Lately, there has been buzz around the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to acquire Coby White from the Chicago Bulls in a trade. However, ESPN has another idea up its sleeve: a trade proposal that doesn't involve White.
According to NBA insiders, the deal would be between the Timberwolves and Bulls. However, it involves Tre Jones going to the Timberwolves and the Bulls getting Terrence Shannon Jr. and Rob Dillingham.
In return, the Timberwolves would fulfill a need. Jones has developed into a player who can protect the ball, force turnovers, and generate productivity as a mid-tier guard. Meanwhile, the Bulls would be getting two young players to join a team that is emphasizing development.
What the ESPN insiders are saying about this deal
According to ESPN's Zachary Kram, this deal would be comparable to the Alex Caruso-for-Josh Giddey trade between the Bulls and the OKC Thunder.
“Think of this trade as the light version of the Bulls' Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey swap, sending a veteran glue guy to a contender while returning higher-upside youngsters but no draft picks. The only hang-up to getting this deal done now might be Chicago's desire to hold onto Jones until Giddey returns from a hamstring strain.”
Meanwhile, Bobby Marks provides a thorough analysis.
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“In this deal, the Timberwolves are looking ahead,” Marks said.
“Yes, the Dillingham trade with the Spurs turned into a disaster when you consider Minnesota traded the right to swap firsts in 2030 and send a 2031 unprotected first-round pick with the Spurs.”
“But the Wolves are in dire need of a point guard to alleviate the workload on Edwards. The three-year, $24 million contract Jones inked with Chicago in the offseason is considered one of the better value deals. However, I don't like this trade for Chicago.”
“Dillingham is only 21, but his two years in summer league, preseason and the regular season have shown he is not a rotational player right now. Shannon was expected to fill the void left when Nickeil Alexander-Walker signed with Atlanta, but the forward has struggled with his shot after a strong summer league and is dealing with a left foot injury.”
Currently, Jones is averaging 11.9 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.1 turnovers per game. Meanwhile, Shannon is averaging 4.5 points per game, and Dillingham is averaging 3.7 points and 10 minutes per game.