Ryen Russillo touched on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening monologue of his most recent podcast, raising serious concerns about their roster construction. He’s a big believer in Anthony Edwards, but he doesn’t feel they have the right guys around him. Russillo said the Wolves should look to offload D’Angelo Russell, but he doesn’t know if any team would take him.
Last thing, this D’Angelo Russell trade market stuff, who trades for him? I know he’s 26. I know he’s talented. He’s just talented enough to be dangerous.
They gotta get him out of Minnesota. They do. I guess he unfollowed the team. I noticed, and I don’t know – I have to remind everybody, I don’t watch your team every night, but I noticed the substitution pattern with Russell where they took him out in the fourth quarter, and then they kinda fake brought him back in.
The ol’ LaMelo Ball that my man [James] Borrego used to do. He used to take him out, and then once the game is decided, I’ll put you back in in the fourth quarter, sort of.
The problem for Anthony Edwards is, and the problem for the Timberwolves is that you have two fake franchise guys. One’s Towns, and then I don’t even think that Russell is a fake franchise guy. I think the gig is up on that one.
The number of times where I watch him play, where he’s just not interested in being faster. He’ll hit a big three, he’ll make a sick pass, he’s got this drive, where if you look at the highlight package, you’ll be like, that’s amazing.
That’s what Timberwolves fans should be praying for. If somebody else is gonna go ahead and trade him and take on his money, and trade for him. But the more I think about Russell, and even Towns to an extent, and then you have the Gobert deal, let’s just say I’m very concerned about the surrounding pieces long-term for Anthony Edwards, who I’m still extremely high on.
That’s pretty damning from a guy who watches a lot of basketball. The Wolves would be trading Russell for cents on the dollar. They’d also be engaging in another overhaul if they unload DLo and KAT a year after trading for Gobert. But they may have to. Edwards is the key to Minnesota’s future, and they have to build a roster that optimizes his talent to build off of last year’s success.
