With the NBA trade deadline slated for 2 p.m. on Feb. 8, it's not too early to think about what moves contenders can make to try and push themselves over the top.
The Timberwolves are currently in first place in the Western Conference and are in the mix of teams that could make an NBA Finals push. But what move would make sense for a team that hasn't even lost double-digit games this season?
Perhaps a reunion with point guard Tyus Jones.
There have been multiple reports that Jones — as well as Washington Wizards teammate Kyle Kuzma — is a player the Wizards are willing to part with at the trade deadline. Washington is in the midst of a trying season, just 6-27 through 33 games, and Jones is on an expiring contract. The Wizards could look to trade him and retool rather than lose him for nothing in free agency.
Jones, 27, has been one of few bright spots for the Wizards, averaging career highs in points (12.5), assists (5.4) and rebounds (3.0) while matching his career-high average in steals (1.2). He’s started all 33 games for Washington so far.
A reunion with Jones appears to make sense for Minnesota. Until Jordan McLaughlin recently forced his way into more minutes, the Wolves didn’t have a true point guard to rotate in with Mike Conley in their nine-man rotation. Some of Jones’ biggest strengths are his decision-making and ability to take care of the basketball — he averages just 0.8 turnovers in 27.7 minutes per game — traits that haven't been a strong suit of the Timberwolves this season.
The Wolves will also eventually need a successor to Conley, 36, and don’t currently appear to have one on the roster. Jones has shown the ability to handle a starting role.
But what would it take to trade for Jones? And what would it mean for McLaughlin’s newfound role in the Timberwolves’ rotation? The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski discussed the possibility of the Wolves acquiring Jones on the most recent episode of his podcast, The Jon Krawczynski Show, on Talk North.
“The thing that makes it challenging to try and go get a Tyus Jones is that the money that he makes you would think might require putting Kyle Anderson into a deal, or multiple — maybe it’s Wendell Moore, Shake Milton and several others in a 3-for-1 type of a deal, and those situations are sometimes challenging,” Krawczynski said on the podcast. “If the Wizards are going to look for a surefire first-round pick for him, that might be tough for the Timberwolves to come up with as well. So, getting to a deal that makes sense and works for both the Wolves and for the Wizards to get Tyus Jones here is not easy.”
So, if the Wolves were to trade for Jones, they may have to get creative. In terms of what acquiring another point guard might mean for McLaughlin’s role, Krawczynski speculates that the Wolves like McLaughlin but might not love McLaughlin and could be looking for an upgrade.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has used McLaughlin sparingly until recently, essentially saving McLaughlin for when the team is in need of a spark. But McLaughlin has had such a positive impact in limited minutes — he provided a huge spark for Minnesota in Monday’s loss at the New York Knicks — that Finch has said that he’s earning more consistent minutes in the rotation.
McLaughlin was subbed in during the first quarter and played 17 minutes in the Timberwolves’ 117-106 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
But the question remains whether McLaughlin will continue to garner consistent minutes for the Wolves. If not, they could certainly use a backup point guard who can take on those consistent minutes and provide a reprieve for Conley.
Jones certainly fits that bill. Time will tell if a reunion with the Wolves is in his future.
More must-reads: