After days of speculation, the Timberwolves finally made a deal Tuesday, and it represents a huge shake-up to their current roster as they try to compile assets and maintain salary-cap flexibility in order to acquire high-level talent around franchise centerpiece Karl-Anthony Towns.
However, the Wolves did not acquire their top target in free agency last season and before the deadline in D’Angelo Russell in this complicated, four-team trade. They did send out one of their most solid players and deal-friendly contracts to Houston in forward Robert Covington, who Towns called his best friend on the team Monday, and acquired other assets in what appears to be an attempt to get Russell from Golden State, or another player of his caliber.