How the Minnesota Timberwolves could add Devin Booker

Now that the Minnesota Timberwolves have found a package for D’Angelo Russell, it’s likely Devin Booker is next. Is there a way Minnesota could make this happen?

The more things change, the more they stay the same. At least, for the Phoenix Suns that is. The Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, actually seem to be getting started on the right path.

After a crazy trade deadline with some serious highs and some serious lows, the Timberwolves were able to make a deal to acquire D’Angelo Russell, just a few months later than they expected.

The price was high for D’Lo–two draft picks and Andrew Wiggins–but the return saw Omari Spellman and Jacob Evans come to Minnesota, so not all was lost in the hunt for Russell.

Minnesota made a calculated decision by trading for Russell. While it might seem like they overpaid at first, the move almost guarantees the security of their franchise centerpiece in Karl-Anthony Towns.

But that wasn’t the only move that the Minnesota Timberwolves made this week, not even close. Minnesota ended up parting ways with some household names for the franchise, such as Robert Covington, Shabazz Napier, and Gorgei Dieng. All of these in the name of clearing up cap space. Clearing up the space for Devin Booker.

The idea of getting Booker, Russell, and Towns to play together isn’t some adrenaline-fueled fantasy courtesy of one of the more exciting trade deadlines in recent memory (well, it isn’t just that), it’s actually a goal that the three young stars have laid out.

In a story in SLAM Magazine towards the beginning of the year, Russell said:

"Y’all got it on footage. When we’re all on the same team—I ain’t gonna tell you which team because I don’t know—we’re gonna do this [be on the cover of SLAM] again."

Since then, both Booker and Towns have backed up the sentiment of wanting to form this super team.

For a while, the assumption was that the three friends would form this trio out in California, most likely as members of the Golden State Warriors. However, then the Warriors traded Russell to Minnesota to join Towns, and every heart rate in Minneapolis quickened just a bit.

Still, acquiring Devin Booker from a still-rebuilding Suns team might be a bigger challenge than expected; especially with the knowledge that the Minnesota Timberwolves already have the other two pieces to making this powerful triumvirate.

The first step would be figuring out what the Suns want. Normally, with a team that’s been rebuilding for this long, they’d be looking for some sort of secondary asset that would solidify a playoff run. But what’s odd with the Suns is that they’d seem to have found that in Ricky Rubio, and yet still have the fifth-worst record in the Western Conference.

In fact, the Suns haven’t had a record in the top-10 in the West since the 2014-15 season.

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So what is it that Phoenix wants? Well, probably picks; which is odd, considering that seems to be all Phoenix has had over the last few years. In fact, the Suns’ highest first-round pick hasn’t been outside of the top-10 since 2015. That pick: Devin Booker. Since then, they’ve used their highest pick on Dragan Bender (4th overall in 2016), Josh Jackson (4th overall in 2017), DeAndre Ayton (1st overall in 2018), and Jarrett Culver (6th overall in 2019, later sent to Minnesota).

Looking forward, the Suns were hoping to have multiple first-round picks this summer, but that plan looks to be out the window as they traded away their second first-round pick to the Boston Celtics for two players who aren’t currently able to play. If Minnesota is looking to lure the Suns into trading Booker, a pick or two would be the way to go.

However, a draft pick isn’t going to be nearly enough to get an All-Star like Booker. The Timberwolves will have to also provide the Suns with a few players; either ones who are already set to take his place at the head of the team, or young players with the potential to be there.

Right, so no more beating around the bush, here’s what I’m suggesting. The Timberwolves give Allen Crabbe, Jarrett Culver, Evan Turner, and Omari Spellman for the Suns Devin Booker, Frank Kaminsky, and Jevon Carter.

Include in this trade Minnesota’s 2020 first pick, which is almost sure to be in the top-7 along with the Sun’s, and their 2022 second-round pick, and you have a package that might be hard for Phoenix to say no to.