Nickeil Alexander-Walker was seen as a salary matching throw-in during the trade that brought in Mike Conley to the Minnesota Timberwolves and shipped out D’Angelo Russell to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was a trade that signaled a culture shift in Minnesota. It complemented the move to acquire Rudy Gobert, and with Anthony Edwards emerging as an elite scorer and dynamic player, it was time to buy in more than ever before and capitalize on what might be the most open championship window this franchise has seen in recent memory.
NAW has become so much more than a throw-in, though.