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The Minnesota Timberwolves led all other suitors in pursuit of D'Angelo Russell, using a strong link to their own franchise star Karl-Anthony Towns to motivate the coveted point guard to make the move. Yet a last-minute sign-and-trade deal by the Golden State Warriors brought his fate to a different destination, once again trumped by a big-market team.
The Timberwolves were reportedly “brimming with confidence” heading into a meeting with the lefty All-Star, but it all came crashing down as the Warriors were determined to get something in return for the departure of Kevin Durant.
Per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic:
A lavish presentation was planned, including a helicopter ride over the city of Los Angeles. The plans were in place to make room to unite Russell with Karl-Anthony Towns, the two close friends and top two picks in the 2015 draft teaming up to turn around one of the league’s moribund franchises.
Towns had spent weeks leaning on a person he likes to call brother, the one Towns once said he would let date his daughter if he had one, to join him with the Wolves and remake a team trying to turn the page from Tom Thibodeau and Jimmy Butler and rediscover itself under Gersson Rosas and Ryan Saunders.With all of that knowledge in hand, Rosas, Saunders and Towns walked into the meeting with Russell ready to make a deal. If the rest of the Wolves were cautiously optimistic, Towns unsurprisingly carried himself with a bit more swagger.
The Wolves had all the reasons to think Russell would soon become their guy, but the fate of NBA business would soon ruin that prospect.
The Warriors might still flip Russell at some point this upcoming season, so it's likely the dream of a D-Lo/Towns one-two punch can live if Minnesota is willing to make a deal for him down the road.
