The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly looking to add a veteran point guard ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.
Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported Dennis Schröder and Kyle Lowry are among the names being targeted by the Wolves, who are looking for backup insurance behind Mike Conley.
The report also mentioned San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones, Detroit Pistons guard Monte Morris and Washington Wizards guard Tyus Jones as potential options.
Lowry would almost certainly need to be acquired via buyout, as he currently has a $29.7 million cap hit. The Hornets have kept Lowry on their roster after acquiring him in a deal that sent Terry Rozier to Miami, but the veteran point guard is not expected to play for Charlotte. Lowry will likely receive a buyout once the deadline passes and be free to sign with any team that is not above the second luxury tax apron.
Schröder, Morris and the Jones brothers would be trade targets. Morris and Schröder would come relatively cheap given their contractual status and role-player ceilings. Morris will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Schröder carries a $13 million salary for next season. Both play for teams in the midst of a rebuild, so the cost shouldn't be much more than matching salaries and a couple of second-round picks.
Tyus Jones is the best player of the bunch and would come at a higher cost premium. He spent his first four NBA seasons in Minnesota as a reserve before leaving for the Memphis Grizzlies. The 27-year-old has been a full-time starter for the first time in his career with Washington, posting averages of 12.2 points and 6.3 assists while knocking down 39.2 percent of his threes. He will be a free agent this summer.
Tre Jones fills essentially the same role as his brother, just at a slightly lesser production level. He's averaging 9.7 points and 5.8 assists per game this season in San Antonio after being demoted to the reserve unit in favor of guard-forward Jeremy Sochan.
The Wolves have no reliable depth behind Conley, who is 36 years old and in his 17th NBA season. Jordan McLaughlin is listed as the primary backup on the depth chart but would be an uninspired option as a replacement if Conley were to go down.
With Minnesota competing for the top seed in the Western Conference, the front office needs to be proactive.
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