Timberwolves: Outlining the pros/cons of a D’Angelo Russell-Mike Conley trade
D’Angelo Russell has been at the front of trade rumors all season and quite frankly his entire career. The latest report comes from Shams Charania of The Athletic, outlining the Minnesota Timberwolves’ interest in Mike Conley.
There are pros and cons to any trade, and moving on from Russell has to be executed correctly. Despite some flaws in his game, DLo has value to the Timberwolves because of his scoring ability. This year, he’s arguably having the best shooting season of his career.
However, Russell isn’t worth the $31 million the Timberwolves are paying him. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the Wolves do not free up all that money if he walks. That money essentially disappears, and the Wolves will have little wiggle room to improve the roster.
When it comes down to it, trading Russell makes sense because they’ll likely lose him this offseason (unless he takes a pay cut for $20-25 million).
Pros:
- Mike Conley is on the books for another year
- Has experience playing with Rudy Gobert
- Veteran Leader
- Better defender
- Pass first point guard
Conley is under contract for another year, which is huge for the Timberwolves because it allows the front office to keep a larger salary on the books. They can move Conley next season at the deadline (if needed) or do a sign and trade during the 2024 offseason.
Gobert is not an easy player to play with because of his rare skillset. Conley struggled at first with Gobert, but he eventually figured it out. We’ve seen that this season with the Wolves and Russell. It hasn’t been awful, but if Minnesota wants to skip the growing pains, then trading for Conley eliminates that.
Conley is a veteran leader who has played in 73 playoff games. That matters, especially for a team that’s learning the ins and outs of meaningful basketball.
He’s not the same defender he was once, but he’s not a liability on that end of the floor. Russell isn’t good in that category, but he has improved over the last couple of weeks.
This season Conley is averaging 7.5 assists per game, which is the highest total through his 16-year career. He’s only attempting 8.8 attempts and would allow Anthony Edwards to run the offense.
Cons:
- Age/Injury Prone
- Lack of scoring
- Potential that it makes the team worse
There aren’t many cons with Conley, and that’s because he’s a veteran point guard who’s had a lot of success. However, he’s 35 years old and isn’t getting any younger.
At his peak, he was putting up 18-20 points a night and playing elite defense. Right now, he’s scoring 10 points a game and playing average defense. He’s not moving the same way, but his basketball IQ makes up for some of these issues.
Conley has missed a lot of games due to injury throughout his career. This season he’s missed 12 games, and that’s a concern, especially for Minnesota who’s dealt with their fair share of injuries.
Russell is having a good season, despite some bad moments. He’s shooting the ball well and can take over a game if need be. Conley isn’t going to do that, which may be an issue considering Minnesota’s struggles during the non-Ant minutes.
Conley is a safe option, and Russell is more of a rollercoaster. It’s worth noting that DLo pushes this team’s ceiling higher because he can reach another gear.
When it comes down to it, Conley is a good player and would bring a different element to this team. It can’t be a one-for-one deal, so it would depend on what Utah is willing to give. If the deal is right, Conley could make this team better because he’s a veteran who doesn’t make many mistakes.
