With All Star Weekend over this week should get pretty heavy on the trade rumor front and it has already started with The Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves are willing to unload the key veterans Thaddeus Young, Nikola Pekovic, and Kevin Martin for the right price according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. With teams like Mavericks, Trailblazers, Raptors, and Hornets looking to add depth I can see them possibly going after Young or Martin just based off contract lengths both players are signed through next season.
Nikola Pekovic is the tough one to predict Minnesota signed Pekovic to a 5 year extension and is still under contract for 4 more seasons. Pekovic came out of no where in 2011-2012 averaging 13 ppg and grabbing 7 rebounds per game. Last season Pekovic was replaced in the starting lineup towards the end of the season due to injury and thanks to the emergence of Gorgui Dieng in Pekovic’s time out. Dieng remains the starter and looks to keep that role with Pekovic being a defensive liability at times on the floor he’s an excellent rebounder and can get you about 13-14 points a game. Dieng can do the same thing for a team while giving you a good defensive effort.
As Thursday approaches I think we will see one of these three veterans moved in a deal, and the most realistic one being Kevin Martin. Martin can take be a quality scoring option off the bench which we’ve seen him play that role or be inserted to the starting lineup. The 32 year old is averaging 20 ppg this season which may be inflated because he just came off injury, but he is shooting 44% from the field and 41% from beyond the are in 18 games played. In return I’m sure Minnesota would accept draft picks of salary cap relief for next season or possibly young players that just haven’t worked that they could possibly develop.
With Minnesota sitting at 11-42 they should look to move Pekovic’s big contract and Martin by Thursday’s 3 p.m trade deadline and we should see some more teams linked to The Minnesota Timberwolves the closer we get to Thursday.
