The Minnesota Timberwolves have a massive decision to make before the NBA Draft on November 18th. If they keep the No. 1 pick, there’s no clear consensus for the selection, but if they decide to trade it, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to the player they’d get back. On the daily Locked On Wolves Podcast, host Ben Beecken explains why Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls would be a great trade partner with the Timberwolves, and why he ultimately might not want them to trade for LaVine.
Ben Beecken: The Wolves could probably get a trade done to acquire Zach LaVine. He does a lot of the same stuff as Malik Beasley. He’s got a quick release, he’s athletic, he's great in transition, he's a really good transition three-point shooter, and he gets to the rim a little bit better and more often than Beasley.
He's also longer and at least has a bigger wingspan, and a little bit overall quicker on defense than Beasley in terms of getting into passing lanes and things like that. But he still isn't a good defender and that's what's keeping him from being a superstar in this league, and really even getting to star level.
The Wolves' calculus may tell them that they'd rather have Malik Beasley for, call it, $14 million in restricted free agency this summer than Zack LaVine at $19.5 million each of the next two years. Would you rather have Zack LaVine at $19.5 million or Malik Beasley at $13.5 or $14 million?
Yes, LaVine’s a little bit more dynamic, but he also needs the ball in his hands more. Even though he plays off the ball, he runs a lot of offense for the Bulls. He had a usage rate of over 31% last year. The Wolves aren't going to want him to have the ball in his hands more often than Karl-Anthony Towns or D’Angelo Russell on the perimeter, and I think putting LaVine next to Russell is every bit as bad, if not worse, than Malik Beasley.
So, I'd rather spend about $6 million less to keep Beasley. I think I'd rather have Beasley at at his cost than what LaVine is ultimately going to cost.
Follow Us
Subscribe