Good morning y’all, I’m not a T-Wolves fan per se, but you all have become one of my favorite teams to watch in part bc of Ant being my favorite player rn, and I’ve done some work in the northern part of the state as part of my job. I’ve been thinking about ways to make the team better and strengthen up the PG rotation, not only for this season but beyond, as Minnesota Mike is not a spring chicken anymore. I have a few recommendations for the FO to go out and potentially pursue, but wanted to see what you all thought of them and if there were any I missed.
- Jalen Suggs - This would be my choice. Minnesota born and raised, he’s already one of the best perimeter defenders in the Association. A trio of Ant, Jaden and Suggs would unquestionably be the best defensive backcourt in the entire league. All three are monster POA defenders, and having someone like Jaden take on the primary ballhandler on the other team enables Suggs to do what he does better than most in the league IMO, which is being a ball-hawking free safety, disrupting passing lanes. The potential downsides to him is that he’s not necessarily a primary ballhandler, so he wouldn’t be like Mike in that regard. But he does have some playmaking chops, a la Marcus Smart. His 3pt shot isn’t that great, but I think his jumper is better than the numbers would indicate and that he’ll get better. With spacers like Ant, KAT and Jaden, that shouldn’t be a big issue. Like Ant, he’s still 22, so he could grow and develop alongside him and make a very good core. Some folks want him out of Orlando, not bc he isn’t good, but bc he doesn’t compliment Paolo and Franz that well. He’s a much better fit in Minnesota, and I think if the price is right, he should be the primary target, either at the trade deadline or in the offseason.
- Markelle Fultz - Another Magic guard, sure, he hasn’t lived up to the No. 1 overall pick billing, but he’s become a very serviceable lead guard for the Magic. Similar to Suggs, he just doesn’t compliment Orlando’s stars that well, but IMO he’d be a better fit up north. A good defender, albeit not at the level of Jalen. Like Mike, he’d be able to set up everyone on offense and get them in their spots. A little older, but still young enough to pair alongside Ant for years to come.
- Alex Caruso - The Bald Mamba, I think people know about one of the best defenders in the league. All the things I said about Suggs can also be said about Caruso, and he’s just a better player at this stage of his career. He’s pushing 30, so he’s not a long-term fit to me, but I can’t deny that adding Alex would make Minnesota’s No. 1 defense even tougher to play against. If you want a short-term option that has a low-risk, this is the best choice.
- Malcolm Brogdon - My last suggestion. Last year’s 6MOTY has helped Portland look organized since Scoot Henderson’s injury. Compared with everyone else, I think he compliments both the starting and bench units the best, as I do feel like he compliments Kyle and Naz perfectly. His 3pt% is slightly down this year, but he’s always been a floor spacer. Probably the worst defender of this group, not to mention the oldest, but the price for his services should be a bit a lower. Only potential issue with him would be injuries, as he’s unfortunately dealt with them throughout his career.
That’s it, what do you all think? I really want to see this team reach the ceiling I know it has, and each of these guys would make it easier to accomplish those goals.
They could maybe figure something out, but we’re a little stuck because we don’t have much to trade. If we make a move, it seems very likely to need to include KAT. For that big of a price, I want Quickley and picks (plus salary filler). The Magic do have some picks, so I’d consider some kind of Suggs plus picks package. But it’d need to be more than the Knicks would offer since I think Quickley is better, and I honestly don’t see why the Magic would do this deal. KAT doesn’t fill an area of need for them. Maybe a three team deal?