After a disappointing stretch that includes the second double-digit losing streak of the season, the Timberwolves front office has decided it was time for a shake up of the roster.
The speculation over the last few days was that Robert Covington would be the Timberwolves' biggest trade prospect and that turned out to be true. The deal, which also saw the Wolves move big men Noah Vonleh and Jordan Bell, forward Keita Bates-Diop and guard Shabazz Napier, is part of a complicated four-team trade involving the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and the Atlanta Hawks.
Bates-Diop, Napier and Vonleh all end up in Denver, while Houston gets Covington, who came to the Wolves as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. And was widely known to be the best friend on the team of Karl-Anthony Towns.
So, what did the Wolves receive, and what should we expect from the new roster?
The first thing to look at is a lottery-protected first roud pick from Atlanta, a pick the Hawks got in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Lottery-protected meaning the Hawks keep the pick if it falls in the top 14, and the traded pick moves to the next year. Currently, the Nets are in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, meaning the Wolves would keep that pick in the 2020 Draft. That's if the Wolves keep the pick, which may not be the case if they're looking to make more moves.
Also coming to Minnesota are guard Evan Turner, guard Malik Beasley, forward Jarred Vanderbilt and forward Juan Hernangomez.
They gained some cap-flexibility which GM allows Gersson Rosas space to build a roster more suited to this team's style of play. Beasley, Turner and Hernangomez are all on expiring contracts which gives them a ton of money to play with in the offseason. They've shed a lot of money in this deal (Covington had two years and $25 million left, Turner is making $18.6 million this season).
The move really indicates that the Wolves will still be looking for another major piece, either before the trade deadline Thursday, or perhaps targeting high-level free agents.
There's been no secret the Wolves have coveted another Towns buddy, D'Angelo Russell who it appears Golden State will hang onto through the season at this point. The Wolves tried and failed to get him to Minny this past offseason. The rumors in NBA-world were that the Wolves hoped to flip these assests, including the extra pick they received in this trade, to Golden State in return for the PG. So far, Golden State has rejected all offers.
Here's a quick sketch of the players the Wolves did add, should the team keep them through the season and not make another trade.
Malik Beasley- He's the best player the Wolves got in the trade. He was a 2016 1st Round pick, had a really good 2018-19 season before dropping in production this year. Not a great defensive player, he is capable of scoring in bunches. Beasley is a really good spot-up shooter on 3-point shots according to Dane Moore of Zone Coverage, who joined Henry Lake last night to discuss the potential trades (see article here for a further breakdown).
Juancho Hernangomez- Another 2016 1st Round pick, Hernangomez is a bench guy who played about 10 minutes a game in Denver, scoring 3 points a game with 2.5 rebounds.
Jarred Vanderbilt- Rarely used 6'9" forward out of Kentucky. He's only played in 8 games for the Nuggets so far this season. A young player we don't know much about at this point.