Now that the trade deadline has passed, how do the Timberwolves shake up?
The Minnesota Timberwolves, sitting at a steady 32-22 record, had their name thrown around in plenty of discussions surrounding the league’s most desirable stars on the trade market, including James Harden, Coby White, LaMelo Ball, and, the most coveted of which, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo has been disgruntled with the Milwaukee Bucks franchise throughout this season, and he prepared himself for a new home. Tim Connelly & the Wolves’ front office, known for their gutsy acquisitions, were immediately all over him. Shams stated that the two most aggressive teams pursuing the Bucks star were the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves. As the deadline passed, nothing came to fruition. Despite failing to snag Antetokounmpo, Minnesota still had a very productive deadline.
In an effort to plan for the future of the team, Connelly’s first move by the deadline was to trade away 37-year-old Mike Conley to the Chicago Bulls to clear around $10M. They didn’t receive any players or picks in the deal, but that wasn’t the goal- this was purely a money-move. Minnesota now ducked under the first apron, receiving many more tax benefits under the new CBA rulebook. Their luxury tax dropped from $24M to $3.8M, a huge money saver. Due to Conley’s age, the Bulls didn’t see a good reason to keep him, so they also traded him in a separate move to the Charlotte Hornets. However, Charlotte had the same reasoning as Chicago, so they bought him out, and Conley was released, free to sign with any team- except Chicago & Charlotte. Because Conley was traded twice, he was allowed to re-sign with Minnesota on a much cheaper deal. Expectedly, they were all over it. The official report that Mike Conley was planning on returning to Minnesota was released just three days after the trade. The Wolves made the original deal in an effort to save money, which would then help them pursue a bigger package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Despite Minnesota’s aggressiveness to get a deal done, the Bucks didn’t give in.
Shortly after the Bucks stated that they weren’t going to trade away Giannis until the summer, Connelly withdrew the Wolves from talks. They then pivoted towards the Chicago Bulls’ versatile guard Ayo Dosunmo. Dosunmo, known for his size & competitiveness, will fit like a glove in Minnesota’s system. His game resembles former fan-favorite Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and many believe that he will re-fill that role. Dosunmo averaged 15.0 PPG on 51% shooting and 45% from three in 45 games played for Chicago this season, solidifying himself as one of the most reliable backup guards in the league.
Minnesota’s lack of a point guard has been its biggest issue so far this season, and while Dosunmo’s primary position isn’t the point guard position, his game fills what Minnesota desperately needs. The trade package Minnesota gave up to get him also wasn’t a high risk. In exchange for Dosunmo & forward Julian Phillips, Minnesota sent Chicago sophomore guard Rob Dillingham, who was selected 8th overall in the 2024 draft but never got opportunities in Minnesota, Leonard Miller, who also never found the rotation aside from garbage time in his three seasons, and four second-round picks. Minnesota is currently sitting at the 6th seed in the west (as of 2/17), and looks to rise up the standings with their new guard providing a much-needed spark.
