disturbing pattern of superstars in small markets forcing their way out of town if the front office isn't able to pull off moves that they approve of. By acquiring Towns' off-court friend (and good on-court fit), the Wolves definitely have delayed any Towns trade request (barring something very unfortunate happening).
As far as on-court fit, Russell and Towns could add up to a very bad defense for the Wolves. However, it won't be any worse than it would have been with Wiggins instead of Russell. On offense, the new dynamic duo fit together much better than Towns and Wiggins did. Russell is the first true scoring/passing threat that Towns has played with at point guard. Instead of setting a screen and immediately getting double-teamed, Towns should now be lethal in the pick-and-roll. Russell and Towns can both score effectively inside and out, and they could be one of the toughest p-and-r duos to defend in the league. Russell definitely raises the ceiling of this team above what it ever could have been with Wiggins. Not saying they'll immediately be good, but they're much better set up for the future.
The other pieces that the Wolves receive will likely be rotation players, with Omari Spellman possibly getting starts at power forward. They are unlikely to be big impact guys, but they will help replace the departed players from the trade on Tuesday. The Wolves gave up a top-3 protected draft pick in this next draft (if the pick is top-3, it goes to the Warriors unprotected in 2021) and a 2020 second round pick. This is a much lower price than the 2 first round picks (one unprotected) that was rumored to be Golden State's demand.
What does this mean for Andrew Wiggins?
This move could be very beneficial for Andrew Wiggins. While Wiggins had showed some progress this year (without which this trade does not happen), it had become apparent the Wolves were never going to be a contender with Wiggins as the #2 option on the team. However, next year, when Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are healthy, the Warriors could see a much different version of Wiggins. Wiggins, surrounded by excellent passers and shooters, playing in a system that emphasizes cutting more than the Wolves does, could be a pretty lethal third scorer. Playing on a team that's actually a contender, with a competitor like Draymond Green, could even spur Wiggins to put forth defensive effort on a consistent basis. This trade could be a win for everybody.
Update:
The Wolves traded Gorgui Dieng to Memphis for James Johnson while I was writing this article. This is mostly a salary dump, as Dieng is owed $17 million next year. Johnson will also help replace the departed Robert Covington. The Wolves have now traded away 9 players in the past month.
Wow.
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