Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Trade Deadline 2015 Preview
Feb 8, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard
Mo Williams(25) looks to pass the ball as Detroit Pistons guard
D.J. Augustin(14) defends during the first quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
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It was very unlikely that the Minnesota Timberwolves were going to be able to make it to the playoffs in the stacked Western Conference after trading away their franchise player, no matter how good the return on the trade was. I firmly believe the Andrew Wiggins package is as well as you could ever hope for the haul from Kevin Love so I am happy it happened. That said, moving Love and the combination of injuries suffered the first half of the year killed this season before it got off of the ground. Now that the guys are back there is plenty of time for learning and gelling but it is certainly time to look to the future from a roster stand point.
Mo Williams and Thad Young were both brought to the Timberwolves this past off-season to bolster a roster to bring it up to a fringe playoff contender, however remote their postseason chances may have been. Now that the playoffs are a long-ago impossibility, will the Wolves likely move on from one or both at the trade deadline?
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It certainly is a possibility. After all, the team is building towards the future. Although Williams and Young have played better now that the rest of the veteran core has returned, neither seems to be a long-term fit for the franchise. To that end, it does make sense that Flip Saunders may try to move one or both players in order to secure some assets for the coming years. The obvious questions will surround the other interested parties as well as what the Wolves can get in return.
If I had to guess, Williams is the most likely to go. I feel like the return would be modest but he surely would have value to some of the contenders this season. Young certainly could be moved but he was acquired for a first round pick and the return would probably be less, so moving him would be a difficult pill to swallow for Saunders. Still, it is a possibility, one that James Herbert of CBS Sports thinks could happen.
Keep checking Sporting Sota for updates and rumors leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline on Thursday, February 19. If you have any moves you would like the Wolves to make, share them in the comments. In the meantime, enjoy Ricky Rubio, Andrew Wiggins and what’s left of the season.