D’Angelo Russell extension nowhere in sight for Timberwolves

As the 2022-23 NBA season looms, nearly all discussions have flipped from offseason rumors and roster moves to the impending regular season and the teams that we will see take the floor this week.

But for the Minnesota Timberwolves, there’s one very important storyline to follow as this season progresses, and that’s the play of starting point guard D’Angelo Russell.

Entering the final year of his contract where he’ll earn $31.4M, Russell will be looking to sure up a contract extension from the Timberwolves sooner rather than later. But as it currently stands, it’s been reported that the two sides aren’t close to an agreement.

Brian Windhorst revealed on The Scoop w/ Doogie podcast that he had “not heard any discussion about (D’Angelo Russell) getting an extension.” It was also noted on the podcast that Russell’s camp had inquired about a deal, but hadn’t received a positive response from the Timberwolves.

Russell will have to earn contract extension with improved play

Of course, this doesn’t come as a huge shock given Russell’s play over his two-plus seasons in Minnesota. While he’s been far from lackluster, he’s yet to return to his All-Star form that he reached with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.

Russell averaged 18.1 points and a career-best 7.1 assists per game with the Timberwolves in 2021-22, but his play dropped off significantly in the postseason. While his assist numbers remained high, his scoring average dropped to a surprising 12 points per game in the Wolves’ first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

As a result, Minnesota’s hesitance in offering a contract extension to D-Lo seems warranted. The organization wants to be certain that the production they’ll be getting out of their starting point guard will be worth the money they offer him.

Fortunately, Russell will certainly have a chance to go out and earn a new contract with improved play this season.

Timberwolves won’t want to lose Russell for nothing in 2023

If he can go out and recapture some of the All-Star energy he brought to the court in 2019 with the Nets, Russell will have a great chance to put himself in a position to earn an extension. And that shouldn’t be too monumental of a task, given the talented teammates he’ll have around him.

In all, the Minnesota Timberwolves will likely want to keep Russell around in 2023. Unless he puts up a very underwhelming season, the organization will be excited to have him back for a reasonable price.

Quality starting point guards in the NBA aren’t a dime a dozen, and failing to offer D’Angelo Russell a new contract would mean losing his services for nothing in the offseason.