The Minnesota Timberwolves are apparently planning to make a move for Brooklyn Nets restricted free agent D’Angelo Russell when the market opens next month.
“There has been a lot of Minnesota (signing) D’Angelo Russell noise. And it’s not all Karl Towns commenting on Instagram because they’re friends,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his Lowe Post. “Minnesota has communicated to the league, not the NBA league, just the league at large that they believe they have a pathway to get D’Angelo Russell.”
The Wolves are capped out with the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague accounting for $74 million against the cap.
Though, Minnesota is said to be interested in dealing Wiggins. After selecting wing Jarrett Culver in the 2019 NBA Draft, that could become a possibility.
It’s not yet known what Russell might demand on the restricted free agent market. He’s coming off a career-best performance that saw the still young 23-year-old guard average 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game.
Brooklyn is said to be heavy favorites to land Kyrie Irving in free agency. It has also come close to clearing enough room for another max-contract player. That could lead to Russell’s departure from the Nets.