The Minnesota Timberwolves made a huge move this NBA offseason acquiring Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz. They are hoping that Gobert will help turn around their defense, providing them an anchor on that side of the court to help compensate for the shortcomings of Karl-Anthony Towns as a defender.
While a lot of the focus will be on those two players coexisting, other underlying storylines are worth keeping an eye on. One of them is the future of point guard, D’Angelo Russell.
Russell’s name was tossed around in a bunch of trade rumors this offseason as it seemed likely that Minnesota would move on from him. Playing on an expiring $31.4 million contract, the former All-Star’s future is certainly up in the air.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft struggled with efficiency last season, making only 41.1 percent of his shots overall and 34 percent of his 3-point attempts, but still managed to average 18.1 points per game. He also handed out a career-high 7.1 assists per game and played much-improved defense.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell & Minnesota Timberwolves Updates
While Russell is good friends with Towns, he isn’t one of the cornerstones of the franchise. That title would be bestowed upon Towns, Gobert and Anthony Edwards. There were times during the 2022 postseason when Russell was benched in favor of Jordan McLaughlin, which isn’t much of a confidence boost when it comes to securing a long-term contract.
Despite that, Russell would like to stay in Minnesota beyond this contract. That is something they should take into consideration as the franchise has never been a popular destination for free agents. Alas, the feeling, at least right now, doesn’t seem to be mutual.
While making an appearance on The Scoop with Darren Wolfson, Brian Windhorst of ESPN revealed that he hasn’t heard anything about Russell getting an extension to stay with the Timberwolves. Wolfson agreed, adding that he believes Russell’s representation has reached out to the franchise, but it is not being reciprocated.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell & Minnesota Timberwolves Updates
Given their current salary cap situation, it might be smart for the Timberwolves to retain Russell. They will be in a similar position that the Dallas Mavericks were in this free agency with Jalen Brunson, as they wouldn’t have the means to replace him should he sign elsewhere.
