Mike Conley immediately became an intriguing buyout target for the New York Knicks after he was traded to the Chicago Bulls. Then, however, the Bulls traded him to the Charlotte Hornets—which, thanks to a loophole in the collective bargaining agreement, has paved the way for Conely to rejoin the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Shortly after acquiring the 38-year-old, the Hornets waived him, because, well, they have a trillion guards. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Conley and the Timberwolves are now hashing out a timeline for his return to Minnesota.
This doesn’t pass the sniff test at first glance. Teams are not allowed to reacquire players after trading them for one year. In this case, it hasn’t even been a full three days.
Yet, this rule only applies to Conley’s former team. Because he was traded a second time, from Chicago to Charlotte, the Bulls are now his most recent former squad. That permits him to rejoin the Timberwolves—and costs the Knicks an intriguing free-agent target.
Yes, the Knicks trade for Jose Alvarado, but…
Adding Jose Alvarado would not have prevented New York from taking a look at Conley. The former is a perfect fit more so for his point-of-attack defense than his ball-handling and game-manging. The Knicks are also down yet another guard for the foreseeable future, with Deuce McBride slated to miss at least the next six-to-eight weeks after undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury.
At 38, Conley isn’t someone who would reinvent the Knicks’ fortunes. He is shooting a career-low 32.6 percent on twos, while banging in just 32.1 percent of his threes. But he continues to have value as a passer, particularly on lobs, and possession optimization. He ranks in 91st percentile this season of turnovers per 100 touches, according to BBall Index.
That type of game management is important. Alvarado is admittedly an underrated playmaker; he’s never ranked lower than the 89th percentile of passing versatility, per BBall Index.
But Conley still does a better job controlling his team’s flow and delineating touches, especially in the half-court. He would have represented a nice change-of-pace option in certain matchups, and New York could have stolen minutes with him beside one of McBride or Alvarado.
Don't forget about the Knicks' locker room
If nothing else, Conley would have been an excellent partial-season mentor for Tyler Kolek. The 24-year-old’s role was in question before the trade deadline. It is thrust into total ambiguity now with Alvarado on the roster, even when accounting for McBride’s absence.
No, Conley can’t coax more efficient three-point shooting or floater attempts out of Kolek. He is, however, the perfect player to learn from when it comes to making live-dribble reads without coughing up possession—an area in which Kolek has always struggled.
Beyond all of that, if you’re at all worried about the long-term state of the Knicks’ locker room, the 19-year vet could have thrived in a supercharged PJ Tucker role. Ask any of his former teammates, and they’ll wax poetic about his behind-the-scenes value.
Not that it matters now. Conley is headed back to Minnesota. For their part, the Knicks will be fine. They’re rolling. If not for a CBA loophole, though, they’d have had the chance to be even better.