It's not surprising that the Minnesota Timberwolves are making point guard Jeff Teague and big man Gorgui Dieng available in trades. It's also not surprising that rival teams do not want to take on the salary of either player.
As a result, teams are asking the Timberwolves to take back pieces that are not all that desirable, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
Teague is currently making $19 million this season, making him a difficult contract to match without Minnesota taking on money beyond this year as it is.
What makes matters worse is that the floor general also has a $19 million player option for next season, an option that he may very well pick up.
Dieng's deal is even more complicated.
The 29-year-old has two more years remaining on his deal after this season. This year, he is making $15.2 million, which jumps to $16.2 million in 2020 and $17.3 million during the final year of his contract in 2021.
Good luck finding a team who is willing to absorb that kind of salary.
It's not that either player is bad.
Teague is a seasoned veteran who can certainly help a contender, and Dieng is a fine big man who is good defensively.
The problem is, Teague is not worth his salary, and Dieng is now an overpaid bench player who is averaging just 13.2 minutes per game this season.
With the Timberwolves hamstrung by Andrew Wiggins' contract and with them having given Karl-Anthony Towns a massive contract extension, Minnesota does not exactly have much money to play around with right now.
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