Is everyone overblowing the latest D’Angelo Russell drama or is it a situation where if there’s smoke there’s fire?
Russell is not following the Timberwolves on Instagram (was he ever?) and lots of folks are reacting to his retweet of Fred VanVleet retweeting his own tweet from 2016. Yes, that’s an extremely confusing sentence but it makes sense.
In 2016, VanVleet tweeted: “Bet on yourself.” Today, VanVleet retweeted that tweet. And then Russell retweeted VanVleet’s retweet, which was nothing more than the retweet plus three dice showing snake eyes.
Like Russell, VanVleet has been the subject frustration and trade speculation as he’s having a down season with the Raptors. And like Russell, VanVleet is likely to be an unrestricted free agent after the season if he opts out of the final year of his contract with the Raptors.
In Minnesota, where the Wolves have lost six of seven and haven’t gotten consistent efforts from Russell, there’s speculation that Russell could find himself a spot on the bench to help jumpstart the offense and defense. We’ll likely learn a lot more when the Wolves post their starting lineup for tonight’s game against the Blazers, as Russell is not on the injury report after missing Monday’s win over Denver with an illness.
And what happens to Russell’s role when Karl-Anthony Towns returns from injury?
Trade rumors have loomed over Russell’s head for a long time. Last summer, a report from The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor said the Wolves were “shopping” Russell. Even more recently, in mid-December, Darren Wolfson of KSTP in the Twin Cities said:
“Miami has floated about this idea: ‘OK, Minnesota, it doesn’t look like you want to extend D’Angelo Russell. What about you send us Russell, here is Kyle Lowry,'” Wolfson said.
“Let me make this incredibly bleeping clear. Nothing is remotely close,” Wolfson continued. “This is not the Wolves shopping D’Angelo Russell. I”m not even quite sure Miami is shopping Kyle Lowry.”
Whatever the case, Russell’s movement on social media is moving the needle just five weeks ahead of the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline.
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