Mike Conley Jr. expected to re-sign with Timberwolves after being traded twice, thanks to a CBA loophole
Minnesota traded the veteran guard away at the deadline, but Conley will still return to the Wolves
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2 min read
The Minnesota Timberwolves didn't make the league-shaking splash at the trade deadline some projected. The Wolves were considered one of the favorites to land Giannis Antetokounmpo before the Milwaukee Bucks shut down trade talks.
That said, Minnesota was still active in upgrading their roster through a pair of trades with the Chicago Bulls that, thanks to a loophole in the collective bargaining agreement, will see them get back one of the players they traded away.
Veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr. plans to return to Minnesota, per ESPN, after being traded to Chicago in a three-team deal with the Bulls and Detroit Pistons. Conley was quickly re-routed to the Charlotte Hornets in a second trade, while the Timberwolves worked out another trade with the Bulls to land Ayo Dosunmu.
The Hornets waived Conley, putting him back on the free agent market, and because he was traded a second time before being waived, he is eligible to return to the Timberwolves.
The CBA prevents teams from trading a player, having him waived, and then re-signing that player immediately. However, those restrictions are removed if a player is traded a second time in a separate transaction, as happened with Chicago and Charlotte.
As a result, the Timberwolves managed to save money by dumping Conley's $10.4 million salary to Chicago in a deal where they took nothing back. That got the Wolves under the first apron, allowing them more flexibility to make the trade for Dosunmu, and they can re-sign Conley for the minimum because he was dealt to Charlotte before being bought out and waived.
The fact that the Bulls and Timberwolves worked out a second deal in short order to send Dosunmu to the Wolves -- with the Bulls getting Rob Dilingham, Leonard Miller and four second-round picks -- may raise some eyebrows as to whether one of those seconds was perhaps a bit of sweetener for helping out with the Conley situation.
It's some general manager wizardry from Tim Connelly, while the Bulls played a key role in facilitating that deal. Other teams might not be thrilled that Chicago was such a willing partner in taking on Conley's salary then flipping him again to clear the path back to Minnesota, but it was an excellent piece of business from the Wolves, who managed to clear the books, upgrade the roster and hold on to a veteran who has been a key part of their team for the past four years.
