Timberwolves Rumors: Mike Conley Jr. tops list of PG targets

Timberwolves trade options

The most obvious solution to help the Minnesota Timberwolves roster improve the point guard status at the moment is to trade for an established veteran. But the Timberwolves are not exactly an NBA team with available draft picks or high-profile and easily movable players right now. That means that any potential trade will require seriously lengthy negotiations.

Trade Options III: Mike Conley Jr.

Right now, The Athletic’s Shams Charnia is reporting that the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with the LA Clippers, have expressed interest in acquiring Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley Jr. (subscription required) The Timberwolves rumors have been pretty active so far, and the link to Conley makes sense.

Conley is a veteran NBA point guard and has both the experience and the flexibility that this Timberwolves team so desperately needs right now. In the latest Jazz-Timberwolves contest, Conley put up 14 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in 30 minutes. Better yet, he shot 62.5 percent from the floor and a cool 50 percent from beyond the perimeter.

He is currently competing in his 16th NBA season and his fourth season for the Utah Jazz.  While he is currently listed as a backup to Jazz point guard Jordan Clarkson, he has been too productive to sit on the bench. So far this season, he has appeared in 35 games for the Utah Jazz and started in 34 of those contests.

Conley is under contract with the Jazz for two more seasons, at a cost of $22.68 million. If the Timberwolves truly have an interest in acquiring Conley, they will need to negotiate a package that sends D’Angelo Russell to the Jazz as part of the exchange to get the finances in the right ballpark. If that falls through? The Timberwolves may have other options