After the failure to sign D’Angelo Russell dampened fans’ spirits, could the Wolves get another shot to make it a summer to remember?
After the decision by the Oklahoma City Thunder to trade Paul George to the LA Clippers, there is suddenly uncertainty over the future of the Thunder’s 30-year-old All-Star Russell Westbrook.
With the Wolves seemingly moving heaven and earth to try and land D’Angelo Russell as their point guard only to be beaten to the punch by the Warriors, there may still be an opportunity to land themselves a star after all.
CBS Sports’ Brad Bodkin wrote a piece Saturday evening that suggested three suitable landing spots for Westbrook, and you guessed it, Minnesota is one of them.
“The Wolves could send OKC a package centered on Andrew Wiggins, with perhaps Jeff Teague on an expiring deal as the salary filler. Minnesota would probably be hesitant to include Josh Okogie, but they could do it and move forward with a core of Karl Anthony-Towns, Westbrook, Robert Covington and this year’s first-round pick, Jarrett Culver. You can talk yourself into that being a playoff team, and perhaps more than that if Towns and Westbrook click and Culver pops the way many people think he can. You can also say Minnesota would be better off waiting for D’Angelo Russell potentially coming available, or perhaps Kyle Lowry now that Kawhi has left Toronto.”
The downside, as Bodkin points out, is that taking two years of Andrew Wiggins’ big contract isn’t exactly the most attractive of propositions for OKC – that is, unless they can unlock the potential that he has only shown at certain times in Minnesota.
Minnesota was similarly named as a potential landing spot by Fanduel, which notes the possibility that Oklahoma could be intrigued at the chance of turning Wiggins around.
Sports Illustrated’s Michael Shapiro is also attracted by the prospect of a KAT-Westbrook double-act in his Saturday article.
“Westbrook would be a key factor in vaulting Minnesota back into the playoff race in year two of the Ryan Saunders era,” he writes.
“Minnesota didn’t have a proper pick-and-roll partner for Towns as Derrick Rose largely operated as a one-man band,” he adds. “Westbrook and Towns could become one of the league’s most dynamic one-two punches, potentially vaulting the Kentucky product back into the All-NBA discussion. One year after losing Jimmy Butler, another proven star could make his debut at the Target Center in late October.”
