Tim Connelly has acted aggressively since the Minnesota Timberwolves hired him as their President of Basketball Operations in late May. Roughly two months after he agreed to join Minnesota’s front office on a five-year, $40 million deal, Connelly made the franchise-shifting trade for Rudy Gobert.
“We’re not going to bury our head in the sand and pretend it’s been flawless,” Connelly said regarding the trade in early December. “We never expected that. When we made the trade, it wasn’t done without a lot of conversation, a lot of watching of tape.”
At the time of this quote, Gobert was averaging 13.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks on 64% from the floor in his first 22 games with the Wolves. From an eye test, it appeared that Gobert wasn’t bringing the same defensive intensity that he brought for seven seasons in Utah. However, Gobert had a 109 defensive rating during that span, ranking as one of the highest in the NBA. Regardless of what the numbers say, fans had different outlooks on the trade. Many seemed to believe that bringing Gobert to Minnesota was a huge mistake.
Being that was Connelly’s first major move with his new team, he took the brunt of the blame. Fans had a right to be upset early in the season, but hindsight is always 20-20. The haul that Minnesota gave up for Gobert will probably be debated for many years to come. However, there’s no denying that the Tower of Power has done exactly what he was brought here to do.
However, people haven’t debated Connelly’s second major move with the Timberwolves – bringing in the veteran point guard Mike Conley to replace D’Angelo Russell – nearly as much. Was I originally against the idea of shipping Russell, 26, who was entering his prime away for another guard who was ten years older? Yes. However, as we look back at the last 20 games, the Wolves seemed to strike gold when they added Minnesota Mike.
Without context, the Russell-Conley trade may look like a foolish move by Minnesota’s front office. However, there was one key factor that even Timberwolves faithful haven’t fully acknowledged – the bottom dolla’.
In his 20 games with the Wolves this season, DLo became one of Minnesota’s most lethal offensive creators – especially after Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury. Along with that, the Russell-Anthony Edwards backcourt of Russell struck fear into every opponent.
So, why would the Wolves trade him?
The answer is simple; Minnesota didn’t have the financial stability to retain Russell long-term. DLo was in the last season of a four-year, $117 million contract he signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. Russell has been inconsistent over the years. But by in large, he was worth his price tag.
There was some scuffle this past off-season about the Wolves possibly keeping DLo around long-term. However, no reports came out that the two parties even discussed a contract extension that would have made Russell the team’s “PG1” of the future. As Edwards emerged early in the season, we saw him take over primary ball-handling duties – further making DLo replaceable.
Leading up to the trade deadline, there wasn’t much of a reported market for Russell. In fact, DLo hasn’t drawn much interest from teams since signing his mega-deal in 2019. It didn’t seem like the Wolves could get a haul for Russell. However, that’s exactly what Connelly ended up getting in a three-way trade with Utah and the Lakers. It just wasn’t a sexy move in the eyes of fans and the media.
Conley has been a revelation in Minnesota, emerging as one of the team’s best players on both sides of the ball. MC is providing the Wolves with one trait that DLo could never bring – stability. There is no one out there denying the offensive threat Russell poses with the ball in his hands. Still, it was hard to trust him to make the right read in key spots. Mistakes are a part of the game, and players shouldn’t be penalized for making them. But ultimately Conley makes less than Russell.
While this article may be slated heavily in favor of the Wolves, let’s not fail to mention what the Lakers have accomplished following the trade deadline.
L.A. brought in a slew of younger, hungrier guys as they hoped to change the culture and make a run at the playoffs. Since the deadline, the Lakers have gone 14-7 and are currently eighth in the Western Conference. It’s been a full team effort, but DLo has been at the forefront of everything they have done to close out the season.
While the big-market bias has cultivated a larger following for Russell since the trade, Conley also has been leading his team – both in their own unique ways.
Rarely in the NBA do you see big trades turn out to be a win-win for both sides. While most Wolves fans are still dealing with PTSD from the Gobert trade, there’s no denying that trading Russell for a veteran floor general has worked out for both sides.
