The Minnesota Timberwolves never had interest in trading for Russell Westbrook and won't pursue Chris Paul either, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
The Timberwolves lost Derrick Rose and Tyus Jones in free agency. Minnesota currently has two point guards on the roster: Jeff Teague and Shabazz Napier, although Tyrone Wallace can play the floor general spot as well.
Teague is in the final year of his contract. The Timberwolves need to find a long-term solution at point guard. Westbrook, who is headed to the Rockets, has too much money left on his deal for Minnesota to pursue the former MVP. The same goes for Paul, who will likely be traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But even before Westbrook was dealt to (Gersson) Rosas’s former team in Houston, the Wolves were not planning on making a strong push for the All-Star, sources told The Athletic. As dynamic as a pairing with Karl-Anthony Towns would appear to be, Westbrook will turn 31 in November, has four years and $171 million left on one of the few contracts in the league that make executives wince more than Andrew Wiggins’ does and Westbrook is showing signs of physical decline. With Towns set to turn 24 in November, the Wolves are looking to surround him with players closer to his age in hopes of avoiding the kind of one-and-done playoff scenario that unfolded with Jimmy Butler.
The same would go for Paul, who is 34 and likely hoping to join a team closer to immediate contention.
The Timberwolves tried to get D'Angelo Russell to Minnesota, but the Golden State Warriors beat them to the punch. It was a tough blow for the franchise.
Now, the Wolves are left with Teague and Napier to run the offense in 2019-20, a sight no one in Minnesota is excited about. The Timberwolves, barring something unforeseen happening, will likely miss the playoffs next season, wasting yet another year of Karl-Anthony Towns' prime.
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