It wasn't exactly a surprise when it was announced on Tuesday that Mike Conley will officially return to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the rest of the season. This has been reported since he was waived by the Charlotte Hornets, and even before that, rumors hinted this would happen. However, the move wasn't made official until today (Tuesday, February 17), when Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirmed that Conley would be back with the Wolves.Â
The Timberwolves waited until this date to bring back Conley for financial reasons, as they can now sign another veteran while remaining under the first tax apron. After not having the minimum of 14 standard roster players for two weeks, the Wolves had to make this long-rumored reunion official. Even after this move, the Timberwolves have one open roster spot. Regardless, they'll likely wait to fill it until early March for financial reasons.
Converting Johnny Juzang's two-way contract to a standard deal feels likely, given the underwhelming buyout options and that Juzang has been active for nearly every game despite barely playing.
Bringing Conley back is the right move for the Wolves, even if he won't play much
Wolves fans grew frustrated by Conley's heavy minutes this season. Notably, Conley is averaging just 4.4 points and 2.9 assists with 32.2/32.1/89.1 shooting splits.
However, there's no denying he'll be welcomed back with open arms. Conley has been a key part of the team's success since being traded to Minnesota in 2023. Even if he can't contribute meaningful minutes, Conley's presence as a leader is valuable to a fairly volatile Wolves squad.
At 38, there's no shame in taking on a more limited role, and Conley is truly one of the best leaders in the league. He's clearly a beloved part of the team, with Anthony Edwards openly advocating for him to return after he was first traded.
With the addition of Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland continuing to provide solid bench production, Conley's path to minutes is slim. Chris Finch has remained extremely loyal to Conley, though, so I wouldn't rule out him playing minutes. But hopefully, Finch realizes that Conley shouldn't be a mainstay of the Wolves' rotation anymore.
Can he play some occasional minutes when the team isn't at full strength? Sure, but his minutes should be reduced significantly from his previous 18.5 minutes per game.
Again, bringing Conley back is the right move, but it's for behind-the-scenes reasons rather than on-court reasons. As the Wolves gear up for another playoff run, having their trusted veteran leader back is a clear plus -- even if his on-court value is limited.
While this announcement is largely a formality since we've known about it for some time, it's still nice to see that Minnesota Mike is officially back with the team.