After a strong start to the season, Minnesota has lost seven in a row and slid back to 10-15. Amazingly, that’s not out of the playoff picture in a West where the back end is much softer than predicted this season, but for the Timberwolves’ brass it’s a reminder they are building towards something bigger down the line.
Jeff Teague, their 31-year-old point guard, is not part of that future.
Which is why they are open to trading him, reports Jon Krawczynski at The Athletic.The Timberwolves made it known throughout the league last summer that Teague was available for trade and that remains the case right now, league sources said...
For a team that needs a point guard — either a starter or a backup — for a playoff push, Teague could be a nice fit. He has a wealth of playoff experience, is a teammate that generally meshes well in a locker room and in the right system can be an effective scorer.
His $19 million salary is expiring, so the money shouldn’t scare many teams away. But the sheer size of the contract does make it challenging to match up money in a trade.
Teague is averaging 14.4 points and 6.8 assists a game; he’s a solid pick-and-roll point guard who wants the ball in his hands. Which could help a lot of teams, it’s just not how Minnesota wants to play under Ryan Saunders.
It’s unlikely Teague is back in Minnesota next season, which is a big reason he could get moved before the deadline — Minnesota would rather get something than nothing for him.
However, that salary combined with the lack of cap space around the league makes a deal seem difficult, if not unlikely. For all the buzz about trades around the league, this is probably going to be a down trade deadline with only a handful of moves.
Maybe Teague gets moved, but in a related matter don’t expect Andrew Wiggins to be going anywhere.