2019 NBA free agency: Ranking D’Angelo Russell’s best potential landing spots

1. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t currently buyers on the market, in large part because they have no cash to spend. The front office appears to be looking to shed some salary in an attempt to make some offseason moves, although there’s no telling whether or not a deal will get done to free up that opportunity.

The player Minnesota seems desperate to get off the books is Andrew Wiggins. The former No. 1 overall pick has failed to live up to expectations and just finished up the first of a five-year contract worth $147 million. As of right now, there don’t seem to be any takers, but that may change depending on how free agency shakes out.

Perhaps the Charlotte Hornets, fresh off possibly losing franchise star Kemba Walker, would want a player to sell their fans on. Sending Wiggins elsewhere would free up the necessary cap space for the Wolves to give out a max contract, with Russell looking like an ideal fit.

Both he and star center Karl-Anthony Towns already have an established friendship and would immediately become one of the top young duos in the NBA. Russell would serve as the legitimate perimeter threat Wiggins never proved to be while also making the game easier for his new big man.

With the top two selections of the 2015 NBA Draft, Minnesota likely wouldn’t contend right away, given how young the two still are. As the league eventually transitions into a new era, Russell and Towns would be hitting their primes. At that point, who’s to say they couldn’t dominate the rest of the NBA and go for a championship?

Russell could head to Los Angeles and help bring another banner to a franchise whose definition of a title drought is half a decade. He could also go to the Twin Cities and team up with a good friend on what may very well become the team of the future.

None of this is even possible unless Minnesota finds a way to unload Wiggins’ contract. If that somehow gets done, Russell should take the chance to make something special with the Wolves that could eventually lead to a championship down the line.