Minnesota Timberwolves unlikely to trade Nikola Pekovic
By Josh Hill
The Minnesota Timberwolves are in a position where they can make some moves and really get their roster together but that might require a few more trades to be made.
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The next name to watch in a trade is center Nikola Pekovic, a guy the Wolves love to have but can’t really build around defensively since he’s not a rim protector. According to Steve Kyler from Basketball Insiders though, despite what Nate Duncan said earlier in the day about Pekovic having trade value to the Wolves, it’s unlikely that he’s traded this season.
"I doubt it. Pek logged his best year when Love was out. I think he’ll put up significantly better numbers this year than last.I wouldn’t rule it out, because Gorgui Dieng looked really good this summer, but given what Pek is owed, there isn’t a scenario that seems likely."
Taking minutes away from Dieng isn’t what the Wolves have in mind when it comes to developing their young team into a winner but losing Pekovic would be a mistake. That being said, it’s hard to build around a defense when your center doesn’t defend the rim very well and that’s the downside of keeping Pek and not trading him while you can.
Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.