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Following their win on Nov. 27, the Minnesota Timberwolves were 10-8 and in position for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, an idea that at the start of the season seemed like a stretch at best. Since then, the squad has gone 4-14. Even with that in mind, they remain just a game and a half out of a playoff spot entering play Wednesday. How can they best ensure that they'll be in position to snag a playoff spot over the final three-plus months of the year? Making a splash and trading for a former Hall of Famer in Chris Paul.
Let's start with the obvious: Oklahoma City is reportedly looking to move the 34-year-old Paul, who is owed more than $41 million next season and over $44.2 million in 2021-22. With a young group of guards looking to step into the spotlight, getting out from under the money that they owe Paul seems to be a priority for the front office after having dealt Russell Westbrook to Houston during the summer.
But this won't merely be a salary dump by the Thunder. The Timberwolves have numerous young pieces that could be appealing to the rebuilding Thunder, even as OKC sits ahead of them in the standings. It's unlikely that the No. 6 overall pick in June's NBA Draft, Jarrett Culver, would be available, but names like Josh Okogie and Gorgui Dieng could benefit from a larger role in a new organization.
And of course, as there often seems to be in deals such as these, draft picks would presumably be involved, and already holding a war chest of picks of their own, Oklahoma City could add to its embarrassment of riches and further corner the upcoming market.
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From the perspective of the Timberwolves, they already have two stars locked up on max contracts in Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. While many are clamoring for the team to undergo a full-scale rebuild, that seems like a sharp pivot in a Conference that has suddenly turned into open season following the fall of the Warriors' dynasty. Paul, who is averaging 16.6 points, 6.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds per contest, all while shooting 47 percent from the field overall, is far from over the hill.
With Towns having missed double-digit games this season due to a knee injury, it's hard to judge just what this current Minnesota group can be. But what seems obvious is their consternation as to how to handle the point guard spot. Veteran Jeff Teague has been bumped to the bench in favor of Shabazz Napier, who is only taking over after the combination of Culver and Okogie didn't yield the results that the team had hoped.
By adding the steady hand of Paul — who would presumably feed Towns and Wiggins ad nauseam — the Timberwolves may put themselves in a precarious position salary-wise, but would bring their roster as close to complete as can be with its current construction.
