Mike Conley of the Minnesota Timberwolves
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 17: Mike Conley #10 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in action during the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on January 17, 2025 in New York City. The Timberwolves won 116-99. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
As his Minnesota Timberwolves team try to regroup before Game Two of the 2025 NBA Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder – having suffered a 26-point blowout loss in Game One – Wolves point guard Mike Conley was asked about how much longer he sees his playing career going on for.
Having turned 37 years of age back in October, Conley is currently the tenth-oldest active player in the NBA. LeBron James of the L.A. Lakers famously heads up the list, having set all kinds of longevity records on his way to playing beyond his 40th birthday, while P.J. Tucker of the New York Knicks and Chris Paul of the San Antonio Spurs have also passed that milestone this year.
At this point, having played far beyond the median retirement age, questions about when they will call it quits becomes a yearly chore for each of them. Conley, it seems, has also crossed the threshold whereby his career starts to be viewed by its end date.
Conley Wants To Join An Elite Group
Talking to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Conley expressed his goal to play in the NBA for two full decades. It is an exclusive club that he wants to join; as of 2025, only 11 players in league history have played for 20 or more seasons.
Jamal Crawford, Udonis Haslem, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the aforementioned Chris Paul and the late Kobe Bryant all played for exactly 20. One step ahead of them, the quartet of Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis, Robert Parish and Dirk Nowitzki managed 21 each, a club that Paul might join if he returns for his age-41 season. Having just started all 82 games this past season, he certainly seems fresh enough.
LeBron is currently tied with Vince Carter at the top with 22 seasons, and may be back for #23 next season. Conley may not ever be able to catch that, but he does want to make the two-decade club into a round dozen.
Conley has a goal of playing in 20 NBA seasons. Next season will be his 19th and the final year of his contract with Minnesota at $10.7 million. Based on how Conley takes care of his body, he seems poised to reach his goal. The Indianapolis native started being stricter and more routine with his diet and his workout regimen in 2018 after undergoing season-ending surgery on his left heel after trying various treatment options for a sore heel and Achilles. Conley felt his body was breaking down, and he said he needed to make a change to continue playing with less pain.
– Marc J. Spears
Greatness precedes longevity, and although Conley has one All-Star appearance to his name back in 2021, he has never quite cracked the NBA’s very highest levels. What he has however done is consistently been a very solid player on both ends of the court. Having taken steps to improve his hardiness and extend his career, he has now been able to add “experienced veteran” to a CV that has long included attributes such as “excellent defender”, “good shooter” and “always in control on the court”.
Still Under Contract Through 2026
This season has been Conley’s 18th since being drafted out of Ohio State with the fourth overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies back in 2007. And while it saw him fail to record a double-digit scoring average for the first time since that rookie campaign, Conley still brought all of the above qualities to a Timberwolves team that is easily the best in franchise history.
What Conley also has is a valid contract for at least one more season. After he joined the Timberwolves via a trade with the Utah Jazz back in February 2023, Conley tied on a two-year extension a year later that takes him through until the end of the 2025-26 campaign, and which will pay him $10,774,038 next season.
That amount is for roughly 35% less than the value of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which this past year was equal to $12,822,000 and which next year is projected to be worth $14,104,000. The non-taxpayer mid-level exception’s value is supposed to be tied to the NBA’s “average” salary. Therefore, the Timberwolves will be paying a below-average salary to someone they value as being an above average player.
Conley may be slowing down a little bit, but with his two-way skill and decision-making, he certainly is still that. He has still got plenty to offer on the court, particularly in Minnesota, for whom he is the Timberwolves’ ideal sure-handed counterweight to the more mercurial offerings of superstar wing Anthony Edwards. Conley is the starting point guard for a team a mere four wins away from the first NBA Finals appearance in its history. If he wants two more years, he will probably get them.