I don't think it would surprise anyone if the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for a point guard at or before February's trade deadline. At 38, Mike Conley is declining, and 20-year-old Rob Dillingham hasn't proven that he can handle a sizable role. In the same breath, I don't think it would surprise anyone if the Dallas Mavericks traded D'Angelo Russell.
The 6-foot-3 point guard played for the Wolves from 2020 to 2023. Since Russell signed with the Mavericks in free agency this summer, he is eligible to be traded on December 15, just under a month from now. Given this, it's easy to connect the dots and suggest Minnesota should pursue a reunion with Russell.
However, I would advise that the Wolves go in another direction if they indeed pursue a point guard upgrade at the deadline. For the season, Russell is averaging 12.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5 assists with awful 39.9/25.6/69.6 shooting splits. By all accounts, this has been the worst season of his career, and after not performing well last season, he appears to be on the decline.
Russell is also a poor fit in the Wolves' system. A reunion simply wouldn't be in Minnesota's best interest.
Trading for D'Angelo Russell isn't a good idea for the Wolves
There are a few things the Wolves could use from a point guard. Someone who can generate rim pressure, create for himself, playmake (especially get Rudy Gobert involved), hit open shots, and defend. Trading for a guard who can do all of these things is unlikely. Unfortunately, Russell can't do any of these things consistently.
Russell is currently shooting a career low 1.3 attempts at the rim. While he's a willing shooter, Russell has netted just 30.3 percent of his 3-pointers over the past two seasons. He was once a dependable outside shooter, but that's no longer the case. The Ohio State product often takes ill-advised shots.
Playmaking, in theory, is what Russell still does best. His 5 assists are solid, yes. Nevertheless, Russell ranks in the 18th percentile as a pick-and-roll ball handler. Playing with a struggling all-around Mavericks offense certainly impacts this.
Much like his shooting, Russell is also an erratic playmaker. Per Cleaning the Glass, Russell ranks in the 36th percentile for assist-to-usage ratio. He often makes mistakes in high-leverage situations. Defensively, Russell has long been considered a liability, which is far from ideal in the Wolves' system. In the playoffs, this is extremely problematic.
For his career, Russell has averaged 14.2 points in the playoffs (3.0 ppg below his average) while shooting below 40 percent from the field. Russell's 2022 playoffs, where he averaged 12 points on 33.3 percent shooting from the field, are seared into the minds of Wolves fans. Minnesota needs someone they can feel more comfortable about playing in a playoff setting.
Listen, you aren't going to find a perfect point guard available for cheap, but Russell has too many problems for the Wolves to pursue a trade.