Jeff Teague on signing with Wolves: 'Minnesota was a place to go to die'

Teague was less than enthusiastic about signing with the Timberwolves in 2017.

Jan 7, 2020; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jeff Teague (0) reacts during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-Imagn Images / Justin Ford-Imagn Images

Jeff Teague hasn't done himself any favors with Wolves fans — who already weren't too fond of him — with his latest viral story.

Speaking on the Club 520 Podcast, Teague talked about how he originally didn't want to come to Minnesota and actually ended up taking less because he waited too long to sign the Wolves' offer.

"I did not want to go to Minnesota. No shade to Minnesota cuz y'all lit now, but when I was in the league, Minnesota was a place to go to die," Teague said on the podcast. "I went and died. My career was literally over once I went to Minnesota. I literally went for the money."

To be fair to a then-poorly run Wolves team, Teague's career "dying" probably had more to do with his production falling off than him playing in Minnesota. In July 2017, Teague inked a three-year $57 million deal with the Timberwolves coming off a season in which he played in all 82 games for Indiana Pacers, averaging 15.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game. When asked by the co-hosts of the podcast how fast he put pen to paper on the deal with Minnesota, Teague said at first he refused and cost himself money.

"I got less money cuz I didn't sign it fast enough. I refused," Teague said. "I wanted to stay with the Pacers. The Pacers were on a flight, [general manager Kevin] Pritchard was like, 'Alright we are going to call you when we land.'

"[Then-Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau] called me earlier that morning and was like, 'Yo, we are going to offer you three-years, $63 million' or something like that. My options were Sacramento, Utah, or the Timberwolves or the Pacers. I'm like 'This some bad a** options.'"

StoryTime With Teague
Free Agency DIFFERENT 😂 pic.twitter.com/1sxpxlFtpO

— SBWells (@wellssssssssss) November 14, 2024

"So I'm like, 'Ima f*** with Indiana.' My agent was like, 'Indiana man, they are going to low ball you. These dudes is talking $21-22 million a year. Indiana talking like $16-17 million,'" Teague continued. "I was like, 'Well I'm at home. I'll be fine.' So Thibs calls back again and was like, 'Well, we're at three-years, $57 million.' My agent was like, 'Alright, we are going to sign.' So he called me back like, 'Well we signed with the Timberwolves.'

"I was like, 'No the f*** I didn't!' I'm like, 'Nah. I ain't going.' He was like, 'I've never met somebody' — he started yelling — 'that's pissed about $57 million.' I'm like, 'I'm pissed. F*** man. Minnesota a**.' I'm just like, 'I don't wanna be there.' And he was like, 'Well you're going to be there.' F*** that. We'll get you traded."

"I could have signed 4-5 hours earlier and got more money. I wasn't feeling Minnesota and honestly Minnesota probably wasn't feeling me," Teague rather astutely pointed out.

Teague ended up averaging 13.4 points, 7.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 146 games with the Wolves before the team shipped him off to Atlanta for Allan Crabbe, a player they waived a little over a month later.