The Minnesota Timberwolves celebrated their play-in win over the Los Angeles Clippers as if they had just won their very-first NBA championship. There was confetti all over the place, players got on the scoring table, and fans rushed the floor like an NCAA tourney upset.
While that prompted plenty of mockery and mixed reactions on social media, it sure proved one thing: The players care. They want to win, and God knows the fans have been through way too much already.
With that in mind and following a heartbreaking first-round exit, the Timberwolves will most likely look to improve an already promising roster. Notably, that might as well mean parting ways with D’Angelo Russell.
NBA Rumors: Timberwolves Could Trade D’Angelo Russell
“The future of another prominent lefty lead guard in the West is much more uncertain after Minnesota’s first-round exit. D’Angelo Russell wound up on the bench at crunch time in the Timberwolves’ season-ending Game 6 defeat at home to Memphis and averaged just 12.0 points per game on 33.3% shooting in his second career playoff series,“ Marc Stein reported.
“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,” Stein added. “Russell, 26, has one season left on his contract at $31.4 million.”
Russell left a lot to be desired towards the end of the year and it’s clear that he needs to be more involved in the offense to be at his best. That won’t happen with Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns touching the ball in four out of five possessions.
He’s failed to live up to the expectations of being a second-overall pick and getting rid of that contract will surely be an uphill battle. Then again, he’s good enough to at least gauge some interest in the market, especially if Minny throws in a pick or a young player to sweeten the deal.
