The Minnesota Timberwolves had been hot for point guard D'Angelo Russell dating back to last summer, when Russell hit the market as a free agent and Karl-Anthony Towns pleaded with management to bring him to Minneapolis.
On Thursday, the Timberwolves orchestrated a blockbuster to send Andrew Wiggins plus draft picks to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Russell amid a slew of rumors and speculation.
For starters, it is important to clarify Russell will not be able to save Minnesota's season. The Timberwolves fell to 15-35 after losing to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, and they currently hold the fifth-worst record in the NBA. Nonetheless, the acquisition of Russell marks a turning point for the franchise.
Towns has been immensely frustrated this season. Despite putting up arguably the best numbers of his career, Towns has dealt with injuries and trade speculation of his own, and he has repeatedly voiced frustration with the team's lack of progress.
Bringing Russell into the fold reunites Towns with one of his best friends and might be the first step in establishing a culture of fun in the locker room.
Finally, a marquee point guard
Towns has never played with a star point guard. Ricky Rubio and Jeff Teague were solid, and Derrick Rose was fun to watch in a bounce-back year last season, but Russell is in a different class.
The former Ohio State star has dealt with injuries, but he has continued his ascension toward the top of the point guard ranks when healthy. Russell is averaging 23.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds while shooting better than 37 percent from beyond the arc.
A Russell-Towns pick-and-roll tandem figures to be among the deadliest in the league. Russell can sometimes settle for ill-advised floaters and mid-range jumpers, but he excels at creating space and shooting from distance. Simultaneously, Towns can make a number of plays rolling to the rim, or he can step back and knock down 3-pointers. This should make for a fascinating dynamic on the offensive end.
Not to mention, the Timberwolves already acquired Malik Beasley from the Denver Nuggets. It is not a stretch to envision Russell and Beasley becoming a stellar backcourt duo, with Towns locking down the middle.
Who will Timberwolves surround them with?
Of course, there are plenty of questions as to how the new-look Timberwolves will mesh on the floor, especially on the defensive end.
Russell and Towns are rather subpar defenders, and Minnesota just loss its best wing defender in Robert Covington. As has been noted, the goal is not necessarily to win this year.
That said, the Timberwolves will have to be rigorous in their pursuit of defensive-minded players moving forward. Jarrett Culver might improve, but he has been a big disappointment in his rookie season. Josh Okogie is solid on that front, but he is more of a bench piece. Fortunately, Minnesota figures to have some cap space, and they will likely have a high draft pick this summer.
In any case, Towns finally got his wish with Russell heading to Minnesota, making for one of the more intriguing star duos in the NBA. At the very least, they should be a lot of fun together.
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