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The Minnesota Timberwolves just had their second winning season in 18 years and first since the 2017-18 NBA season. They even gave the Memphis Grizzlies a lot of problems in their first-round matchup. However, the latest rumors suggest that the Timberwolves could unload one of their star players this offseason.
According to Marc Stein in his latest Substack piece, some rival executives believe the Timberwolves could try to trade D'Angelo Russell. Russell had a solid season but struggled against the Grizzlies. The emergence of Anthony Edwards as a ball handler and Russell's expiring deal are the main reasons why Minnesota might explore a trade. Stein wrote:
"Numerous rival teams expect the Wolves to try to trade Russell this offseason irrespective of Russell’s close relationship with Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns. Russell, 26, has one season left on his contract at $31.4 million."
Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch benched D'Angelo Russell during crunch time of Game 6 against the Memphis Grizzlies in favor of backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin. Russell averaged just 12.0 points on 33.3% shooting in the playoffs, while providing weak perimeter defense and inconsistency at the offsensive end.
During his exit interview, the former LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets star was unhappy with Finch's decision to bench him late in the fourth quarter. Russell said:
"No. Not at all. Of course, I want to be out there."
Despite the latest rumors surrounding Russell, Finch believes the left-handed guard still fits with the team. The Minnesota Timberwolves are under new ownership, so they might not be afraid to trade Russell despite his friendship with Karl-Anthony Towns. Finch said:
"We still think the fit is great. His skill set, his playmaking, all that stuff hasn't changed. We've just got to figure out maybe some different sets or structures that kind of accentuate those things too."
What's next for Minnesota Timberwolves?
The Minnesota Timberwolves put up a valiant effort against the Memphis Grizzlies in their first-round matchup. The Timberwolves led by double digits in the fourth quarter in Games 3, 5 and 6 but eventually blew them all. If only they were able to get the job done, they would have been playing against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals.
Nevertheless, the Timberwolves have a very bright future with Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns at the helm. However, what's next for Minnesota? Towns could be in line for a supermax extension this offseason if he gets named to an All-NBA team at the end of the season.
They also have to make a decision regarding D'Angelo Russell, who is eligible for an extension this season. Other players who are eligible for new deals include Malik Beasley, Jaylen Nowell and Naz Reid.
Young role players such as Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt are still under team control for the next two seasons. The team will have all their draft picks if they want to make a trade.
