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The Minnesota Timberwolves were aggressive in their pursuit of Kevin Durant, but the Phoenix Suns instead traded Durant to the Houston Rockets in a never-before-seen seven-team trade. The Timberwolves, who have lost in the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons, are clearly looking for a superstar who can get them over the hump, and LeBron James has been a part of trade rumors recently.
After picking up his player option, James made it known through the voice of his agent that changes need to happen. Rich Paul said, “We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
Some took that quote as a James trade request, and others viewed it as the all-time great putting pressure on his Los Angeles Lakers to be aggressive in free agency. So far, that aggression hasn't really come to fruition, as the team's only move of note was signing Deandre Ayton. So could the Lakers trade James to the Timberwolves?
Timberwolves' trade proposal for LeBron James
Timberwolves receive: LeBron James, Bronny James
Lakers receive: Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, Terrance Shannon Jr.
The Ayton signing was a step in the right direction for the Lakers. They desperately needed center help coming into the offseason, and the former first overall pick was arguably the best option on the open market after the Portland Trail Blazers bought him out. Even so, his fit alongside James and Luka Doncic isn't perfect, and the team could still use more depth at the position.
After all, Doncic, who is the new long-term face of the franchise, most thrives facilitating to teammates. It would be best to have another big who can catch lobs from the Slovenian.
It would also be nice for the Lakers to have more defensive help. They lost arguably their best point-of-attack defender in Dorian Finney-Smith this offseason, and Doncic's lack of perimeter defensive prowess means that it would be best to have an elite rim protector cleaning up his mess in the painted area.
Therefore, acquiring Rudy Gobert could make sense for the Lakers, even after adding Ayton. After all, Ayton played on a team with fellow centers Donovan Clingan, Duop Reath, and Robert Williams, all needing minutes at the five last season.
Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best defensive players in NBA history. Furthermore, the Lakers could use an influx of wing depth and youth.
Donte DiVincenzo is one of the best 3-point shooting wings in the NBA, and Terrance Shannon Jr. thrived late during his rookie season this past year. The Lakers likely wouldn't trade James unless he wanted out of town, but if he did, netting all three of those players for a 40-year-old would be pretty great value.
Would the Timberwolves trade for LeBron James?
James likely only has a year or two left before retirement, but he is one of the best players in NBA history and has been to 10 NBA Finals. He is certainly the piece who could get the Timberwolves to the next level after back-to-back Western Conference Finals losses.
The all-time leader in scoring would form a dynamic duo alongside Anthony Edwards. With limited point-guard play on the roster outside of the aging Mike Conley, James' playmaking prowess could really help the team.
The Timberwolves have little draft capital, but they don't even have to part with picks in this deal. The team has seemingly already been gearing up to move on from Gobert. In fact, he was rumored to be a centerpiece in Minnesota's trade proposals for Durant.
The Timberwolves re-signed Naz Reid and Julius Randle, both of whom can play minutes at the five. They also walked away from draft night with two centers in Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky.
Furthermore, the Timberwolves are tied to Gobert for three more seasons on what is one of the worst contracts in the NBA. Getting off that deal in and of itself would be a plus for the Timberwolves.
Trading for a 40-year-old is a risky proposition, but it would be worth it for the Timberwolves. Not only would James provide something on the court that the team needs, but the publicity that he brings could be beneficial to a small-market team like the Timberwolves, who haven't gotten much respect over the years despite making deep playoff runs recently.
