{"id":174463,"date":"2026-01-25T22:57:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T03:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=174463"},"modified":"2026-01-25T22:57:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T03:57:40","slug":"its-time-timberwolves-help-anthony-edwards-point-guard-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/25\/its-time-timberwolves-help-anthony-edwards-point-guard-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"It&#8217;s Time For Timberwolves To Help Anthony Edwards With A Trade"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>During the Minnesota Timberwolves&#8217; five-game losing streak, it&#8217;s been abundantly clear that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/edwaran01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Edwards<\/a> needs someone to help him in the backcourt.<\/p>\n<h2>It&#8217;s Time For Timberwolves To Help Anthony Edwards With Point Guard Trade<\/h2>\n<p>Minny&#8217;s magnetic star has averaged 33.6 points per game over his last five games, even going off for a career-high 55 points against the San Antonio Spurs. Yet, their point guard duo of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/divindo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Donte DiVincenzo<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/conlemi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Conley<\/a> has paled in comparison, averaging 15.6 points per game combined. In all fairness, DiVincenzo&#8217;s output (13.4 points per game) wouldn&#8217;t be so bad if he wasn&#8217;t shooting a 35.4% from the field in that time. His usually consistent outside jumper has even been patchy, with the eight-year veteran going 17-49 (34.7%) from 3.<\/p>\n<p>Within striking distance of their second top-four finish in the Western Conference in three years, there isn&#8217;t really a sense of panic in Minnesota. However, there are many Wolves fans howling at the front office in hopes they&#8217;ll finally upgrade at point guard. Again, DiVincenzo&#8217;s offensive performances have generally been pretty disappointing as of late. Conley&#8217;s saving grace this season has been his passing ability, defensive effort, leadership qualities and 19 years of NBA experience.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_174470\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-174470\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27819316_168420908_lowres-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" class=\"size-full wp-image-174470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27819316_168420908_lowres-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27819316_168420908_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27819316_168420908_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27819316_168420908_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27819316_168420908_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27819316_168420908_lowres-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27819316_168420908_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27819316_168420908_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-174470\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dec 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) and guard Donte Divincenzo (0) shake hands after a basket against the Sacramento Kings at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Donte DiVincenzo&#8217;s More Of A 2-Guard, Anyways<\/h3>\n<p>Over the court of the season, many DiVincenzo&#8217;s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1628978\/shooting\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in-the-paint 2s (non-RA)<\/a> have been clanking off the rim, which has driven down his overall field goal percentage.<\/p>\n<p>This is actually relatively insignificant in and of itself. But what it does do is help help the fact he lacks elite gravity inside of the 3-point line, limiting his playmaking ability. In fact, he entered Minnesota&#8217;s matchup against the Golden State Warriors tied with Brooklyn Nets forward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/portemi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Porter Jr.<\/a> with 21 assists on drives, which is suboptimal for a starting point guard.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, DiVincenzo is a true combo guard with how the Timberwolves use him. Though he&#8217;s second on the team in total assists (191), as he&#8217;s often playing pitch-and-catch with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/randlju01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julius Randle<\/a>. To that point, Randle has been the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1628978\/shooting?dir=D&amp;sort=FGM\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">quarterback for 53<\/a> of DiVincenzo&#8217;s field goals this season, a team-high. In fact, over 61 percent of his field goals have been assisted (and over 92 percent of his 3s).<\/p>\n<p>Between his role and Conley&#8217;s decline, there&#8217;s no reason for Minnesota to avoid addressing a problematic position group before the trade deadline buzzer.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_174472\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-174472\" style=\"width: 1316px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27478722_168420908_lowres.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1316\" height=\"878\" class=\"size-full wp-image-174472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27478722_168420908_lowres.jpg 1316w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27478722_168420908_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27478722_168420908_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27478722_168420908_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27478722_168420908_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/01\/USATSI_27478722_168420908_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1316px) 100vw, 1316px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-174472\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nov 1, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton (8) drives to the basket against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland (8) during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Ja Morant<\/h3>\n<p>Memphis Grizzlies point guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moranja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ja Morant<\/a> is the player that people want to see in a Timberwolves jersey. A takeover scorer with a tremendous amount of flair, he should have the world in his hands with his combination of star power and star talent. Instead, he&#8217;s the league&#8217;s problem child, leaving much to be desired on and off the court. Ultimately, his upside may be worth the risk of losing valuable assets but he doesn&#8217;t make the decision easy.<\/p>\n<h3>Coby White<\/h3>\n<p>Chicago Bulls former seventh overall pick <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/whiteco01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Coby White<\/a> is thought to be one of the Timberwolves trade targets. Like DiVincenzo, he&#8217;s also a hybrid guard, but he&#8217;s more of an on-ball playmaker. He&#8217;s also the kind of scorer that Conley hasn&#8217;t been for a long time, averaging 18.8 points per game this season. The real question is whether he&#8217;ll have the defensive discipline, let alone ability, to stay on Chris Finch&#8217;s good side.<\/p>\n<h3>Tre Jones<\/h3>\n<p>Bulls point guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jonestr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tre Jones<\/a> has also been linked to Minnesota. However, unlike White, Jones is a traditional point guard whose passing ability is his best trait. An effective driver, he&#8217;s averaged in double-figures in three of the past four seasons. Despite his diminutive size, he&#8217;s also a solid team defender. Still, he&#8217;s a subpar 3-point shooter and is currently <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/chicagobulls\/status\/2014829306145320968?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">nursing a hamstring injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Jose Alvarado<\/h3>\n<p>If Minnesota wants <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/alvarjo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jose Alvarado<\/a>, they&#8217;ll likely <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/01\/25\/rockets-to-acquire-fiba-mvp-jose-alvarado\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">find themselves competing with<\/a> the Houston Rockets. Nevertheless, the Timberwolves have indeed been painted as suitors for the New Orleans Pelicans point guard. A tenacious on-ball defender with a knack for creating steals, he&#8217;s a player Finch may love to have. The biggest drawback of adding the boricua baller is that he&#8217;s injury-prone, playing fewer than 62 games every season of his career.<\/p>\n<h3>Collin Sexton<\/h3>\n<p>Charlotte Hornets guard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sextoco01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Collin Sexton<\/a> is the last player on this list who&#8217;s been linked to Minnesota. He&#8217;s also another player whose disposition would fit Finch&#8217;s fancy. The Young Bull is not only incredibly intense but a true team player who holds himself accountable and accepts responsibility. Just as important, he&#8217;s an efficient volume scorer who has taken a noticeable leap as a facilitator. Defensively, he&#8217;s less prone to mistakes when guarding off-ball.<\/p>\n<h3>Dennis Schroder<\/h3>\n<p>Sacramento Kings journeyman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/schrode01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dennis Schroder<\/a> has not been mentioned as a player Minnesota has their eyes on. However, he&#8217;s a seasoned lead guard whose play <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/14\/eurobasket-2025-mvp-dennis-schroder-compares-himself-giannis-antetokounmpo\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">in international FIBA tournaments<\/a> has highlighted his qualities as a floor general. On top of that, his fiery personality seems to fit the Timberwolves. DiVincenzo is arguably a better player due to his advantage from outside. Even so, Schroder&#8217;s a much more potent scorer than this version of Conley.<\/p>\n<h3>Malik Monk<\/h3>\n<p>Schroder isn&#8217;t the only Kings ball-handler that could be traded within the next couple of weeks. Two-time All-Star selection <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lavinza01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach LaVine<\/a> and perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/monkma01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Malik Monk<\/a> have consistently been mentioned as well. Of those two, Monk makes the most sense for the Timberwolves. Though inconsistent at both ends, he&#8217;s a confident and athletic guard who&#8217;s in the midst of his most efficient season.<\/p>\n<h3>Jaden Ivey<\/h3>\n<p>Fourth-year pro <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/i\/iveyja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jaden Ivey<\/a> may be one of the best buy-low options for Minnesota. Having revamped his jumper, the agile 23-year-old is shooting above 45 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3 for the second straight season. But stuck in gear while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/cunnica01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cade Cunningham<\/a> motors the Detroit Pistons forward, he&#8217;s posting 8.4 points per game. Not only is that a career-low, it&#8217;s less than half of his 2024-25 average (17.6 points per game).<\/p>\n<div ng-show=\"setImageMetadata.credit\" class=\"modal-image-setImageMetadata\">\n<p class=\"ng-binding\">\u00a9 Matt Blewett-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During the Minnesota Timberwolves&#8217; five-game losing streak, it&#8217;s been abundantly clear that Anthony Edwards needs someone to help him in the backcourt. It&#8217;s Time For Timberwolves To Help Anthony Edwards With Point Guard Trade Minny&#8217;s magnetic star has averaged 33.6 points per game over his last five games, even going off for a career-high 55 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":174471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21,1608,7,8,10,32,62,33,29,4721],"tags":[2109,1782,1594,252,1553,1822,4107,3854,700,208,4774,1382,662,1823],"class_list":["post-174463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-timberwolves","category-basketball","category-hornets","category-bulls","category-pistons","category-grizzlies","category-nba","category-pelicans","category-kings","category-trade-rumors","tag-anthony-edwards","tag-coby-white","tag-collin-sexton","tag-dennis-schroder","tag-donte-divincenzo","tag-ja-morant","tag-jaden-ivey","tag-jose-alvarado","tag-malik-monk","tag-mike-conley","tag-rumors","tag-nba-trade","tag-nba-trade-deadline","tag-tre-jones"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174463"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174463\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":174473,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174463\/revisions\/174473"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}