Despite falling short of that goal last year, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly largely ran it back with the same roster. It has become increasingly clear, however, that the rotation still lacks a true playmaking point guard. Mike Conley is no longer that player at this stage of his career, and Minnesota has been poking around the trade market as a result.

While teams are still weeks away from fully declaring their intentions ahead of the trade deadline, the Timberwolves may not be interested in waiting that long, and could simply be waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Darius Garland on the Timberwolves’ Radar

Recently, reports surfaced that Coby White was a guard of interest for Minnesota, though that chatter was quickly shut down. Even so, it’s clear the Timberwolves are actively exploring upgrades. Add Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland to the list.

The Timberwolves, Magic, and Wizards would be considered potential candidates to pursue Darius Garland from Cleveland if the Cavs engage in trade discussions centered around the 2x All-Star.

Garland should receive strong interest from teams in need of lead guard duties.

— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) December 16, 2025

The Cavaliers have stumbled to a 15–12 record this season after finishing 64–18 as the top team in the Eastern Conference last year. By comparison, it’s fair to say Cleveland has underperformed.

Garland himself has taken a step back as well. After earning his second All-Star selection last season while averaging 20.6 points per game, his production has dipped across the board. He is shooting a career-low 36.2% from the field and averaging just 15.5 points per game, his lowest mark since his rookie season.

darius garland easily one of the nastiest passers in the league 😤pic.twitter.com/AIYRBM2J8Z

— 🏆 (@LakeshowX) December 10, 2025

Garland’s trade value may be muted not only because of his production, but also due to health concerns. He underwent offseason surgery to address a turf toe issue and has appeared in just 11 games so far this season. Still, the former fifth overall pick could benefit from a fresh start, particularly alongside a star like Anthony Edwards.

The Timberwolves sit just under the second apron, limiting their flexibility under the salary cap. Even so, it’s clear a capable point guard could elevate this team. Too often, Minnesota struggles to find consistent rhythm without a reliable floor general, making this an area worth addressing.

One of the biggest questions lurking in Minnesota’s future is their salary cap situation. With Anthony Edward and Jaden McDaniels’ contract extensions set to kick in, the Timberwolves’ payroll will soar in 2024-25. Right now, without making any moves, the Wolves are projected to push into the second apron of the NBA’s salary cap, costing them more in taxes.

Another area of importance is the team’s point guard future. While Mike Conley is under contract for two more seasons, he’s also set to turn 37 next season, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to play 76 out of 82 regular season games again. With both Conley’s future and the Timberwolves’ point guard outlook currently unknown, now some are wondering if Minnesota is plotting an even bigger move this summer.

Related: 10 Greatest Minnesota Timberwolves Players Of All-Time

Could Minnesota Timberwolves pursue Darius Garland?

One name that’s become increasingly popular is Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Darius Garland. Recently eliminated from the playoffs, the Cavaliers are a strong bet to make some changes this offseason. That could even include parting with Garland, who reportedly wants to leave Cleveland if the team commits to a long-term extension with Donovan Mitchell.

“For Garland, a source shared with Right Down Euclid that a dark horse that could try to acquire him is the Minnesota Timberwolves. Since 2019, when Minnesota tried to trade up to select Garland in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves have been fans of Garland’s game and need a succession plan for current starting veteran guard Mike Conley. Garland could fit that mold perfectly and could play in harmony next to Anthony Edwards as a pass-first, score-second option in a theoretical backcourt.

While it would take a lot financially for a trade since Garland currently owns the richest contract in Cleveland franchise history. But, if the desire is still there, then the Timberwolves could try and reignite the idea of Garland being their franchise guard and with his mammoth salary, could give the Cavaliers some interesting pieces to continue building around Mitchell.”

RDE’s Evan Dammarell on Darius Garland link to Timberwolves

Related: Draymond Green is so Obsessed with Rudy Gobert it’s Borderline Pathetic

Timberwolves tried adding Garland before

As mentioned, Garland has been of interest to Minnesota’s front office in the past.

Back in 2019, the Timberwolves reportedly traded up to the sixth pick in the NBA Draft in an attempt to land Garland. But the Timberwolves never got their chance to add the score-first point guard, as Cleveland selected him fifth overall, just one pick ahead of Minnesota.

While Tim Connelly was not making decisions for the Timberwolves back then, current executive vice president Sachin Gupta was. If Connelly leaves this offseason, it’s possible Gupta gets a promotion, unless Minnesota is truly still targeting a reunion with Calvin Booth.

Either way, the Timberwolves do have a long-term need at point guard, and being that Garland is still just 24, he’d fit the competitive timeline when paired with Anthony Edwards. Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel agrees with the notion that the Wolves could chase after Garland.

“One team that could show interest in Garland is the Minnesota Timberwolves. Before the Cavs selected Garland fifth overall in 2018, the Timberwolves attempted to move up in the draft to grab him, sources said. Minnesota owned the sixth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and they ended up with Jarrett Culver, who currently plays in the G League. Mike Conley recently signed a two-year extension with the Timberwolves, but he is not their long-term franchise point guard. Conley and Mitchell remain close friends after sharing a backcourt with one another in Utah.”

ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel on Garland’s link to Timberwolves

However, while adding Garland’s 18 PPG and 6.5 APG to the Timberwolves’ lineup sounds enticing, wait until you see how much he makes.

While Conley is set to cost the Timberwolves just $9.9 million next season, Garland is on a max-level contract and is set to make $36.7 million next season. Not to mention, he also has a 15% trade bonus worked into his contract, meaning any team that trades for him will have to pay a 15% increase on his salary.

Oddly enough, Karl-Anthony Towns also has a 10% trade kicker attached to his maximum contract, but his estimated cap hit is much larger at $49.3 million.

In other words, the Timberwolves do have the matching salary to appease the NBA’s trade rules, and KAT would be an ideal pairing with Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen if the Cavaliers wanted to inject more scoring and floor spacing into their starting five. Yet, we still don’t necessarily know whether the Timberwolves are actually interested in a Garland trade.

Related: Timberwolves Draw Jamal Murray’s Favorite Referee for Game 6 vs Nuggets

Wake up Timberwolves fans… we have some headlines that caught even my attention late this morning:

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Darius Garland will conduct a last-minute workout in Tarrytown with the New York Knicks tomorrow, a source told ESPN. Garland is in serious consideration for the No. 3 pick. Minnesota, Boston, Chicago are teams looking at potentially trading up to No. 4 with Garland in mind.

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 18, 2019

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Yes, you read that right. It was confirmed moments after I saw it by our guy, Darren Wolfson, who also mentions the Wolves looking into the 5 and 6 picks too. So yes, the Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to trade up as many as 8 spots in this week’s draft, in order to get their hands on Darius Garland, PG out of Vanderbilt.

It makes a lot of sense (almost too much sense) as Yahoo Sports points out here, after the Knicks pick at 3 (supposedly RJ Barrett), the draft gets wide open and neither the Pelicans nor the Cavaliers at 4 and 5 are looking to take a PG…. and the Wolves need one badly. Even the Suns, who need a PG even worse than we do, have had major interest in Tyus Jones and other veteran PG’s around the league.. *cough — Jeff Teague — *cough.

Garland is fucking good too.

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Special note to Gersson Rosas…. you make moves like this actually happen and find some hope for Wiggins (or in a perfect world, a decent trade) and you might just have me believing in something over there…. maybe.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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