Bill Simmons had The Ringer’s Wosny Lambre on his latest podcast to talk about NBA happenings around the league. They took a second to pause on the Minnesota Timberwolves when Simmons offered a three-way trade to move D’Angelo Russell out and bring Kyle Lowry in.
“Can I give you a fake trade that I’ve been thinking about?” Simmons asked Lombre. “It’s a three-teamer: Toronto, Minnesota, Miami.
- Miami gets [Fred] VanVleet and [Gary] Trent [Jr.].
- Minnesota gets Kyle Lowry.
- And Toronto gets D’Angelo Russell, [Nikola] Jovic, and Miami’s 2023 first.
“Russell’s an expiring free agent. I’m just trying to figure out how to get anyone better than D’Angelo Russell on Minnesota because I just can’t watch him anymore.”
“Yeah,” Lombre responded.
“Because even Lowry,” said Simmons, “who’s at a declining part of his career –”
“Yeah, his body is done,” Lombre said, responding to Simmons. “I love Kyle Lowry. But yeah, having an adult in Minnesota –”
“To be like,” Simmons cut off Lombre. “‘What are you doing, Rudy Gobert? Why are you yelling at the ref? There’s four minutes left. Just come back to the huddle. Stop!’”
“Somebody who could command some level of respect, because that’s what Minnesota’s missing,” Lombre agreed. “They just don’t have a toughness. There’s just no adulting happening over there. It’s just a bunch of guys that, look I don’t want –”
“It could be Kyle Lowry,” Simmons cut off Lombre.
“Some of these guys are pretty young,” Lombre responded, “but Kyle Lowry would be a nice fit if his body could somehow hold up, and D’Angelo Russell, what is he, Bill? What is his next deal?
“Like, what’s his next deal? What’s his next team? What are they talking themselves into about this dude?”
“I think he’s looking at a Jordan Clarkson, Jordan Poole-type situation on his next team,” said Simmons. “But that’s about $12 million a year. He’s making $30 right now. D’Angelo, you’ll be taking a pay cut next year. The going rate for what you do is about $12 million.”
This trade probably doesn’t sit well with you, unless you really want to see the Wolves move on from DLo. Lowry is 36 and on his last legs, and he isn’t on Minnesota’s timeline. Russell may not be the solution, either. But the Timberwolves aren’t going to move Karl-Anthony Towns’ best friend for an aging veteran – especially while he’s injured.
It’s an interesting trade, but it probably wouldn’t make the Timberwolves better.
