Minnesota Timberwolves Evaluate Roster Assets Amid Draft Capital Shortage
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With nearly all first-round picks gone, the Timberwolves possess a mix of veteran salaries and young talent as potential trade chips.
As Sports Illustrated first reported, the Minnesota Timberwolves have largely exhausted their draft capital, having traded every available first-round pick and retaining only one top-50 protected second-round pick.
Despite the lack of picks, Sports Illustrated identifies several players who could serve as trade assets. Guard Josh Green is highlighted as a primary candidate, particularly if the team seeks frontcourt depth. Green earns $14.7 million this season, and trading him would provide the financial flexibility necessary for Minnesota to avoid their second-apron hard cap. Additionally, guard Terrence Shannon Jr. is noted as a potential addition to a deal involving Green to attract a more established player, as Shannon Jr.'s on-ball role may diminish following the acquisition of LaMelo Ball.
Other assets include guard Donte DiVincenzo, whose $12.5 million contract could be used to acquire a player the team cannot afford on the open market, though Sports Illustrated reports the team currently views him as a core player. The outlet also notes that while 20-year-old Joan Beringer is viewed as a high-upside core piece, he would likely possess the most trade value among the team's young players, despite a trade being deemed implausible by the publication. Finally, center Rudy Gobert is listed as a top asset, though the report states the team is almost certainly not trading him given his role in their short-term success.