NEW ORLEANS – When the Timberwolves made the trade to get D'Angelo Russell from Golden State, the luxury tax played a big role in the deal. The Warriors wanted to get under it, while Wolves owner Glen Taylor was willing to go into it to make the deal happen.

It's one of the reasons why Russell is now on the Wolves, because the Wolves and Taylor were willing to take on the contracts of Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman and go over the tax line.

After buying out Allen Crabbe over the weekend, the Wolves sit approximately $400,000 above the luxury tax line, a source said. The source added the team is prepared to finish above the tax line — as they expected when executing the Russell trade — if there isn't a way for the Wolves to get back under it before the end of the season.

One way the Wolves could do that is with a potential buyout of Evan Turner. The sides still are working to accomplish that even though the deadline for Turner to take a buyout and remain playoff eligible passed Sunday without a deal. Turner still can work toward his next contract on another team, but there are no plans for Turner to join the Wolves, who are in the midst of evaluating their young players and other new acquisitions.

Turner came to the Wolves from Atlanta as part of the four-team trade that sent Robert Covington to Houston and brought Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez from Denver.

The Wolves are fine if they finish the season over the tax line. To the front office and Taylor, it was part of the cost of making the Russell trade, and a source said Taylor told the front office to not go back on a potential deal because it might put the Wolves in the tax.

The Wolves also took the salary back because the Warriors were taking on more money in Wiggins' contract, which is worth about $5 million more over the duration of the deal than Russell's, the source said.

The Wolves and Taylor also made the decision to go into the tax because they saw that the potential payout from teams in the tax to other non-tax teams was going to be smaller than usual this season. Also, with Crabbe's and Turner's deals off the books (approximately $37 million combined) after this season, the front office will have room to maneuver to stay under the tax next season and still make moves, like potentially resigning Beasley and Hernangomez, who will be restricted free agents.

No fine this time

The last time the Wolves played back-to-back games, Russell sat out Feb. 23 against Denver as part of what the team called "planned rest."

He played the next night in Dallas.

The league fined the team $25,000 for the move, saying Russell fit the criteria of a healthy player and should have been available to play.

That doesn't seem to be a concern ahead of Wednesday's game against the Bulls back at Target Center. Coach Ryan Saunders said he anticipates Russell will play against Chicago.