The Minnesota Timberwolves have not found the kind of success that they were expecting this NBA season. After making the playoffs last season, they made a huge splash by acquiring Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz in the off-season to shore up their interior. The Timberwolves paid a premium price and are now performing at a lower level than they were last season.
Minnesota is currently 20-21 and is in the Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference. After winning in the first round of the tournament last year, Minnesota certainly thought they were good enough to compete for a top-six seed, but that has not been the case.
The injury to Karl-Anthony Towns certainly hurts, as he is a big part of their game plan. The team traded away a lot of glue guys and rotation pieces to land Gobert, and their performance has been showing.
This roster is lacking in some areas due to the deal. They seem to feel the impact of not having a veteran such as Patrick Beverley in the mix anymore, as he was part of the package to land Gobert.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mike Conley, Utah Jazz & Minnesota Timberwolves Updates
Brian Windhorst of ESPN believes that Mike Conley of the Jazz would be a perfect fit for Minnesota. He discussed it during a recent episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast.
“I said that the [Minnesota] Timberwolves could use a guy like Mike Conley,” NBA insider Brian Windhorst reported. “… It doesn’t appear Mike Conley is available, at least right now.”
That is certainly something that could change in the coming weeks. After a hot start to the season, Utah has begun coming back down to Earth as they are now holding onto the 11th spot in the Western Conference. But, their eye is still on the future, so if interest in Conley picks up ahead of the trade deadline, they could pull the trigger on a deal.
Conley is having a tough shooting season for the Jazz, averaging his fewest points per game since his rookie season and producing the worst shooting percentage of his career. But, he is still more than capable of running the offense and being a floor leader, averaging a career-high 7.6 assists per game and providing capable defense at the point of attack.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Mike Conley, Utah Jazz & Minnesota Timberwolves Updates
Those are things that the Timberwolves could use more of. After making that blockbuster trade in the offseason, these two front offices are familiar with each other and could come together on another deal in the next few weeks.
