Tyus Jones. Bones Hyland. Alec Burks. Delon Wright. Bogdan Bogdanovic. Royce O’Neale. Malcolm Brogdon. So many guards, so many rumors and only a few more days before the NBA trade deadline strikes.
When the clock strikes 3 p.m. CT Thursday, time will be up and trades can no longer be made. Minnesota is among the teams to watch as numerous reports have linked them to guards around the league who could upgrade the team’s depth and scoring.
What’s the latest? Here’s a rundown from the rumor mill…
“We know some areas we think we can improve upon. There’s some guys we have our eyes on but I think we tend to try to be kind of proactive and if we have those conversations, it’s with having to deal in mind and we have not found a lot of partners,” Timberwolves boss Tim Connelly said Friday in a radio interview.
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer and Hoops Hype’s Michael Sciotto, the Wolves have shown interest in Washington’s Tyus Jones, Bones Hyland of the Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit’s Monte Morris.
But a report from The Athletic on Monday suggests that Detroit could be more interested in keeping Morris and that there isn’t a rush to trade Burks.
Fischer reported Friday that Minnesota is “active in the reserve point guard market.”
Hyland was linked to Minnesota before last year’s trade deadline. Connelly drafted him in Denver and the 23-year-old fits the profile of a scoring weapon off the bench. Not only that but he has the length that would fit well in Minnesota. He’s 6-foot-3 and has a wingspan of 8-foot-5
Sciotto, meanwhile, said Monday that the Wolves have interest in Washington’s Delon Wright and Detroit’s Alec Burks.
Another name to watch: Atlanta’s Bogdan Bogdanovic, who according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints “has drawn attention from the Minnesota Timberwolves in recent weeks.”
Also worth monitoring is Doug McDermott. The San Antonio 3-point specialist is a player that KSTP-TV’s Darren Wolfson recently described as someone the Wolves “really like” as a potential if he hits the buyout market.
The buyout market is where ESPN’s Brian Windhorst thinks Minnesota could be more active: “Minnesota may be more involved in the buyout market with an open roster spot and about $2 million in room below tax,” Windhorst wrote last week.
This one isn’t a report, but ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that Kings backup guard Davion Mitchell, who is a former top-10 pick, is a trade idea he’d like to see the Wolves explore.
Malcolm Brogdon, 31, could be on the move even though NBA insider Marc Stein reported in his newsletter Monday that Brogdon has lobbied to remain in Portland. But in late January a report from Sam Amico of Hoops Hype suggested that Minnesota is among the teams that has expressed interest in Brogdon.
That’s the gist of the rumors 72 hours before the trade deadline.
