The Timberwolves made a pair of deals Tuesday as they begin the process of building for the future.
The Minnesota Timberwolves made a pair of trades Tuesday, first sending Mo Williams and Troy Daniels to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Gary Neal and a 2019 Miami second round pick. Then, Minnesota traded a future first round pick to the Atlanta Hawksin exchange for Adreian Payne.
First up, the Charlotte-Minnesota deal.
Williams, who is averaging 12.2 points and 6.4 assists per game this season, will fill the need of backup point guard for the Hornets while Kemba Walker recovers from knee surgery. He is shooting 40.3 from the field, and 34.7 percent from three.
Daniels is a second year who made headlines in the playoffs last season, sinking a game winning 3-pointer for Houston. He was traded earlier this season to Minnesota, but was unable to break into the rotation, averaging just 8.1 minutes a game. Known as a three point shooter entering the league, Daniels has shot just 31.7 percent from three this season.
Neal is a dribble heavy shooter, much like Williams, but has struggled to score after a strong November. Neal is averaging 9.6 points, but shooting just 35.9 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from three.
Charlotte gets a good return for only giving up Neal. Even though Williams’ shooting percentages are low, he is a short term upgrade over Neal and is on an expiring contract. Troy Daniels may not see the floor, will only cost $946,276 next season, and still has a bit of upside.
The Wolves used this deal as a means to free up a roster spot in order to receive Payne from Atlanta. Payne has only played in three games this season, but comes with a good amount of upside. In 17 games in the D-League (for two teams), Payne has averaged 12.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
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