In the NBA, moving off players can be risky. Sometimes teams give up on players too soon, and their careers take off elsewhere. Othertimes, teams trade or waive players, and it significantly benefits them. Getting these moves right has helped the Minnesota Timberwolves transform their franchise. Let’s take a look at three players the Timberwolves recently gave up on at the perfect time.
D’Angelo Russell
Undoubtedly, Russell is the most notable player on this list. Russell was acquired at the 2020 trade deadline in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and draft capital. He was again moved at the 2023 trade deadline, this time in a deal that landed the Wolves Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Russell's combination of poor defense and basketball-IQ makes him hard to build a winning team around.
While Conley is nearly a decade older, he proved to be a better fit for the Wolves. Plus, landing a well-rounded win in Alexander-Walker was a massive win for the Wolves. Conley's playmaking along with NAW's defense and secondary creation were both vital to the Wolves making two straight Western Conference Finals appearances.
Russell, on the other hand, hasn’t been great since leaving the Wolves. With the Los Angeles Lakers, he was part of a Conference Finals squad in 2023. However, he struggled in both the 2023 and 2024 playoffs. This past season Russell averaged a career low 12.6 points on 39 percent shooting from the field. Russell was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the middle of the season. During the summer, he signed with the Dallas Mavericks, marking his third team since being traded from Minnesota.
Jarrett Culver
This one may hurt for Wolves fans, as Culver had high hopes as the No. 6 pick in 2019 coming off a national championship run with Texas Tech. However, Culver never panned out in the NBA. Culver peaked as a rookie, where he averaged 9.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. After plummeting in his second year, the Wolves traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal that netted Minnesota Patrick Beverly, who later became an impactful player on a playoff squad.
After a season with the Grizzlies and another with the Atlanta Hawks (47 total games), Culver has been out of the league ever since. Culver’s blend of poor shooting (career 27.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc), subpar defense, and lack of playmaking (1.2 assists to 0.9 turnovers) is a recipe for disaster as an NBA player. While Culver had some perceived upside after a slow start in the NBA, the Wolves moved off him at the perfect time.
Jarred Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt was part of the Rudy Gobert trade back in 2022. Since being traded to the Timberwolves, Gobert has been a key part of two Western Conference Finals teams. Gobert’s defense has helped transform the Wolves. After spending half a season with the Utah Jazz, Vanderbilt was traded to the Lakers.
While Vanderbilt is an impactful player, especially on defense, he has struggled to stay healthy. Notably, Vanderbilt has played in no more than 36 games over the past two seasons and hasn’t averaged above 5.2 points. Vanderbilt is still a high-level and versatile defender. However, considering his lack of availability and offensive struggles, the Wolves have no regrets about trading him, especially since it helped them land Gobert.