The Williams brothers are set for another Christmas meeting, and this time the backdrop has changed. Utah sent Cody Williams and John Konchar to Minnesota in a late Friday night trade, with Josh Green heading to the Jazz, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Konchar was waived as part of the move.
For Minnesota, the deal is a swing on Cody Williams and a bit of roster housekeeping at the same time. Green’s departure cleared the space the Timberwolves needed to finally bring in Jonathan Kuminga, who is now sliding into the starting lineup.
The trade also keeps one of the NBA’s sibling storylines alive. Cody Williams is moving into the same division as older brother Jalen Williams, setting up more high-leverage matchups between the Timberwolves and Thunder. The two teams will have all four of their 2026-27 regular-season games on national television, including the Christmas Day meeting.
Jalen Williams wasted no time reacting to the news. On his Instagram story, he wrote: "see you on Christmas brudda."
The family connection has always been part of the appeal here, but the basketball side matters too. Jalen Williams was the No. 12 pick in the 2022 NBA draft and has grown into an All-NBA talent and one-time champion. Cody Williams went No. 10 in the 2024 draft, had a rough start to his NBA career, and then picked things up over the final two months of last season.
That late-season stretch gave Cody Williams something to build on. He averaged 13.6 points after the All-Star break during Utah’s schedule last year, though the question now is how much of that carries over.
Either way, the next chapter comes with a bigger stage. Thunder-Timberwolves games should have more juice now, and with both teams expected to sit near the top of the Western Conference, the brotherly reunion should come with real stakes.
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