2021 NBA Trade Deadline: 10 predictions of what will happen

Prediction No. 5: Minnesota flips Malik Beasley for a PF

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in desperate need of a power forward. The thought that their rotation consists of Jarred Vanderbilt, Juan Hernangomez and Ed Davis is enough to give a grown man goosebumps.

Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for the Wolves so far in 2020-21. They are sitting on the ocean floor of the league’s standings, having won just seven of their opening 36 games this season.

A total of 13 months have passed since D’Angelo Russell was moved to the Timberwolves in a move that paired him up with his buddy, Karl-Anthony Towns. Since then, the duo has played just five games together, missing the majority of the games due to injuries.

Luckily for the Timberwolves, they are heavily packed on guards and small forwards. As a result, they could trade one or more of these pieces to acquire a solid power forward. Let’s meet Malik Beasley, Minnesota’s most appealing trade piece not named Russell or Towns.

Beasley is having the best season of his short career so far, averaging 20.5 points per game while shooting 40.6 percent from 3-point range. He has turned out to be a very reliable scoring option, though his talents may be superfluous once Russell is back from his injury.

By taking a look at some of the young power forwards that are on the trade block, the best-case scenarios that come to mind are John Collins and Aaron Gordon. There isn’t a single doubt that Beasley would suffice for Minnesota to fetch either of these two young power forwards.