Report: Timberwolves to meet with Nets RFA Russell

The Minnesota Timberwolves will meet with Brooklyn Nets restricted free agent D'Angelo Russell in Los Angeles at the start of free agency Sunday, sources told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.

Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to take part in the meeting along with team president Gersson Rosas and head coach Ryan Saunders.

The Nets reserve the right to match any offer made to Russell, but it's unclear how seriously Brooklyn would pursue retaining the 23-year-old if Kyrie Irving's reported links to the Nets result in a deal.

Towns and Russell have been close friends since high school, Haynes notes. They were also the first and second overall picks in the 2015 draft.

In an interview with Jordan Zirm of UPROXX following the regular season, Towns was candid about his desire for the Timberwolves to add Russell this summer.

"Me and D'Angelo have known each other for a very long time," he said. "We've talked about how much we want to play with each other, not even just in the NBA or college, but in high school. Who would've thought we're at this moment now?"

Russell had a career year in 2018-19 and was a finalist for the Most Improved Player Award. He averaged 21.1 points to go with seven assists and was named an All-Star for the first time in his four-year career.