As the Minnesota Timberwolves continue to struggle in the 2019-20 season, rumors aren’t just swirling around the face of the franchise, Karl-Anthony Towns, but also around former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins . If the Timberwolves are forced to trade Towns and undergo another rebuilding process, most people also see the wingman being moved before the February trade deadline. According to Dallin Duffy of Fansided ‘s Soaring Down South , one of the teams who could potentially express a strong interest in acquiring Wiggins is the Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta currently has one of the most promising rosters in the league, with Trae Young leading the way. However, despite his explosive performance almost every night, the Hawks aren’t, in any way, considered as a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. So far, they own the worst record in the 2019-20 NBA season with eight wins and 32 losses.
If they want to change the narrative, the Hawks should make it a priority to surround Young with quality players. Though he’s still far from fulfilling his potential as a legitimate superstar, Duffy believes that Wiggins would be an incredible addition and would perfectly complement Young and John Collins.
“Wiggins is just 24, and while he may never get that breakout season, is still a better defender than most players on the Hawks currently. He has a decent stroke from deep (33% career from three), and could work well alongside Trae and JC as a third-option scorer. It’s a fairly low-risk move for the Hawks, that would cost them minimal assets. If he turns out to be a dud in Atlanta, eating the money would be the only issue. Wiggins in Atlanta might just work. We’ll see if Travis Schlenk thinks so.”
In the proposed trade, the Hawks would be sending a package including Allen Crabbe and a 2020 first-round pick to the Timberwolves in exchange for Wiggins. For the deal to work under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, Atlanta would still have to add more players to match Minnesota’s outgoing salary.
The Timberwolves would also be receiving some benefits in their theoretical deal with the Hawks. In exchange for Wiggins, Minnesota would get salary-cap relief and a future first-round pick that would enable them to speed up the rebuilding process. The Timberwolves would likely want more in return for the former No. 1 overall pick, but with his inconsistent performance and massive contract, it would be hard to find a trade partner who would be willing to pay their asking price.
