Minnesota Timberwolves: 5-step plan for a perfect off-season

Step IV: Make a quick decision on D’Angelo Russell

Much like the hiring of a new team president, deciding upon the future of D’Angelo Russell will dictate the other necessary steps required to restock this team’s roster. So far in the 2022 offseason, there has been a number of rumors reporting NBA teams showing interest in trading for Russell.

But before any such trade inquiries should be fielded, the Timberwolves need to determine very quickly whether or not Russell is part of the future plans for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Whatever way the team answers that question dictates how the team will approach NBA Free Agency and the 2022 NBA Draft.

Don’t backlog backcourt decisions

The 2022 NBA Draft is chock full of solid backcourt prospects. At the 19th overall pick, the Timberwolves could land a solid contributor for the 2022-23 season. But if the team believes that D’Angelo Russell is a necessary piece to the Timberwolves championship roster puzzle, then the team would be far wiser to invest that pick in one of the few front-court players who may prove to have successful NBA careers.

If the trade package for Russell includes draft picks, then that will play a huge role in how the Timberwolves approach the draft. One such team that is expected to aggressively pursue a trade for Russell is the New York Knicks. If that does prove to be true, the Timberwolves could end up with a package of both players and picks that could be a solid leap forward in terms of elevating the talent level on this roster.