Nickeil Alexander-Walker, traded to the Timberwolves about a year ago, didn't hold back when asked what was going through his mind at the time.
"I was terrified," he said. "I was terrified."
He said it twice for full effect.
There was a lot in his head. Alexander-Walker wasn't playing regular minutes in Utah, a rebuilding team, and now was going to a team with playoff aspirations. How could he possibly crack its rotation? The average NBA career is just over four years, and here he was in Year 4, getting traded.
"If I'm one in a million to make it here, what makes me so different that I get to stay here?