What else could be accomplished
So, while acquiring a second top-11 pick while also adding a redundant expensive contract in a less than mediocre point guard might be revolting on the surface, it actually can be the perfect scenario for James Jones if he has the time to immediately work on at least one secondary deal utilizing no fewer than two of the four assets (two draft picks and two expensive but expiring point guard contracts).
While I have long said that I find it unlikely that the Phoenix Suns trade out of the first round entirely – moving their sixth overall pick in a deal for a veteran without acquiring a later first round pick in the process – by adding a second lottery pick the options become almost limitless with the moves they can make.
Whether it being a trade to move further up in the lottery (probably no higher than four with the Lakers), or using one or both of the lottery picks plus one of the two expiring contracts to acquire an already established NBA player who they really want, these are the kinds of trades that making this first trade with Minnesota would allow.
With two lottery picks and two expiring contracts at his disposal, James Jones would become the hottest general manager in he NBA, with phone calls from every team inquiring about what he would want for any of them. The hope is that he would be savvy enough to play teams off of each other and find that diamond in the rough return that the team so deservedly needs, because being stuck for one season with two rookies and two expiring contracts would be an extremely difficult pill or fans to swallow.
Again though, timing would be everything. This deal with Minnesota would not work if it came on draft day giving Jones no time to make a successive trade.
If there could ever be any reality to such a deal with the Timberwolves though, it would have to be made sooner rather than later, and Jones would already have to have plans in place to parlay this trade into something more – potentially much more.