Report: Timberwolves could make high-profile guard available for trade
Mar 1, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell (0) warms up before the start of the third quarter during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Timberwolves may be preparing to make some changes despite their modest success this season.
The Timberwolves are likely to try to trade guard D’Angelo Russell this offseason, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein. Russell is close with teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, but Stein says this is unlikely to impede any trade effort on Minnesota’s part.
The Timberwolves have an increasingly crowded backcourt and have less of a need for Russell, who wound up benched during key parts of the team’s first round loss to Memphis. Russell is also entering the final season of his deal, and will be owed over $31 million next season.
Russell averaged 18.1 points and a career-high 7.1 assists per game for the Timberwolves this season. However, Anthony Edwards is quickly blossoming into the second star for the organization both on and off the court, and the 26-year-old Russell is quickly becoming an expensive luxury item.
