The Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the busiest teams this offseason, with the franchise trading away Julius Randle and Naz Reid, acquiring LaMelo Ball and Josh Green, and most recently signing Jonathan Kuminga.
They may not be done making moves just yet. Several analysts believe Kuminga’s signing makes Green, another athletic wing, redundant and therefore dispensable. An interesting Minnesota Timberwolves trade idea would swap Green for veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who landed with the Atlanta Hawks earlier this year as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
Timberwolves Trade Idea
Timberwolves would receive: Buddy Hield
Hawks would receive: Josh Green, 2030 second-round pick (via MEM)
Why the Timberwolves Do It
Hield, one of the best shooters in the league, brings a different dynamic than Green, who becomes somewhat redundant due to the Kuminga addition. The Timberwolves are expected to start Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Kuminga, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, with Ayo Dosunmu, Donte DiVincenzo (when he returns from injury), Terrence Shannon and Josh Green to round out the bench. There’s also offseason acquisition Trey Lyles to play backup minutes at the four and five.
That second unit could use some shooting, especially with DiVincenzo likely to miss most, if not all of next season recovering from an Achilles tear.
Swapping Green’s expiring $14.6M salary for Hield’s $9.6M salary will also help the Timberwolves save some money as they operate as a first apron luxury tax team. Hield, who has a $10M player option for 2027-28, won’t be hard to move again, given that there’s always a league-wide demand for elite sharpshooters.
Why the Hawks Do It
The crowded Hawks backcourt became even more crowded this offseason when they added Devin Carter, Ryan Nembhard and rookie Kingston Flemings to a roster that already includes CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels. Although Hield brings a unique skillset with his movement shooting and marksmanship, he may struggle to find valuable playing time under Quin Snyder this coming season.
After being moved to the Hawks at the Feb. trade deadline, Hield averaged career-lows across the board — points (5.1), minutes (7.3), three-point attempts (2.4) and assists (0.7). He appeared in only seven games for the Hawks and only played in two of the six games against the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
The Hawks may have more of a need for Josh Green, who has the versatility to play multiple positions and could be a nice backup to franchise star Jalen Johnson. A career 39% three-point shooter, Green isn’t afraid to take big shots. It also helps that Green is on an expiring $14.6M salary and doesn’t threatened Minnesota’s long-term plans.
Minnesota Timberwolves Proposed to Trade for Elite Shooter After Kuminga Move