By: Stephen Patterson
Minnesota has finally moved Al Jefferson, sending him to the Utah Jazz for two 1st round picks. The Jazz were able to absorb Jefferson's massive contract with their trade exception. This move gives Utah a solid replacement for Carlos Boozer, who bolted the team for the Chicago Bulls in free agency. When healthy Jefferson can be a solid 20/10 player which will help keep them in playoff contention.The Timberwolves have been searching for a deal involving draft picks and this deal no only provides two, it also gives them the financial flexibility to acquire another player sometime during the season if they need to make a change. While teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers also made strong pushes to acquire Jefferson, neither team appeared willing to part with enough draft picks to make the deal happen.
When Minnesota re-signed Darko Milicic and acquired Michael Beasley from the Heat, it all but guaranteed Big Al was on his way out. If Timberwolve's GM David Kahn can use their trade exception to acquire a meaningful addition to the team, and move one or two more players, the Wolves could potentially being fighting for a playoff spot in the next two seasons.
