Mike Conley Returns to Timberwolves on Rest-of-Season Contract
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The Minnesota Timberwolves have officially brought back veteran guard Mike Conley, according to the NBA’s transaction log. A tweet from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto confirmed that the sides finalized a rest-of-season agreement.
Path Back to Minnesota
Conley, 38, was traded to the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 3 in a salary-clearing move and was rerouted to the Charlotte Hornets one day later, along with Coby White, just ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Charlotte subsequently waived the 19-year veteran, making him a free agent.
League rules bar a player from immediately re-signing with the team that traded him, but the restriction applied only to Chicago in this case. Because Conley was moved a second time before being waived, he was free to return to Minnesota.
Cap Management Strategy
The Timberwolves waited the full 14-day window before completing the signing to maximize cap and tax savings while staying at the NBA-mandated minimum of 14 players. After adding Conley, the club still has one open spot on its 15-man roster.
Role and Production
Minnesota acquired Conley at the 2023 trade deadline, and he served as the starting point guard through last season. He lost that role to Donte DiVincenzo this fall and is averaging career lows of 18.5 minutes, 4.4 points and 2.9 assists over 44 games (nine starts), shooting 32.2 percent from the field.
Despite the dip in numbers, the front office valued Conley’s locker-room presence and leadership. Trading away his $10.8 million expiring contract and re-signing him on a prorated veteran minimum—worth $1,148,727 to the player and a $725,834 cap hit to the team—gave Minnesota payroll flexibility without losing his influence.
With newly acquired guard Ayo Dosunmu joining the rotation, Conley’s minutes are expected to decrease further during the season’s final two months.
Source: HoopsRumors
