The NBA trade deadline always brings its fair share of chaos, and this year, Mike Conley Jr. found himself right in the middle of it. The veteran guard was on the move not once, but twice in a whirlwind week-first dealt from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Chicago Bulls, then flipped again to the Charlotte Hornets. But despite the flurry of transactions, it looks like Conley is headed right back where he started: Minnesota.
According to reports, Conley plans to return to the Timberwolves, with both sides working out the timing of his re-signing. After being released by the Hornets, the door opened for a reunion with the team he helped stabilize over the last year and a half.
"Mike has been a guy that I have a tremendous amount of respect for... this morning on the bus, looking next to me on the bus and seeing an empty seat, it hit me a little bit."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 4, 2026
Wolves' Rudy Gobert on Mike Conley getting traded 🥹
(via @ChristopherHine)pic.twitter.com/dUHb8ZIfSd
Let’s rewind a bit. Conley was part of a three-team deal that sent him from the Timberwolves to the Bulls, with the Detroit Pistons also involved.
Not long after, Chicago shipped him and Coby White to Charlotte, and the expectation all along was that the Hornets would waive Conley, making him a free agent. That’s exactly what happened, setting the stage for his return to a Timberwolves squad that clearly values what he brings to the table.
And it’s not hard to see why.
Since arriving in Minnesota during the 2022-23 season via trade from the Utah Jazz, Conley has been more than just a steady hand at point guard-he’s been a veteran leader and a calming presence on and off the floor. His connection with Rudy Gobert, a former Jazz teammate, has been especially important. When news of Conley’s trade broke, Gobert didn’t hide how much it affected him.
“Mike has been a guy that I have a tremendous amount of respect for… this morning on the bus, looking next to me on the bus and seeing an empty seat, it hit me a little bit,” Gobert said.
That’s the kind of impact Conley has had-not just in the box score, but in the locker room, in the huddle, and in the day-to-day rhythm of a team trying to take the next step in the Western Conference.
Even at 38, Conley continues to produce. He’s averaging 13.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game this season, shooting 43.7% from the field and 32.1% from deep. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but they tell the story of a player who still knows how to run an offense, pick his spots, and keep teammates involved.
For a Timberwolves team sitting at 32-20 and sixth in the West, bringing Conley back isn’t just about sentiment-it’s a basketball move that makes sense. They’re in the thick of the playoff race, and having a veteran floor general who already knows the system and the personnel could be a key ingredient down the stretch.
Minnesota faces the New Orleans Pelicans next, and while it’s unclear exactly when Conley will be back in uniform, the expectation is that it won’t be long. And when he does return, don’t be surprised if he picks up right where he left off-steadying the ship, setting the tone, and helping the Wolves push for a deep postseason run.