Why Mike Conley Might Not Return to the Timberwolves Immediately

After being traded away and receiving well-deserved flowers for his role in the Timberwolves' golden era, Mike Conley is coming back. The veteran point guard is set to re-join the Wolves, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Friday.

But Conley might not be back right away. "The sides are working on (the) timing of him re-signing," Charania wrote in his tweet reporting the news. For financial reasons, the Wolves might wait to officially sign Conley, in order to have the cap space to make another addition on the buyout market and stay under the first apron.

The reason Conley is able to return to the Wolves at all is because he was traded twice. Had he simply been released by the Bulls after the initial trade from Minnesota, he wouldn't have been able to re-sign with the Wolves for a year, according to NBA rules. But because the Bulls traded him to the Hornets and then Charlotte released him, a loophole was created that allows Conley to come back to Minnesota. It's known as the "Andrew Bogut rule."

The Wolves saved a significant amount of money by trading Conley and his $10.7 million contract, allowing them to dip under the first luxury tax apron. When he re-signs, it'll be on a veteran's minimum deal. That contract will be prorated based on the number of days remaining in the season, which means the longer the Wolves wait to sign Conley, the less it'll cost.

Mike Conley | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It's not a substantial difference each day, but it adds up over a week or two. And because the Wolves are currently about $1.5 million under the first apron, waiting to sign Conley could allow them to have room for two prorated minimum contracts without dipping over that apron. They currently have two open roster spots, but neither one has to be filled right away. They can go two weeks with only 13 players on the roster.

"We're gonna add a couple faces," president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said on Friday. "We can go with 13 (players) for a couple weeks. We want the carnage of yesterday to settle and see who's out there and who's not out there. We have a couple guys in mind. I think we're gonna potentially see some familiar faces."

"Familiar faces" likely refers to Conley, but it could also hint at a potential Kyle Anderson reunion if he's bought out by the Grizzlies.

The Wolves could also be in the mix for some bigger names on the buyout market. Because they're under the first apron, they'll be eligible to sign anyone who becomes available. Had they remained above the apron, they wouldn't have been able to sign anyone who was previously making more than the midlevel exception ($14 million).

With Conley, the timing of the upcoming All-Star break means it probably makes sense for the Wolves to wait until after the break to officially bring him back. That would give them a couple more weeks for his eventual salary number to decrease. A lengthy break could also be good for the 38-year-old Conley, who has struggled immensely with his shot this season.

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