The Timberwolves will meet with restricted free agent point guard D’Angelo Russell at the start of free agency, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
According to Haynes, the meeting will take place in Los Angeles and is expected to feature president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, head coach Ryan Saunders, and franchise player Karl-Anthony Towns.
Minnesota has been repeatedly linked to Russell, a good friend of Towns, who is “really high” on adding the All-Star guard, per Haynes. However, the club’s cap situation makes the path to a deal tricky. Currently, the Wolves project to be an over-the-cap team, while Russell is expected to command a contract worth upwards of his maximum ($27.25MM) or at least something in that neighborhood.
The Nets, who have been strongly linked to Kyrie Irving, could theoretically agree to sign-and-trade Russell to Minnesota, but Brooklyn reportedly has no interest in taking on Andrew Wiggins or Jeff Teague, who would be the Wolves’ most realistic salary-matching pieces.
Even if the Wolves were able to trade Wiggins into another team’s cap room and renounced the rest of their free agents, they could only generate about $20MM in cap room, which likely wouldn’t be enough for Russell, who established himself in 2018/19 as one of the NBA’s most promising young guards.
A sign-and-trade, then, looks like the most viable path for the Wolves to acquire Russell, but at least one other team would have to get involved if the Nets are uninterested in taking on salary. It sounds like a long shot, but it’s worth noting that Rosas came from Houston’s front office, where he worked under Daryl Morey. Morey is no stranger to getting creative with the cap himself, and is currently trying to pursue an equally convoluted sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler.
For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Zach Lowe wrote on Friday that one executive predicted to him that the Wolves would succeed in dealing Wiggins at some point and would get “net-neutral value” for him.
Does trading Teague, Dieng, and draft picks clear up enough for DLo? Is it possible to have:
PG – Russell, Jones
SG – Okogie, Culver
SF – Wiggins
PF – Covington
C – Towns
Would love to have Gibson back if he’d play for the minimum.
Trading Teague and Dieng without taking back any salary would get them to almost exactly $27MM.
That also assumes they renounce Tyus Jones’ cap hold though.
Doesn’t matter. Nets ain’t doing that unless it’s 3 firsts and the right to swap in between those picks
I’m referring to trading Teague and Dieng to other teams. Then Wolves could sign Russell outright (or to an offer sheet if the Nets don’t withdraw his QO) without needing a sign-and-trade.
Would definitely take multiple picks to get rid of those guys though, I think.
Wolves can trade up to 3 without taking anyone back as they have: Henk Norel, Paulao Prestes and Bojon Dublievec waiting in the wings.
A net-neutral trade for Wiggins. Is this interested party aware that he’s already in decline at 24?
If the Sixers lose butler and Harris do they try with Wiggins? Would a “change of scenery” be what he needs? Three team trade possibility? I have a strong feeling the Sixers are going to be the ones to come up short this offseason.
Fearless prediction…
D’Angelo Russell will sign a relatively cheap one year deal with the T-Wolves.
I don’t think anyone is taking Wiggins into cap space (without at least one 1st, with light protection, and I’m not sure DR is worth that). But if anyone did, then the Wolves would likely have a TPE sufficient to receive DR in a S&T (close to max) from the Nets. Nets might want something too, although their alternative is to lose him to someone else for nothing.
I’m sure a 2nd or 2 would work for Marks. Like you said they lose him for nothing otherwise. Minn could trade a 1st to dump Wiggins or Dieng or another 2nd to dump Teague, who has some value, and then send 2 2nds to BKN for S&T DLo.