Report: Wolves Exec 'Never Wanted' D'Angelo Russell New Contract Before Lakers Trade

It was a surprise to some when the Minnesota Timberwolves traded D'Angelo Russell, but the team planned to let him leave as a free agent anyway, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP.

"Now that Russell is gone, he's in L.A., just know this: Tim Connelly never wanted to extend the pending free agent," Wolfson reported on The Scoop podcast (h/t HoopsHype).

Tim Connelly is in his first season as the Timberwolves' team president, and he's already made his mark on the franchise with a blockbuster deal to acquire Rudy Gobert last offseason. He continued his overhaul by dealing Russell to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz.

Minnesota added a veteran point guard in Mike Conley and a young rotational piece in Nickeil Alexander-Walker, plus three second-round draft picks. These players might not make as much of an impact as Russell this season, but it's a quality haul considering the guard could have left for nothing in the summer.

Russell, who came to Minnesota in a February 2020 trade, averaged 18.5 points and 6.5 assists per game across parts of four seasons with the team. However, his efficiency and defensive impact weren't up to snuff. The Timberwolves were 5.2 points worse per 100 possessions when Russell was on the court this season, per Basketball Reference.

With Russell already earning $31.4 million this season, Minnesota clearly didn't want to re-sign the guard to another high-priced deal.

The 26-year-old now has an opportunity to prove himself with the Lakers. ESPN's Adrian Wojarnowski reported Los Angeles could have interest in a long-term deal for Russell.