The Timberwolves weren't done with their offseason after all.
On Tuesday they agreed to a trade that will bring veteran guard Patrick Beverley to Minnesota in exchange for forward Juancho Hernangomez and guard Jarrett Culver, a source confirmed.
The deal helps provide a backup point guard to D'Angelo Russell for the Wolves in Beverley after they dealt Ricky Rubio to Cleveland for Taurean Prince.
Beverley, a 33-year-old who played with the Clippers last season and was traded for the second time in three days, would be the oldest player on the Wolves if they make no other moves this offseason.
The was no official announcement of the deal, but Beverley tweeted (@patbev21) "Extremely excited Let's Go."
The trade closes the tenure of Culver and Hernangomez with the Wolves. Culver was the first draft pick Rosas made in 2019 as Rosas traded up from No. 11 to No. 6 to land Culver in a deal that sent Dario Saric to Phoenix.
Culver, who led Texas Tech to the NCAA championship game in 2019 at U.S. Bank Stadium, never clicked in Minnesota. Shooting problems plagued him immediately as he shot 46% from the free-throw line his rookie season. He averaged 9.2 points per game his first year only to see his numbers decline in year two to 5.3 points per game. He shot just 41% last season, 25% from three-point range.
The 22-year-old played in only 34 games last season before an ankle injury he suffered in January hampered the rest of his season. Culver came back to play in March and April before opting for season-ending arthroscopic surgery.
Rosas' 2020 draft class — which featured starters Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards — and the signing of Naz Reid as an undrafted free agent in 2019 have been successes in the two draft cycles Rosas has been through with the Wolves, but the trade of Culver represents an admission that pick wasn't working out.
Hernangomez came to Minnesota in a four-team trade that sent Robert Covington to Houston and brought a 2020 first-round pick from Atlanta and Malik Beasley and Hernangomez from Denver. He started the 14 games he played with Minnesota two seasons ago, and Rosas re-signed him to a three-year deal worth $21 million, but that has a team option after the second year.
The 6-9 forward got off to a slow start last season and entered the COVID protocols in January. He re-entered the rotation in late February while McDaniels began to grab the starting minutes at power forward. Hernangomez, 25, averaged 7.2 points per game last season on 44% shooting.
There was a disagreement between the Wolves and Hernangomez regarding his participation in the Olympics for Spain. The Wolves prevented him from playing for Spain after he suffered a shoulder injury in practices leading up to the Games. The Spanish team claimed the Wolves cleared him to play only for the team to block him from participating. That led to disappointment toward the Wolves in Hernangomez's camp.
Rosas has familiarity with Beverley, who played five seasons in Houston while Rosas was in the front office there and Wolves coach Chris Finch was an assistant. Houston traded Beverley to the Clippers in 2017 as part of a larger deal for Chris Paul.
Beverley is set to make $14.3 million this season and become an unrestricted free agent after the season. The Wolves sent out about $13.4 million in the deal between Hernangomez's and Culver's salaries and so used about $900,000 of their remaining space below the luxury tax to make the deal.
Beverley spent the past four years with the Clippers before they traded him to the Grizzlies on Sunday in a deal that sent Beverley, Rajon Rondo and former Gophers standout Daniel Oturu to Memphis for Eric Bledsoe.
The veteran guard made his reputation in the NBA on the defensive end of the floor and can help add a defensive toughness that was lacking on the 28th-most efficient defense last season. A three-time NBA all-defensive team choice, he averaged 7.5 points in 37 games last season. He missed time in March and April because of a knee injury and a fractured left hand that required surgery. He returned in May.
Beverley also isn't afraid to speak his mind and irritate other players on the floor. He will miss the first game of next season after he was suspended for shoving Paul during a break in the action in the Suns-Clippers Western Conference finals.
As for how this trade affects point guard Jordan McLaughlin, who remains an unrestricted free agent, a source said McLaughlin is still working to get a deal done with the Wolves while keeping his options open.
