The Minnesota Timberwolves paid a hefty price in the trade that brought D'Angelo Russell to town. They gave up Andrew Wiggins and the first-round pick that ended up being Jonathan Kuminga in exchange for Russell to fill their gaping hole at point guard. Of course, it helped that Russell was good friends with star center Karl-Anthony Towns as well.
However, only three and a half seasons into his tenure with the Timberwolves, and D'Angelo Russell finds himself involved heavily in trade rumors. With Russell set to enter free agency at the conclusion of the season, the Timberwolves may deem it best for them to cash in on him as a trade asset instead of ponying up a huge contract.
Nevertheless, amid all the speculation surrounding his name, Russell maintains utmost belief in his ability. He even went as far as to say that it's a team's loss if they let him go without maximizing his shot-creation and playmaking.
“You either take advantage of me and my ability, or f–k up the opportunity with me,” Russell told Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports in December. “It’s as simple as that.”
The arrival of Anthony Edwards as a bonafide star has relegated D'Angelo Russell into more of a complementary role, with the 26-year old point guard averaging his least amount of field-goal attempts since his rookie campaign.
Still, Russell is the Timberwolves' best playmaker, and he can still space the floor at a solid level. It doesn't make the most amount of sense for the Timberwolves to trade him away for Miami Heat veteran Kyle Lowry, which some analysts have suggested. It may not be the most fair outcome for Russell too if the Timberwolves give up on him without waiting just how well their core could jell once Karl-Anthony Towns returns.
With all that said, trade talks are just part of life as an NBA player, and D'Angelo Russell knows better than to let it affect him.
“Yeah, it’s my life. That’s it. Just be conscious of it,” Russell added.
Should the Timberwolves decide to trade the southpaw point guard, Fischer noted that the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns, both reportedly in need of backcourt help, could be interested.
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