D’Angelo Russell ready to return for Timberwolves on Monday

Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell will return to the lineup on Monday against Sacramento, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Russell has missed the last 26 games due to a knee injury. He underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee to remove a loose body in mid-February and was expected to miss four to six weeks. Russell’s return comes at the back end of that timeline.

Russell last played on Feb. 8, when he lasted just six minutes against the Mavericks before leaving with what was described as left leg soreness. He also missed a game due to right quad soreness.

Russell is averaging 19.3 PPG and 5.1 APG this season. After being drafted by the Lakers with the No. 2 pick in 2015, Russell was shipped to the Nets in the summer of 2017. He became an All-Star for Brooklyn in 2019 but wound up with the Warriors on a four-year, $117 million maximum contract sign-and-trade that summer.

He was traded last February, along with Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman, to Minnesota in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and two future draft picks.

Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns have played only five games together since the trade. Russell’s return gives Minnesota a chance to evaluate how Russell, Towns and top pick Anthony Edwards blend together.