The Minnesota Timberwolves have made a move to bolster their bench, acquiring heady guard Monte Morris from the Detroit Pistons.
In return, the Pistons received Shake Milton, Troy Brown Jr., and an additional second-round pick. Morris only appeared in six games during his brief Detroit tenure.
Currently tied atop the Western Conference with three other contenders, the Timberwolves approached the deadline with one clear area of concern: backup point guard. Morris brings a veteran presence to the Timberwolves’ backcourt. Despite his modest statistical output, Morris is an efficient playmaker who has routinely been among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio throughout his career. Additionally, he’s a respectable 39-percent career three-point shooter from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Milton and Brown Jr. join an obvious rebuild in Detroit. Milton averaged 13.0 PPG back in ’21 for the 76ers. He got lost in the shuffle in Minnesota but is a capable scorer who could be looking at a bigger role with his new team. Troy Brown Jr. made 45 starts for the Western Conference finalist Lakers a season ago but played sparingly in his first year with the T’Wolves (11.1 MPG). The former first-round pick is still just 24 years old. Additionally, the acquisition of an extra second-round pick adds to Detroit’s stash of draft capital.
While the trade might not seem to move the needle, Minnesota giving all of the backup point guard minutes to Morris will be a serious upgrade over what the team previously had in place. This deal isn’t exactly what NBA fans were looking for this trade deadline, but it’s a trade that clearly helps a contending team in the Western Conference.
