Wolves should pursue Monta Ellis

A trade the Minnesota Timberwolves should seek before draft day (June 23) would be to put a package together to obtain big-time scoring shooting guard Monta Ellis from the Golden State Warriors.

A combination of Michael Beasley, Johnny Flynn and the Wolves’ second pick this summer — No. 20 overall — might be enough to get that done.

Ellis is certainly not a perfect player, which is why the Warriors are said to be dangling him. He’s undersized at shooting guard at just 6-foot-3, and he’s regarded as below average defensively. But what he does offer is high-end scoring ability, and an uncanny ability to create his own shot.

The Wolves are hungry for a go-to guy on offense, and would love to have that need filled by their shooting guard. Ellis fits that bill. He’s one of the top scorers in the league, having averaged 25 points the last two seasons.

In giving up Beasley the Wolves would be losing one of the more promising young players in the league. Beasley averaged nearly 20 points last season and shot 45 percent from the field. But the Wolves were playing him at a small-forward position where he struggled defensively. He’s really a power forward. But the Wolves can’t use him there much there, with All-Star Kevin Love owning that spot.

So, deal him to Golden State, which needs some interior talent. And make point guard Flynn also a part of that deal, as well as possibly one more fringe player to make salaries work. Finally, add that 20th pick to sweeten it for the Warriors, who’d be giving up a border-line All-Star in Ellis.

Obtaining Ellis would allow last year’s Wolves rookie Wesley Johnson to shift from shooting guard to his more natural small forward position, making the team much better defensively. Then, with the No. 2 pick in the draft, the Wolves could draft a legitimate center, possibly Enes Kanter of Turkey.

It would give Minnesota a solid and intriguing lineup of Ricky Rubio at point guard, Ellis at shooting guard, Johnson at small forward, Love at power forward, and Kanter at center.

That group would be worth watching.

— Pat Ruff