Timberwolves swap Andrew Wiggins for D’Angelo Russell, Gorgui Dieng also traded

Just two hours before the NBA trade deadline, the Timberwolves acquired point guard D’Angelo Russell from Golden State in a trade that sends Andrew Wiggins to the Warriors.

Then just prior to the deadline, the Wolves added Gorgui Dieng to a three-way trade involving Miami and Memphis that brings Heat forward James Johnson to Minnesota.

***CLICK VIDEO BOX TO SEE RUSSELL’S ARRIVAL IN MINNESOTA LATE THURSDAY NIGHT***

NBA sources with knowledge of the situations confirmed the deals to KSTP Sports.

The Timberwolves have now traded nine players – more than half – from their original 17-player opening night roster.

In the Wolves deal with Golden State, the Timberwolves also included a protected first-round draft pick in 2021 and a second-round draft pick in 2022. The Wolves also receive shooting guard Jacob Evans and power forward Omari Spellman.

Golden State has agreed to trade D’Angelo Russell to Minnesota for a deal that includes Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 protected first-round pick and a 2022 second-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Warriors will send Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman to Timberwolves too.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Timberwolves protected the 2021 pick in the event they have one of the top three selections in the draft. Should that happen, the Wolves would keep the pick in 2021 and it would be unprotected in 2022.

The move ends Wiggins’ five-and-a-half year tenure with the Timberwolves, who was acquired in a blockbuster deal in 2014 that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland. Wiggins was the #1 high school prospect in the Class of 2013 and was the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

The Timberwolves finally acquire Russell, whom they heavily pursued in the offseason. He ranks 5th in the NBA with 3.6 three-pointers per game (37% 3pt FG). The Timberwolves rank last in three-point shooting percentage.

Watch Friday’s press conference introducing new players below.