Despite their top two players having stellar season, the Minnesota Timberwolves need to add something else.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are having another underwhelming year. They are 12th in the Western Conference and don’t appear to be going anywhere near the playoffs, even if Minnesota is only two games behind the Sacramento Kings for the eighth spot.
This is despite Karl-Anthony Towns averaging 26.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals. He is shooting the ball at an incredible 51.4/41.8/79.6.
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Andrew Wiggins is also having a career year, averaging 24.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game. His shooting percentages are not as good as Towns, but they are respectable at 44.6/32.6/74.8.
The Timberwolves were prominently in the playoff picture for most of the first month of the season. Then they lost 11 straight and 12 of their last 14. But at least they have an incredibly difficult January.
As a result, the Timberwolves are open to trading either one of Jeff Teague or Robert Covington, or both if the price is right, according to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus. They need to get back to relevance or they risk losing either Towns or Wiggins through a frustrated trade demand.
Teague, who is now leading the second unit is on starter’s money at $19 million this season. It is the final year of his contract and could be traded along with a draft pick to sweeten the deal to a team looking to free up salary cap space for next season.
Covington is also an easier contract to move. He is a 3-and-D player who was born for the role. He will help any contender and is only on $11 million this season, $12 million next season and $13 million in the final year of his contract.
Most contenders would be happy to take the risk on this contract if it gave them the edge for this season. This is the most wide open the NBA has been in a long time and all 16 playoff teams will believe that they are a chance, so there will be no shortage of suitors.
Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas has expressed a desire for a long-term solution at the point guard position. This is surely where he will be directing the trade negotiations. However, there could be a number of issues with this.
There have been discussions around the league the Timberwolves might try and get Chris Paul. It is hard to see this panning out as to get the Oklahoma City Thunder star they would have to trade four players, including Teague and Covington, due to Paul’s contract. This would be too much for the Timberwolves.
The problem is the Timberwolves are over the salary cap and too close to the luxury tax threshold. Therefore, Minnesota would have to take back similar money in any trade (within 125 percent more than or less than the salaries going out).
For example, if they made an offer of Teague for Dennis Smith Jr. of the New York Knicks, with a $4.4 million salary coming back, Minnesota would have to take back at least another $10.8 million in order for the deal to be in compliance with the salary cap.
Trading Covington might be a little easier to move, with $8 million less this season than Teague on his deal, but the additional two seasons he has remaining will mean they would have to take at least one bad contract back. None of this helps their current situation.
Things actually get worse for the Minnesota Timberwolves next season.
They have seven players on their 2020-21 cap sheet with guaranteed deals (Covington along with Wiggins, Towns, Gorgui Dieng, Jarrett Culver, Jake Layman and Josh Okogie) totaling roughly $100.95 million, per Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights.
Based on projections of a $116 million cap next season, that would leave Minnesota just a little more than $15 million to fill eight roster spots. They are going to have to make multiple moves to become relevant again.