On paper, there is no single player in the entire NBA who would be a better fit alongside Tyrese Halliburton than T.J. Shannon.
Shannon has major flaws. However, his nonstop fearlessness in transition would be perfect for the Indiana Pacers' system of running, attacking the rim, and getting out in transition as often as possible.
Now, Shannon himself is supposedly in line for a big role with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the team gave up on its size before signing Jonathan Kaminga, who will be on the smaller end for a starting power forward, and committing to a system like that of the Pacers around LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards that will require them to be running at all times.
In some ways, those comparisons between the Timberwolves and Pacers make a deal like this seem impossible. If Shannon is a good fit for the Pacers, wouldn't he also be a good fit for the Timberwolves? In that case, why would the Wolves trade him?
However, the Wolves still lack quality depth in a way that the Pacers do. While the Wolves have multiple centers and multiple wings, they lack a real backup point guard. By the same logic, while the Pacers have real backup point guard options, they lack on the wings beyond their top three of Kelly Oubre Jr., Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith.
Still, a trade could be made possible by the Wolves searching for a three-team deal in which they could get back a quality three-and-D wing, and the Pacers are opportunistically searching for another creator in the open floor.
On court nonstop running with Shannon Jr.
As a player, Shannon seems to fit in a mold that the Pacers haven't seen in a long time. He is purely a slashing rim attacker who struggles to shoot well, has minor defensive upside, and simply scares centers away from defending the rim.
Against Victor Wembanyama in the playoffs, it was Shannon's impact, attacking the rim nonstop, that gave Wembanyama high-level individual stats – nearly breaking the record for blocks in a playoff game – but also saw the Wolves simply wear down Wembanyama and his conditioning issues.
Trying to make a trade work would be difficult, but it would not be impossible. The Pacers have expiring money in Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard, and they have impact veterans such as T.J. McConnell that a third team would have interest in.
Shannon, for his part, is barely making any money at all, so finding a way to fit him under Indiana's books would be quite simple, as long as the Pacers are willing to part with one of their stock of picks.
That may be an ambitious move for a player who has proved so little, but sometimes you need to take risks to get over the hump. Shannon has proven to be a difference maker in the playoffs. He is young, although he is older than some might expect, and he could provide the Pacers with yet another player to punish the rim. That's worth a look at, at the very least
It would also continue the Pacers' monopoly on TJs so that's fun.
Add us as a preferred source on Google