The Minnesota Timberwolves parted ways with Mike Conley in a salary dump move to the Chicago Bulls. Minnesota is looking to clear cap space and position itself to make a bigger move, ideally for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Regarding Conley, though, it's clear that the 38-year-old veteran doesn't have a future in Chicago. After the trade, ESPN's Brian Windhorst mentioned that Conley will likely get bought out, and he'd have interest across the league.
“This is a guy every team in the league would want. He could get bought out for a contender,” Windhorst said.
Again, it's not exactly a shocker that Conley could be bought out. The Bulls are littered with point guards, and Conley likely wouldn't want to spend what could be his last season on a rebuilding team. Windhorst, noting that every team in the league would want Conley, is intriguing to me, given his limited on-court impact at 38.
Nevertheless, Conley is a fantastic veteran presence, and there's no denying that this makes him an intriguing buyout target, especially for a title-contending team.
Mike Conley's presence can still benefit a contending team
On the season, Conley is averaging 18.5 minutes, 4.4 points on 32.2 percent shooting from the field. Wolves fans have been widely frustrated with Conley's continued minutes despite his lack of impact on both ends of the floor. Regardless, Windhorst, noting his widespread interest around the league, speaks volumes to Conley's abilities as a leader and veteran presence.
The trade deadline dust still needs to settle. However, I could see teams such as the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, and New York Knicks being interested in his services. Those are just options off the top of my head, but based on Windhorst's comments, it appears that Conley's market will be robust, and there could be plenty of other suitors.
As noted, Conley's main value is behind the scenes as a locker room presence and veteran leader. Still, he could play occasional minutes in a pinch, so for any contending team that lacks guard depth, he could be a worthy addition.
It appears that Conley being bought out is a matter of when, not if, and thankfully, he'll land on his feet with a competitive team. As noted earlier, there's a real chance that Conley will retire after this season, so it would be nice to see him on a competitive team again.
While Conley took a sizable step back this season, there's no denying that he has been an important part of the franchise since arriving in 2023.