One Trade That Every Team Should Do
Toronto gets: PF/SF Thaddeus Young
Timberwolves get: SG/SF Landry Fields, PF Tyler Hansbrough, Raptors’ 2015 first-rounder
Finances: Thank goodness Fields’ contract is expiring, as that $8.5 million on the last year of his deal is pretty ugly. Hansbrough, at $3.3 million, is also playing on the final year of his contract. Young is not, as he is due for a total of $18.9 million over the next two seasons. Fields and Hansbrough are just cap-fillers, as the main prize for the quality forward’s services is the first-rounder.
The Fit: Young is a lockdown defender, either inside or on the perimeter, that the Raptors have been craving for quite some time. While PG Kyle Lowry and SG/SF DeMar DeRozan provide most of the scoring, and C Jonas Valanciunas anchors the defense, Toronto lacks a do-it-all defender, despite Valanciunas’ presence. Averaging 14.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals per game, Young also provides a bit of a low-post game for Toronto on the offensive end, though he lacks a reliable outside shot. He could be the missing piece for Toronto to make a deep playoff run.
Why the other team does it: As a rebuilding team looking to develop their younger players, it makes sense for Minnesota to continue to ship out their veterans in exchange for future asstes. They do just that here, while taking on no long-term money. Losing Young will allow someone like PF/Sf Anthony Bennett to be exposed to more playing time. The first-rounder will simply go towards the huge stack of picks that the Timberwolves continue to stockpile.
Toronto gets: PF/SF Thaddeus Young
Timberwolves get: SG/SF Landry Fields, PF Tyler Hansbrough, Raptors’ 2015 first-rounder
Finances: Thank goodness Fields’ contract is expiring, as that $8.5 million on the last year of his deal is pretty ugly. Hansbrough, at $3.3 million, is also playing on the final year of his contract. Young is not, as he is due for a total of $18.9 million over the next two seasons. Fields and Hansbrough are just cap-fillers, as the main prize for the quality forward’s services is the first-rounder.
The Fit: Young is a lockdown defender, either inside or on the perimeter, that the Raptors have been craving for quite some time. While PG Kyle Lowry and SG/SF DeMar DeRozan provide most of the scoring, and C Jonas Valanciunas anchors the defense, Toronto lacks a do-it-all defender, despite Valanciunas’ presence. Averaging 14.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals per game, Young also provides a bit of a low-post game for Toronto on the offensive end, though he lacks a reliable outside shot. He could be the missing piece for Toronto to make a deep playoff run.
Why the other team does it: As a rebuilding team looking to develop their younger players, it makes sense for Minnesota to continue to ship out their veterans in exchange for future asstes. They do just that here, while taking on no long-term money. Losing Young will allow someone like PF/Sf Anthony Bennett to be exposed to more playing time. The first-rounder will simply go towards the huge stack of picks that the Timberwolves continue to stockpile.