Minnesota Timberwolves inflating JJ Barea trade value?

For weeks (more like months) the rumor mill has churned regarding a potential trade involving Minnesota Timberwolves backup point guard J.J. Barea.

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The veteran has yet to be moved though talk about a trade (or potential release) has increased in recent weeks, leading many to believe that Barea’s time with the Minnesota Timberwolves is coming to an end. However, team president and head coach Flip Saunders has been singing a different tune recently praising the pint-sized point.

"Saunders continues to praise J.J. Barea at point guard for his command in running the offense and from what I’ve seen in camp so far, it’s genuine. He’s had a good camp."

While Barea has performed well in camp it seems difficult to think that Saunders’ recent comments about his point guard are anything but an attempt to build and/or inflate his trade value.

A free agent at season end, it’s very doubtful that Barea has any type of future with the Minnesota Timberwolves so the team would understandably like to get some type of compensation for the guard instead of losing him for nothing in free agency.

Of course, it’s not as if Barea has much trade value at this point so it seems as if Saunders and the Timberwolves are simply attempting to make the point guard more attractive than he really is.

There haven’t been many reports of any team interested in acquiring J.J. Barea though he could be of use to a veteran team in need of point guard play off the bench.

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