After finishing the 2019-20 NBA season as one of the worst teams in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves have won the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. Though the selection of players is not as good as the previous year, there are still plenty of interesting prospects in the upcoming draft, including Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, and Killian Hayes. However, with the Timberwolves currently in a win-now mode, there’s a strong possibility for them to use their lottery pick as the main trade chip to acquire an All-Star caliber talent that would complement their young superstar duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell.
One of the dream trade targets for the Timberwolves in the 2020 offseason is Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards. According to Fadeaway World , the Timberwolves may consider exploring a package centered on the No. 1 overall pick to get Beal from the Wizards this fall.
“Beal doesn’t appear ready to leave Washington just yet, but the Wizards don’t have a clear direction as an organization and no one knows what to expect from John Wall as he returns next season from a torn Achilles tendon. For the right price, Washington could be convinced to deal Beal and stockpile assets to hopefully build a contender in the future. Minnesota has lots of attractive assets to trade in addition to the No. 1 pick. Young, up-and-coming players like Jarrett Culver — the sixth overall pick in 2019 — Malik Beasley, Omari Spellman, Naz Reid, Josh Okogie, Juancho Hernangómez and Jake Layman have all shown potential and have team-friendly contracts.”
Beal would undeniably be an incredible addition to the Timberwolves. His arrival in Minnesota would tremendously boost the team’s performance on the offensive end of the floor, giving them a very reliable scoring option, playmaker, and an elite three-point shooter. This season, the 27-year-old shooting guard averaged 30.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN .
Though he could create his own shots and make plays for his teammates, Beal could also excel in an off-ball capacity, making him the ideal teammate for ball-dominant stars like Towns and Russell. If Beal, Russell, and Towns grow together and build good chemistry, the Timberwolves would undoubtedly become a team to fear in the Western Conference next year.
Without a clear path to title contention, it might be best for the Wizards to face the inevitable. Trading Beal to the Timberwolves would undeniably break the hearts of lots of Wizards’ fans, but it would enable them to acquire the assets they need to jumpstart a full-scale rebuild.