On the eve of Thursday’s 2pm CT NBA trade deadline, the Minnesota Timberwolves are still chasing Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they’ve also taken a turn for the worse at point guard after shipping Mike Conley to the Chicago Bulls to offload $10.7 million.
Conley was then traded from the Bulls to the Charlotte Hornets, where he immediately became a buyout candidate. If he is bought out, the Timberwolves could re-sign him.
However, Conley’s performance this season has been well below his career average, and Minnesota needed point guard help even with him on the roster, so I’m not going to include him on the list of point guards that would make the most sense for the Timberwolves before the trade deadline. So let’s move on to the list…
1. Chris Paul
Paul will reportedly be traded to the Raptors and acquired in order to become a free agent. The Timberwolves are title contenders. They need a point guard. Paul has never won a title. Paul is a point guard. You see how this works? Paul hasn’t played since Dec. 1, so he’s likely fresh, healthy, and ready for the stretch run. It might be a perfect fit.
If the Timberwolves can’t acquire young legs like the players on this list, it makes too much sense to have to trade anything for a veteran floor general.
2. Ja Morant
There would be some risk for the Timberwolves to trade Morant, but there would also be a lot of potential reward. If he can change his tune and get his career back on track, the combination of Morant, Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid would give Minnesota an incredible core of players in their mid-20s.
Morant’s cost appears to be coming down as the Grizzlies rebuild, so Minnesota may not have to part with the farm to acquire him.
3. Kyrie Irving
Irving hasn’t played since tearing his ACL in early March of last year. He will turn 34 in March of this year, and he may be back on the court around then. His acquisition would come with some risk, but there would also be a lot of upside. Irving’s ability to handle the ball and play off the ball could make him an ideal backcourt partner for Anthony Edwards, just as he fit alongside Luka Doncic in Dallas.
As with Morant, there is some speculation that Irving’s price may be outrageous now that Anthony Davis has been traded to the Wizards and the Mavericks are clearly rebuilding around Cooper Flagg.
4. Tyce Jones
According to Jon Krausinke, Minnesota has shown some interest in Tyus, and he could be an ideal backup point guard to partner with Bones Hyland off the bench. The question is how much is left in the tank. He struggled in turmoil in Phoenix last season, but took a backseat in Orlando, averaging just 16 minutes per game.
He came cheap and may just need to be on a team that gives him consistent playing time to get back to the player he was just two seasons ago, when he averaged 10 points, over 5 assists and shot 41% from 3-point range.
5. Lonzo Ball
Ball, who was traded from Cleveland to Utah on Wednesday, will also reportedly be acquired to become a free agent. The former No. 2 overall pick has been underperforming this season, averaging 4.6 points, 3.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 21 minutes per game. His shot could be permanently broken as he shoots 30.1% overall and 27.2% from three.
He’s not the best option, but he would provide depth, ball-handling and some defense to Minnesota’s bench at a cheap price.