With rumors swirling around the Minnesota Timberwolves after Thursday's trade deadline, the only player who had been dealt was guard Mike Conley Jr.; in fact, he was in two transactions. With rumors of Conley returning to the Timberwolves, those talks proved fruitful, and the veteran is likely to see his way back to the team.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Conley “plans to return” to Minnesota as both sides ‘are working on the timing of him re-signing.”
“Free agent guard Mike Conley Jr. plans to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, sources tell ESPN,” Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The sides are working on timing of him re-signing. Conley was traded twice this week – to Chicago, then to Charlotte – before being released and allowed to rejoin the Wolves.”
As mentioned, Conley saw himself in two trades, the first that sent him from the Timberwolves to the Chicago Bulls as part of a three-team trade with the Detroit Pistons. Then, the Bulls would trade Conley and Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets, leading to the expectation that the veteran guard would be waived.
The Timberwolves' trading of Mike Conley impacted the team
The first trade of the Timberwolves dealing Conley no doubt was a hit to the team, as he's been with Minnesota since being traded in the 2022-23 season from the Utah Jazz. He's brought the Timberwolves a stable point guard and a veteran presence, one that impacted star Rudy Gobert when the initial news happened.
“Mike has been a guy that I have a tremendous amount of respect for… this morning on the bus, looking next to me on the bus and seeing an empty seat, it hit me a little bit,” Gobert said, via Christopher Hine.
"Mike has been a guy that I have a tremendous amount of respect for… this morning on the bus, looking next to me on the bus and seeing an empty seat, it hit me a little bit."
Wolves' Rudy Gobert on Mike Conley getting traded 🥹
(via @ChristopherHine)pic.twitter.com/dUHb8ZIfSd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 4, 2026
This season, the 38-year-old has been averaging 13.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from three-point range. The long-time point guard looks to join back with Minnesota as the team is currently 32-20, which puts them sixth in the Western Conference, as they take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.
