Russell Westbrook and the Timberwolves need each other

What would a Russell Westbrook trade look like?

The Wolves’ new front office needs to do everything in their power to avoid the mistakes Thunder General Manager Sam Presti made when putting pieces around Russell Westbrook.

Oklahoma City had the luxury of holding two top-15 players for the second time this decade for the previous two seasons with PG and Russ. Despite this, the Thunder couldn’t build a consistent contender as a result of Steven Adams’ ridiculous contract that paid him $22.4 million and $24.1 million in the last two seasons, respectively.

One thing we’ve learned about Gersson Rosas is that he will be very conservative as it relates to handing out contracts. This is elucidated by declining hometown hero Tyus Jones‘ 3-year, $28 million dollar offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies. I am confident that if the Wolves traded for Westbrook, Rosas and company wouldn’t make the same mistakes that Presti did.

Minnesota will likely trade Jeff Teague and Gorgui Dieng at some point in the next year, but even if Minnesota holds on to Andrew Wiggins to run with Westbrook and Towns, the Wolves can still construct a roster that can contend immediately thanks to Okogie and Culver being on rookie contracts.

If the Wolves were to include Wiggins in a deal, it would leave the front office with even further cap flexibility going forward, especially in the summer of 2022.

In a trade for Westbrook, the Wolves could take back 125 percent of the salary they send out. Per Spotrac, Brodie is owed $38,506,482 in 2019-20, which means Minnesota would need to send out at least $30,805,186.

The Wolves also have a trade exception of $2,667,600 as a result of the Jimmy Butler/Justin Patton trade with the Sixers. This means that the Wolves can take in $2,667,600 in salary without it affecting the salary cap.

A deeper look at the Minnesota Timberwolves cap situation

Now, let’s get to the trade.

In order to stay safely under the luxury tax, the Wolves bring in the Knicks to take two non-guaranteed contracts they can waive immediately and receive a 2020 second-round pick in the process.

The Thunder will get away with forcing Minnesota to cough up a first-round pick in the process, but giving up just one in order to get off both Jeff Teague and Andrew Wiggins is a win for the front office.

The Heat will drive a hard bargain in order for the Thunder to get off Westbrook’s contract. Miami signed Tyler Herro yesterday, which means he cannot be traded for 30 days and likely sidelines him from being included in any trade.

On Monday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Heat “would prefer not to include Adebayo and Herro”. Now that Herro is safe for 30 days, the number of assets Miami can throw in a trade is very limited.

The result is a wide-open door for the Wolves to enter and sneak into the Russell Westbrook sweepstakes and acquire a player that can revitalize a franchise so desperately yearning for a second star and a return to playoff relevancy.