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Timberwolves NOT Seeking Blockbuster Trade, Especially for Trae Young
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- Timberwolves NOT Seeking Blockbuster Trade, Especially for Trae Young
For months, the Minnesota Timberwolves — currently the 6th-seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket at 24-13 — have been reported as having interest in just about every star-caliber player who has come available across the NBA.
From Giannis to Kyrie and even Ja Morant , if a superstar talent has been rumored to be available of late, the Wolves have been one of the teams listed with interest.
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Per usual, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly seems pretty flexible in his search to acquire more talent. But for the most part, he and his front office have reportedly been most interested in finding a great point guard to pair with with Anthony Edwards .
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Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Beyond the aforementioned Irving and Morant whispers, Minnesota has also been connected to standout guards Darius Garland (Cavs) and Koby White (Bulls) .
Then this week, another guard was added to the Wolves' rumor pile when they were mentioned as one of the teams showing interest in Atlanta Hawks star point guard, Trae Young , who is working with the Hawks to get out the ATL.
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Stein: MN Timberwolves have shown no interest in Trae Young
But are the MN Timberwolves really interested in the one-time University of Oklahoma superstar? Well, not if you ask one of the NBA's most trusted insiders, Marc Stein .
In his latest substack , Stein reports that the Minnesota Timberwolves have shown no interest in Young — an 8-year league veteran. the longtime NBA insider believes could eventually land in Washington with the Wizards .
According to Stein — who believes the most likely landing spot for the 27-year-old ball-dominant guard is Washington — writes that any previously reported Wolves interest in Trae Young was manufactured by his agency. which has been "suggesting Minnesota and Brooklyn as two attractive potential destinations".
I'm told that Young's camp has suggested Minnesota and Brooklyn, from their side, as two attractive potential destinations.
Yet I'm also told that neither the Timberwolves nor the Nets are in pursuit.
For all the leaguewide discussion about the Timberwolves' search for more playmaking, they would face similar issues in a theoretical Young trade as Milwaukee. How many key players would the Wolves have to sacrifice to match Young's salary? Answer: Too many.
Trae Young has played in only ten games this year for the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 19. points and 8.9 assists per game — both down from his career averages. Young was in the lineup for Atlanta's first five games of the season, until he suffered a sprained MCL on October 29 against the Brooklyn Nets .
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Young shouldn't feel bad that the MN Timberwolves are not interested in his services. Because Stein didn't stop with Connelly's lack of interest in the former University of Oklahoma superstar.
Wolves no longer searching for superstar help at trade deadline
According to the NBA insider, Minnesota is no longer interested in trading for a superstar at all, especially before the February trade deadline — not at point guard or any other position. Why not? Because it would kill all the depth they gained in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.
Instead, the Wolves' front office is in search of moves that can improve the fringes of their rotation. Specifically, Connelly is hunting for a guard whose being paid around $15 million combined, which would allow Minnesota to match salaries by packaging Mike Conley and Rob Dillingham in return.
I've been told pretty emphatically this week that Minnesota is not only uninvolved on the Young front but also isn't chasing any high-priced guards.
It sounds as if the Wolves, should they make a move to enhance their backcourt, are much more focused on adding a mid-tier-salaried player at the position. They can easily combine Mike Conley Jr.'s $10.7 million expiring contract and second-year guard Rob Dillingham's $6.5 million to absorb incoming salary in the mid-level-exception range and could conceivably add a few more end-of-roster players if they need to go a little higher.
Related: Former Timberwolves Owner Pushes Blame Back on KG
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With Trae Young in the lineup, the Atlanta Hawks are 2-8 this season with him averaging . When he is out of the lineup, they are 15-13. After suffering his injury, Atlanta rose to one of the hottest surprise teams in the league. At one point, they built their record all the way up to 13-8.
Unfortunately, when Young returned on December 18 , the Hawks went on an immediate six-game losing streak. And now, Trae is no longer taking the floor for Atlanta. In fact, he has not dressed since December 27.
Trae Young has 245 more THREES and almost 1K (971) more ASSISTS than any other player in franchise history!
2nd player to ever lead the NBA in total points and total assists. Only Harden and LeBron have more career games with 30+ PTS & 10+ AST pic.twitter.com/QfkqmE31al— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) January 5, 2026
Minnesota Timberwolves looking to move on from Rob Dillingham
Stein added that the Minnesota Timberwolves are indeed welcome to moving on from second-year guard and former No. 8 overall pick, Rob Dillingham — a clear sign that they very much regret moving into the top of the first 2024 first round to select the talented Kentucky freshman who just turned 21 years old on Monday.
I have heard, by the way, that parting with Dillingham is indeed on the table. The Wolves were certainly aggressive in acquiring the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to select Dillingham, but he simply hasn't been able to fill Minnesota's playmaking needs as quickly as hoped and could well benefit from a change of scenery.
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