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The Minnesota Timberwolves executed arguably one of the biggest trades in the offseason as they acquired All-Star center Rudy Gobert. That was a bit surprising from a fan's perspective because there was no inkling that Minnesota was interested to give up the full house for another star big man alongside Karl-Anthony Towns.
Depth will be a definite issue for Minnesota because they traded some of their reliable role players, like Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley. Head coach Chris Finch will have that glaring problem magnified when one of the main guys starts missing a couple of weeks or a month, thus the bench must be bolstered through the movement of these two players from their current roster.
D'Angelo Russell
It was surprising for the Timberwolves to not include the name of D'Angelo Russell in the Rudy Gobert trade as they sacrificed rotational pieces in the deal. The talent and abilities of Russell are exceptional, but it is his inability to thrive in Minnesota's system that has been a question mark for the franchise. The subpar defensive prowess is the obvious weakness that puts Finch in a tough position because Russell was being hunted in pick-and-roll situations numerous times.
D'Angelo Russell was benched in some playoff contests because of his defense and with him on an expiring $31 million deal, it seems unlikely he will stay in Minnesota for the same amount. Russell has a bit of leverage because there is a huge dip from the Timberwolves' backup point guard, but it might be better for the organization to have Anthony Edwards handle the ball more and swing a deal for Russell to add several role players who would fit their culture and style.
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Taurean Prince
In his early years with the Atlanta Hawks, there was some buzz that Taurean Prince could develop into a real asset in the NBA because of his versatility and athleticism. Even if he has not reached an elite level, Prince could still be a seventh or eighth man off the bench, but that could be more plausible in another team. He played 69 games last season, but he only averaged 7.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG.
Taurean Prince has two years remaining on his contract on a tradable level, which makes it easier to move compared to D'Angelo Russell's deal. For instance, Jae Crowder is on the trading block for the Phoenix Suns, so it would be terrific for Crowder to be the veteran in this young squad. He will be able to play at the 3, 4, and 5 positions, especially when teams play small and force Rudy Gobert out of the floor. Crowder is not the only name as there will be a slew of names, including the likes of Grayson Allen or Coby White who will fit in the Timberwolves as well.
The Western Conference is much more rejuvenated this season with the full lineup of the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets back in harness. The likes of the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns are still in the thick of things, and there is the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves who are hoping to creep into the Top 6 of the conference.
Karl Anthony Towns had a tough time manning the paint against bigger squads so adding Rudy Gobert to the roster gives them the chance to replicate the success of the triple towers of the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. Additionally, Anthony Edwards is entering his third season, so it would not be surprising to see an immense leap. To cap it off, a couple of trades to raise the ceiling will be brilliant for Minnesota.
