The Minnesota Timberwolves paid a hefty price when they acquired D'Angelo Russell from the Golden State Warriors in February 2020, trading away Andrew Wiggins and the pick that became Jonathan Kuminga for his services. Russell's career had been on the upswing at that point; he made the All-Star team in 2019 as the leading scorer for an upstart Brooklyn Nets team that made the postseason, and with the Warriors, he had been scoring at a career-best level.
However, for one reason or another, Russell just has not been able to take his game to the next level alongside his good buddy Karl-Anthony Towns. In D'Angelo Russell's second full season in Minnesota, he had to take a backseat to the burgeoning Anthony Edwards, whose continued growth has made him worthy of commandeering a greater part of the offense.
And for the most part, it worked; the Timberwolves won 46 games and made the playoffs.
But in the postseason, there were times where head coach Chris Finch decided to roll with backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin instead of Russell for defense and energy. Now in Russell's third full season with the Timberwolves, he is putting up a career-low usage rate even with the injury to Karl-Anthony Towns.
He can still be a dynamic presence on offense, as evidenced by his career-best shooting percentage this season. But the winds in Minnesota have changed. Russell is no longer the featured part of the offense he once was, a glaring sign with his free agency coming in a few months time. And with the Timberwolves playing at a .500 level, Russell could make way in a potential trade if they decide to go in a different direction.
Even then, here's why the Timberwolves should not trade D'Angelo Russell and a 2028 second-round pick to the Miami Heat for Kyle Lowry and Dewayne Dedmon, as proposed by Bobby Marks of ESPN.
Why the hypothetical trade between the Timberwolves and Heat doesn't make sense
Kyle Lowry has a more proven track record than D'Angelo Russell, that's for sure. Lowry has proven time and time again just how valuable an asset he is both on the playmaking and defensive side of things, even if his production has declined as he continues to age. And on paper, Lowry could be a terrific fit alongside Anthony Edwards. Lowry definitely nails down the little things that contribute to winning at a much better level than Russell does. Moreover, he won't be taking too many shots away from the Timberwolves' other offensive weapons.
Lowry's contract also runs a year longer than Russell's, which could reduce the uncertainty the Timberwolves would have to deal with in the offseason. Nevertheless, it's hard to see Lowry moving the needle enough for where the Timberwolves currently are. Minnesota also plays at a much faster pace than the Heat do. Russell is definitely a better fit for a faster-paced offense than the 36-year old Lowry.
In addition, the Timberwolves may want to wait for their full-strength squad to return before making any rash roster decisions. Karl-Anthony Towns, in particular, has not played since late November, while Rudy Gobert, their marquee offseason acquisition, has been dealing with injury problems of his own. Building a contender takes time. It's understandable that the Timberwolves need time to adjust given how drastic their offseason trade was.
Meanwhile, at first glance, it looks like the Heat should pounce on this opportunity to acquire D'Angelo Russell, especially with Kyle Lowry looking like he's playing at his last legs. Lowry has missed a ton of games in the past two seasons, and he also crapped the bed in last year's playoffs.
Moreover, a future backcourt of Russell and Tyler Herro looks like such a promising partnership on paper. However, there seems to be somewhat of a skillset overlap between the two. Russell does not have the best track record in terms of defense, and he may end up just being marginalized in the Heat offense all the same with Jimmy Butler and Herro leading the way.
It's difficult to quantify locker-room leadership and championship experience, but Kyle Lowry brings a certain level of veteran poise to the locker room that the Heat would sorely miss should they decide to trade him away. Thus, it may be for the Heat's best to ride this current core, especially after they made the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
The Timberwolves deserve credit. They are reportedly unwilling to do a straight swap between D'Angelo Russell and Kyle Lowry, according to the most recent reports. And it's difficult to envision that changing anytime soon. Sometimes the best trade is the one you don't make, and in this case, it certainly rings true.
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