In 2014, the Timberwolves were ready to move on from All Star Kevin Love. They worked out a three-team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers.
In the deal, Cleveland got Kevin Love from Minnesota. Philadelphia got a future first-round pick from Cleveland and Luc Mbah a Moute and Alexey Shved from Minnesota.
The Wolves acquired Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett from Cleveland and Thaddeus Young from Philadelphia.
The Wolves also drafted Zach LaVine with the 13th overall
pick in the 2014 NBA Draft
(LaVine, Wiggins, Bennett, Young)
With Bennett, LaVine, Wiggins all under 20 years old, adding the veteran leadership of Thaddeus Young (a seven-year NBA vet at age 26). Add in other young pieces like Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad, a couple vets like Kevin Martin, Corey Brewer, Ricky Rubio and Mo Williams and the return of Flip Saunders to the Wolves bench as Head Coach and you have a foundation for the future.
If the Wolves were going to win out of the gate, they would have to rely heavily on Thad Young. The 12th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft had a career year in Philadelphia in 2013-14, averaging nearly 18 points per game while setting career highs in points, steals, assists, three-pointers and games started. He could score from both inside the arc and from beyond the perimeter.
Young's biggest strength was his athletic ability. He was excellent in transition. He was a solid defender too. He averaged a career-high two steals per game (third in the NBA) in 2013-14. Without any proven scorers on the team, Flip Saunders hoped that Young and Rubio would click on the court.
The Wolves started the season 2-2, with their two loses coming by a total of five points. It looked like the Wolves rebuild with their young talent was going to come faster than expected. But the Wolves would lose 26 of their next 29 games.
Young was very streaky over his first 48 games, he could poor in upwards of 25 points per game, or he would leave the stat sheet blank. Flip saw what he needed to over the first 48 games. While Flip wanted to keep Young and the core together, he had the opportunity to bring one of his proven leaders, one of Minnesota's basketball legends back home.
On February 19th, less than six months after being traded to Minnesota, Young was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Garnett.
"This is the perfect situation...the talent here is endless"
-Kevin Garnett
Young averaged 14 points and five rebounds a game for the Wolves while starting all 48 games he appeared in.
With Brooklyn, Young eventually cracked the staring lineup, starting 20 of 28 games with the Nets. Brooklyn was 21-31 without Young, but finished the season 17-13 without him. At 38-44 and in the weak Eastern Conference, the Nets snuck into the playoffs as the 8 seed and took top-seeded Atlanta to six games in the opening round.
Young was traded to the Indiana Pacers in July 2016, where he has re-established himself as a starter in the NBA and helped lead Indiana to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
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