Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 players most likely to be traded in 2018-19

2. Andrew Wiggins

The centerpiece of the Kevin Love trade begins his massive five-year max extension this year, and after another year of defensive inconsistency combined with reported personality clashes with Jimmy Butler (per Sean Deveney of Sporting News), Andrew Wiggins no longer looks like a franchise cornerstone.

Still just 23 years old, Wiggins has lost most of the fanfare that he entered the league with due to his lack of progress, and many questioned the Wolves’ decision to ink him to a max extension last October.

With Thibodeau’s unbalanced 2017-18 roster, Wiggins slipped into bad habits on offense, often developing tunnel vision when it was his “turn” to get the ball. He posted just 2.0 assists per game and an 8.2 assist percentage (both career lows) despite playing 36.3 minutes per game.

Combined with his defensive failings and his incessant desire to jack up long 2s, it is no wonder Deveney noted Jimmy Butler and Thibodeau were frustrated with Wiggins’ “work ethic and … approach on the defensive end of the floor.”

To make matters worse, Darren Wolfson reported in March that Wiggins was unsatisfied with his role as the team’s third option.

Now Minnesota is left to decide who to cater to: Wiggins, under contract for five years, or Butler, a far superior player but a flight risk next summer.

Finding a deal for Wiggins’s $25 million salary won’t be easy—and the return the Wolves expect will vary wildly from what teams trading for him will offer, as they’ll likely view the deal largely through the lens of future salary relief for Minnesota—but it’s something the franchise should and will seriously explore.