Northwest Notes: Jazz, K. George, Wolves, R. Williams, A. Mitchell

October 31st, 2025 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

New Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge vowed back in June at his introductory press conference that the team wouldn’t tank in 2025/26 like it did last year. We’re just four games into the season, but so far the team is backing up that assertion, as Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune writes.

The 2-2 Jazz have won games against the Clippers and Suns, while their losses against Sacramento and Portland came by a combined total of three points. Keyonte George‘s play has been one of the more notable developments of the first two weeks of the season, Larsen notes — the third-year point guard is averaging 22.3 points and 9.3 assists per game through his first four outings.

“I credit, you know, (CEO) Danny (Ainge), (general manager Justin Zanik), Austin, (head coach) Will (Hardy),” George said when asked about his maturation this season. “My exit interview, it was pretty blunt. … It basically was about — you know, ‘It’s time to grow up.'”

George has still struggled with his three-point shot (22.2%) and turnovers (4.3 per game) in the early going, but Larsen describes his defensive effort as “night and day” compared to last season and notes that the 21-year-old is prioritizing setting up teammates instead of seeking out his own shot.

“Put the ball in our play-makers’ hands,” George said in describing his approach. “Whether it’s Lauri (Markkanen), Walker (Kessler), Brice (Sensabaugh), or anybody. And then that’s when I can go get a layup every now and then, or make an open shot.”

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The Timberwolves‘ typically stout defense has faltered early on this season, ranking 24th in the NBA through Thursday’s games. Minnesota is just 2-3 so far and has a 119.5 defensive rating after finishing sixth at 110.8 last season. As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic relays, head coach Chris Finch has challenged his “All-Defensive guys” – Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert – to do a better job of setting the tone on that end of the court. “Jaden’s gotta be better at the point of attack, into his guy a little bit more,” Finch said. “Rudy’s gotta challenge more stuff at the rim.”
Trail Blazers center Robert Williams, who has yet to make his season debut, has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game vs. Denver, the team announced (Twitter link). Williams, who has been plagued by knee issues throughout his career, was limited to just 20 games last season and didn’t play during the preseason.
After missing most of the second half of his rookie season due to toe surgery, Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell signed a three-year, $8.7MM contract in July that includes a team option on the third year. Mitchell, who has averaged 18.5 points per game in his first six appearances off the bench this fall, has already outplayed that contract, suggests ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That team-friendly deal should benefit Oklahoma City significantly during the next couple seasons as extensions for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren take effect and the club enters tax-apron territory.

Suns, Wolves Hoping Durant Warms To Minnesota Possibility

June 17th, 2025 at 8:08am CST by Luke Adams

Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Monday that Kevin Durant has “no desire” to be traded to the Timberwolves, but the Suns and Wolves are still hoping he’ll warm to the idea, league sources tell Sam Amick and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

Durant doesn’t have the ability to veto a trade, so Phoenix and Minnesota would be free to work out an agreement that sends the former MVP to the Timberwolves, even if he’s unwilling to immediately sign an extension with his new team.

However, after advancing to the Western Conference Finals in each of the past two seasons, the Wolves are reluctant to make a significant roster change if the incoming star isn’t on board, according to Amick and Krawczynski, who note that Rudy Gobert‘s enthusiasm for Minnesota was one reason president of basketball operations Tim Connelly gave up a substantial haul to acquire the big man in 2022.

As The Athletic’s duo writes, the Wolves believed when they spoke with the Suns at the trade deadline in February that Durant was open to playing in Minnesota, given his friendship with Anthony Edwards, his D.C.-area ties with Connelly, and the opportunity to team up with Jaden McDaniels, whose defensive prowess would reduce the pressure on KD at that end of the court. However, the Wolves have been made aware during their recent discussions with the Suns that Durant wants to play elsewhere.

Durant reportedly prefers to end up with the Spurs, Rockets, or Heat – and San Antonio may be atop that list, per The Athletic – but the offers from those teams haven’t been especially compelling from the Suns’ perspective, as Amick and Krawczynski explain. If Durant were more enthusiastic about Minnesota, the Wolves could feel more confident about making an aggressive play for him, which may in turn inspire another suitor to increase its bid.

“Phoenix is trying to drum up better offers,” one rival executive told The Athletic.

The Rockets have had “meaningful” talks with the Suns about Durant and have put a firm offer on the table, but Phoenix was underwhelmed by that proposal, according to Amick and Krawczynski, who hear from league sources that San Antonio has been “conservative” in its pursuit of the 15-time All-Star.

As for the Heat, it’s unclear whether they have the right pieces to really entice the Suns, since salary-matching veterans such as Andrew Wiggins and/or Duncan Robinson are unlikely to hold significant appeal to Phoenix.

While the Suns are said to have interest in Gobert, it remains to be seen whether the Timberwolves would be willing to put the four-time Defensive Player of the Year into their offer for Durant, The Athletic’s duo notes. The Wolves would likely be even more hesitant to put Gobert on the table if Durant remains opposed to the idea of becoming a Timberwolf.

Spurs, Rockets, Heat On Kevin Durant’s Wish List

June 14th, 2025 at 9:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs and Rockets are Kevin Durant‘s preferred trade destinations, league sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic, who provides an overview of the status of trade talks along with Athletic writers Kelly Iko and Jon Krawczynski. Amick cautions that Durant’s desire to play in San Antonio or Houston doesn’t mean he’ll wind up in one of those cities, as there are “complicating factors” with both teams that make deals difficult.

Shams Charania of ESPN shares a similar report, but says Durant is interested in joining the Heat as well as the two Texas teams. He states that “people across the NBA” have been told that those are the three teams Durant would consider signing an extension with. He has one year left on his contract at $54.7MM.

Charania notes that once the trade is complete, Durant will become eligible on July 6 for a two-year contract extension worth up to $122MM. If he waits until six months after the trade becomes official, the extension rises to a potential $124MM over two years.

Sources tell Charania that Durant is being pursued by six to eight “seriously interested teams.” The Suns have informed those teams that they plan to make the best deal for themselves, even if Durant winds up somewhere he doesn’t want to go.

Within the Athletic’s report, Iko notes that the Spurs have a base of young talent, no current cap worries and a wealth of draft assets (13 first-round picks through 2032), putting them in position for a “timeline-altering move” to speed up the building process around Victor Wembanyama. League sources tell Iko that San Antonio remains unwilling to part with the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, which is expected to bring Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, but the Spurs would make the 14th pick available.

Echoing a report earlier today by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Iko states that Phoenix has been underwhelmed by offers constructed around Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes. Durant’s desire to join the Spurs will factor into the equation, but Iko sounds skeptical that a deal will happen unless their offers improve.

The Rockets are in a similar situation, Iko adds, as a young team that has to decide how badly it wants to disrupt its current timeline to add an aging and expensive player, even one as productive as Durant. He notes that Houston and Phoenix have been engaged in talks regarding Durant for more than a year, but the Suns’ decision to restructure their front office, with Brian Gregory taking over as general manager, have affected those negotiations.

Sources tell Iko that originally Phoenix was determined to regain control of its first-round picks that Houston owns in 2025, 2027 and 2029, and later switched to asking for multiple young players such as Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green. Team and league sources tell Iko that Jabari Smith Jr. has recently become the focus of the Suns’ pursuit. Iko hears that Green wants to stay in Houston and atone for his poor playoff performance and that the Rockets’ front office hasn’t shown much interest in breaking up its young core in pursuit of Durant.

Krawczynski discusses the challenge of bringing Durant’s contract to Minnesota, which is currently above the second apron, just like Phoenix. Wolves sources tell him that the team won’t part with Jaden McDaniels in a Durant trade, which means Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert would have to be included to help match salaries if Minnesota can regain the ability to aggregate by dropping below the second apron. Randle has a $30.9MM player option for next season that he would have to agree to pick up before being included in a deal, while Gobert is under contract for $35MM. Krawczynski notes that either player would be a solid addition alongside Devin Booker and could help the Suns get back into the playoff race.

He adds that another salary, such as Donte DiVincenzo’s $12MM, would have to be included, and Phoenix would probably want one of Minnesota’s young players thrown in, such as Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon or Jaylen Clark.

And-Ones: Expansion, Greenwood, Anigbata, 2020 Draft

June 13th, 2025 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

While NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes the league will “likely” expand beyond its current 30 teams sooner or later, he said during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show this week that it’s not obvious to him that it absolutely needs to happen in the short term (Twitter video link).

“The reason I say it’s not obvious is because as a global business where something like two billion people will connect with us on social media, over a billion people over the course of the year will watch some portion of the game, adding another U.S. city, it’s unclear how much growth we’ll get as a result of that,” Silver explained, noting that expanding from 30 teams to 32 would dilute the NBA’s talent pool and result in two new partners splitting up the league’s revenue.

“… Having said that,” Silver continued, “I do believe certain markets can potentially be additive to the NBA, and that’s what we’re going to look at. I think part of it is geographic. It’s a big country. Making sure we’re represented all around the country, and then over time, maybe there’s more we can do in Canada, and Mexico City is a city we’ve talked about before.”

Silver went on to say that the NBA hasn’t met with any groups from specific cities yet, but confirmed that expansion will be a real topic of discussion at the league’s Board of Governors meetings in July.

“I don’t mean to tease people with this,” Silver said. “This is the summer we’re going to look at it seriously.”

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David Greenwood, a former UCLA star who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1979 draft behind Magic Johnson, has passed away at age 68 after battling cancer, according to Beth Harris of The Associated Press. Greenwood appeared in over 800 regular season games across 12 NBA seasons with the Bulls, Spurs, Pistons, and Nuggets, earning a spot on the All-Rookie first team in 1980 and winning a title with Detroit in 1990. He held career averages of 10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 28.4 minutes per game.
Ahead of Sunday’s draft withdrawal deadline for early entrants, German forward Alec Anigbata has removed his name from consideration, reports Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress (Twitter link). The 20-year-old has played a minor role for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany this season and will become automatically draft-eligible in 2026, Chepkevich notes.
If the 2020 NBA draft were held again knowing what we know now, Anthony Edwards would still be the No. 1 pick, but a pair of Tyreses – Tyrese Haliburton and Tyrese Maxey – would move into the top three after initially being drafted at No. 12 and No. 21, respectively, according to HoopsHype. In HoopsHype’s 2020 re-draft, a series of late first-rounders move into the top 10, with Desmond Bane jumping from No. 30 to No. 5 while Jaden McDaniels (No. 28 to No. 6), Immanuel Quickley (No. 25 to No. 9), and Payton Pritchard (No. 26 to No. 10) also make big leaps.

Wolves Notes: Game 5, Conley, Edwards, Randle, Defense

May 28th, 2025 at 7:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves understand what’s at stake as they prepare for tonight’s Game 5 in Oklahoma City, writes Cassidy Hettesheimer of The Star Tribune (subscription required). Minnesota narrowly missed a chance to tie the series on Monday, which means three straight wins will now be necessary to reach the NBA Finals. Two of those will have to come at the Paycom Center, where the Thunder won by 26 and 15 points to open the series.

“We’re just trying to get another home game and trying to play in front of our home crowd again,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “Everybody has counted us out all year. We’ve been through a lot. We’re together as a locker room. We don’t care what the media is going to say.”

This is the second straight year the Wolves have reached the Western Conference Finals, and Hettesheimer notes that they were expected to be in a better position this time. Last year, Minnesota was exhausted after coming off a seven-game series with Denver and lost to Dallas in five games. This time, the Nuggets took OKC to seven games while the Wolves had time to rest after a five-game series with Golden State. Despite that, Minnesota is back in the same position, staring at a 3-1 deficit.

Jaden McDaniels believes the key to Game 5 will be getting off to a fast start and not letting the Thunder build up momentum in front of their fans.

“At home, they start super well, so we’ve just got to [slow] their little run at the beginning,” he said. “We’ve got to play tougher, playing stronger and just hold them to one shot.”

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Veteran guard Mike Conley is counting on Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle to bounce back after subpar performances in Game 4, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). OKC’s swarming defense held Edwards to 16 points on 5-of- 13 shooting and Randle to five points on a 1-of-7 night. “We need our best guys to be our best guys,” Conley said.
Randle seems to have found a home in Minnesota, which is the fourth stop in his 11-year career, McMenamin observes in a full story. He notes that the surprise trade that sent Randle to the Wolves in October reunited him with head coach Chris Finch, who was an assistant in New Orleans earlier in Randle’s career, and he has bonded with president of basketball operations Tim Connelly over their shared love of cuisine. Randle’s comfort level could become important this summer, as he holds a $30.1MM player option and may be interested in a long-term contract.
The most disappointing part of Minnesota’s performance in the two conference finals has been the failure of its vaunted defense, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. The Wolves weren’t able to control Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving last year, and the Thunder are averaging 115.3 points through the first four games of this series.

Timberwolves Notes: Randle, Edwards, McDaniels, Shannon

May 26th, 2025 at 7:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Julius Randle has been a magnet for criticism during his career, especially when he played in New York. The Timberwolves big man told Yahoo Sports’ Vince Goodwill that he tries to turn it into a positive.

“I’ve always used that as motivation, proving people wrong and stuff like that,” Randle said. “But it became more about proving myself right. That’s been the biggest adjustment and change in my mindset. Not that you don’t see it, pay attention to it. But it’s more about me than anyone else. I mean, I think that’s kind of been the maturity of my approach. I feel like the weight of the world’s off my shoulders because I’m just playing, having fun.”

Donte DiVincenzo, who was traded to Minnesota along with Randle, is impressed with how his teammate handles the negativity.

“To see him carry the load, night in and night out, everybody knows how much stuff he deals with, everybody knows how much flak he [catches], and he doesn’t let it faze him, he doesn’t let it bother him,” DiVincenzo said.

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Anthony Edwards‘ positivity during the team flight prior to Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals went a long way toward getting the team to push past its 0-2 series deficit, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Edwards lifted the spirits of numerous teammates who were lamenting over the road defeats. “He always comes in a good mood and he’s always ready to go. He was one of the most positive voices after Game 2,” coach Chris Finch said. “The leadership that [Edwards] has shown this season is up by leaps and bounds. It’s just another example of it.”
Jaden McDaniels fouled out of Game 1 and committed five fouls in Game 2. He only picked up two fouls in Game 3, as he did a better job of avoiding them while trying to help contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Kept my hands out of his shooting motion, or just kept my hands off him at all. … He’ll use his arms to tangle in yours and my arms are so long, it’s like they be getting caught places I don’t even want them to be,” McDaniels said, per Chris Hine of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
Finch confirmed during his pregame press conference on Monday that rookie Terrence Shannon Jr., who scored 15 points in Game 3, would have a role in Game 4, Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore tweets. “I think there’s opportunity for him to have a spot in the rotation right now,” Finch said.

Wolves Notes: Edwards, Conley, Shannon, McDaniels

May 25th, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves looked different on Saturday night because Anthony Edwards delivered a star performance, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had outscored Edwards by 19 combined points in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, but that changed dramatically in Game 3. Edwards delivered 30 points in 30 minutes as Minnesota claimed a 42-point victory on its home court that marked a dramatic shift in the series.

“That’s what we need him to do, and when he does it, it takes us to another level,” coach Chris Finch said. “I thought that’s what was really big in the first quarter. He got a couple of those steals. He was all over the place. He knew that we needed that type of start from our defense, and he brought it. It was really, really good.”

Edwards set the tone with 16 points in the first quarter, which was two more than the Thunder managed against the Wolves’ stifling defense. He also finished the game with nine rebounds, six assists and two steals and shot 5-of-8 from beyond the arc after going 4-of-17 in the first two games.

“I feel like the second game I was in a rhythm, it was just my trey ball wasn’t falling,” Edwards said. “Just getting back in the gym, watching shots go in and just keep trusting it. That’s all.”

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Edwards was a second-team All-NBA selection, but he told assistant coach Chris Hines that he didn’t feel like he deserved the honor after playing so poorly in the first two games against the Thunder, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Mike Conley said he saw a different side of Edwards as he prepared for Game 3. “It was a different energy,” Conley said. “Normally, he’ll just come in and he’ll just work extra hard. You’ll see him in there just angry. But this was more like he was disgusted in himself. This was, ‘I’m not playing like I should.’ It was almost an embarrassment kind of feeling, and we could just feel that in his energy. He still worked and he still did his thing. But it was like he just knew that something had to change.”
Terrence Shannon was a surprise contributor after entering Saturday’s game in the second quarter, observes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. The rookie guard wound up with 15 points in 13 minutes as he frequently challenged OKC’s defense with drives to the basket. “He’s willing to get to the paint, no matter what,” Edwards said. “You have three people in there, he’s still gonna find a way to get down there, and that was just about being able to read the game form. They put three people in the paint, I’m telling them like, ‘You got kick outs.’”
Edwards credited Jaden McDaniels for the Wolves’ defensive improvement in Game 3, saying he was robbed of All-Defensive honors, McMenamin tweets. “It starts with Jaden McDaniels,” Edwards said. “He didn’t make an All-Defensive Team, which is terrible for [the] people who get a vote. He showed them again tonight why he should be on the defensive team.”

NBA Announces 2024/25 All-Defensive Teams

May 22nd, 2025 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2024/25 season (Twitter links).

The teams are determined by a panel of 100 media members, with players receiving two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.

There were no unanimous First Team selections this year, but Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley came close, having been named to the First Team on 99 ballots (Twitter link). He was selected to the Second Team on the 100th ballot, for a total of 199 points.

The honorees are as follows, along with their point totals:

First Team

Evan Mobley, Cavaliers (199 points)
Dyson Daniels, Hawks (191)
Luguentz Dort, Thunder (180)
Draymond Green, Warriors (179)
Amen Thompson, Rockets (171)

Second Team

Ivica Zubac, Clippers (114)
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies (107)
Jalen Williams, Thunder (79)
Toumani Camara, Trail Blazers (74)
Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves (65)

The NBA adjusted the voting rules in 2023 to allow All-Defensive ballots to be positionless. Up until that point, each team consisted of two guards, two forwards, and a center.

Despite the lack of positional requirements, this year’s teams are reasonably well balanced — while Mobley, Green, Zubac, Jackson, and Gobert all serve as defensive anchors for their respective clubs, Mobley, Green, and Jackson spend much of their time on the court playing forward rather than center.

It’s the ninth time that Green has made an All-Defensive team and the eighth time that Gobert has earned the honor. Jackson and Mobley have each been recognized multiple times too — it’s the third time Jackson has made the cut and the second time for Mobley. However, Daniels, Dort, Thompson, Zubac, Williams, and Camara have never been named All-Defensive players before this season.

Among the other players who received votes, Knicks forward OG Anunoby came closest to cracking the top 10, having been named to the First Team on two ballots and the Second Team on 45 ballots for a total of 49 points. An additional 13 players received at least one vote, but none of them had more than 18 total points.

That group of players who missed the cut includes Heat big man Bam Adebayo, whose streak of five straight All-Defensive seasons has come to an end.

Players were required to meet the criteria of the 65-game rule in order to qualify for All-Defensive consideration. The full voting results can be viewed here (Twitter link).

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Dort has earned a $500K bonus for making the First Team this season. In addition to increasing his earnings for this season, that will bump Dort’s cap hit for 2025/26 from $17,722,222 to $18,222,222, since the bonus will now be considered likely to be earned next season.

Conversely, after missing out on All-Defensive spots this season, Derrick White and Jaden McDaniels will see their cap hits for next season reduced by $250K and $431K, respectively, Marks adds (Twitter link). Those bonuses, which had been considered likely after the duo earned All-Defensive nods in 2024, won’t be earned this season, which means the Celtics and Timberwolves will each receive a tax variance credit and both bonuses will be considered unlikely for 2025/26.

Wolves Notes: McDaniels, Reid, Edwards, DiVincenzo

April 20th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

An exceptional shooting night from Jaden McDaniels helped the Timberwolves surprise the Lakers in Game 1 of their playoff series, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. McDaniels, a defensive specialist who averaged a career-high 12.2 PPG this season, led Minnesota with 25 points while going 11-of-13 from the field and sinking all three of his three-point attempts. Seven of those points came early in the second quarter when the Wolves seized control of the game with a 12-2 run.

“He always had it. It’s kind of new to you guys, but I’ve been in the gym with him for years,” Naz Reid said. “I would say it’s a good thing and a blessing for him to be able to bring that out and showcase that and have an effect on the game each and every way. He can score the ball, he can rebound, he can defend, pick up 94 feet.”

Reid also made a huge contribution to the victory with 23 points off the bench on 8-of-12 shooting, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. He had to leave the game after being struck in the eye by Jarred Vanderbilt in the third quarter, but returned to help Minnesota seal the victory.

“He hit me in my eye, I was hurt for a second, came back in, hit a three,” Reid said (Twitter link from Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic). “It’s not easy to take me out the game.”

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Anthony Edwards was also able to return to the game after limping to the locker room with cramping in his left leg late in the third quarter (Twitter video link from ESPN). Coach Chris Finch was impressed by Edwards’ leadership, Hine adds, as he spoke to his teammates at halftime about how to counter L.A.’s defense, then came out in attack mode at the start of the second half. “He just was surveying in the first half a lot, and I think he let that slow him down, and I think he was more aggressive,” Finch said. “He had that look in his eyes like he gets, and he was really good.”
The Wolves bothered the Lakers with their size and physicality as Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and McDaniels controlled the boards and limited the number of easy shots in the paint, observes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Minnesota was able to exert its presence on defense without getting into foul trouble. “The main thing for us was, we didn’t want them to get into the bonus early,” Edwards said. “Because … you see a couple free throws go in, Luka (Doncic) gets into a rhythm, (LeBron James) gets into a rhythm.”
Passport issues may prevent Donte DiVincenzo from representing Italy at this summer’s EuroBasket tournament, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. DiVincenzo made a verbal commitment earlier this month, but his passport still hasn’t been obtained and the deadline is rapidly approaching.

Wolves Didn’t Offer Jaden McDaniels In Kevin Durant Trade Talks

March 14th, 2025 at 12:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves were aggressive in trying to land Kevin Durant before last month’s trade deadline, but their offers to the Suns didn’t include Anthony Edwards or Jaden McDaniels, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Scotto’s sources say Minnesota wanted to build the deal around power forward Julius Randle and shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo, both of whom were acquired from New York last October in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.

The Wolves are expected to continue their pursuit of Durant this summer, but Randle would have to pick up his $30.9MM player option before he could be included in trade talks. Scotto notes that Minnesota has won the last 11 games in which Randle has played, while DiVincenzo, who is signed through the 2026/27 season, is shooting 39.4% from three-point range and averaging a career-best 3.7 assists per game.

It’s worth noting that the Wolves were operating more than $16MM above the second tax apron and Durant’s $51.2MM salary is about $7MM more than Randle and DiVincenzo combined, so they would have needed to trim over $20MM in additional salary to make the deal possible, since teams above the second apron can’t aggregate salaries.

Assuming Rudy Gobert was also off the table, Minnesota would have needed to part with either Naz Reid and Mike Conley or Reid and several lower-paid players. At least one additional team would have been necessary because Phoenix is also over the second apron and couldn’t take back more salary than it sent out in any deal.

Any version of the trade would have been difficult to complete without including McDaniels’ $23MM salary. The 24-year-old forward is averaging 12.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season and is an important part of Minnesota’s defense.

The Suns expressed interest in Reid during trade talks, sources tell Scotto. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has a $15MM player option for next season that he’s expected to decline, but the Wolves intend to sign him to a long-term deal, Scotto’s sources add.