The Minnesota Timberwolves are mired in the Western Conference Play-In battle, currently occupying the No. 7 seed with a 20-17 record. The load on Anthony Edwards is increasing to an unsustainable degree, as the 23-year-old star is becoming the central focus of opposing defenses. Julius Randle is coming into form, showing this team might still have a competitive core that needs to be adjusted.
Point guard Mike Conley has been a terrific veteran for the franchise but his name-value isn’t living up to his on-court production anymore. The team needs an upgrade from Conley at point guard, something they can do in a trade with the Utah Jazz, and acquire a younger guard with a potentially higher ceiling.
Trade Details
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Collin Sexton ($18.3 million), Patty Mills ($2.0 million)
Utah Jazz Receive: Mike Conley ($9.9 million), Donte DiVincenzo ($11.4 million), 2025 Second-Round Pick (UTA), 2026 Second-Round Pick (DEN/PHI)
This deal sends Conley back to the Jazz as the Timberwolves add a solid upgrade in Collin Sexton. It also moves on from the misfiring Donte DiVincenzo, bringing the Wolves a combo guard who can take a lot of pressure off Edwards in the backcourt. The Jazz get a veteran leader and their second-round pick for this season back.
The Timberwolves Add A Dynamic Guard With A Future Outlook
The Timberwolves already made a huge future bet when they traded up to No. 8 in the 2024 Draft for Rob Dillingham. Unfortunately, Dillingham is simply not ready to be a reliable guard as a rookie for a contending Wolves franchise. They need more productive point guard play instead of the minimal production they’ve gotten from their players in that position this season.
Collin Sexton is averaging 18.0 points and 3.9 assists this season for the Jazz. He’s shining on a tanking team, taking a step forward with his efficiency and improving defensive skills. He’s a competent two-way guard who can be a high-scorer on a competitive team. The Wolves have a defined role for him with solid opportunity, at least until they feel Dillingham is ready to step into the starting lineup.
Conley is 37 years old. He won’t be a productive starting point guard for more seasons, with this year itself looking like a challenge for him. The Wolves don’t have the assets to ignore his regression, as they need to use his positive value to land any real upgrades during this trade season.
The Jazz Go Deeper Into The Tank With Solid Moves
This deal is beneficial to the Jazz for multiple reasons. The acquisition of Donte DiVincenzo would be a great asset move for Danny Ainge’s front office, as the 27-year-old guard could be moved to another team for additional assets. He’s averaging 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in a down year, but contending teams will also remember the 40% shooter he was last season on the New York Knicks.
Mike Conley is averaging 8.1 points and 4.3 assists this season. He can see out his contract as a veteran leader on the rebuilding Jazz. He was raising their floor too much the last time they moved on from him, so this deal could make more sense now that he’s on a smaller contract and less productive on the court.
The second-round pick they get back from the Timberwolves can wind up being extremely valuable for a pick of its kind, with the Jazz on-pace to finish as a bottom-three team in the NBA. If that happens, this second-round pick is guaranteed to fall in the early 30s, where teams can find valuable players on better contracts as second-round selections.
Find A Way To Keep Improving
The Timberwolves are one of the worst-affected teams under the NBA’s new salary apron trading rules. The team is under multiple restrictions due to their inflated salary bill despite moving off Karl-Anthony Towns‘ supermax contract in the summer. They can’t acquire any more salary in a trade than they send out and they need to match the player count as well.
In addition, the Timberwolves still don’t control most of their future picks, so the asset-strapped franchise needs to use Conley’s value as a well-respected NBA veteran to make a deal happen. But this materially improves the Wolves on the court and gives them a third-scoring option behind Edwards and Randle.
The Jazz get back more avenues to get future assets while adding a locker room leader who’ll lead young guards like Keyontae George on the right path as he finds his way in the NBA as a potential star.
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