It’s common knowledge that the Minnesota Timberwolves need to upgrade their point guard room. Even with the emergence of Bones Hyland, it’s fair to expect that if the Wolves make a move ahead of February’s trade deadline, it will involve trading for a point guard. Now, whether that’s a star-level player or simply a high-quality role player remains unclear. However, what’s clear is that trading for PG would benefit Anthony Edwards and shift him back to an off-guard role.
Bobby Marks of ESPN recently listed his trade deadline focus for all 30 teams. For the Wolves, Marks’ focus and question unsurprisingly involved the point guard position.
“Does Minnesota have enough to acquire a starting point guard, or are the Timberwolves content with Anthony Edwards handling lead playmaking duties?” Marks noted.
Anthony Edwards would benefit from the Wolves trading for a PG
Edwards has been the Wolves’ de facto point guard this season with Mike Conley moving to the bench. Per Cleaning the Glass, Edwards has spent a career-high 57 percent of his minutes playing point guard. I consider this lineup to be a point guard by committee approach rather than Ant fully being the point guard. Regardless, in the Wolves’ starting five, Ant has increased responsibilities as a ball handler and is the closest player to a PG.
The Wolves do have an impressive 126.4 offensive rating with Ant at PG. Even still, it’s clear he’d benefit from another ball handler, especially in late-game situations. It’s also worth noting that the Wolves had a better net rating with Ant as an off-guard last year.
Bones Hyland has emerged as a real rotational point guard, but it’s unclear if he will be enough to hold back the team from making a trade for a PG. Hyland will need to prove that this production is sustainable. Even if Hyland continues his impressive play, trading for a point guard would likely be a priority. Frankly, Conley and Rob Dillingham haven’t looked like players you can give significant minutes to.
Edwards is having the best season of his career, averaging 28.7 points on 50/41.6/83.3 shooting splits. He has leveled up as a scorer both at the rim and from the mid-range. In addition to his raw scoring numbers, Edwards ranks in the 96th percentile for points per shot attempt. However, Edwards’ playmaking still leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, Edwards’ 3.8 assists are the lowest mark since his rookie year, and that’s with a 30.8 percent usage rate.
Likewise, Ant ranks in the 12th percentile for assist-to-usage ratio, and he ranks 196th among all guards in assist-to-turnover ratio. It’s clear that Edwards would benefit from playing next to another point guard, especially one who has playmaking and self-creation chops. In a playoff setting, teams will be even more focused on trapping and blitzing Edwards, which could hurt the Wolves’ upside if they don’t shake things up at the deadline.
I wouldn’t be totally shocked if the Timberwolves stand pat at the trade deadline. However, that’s not typically Tim Connelly’s style, and for the Wolves to reach another level, a trade for a point guard is likely necessary. A possible trade for a PG would help everyone on the team, but nobody more than Edwards.
