While the league remains relatively quiet in the days following All-Star Weekend, the Minnesota Timberwolves made headlines on Monday morning by signing veteran point guard and former Utah Jazz player Mike Conley to a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the team until the 2025-26 season.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news on Twitter/X, revealing that Conley would return on a $21 million contract for the next two seasons.
Conley was a member of the Jazz not long ago, having spent three and a half seasons with them from 2019 to 2023. During his stint with Utah, he averaged 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while making three postseason appearances and earning his first All-Star selection.
He was subsequently traded to the Timberwolves at the 2023 trade deadline last February for a transaction that included the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round pick in the summer of 2027. It was difficult to say goodbye to such an important part of the Jazz’s success, but he has established himself as a key member of his new team.
With Conley’s production and the essential role he’s played in Minnesota, this deal stands out as a good one for the Timberwolves. He has been a nightly starter in all 50 games this season, helping this team to the Western Conference’s first seed at the All-Star break. Now he has the opportunity to build on that success over the next two seasons in the Twin Cities.
Conley and the rest of the Timberwolves’ excellent roster will look to build on their good season and win their first playoff series since 2004.
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Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen Talks About Representing Finland at NBA All-Star
Despite not being named an NBA All-Star this season, Utah Jazz player Lauri Markkanen was able to participate in the famous weekend’s Starry 3-Point Contest on Saturday. It was his second year in a row competing in the competition, this time in Indianapolis.
Markkanen talked during Media Day before of the game on Saturday, and he was able to shed some light on what it means to be a part of NBA All-Star Weekend while representing his native country of Finland:
Throughout his seven-year NBA career, Markkanen has consistently made tremendous attempts to reflect his Finnish background. Just last offseason, stories emerged about Lauri’s decision to perform his necessary military service during the summer in order to fulfill his citizenship requirements. He is deeply proud of his country.
While Markkanen did not win the 3-Point Contest, he still had a respectable effort. In the first round, he received a score of 25, putting him in fifth place overall. In the end, Damian Lillard won the competition, his second in a row.
With All-Star Weekend behind us and the season’s final stretch ahead of us, Markkanen and the rest of the Jazz team will focus on getting back on track in the Play-In race, with the goal of reaching a top ten seed in the Western Conference by the end of the year.
