Timberwolves Connected to Homegrown Guard Help

For weeks, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been poking around the trade market for point guard help. In that time, they’ve been connected to just about every name that’s hit the rumor mill, including Kyrie Irving, Kobe White and Darius Garland.

Unfortunately, any hopes they had at completing a blockbuster deal have mostly gone out the window. Now, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly is reportedly focused on something that might provide just as much bang to the lineup, for less of a buck.

To make that happen, the Wolves are shopping 2024 first round picks (No. 8 overall) Rob Dillingham and (No. 27) Terrance Shannon Jr, neither of which has provided a boost to the rotation like Minnesota had hoped, when they drafted them.

Tre Jones a suggested target for MN Timberwolves

Obviously, those two trade pieces aren’t going to reel in a superstar like Kyrie. However, they may be able to entice the Chicago Bulls to give up one-of-us guard Tre Jones for that price — something that ESPN’s Bobby Marks floated on Thursday morning in a new column.

The Timberwolves don’t need a big swing at point guard, as Anthony Edwards continues to develop as a playmaker. But a competent midtier creator would do wonders for a team with a hole at the position. Jones, a Minnesota native and brother of former Wolves guard Tyus Jones, fits the bill.

While Jones could help a contender, Dillingham and Chicago-native Shannon have much more value to a team that can give them time to develop. The two 2024 first-rounders have tumbled down Wolves coach Chris Finch’s rotation, averaging a combined 8.2 PPG.

In this deal, the Timberwolves are looking ahead. 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.

ESPN

Tre graduated high school from Apple Valley, MN. His brother, Tyus, played his first four NBA seasons with the hometown Wolves. Unlike his brother, Tre was not a first round draft pick.

The newly-turned 26-year-old was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft (Spurs). Now six years in, though, Jones has found a nice little niche NBA career as a first guard off the bench type.

What would Jones provide the Wolves?

If acquired, Tre Jones would immediately give Finch’s rotation the established veteran point guard it so desperately needs. He’s playing 26.8 minutes per game this season in Chicago, averaging 11.9 points on 51.2% shooting to go with 5.5 assists and 3 rebounds.

His 25.5% from deep certainly won’t help Minnesota put the ball in the basket, but everything else he provides — specifically ball-handling stability — would far outweigh what he doesn’t bring from behind the arc.

Nice lil Tre Jones assist pic.twitter.com/TST9leJOwH

— Cole (@ColeBIankenship) December 18, 2025

The Bulls are currently 17-20, and sit 10th in the Eastern Conference. Moving Jones would help kill their playoff hopes, but Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. would give them a much brighter future than what they’re currently looking at.

The raw tools are there for both players, but they need time to grow. If they remain in Minnesota, they will not get the development opportunities they need.