The Minnesota Timberwolves could be active at the trade deadline this season out of pure desperation at trying to keep Kevin Love in the future and with the team six games back from the final playoff spot in the west, names like Jameer Nelson, Rodney Stuckey or Evan Turner could be options for the Wolves to deal for an their top trading chips are Shabazz Muhammad, JJ Barea, Ronny Turiaf and Dante Cunningham.
Kevin Love can opt out of his contract after next season and is a free agent the year after that and with rumors constantly circulating about his future and potential trades, the Timberwolves are doing everything they can to try and keep him. Love signed an extension after being at odds with the front office for some time and now that Flip Saunders is running things he is giving the team a real chance, but after expectations of making the playoffs last season, Love may start to get frustrated. Last year Love and Ricky Rubio were dealing with injuries and that derailed the season and now the team comes into the second half three games under .500 and out of a playoff spot.
Saunders and the front office understands that Love is being targeted by teams like the Lakers, New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls once he hits the market and the best way to keep him up north is to win. The team is motivated to make the playoffs this season and that could spark them to make a trade at the deadline and this comes after Minnesota already traded away former number two pick Derrick Williams to the Kings.
Williams was a talented player, but there was not a good fit for him in the rotation and the Timberwolves are building around Love, Rubio and Nikola Pekovic, who signed an extension over the summer. Pekovic has been out since January with an ankle injury and he is a player the team sees as a foundational center, as they gave him a five year, $60 million contract and that could be a reason why the team goes after someone at the deadline.
The 28-year-old center has been playing well for the Timberwolves, as he is averaging over 18 points and nine rebounds and this is a recurring thing for him, as he has missed nearly 40 games over the previous three seasons. Ronny Turiaf has been getting added playing time and the injury to Kevin Martin could now be a factor as well, as he has been averaging nearly 20 points per game. According to ESPN.com, Evan Turner, Rodney Stuckey and Jameer Nelson could be options for the team to explore, as the money could be worked out and it could help the Wolves push for the playoffs.
Martin is out for an indefinite period of time after injuring his thumb and he had been averaging 19 points and the injuries are now starting to piled up for the Timberwolves. Love is not getting traded this season at the deadline and while it's a possibility later down the line, the team definitely plans on making a strong run to convince him to stay. The 25-year-old has developed into one of the best rebounders in the game and he has been a double-double machine. Adding someone like Nelson would put some experience behind Rubio and could help the team get things closer in the west.
