The Timberwolves’ trade offer for Kyrie Irving doesn’t include Andrew Wiggins, and that appears unlikely to change. According to Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune, team owner Glen Taylor has “made it clear” that the club intends to lock up Wiggins to a five-year, max extension in the near future. Hartman adds that the former top pick “is not available to anybody in a trade.”
While that news doesn’t come as a huge surprise, it’s hard to imagine the Wolves being putting together a viable package for Irving without including Wiggins, so Minnesota looks to be a long shot to acquire the Cavaliers’ star point guard.
Here’s more from out of Minnesota:
- Taylor owns about 70% of the Timberwolves, and while a pair of minority stakeholders are looking to sell their shares in the franchise, that’s not the case for Taylor, as Hartman details. “We have a couple of my limited [owners] that have indicated that they’re going to sell, and we have another limited [owner] that is going to buy them,” Taylor said. “I won’t be selling any of my stock. Whatever I have, I’m keeping.”
- Although Taylor would have liked to see the Timberwolves play better in 2016/17, he remains confident in Tom Thibodeau‘s long-term vision for the team, per Hartman. “I brought him in here for the long run,” Taylor said of Thibodeau. “We tried it with the young players, and it appears that we need more experience on the team to get where we want to get. [Thibodeau] is flexible and he’s trying his best to bring in the quality guys we need to get to the championship, so I’m happy.”
- Taylor’s sights for 2017/18 are set higher, according to Hartman. “Well, of course we have to get into the playoffs,” Taylor said. “And where we get into … the playoffs is probably very important for us. To get into fourth place so you have home-court advantage would really be the super position.”
- The Wolves expect to sign three more players to veteran minimum contracts, according to Taylor, via Hartman. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News indicated earlier this week (via Twitter) that the club had a contract offer out to a shooter.
Oh well, scratch the Wolves off Irvings trade list. No Wiggins, no deal.
Seems like Cleveland is in a real pickle, with no team offering their top tier players for Irving and I don’t blame them. Looks like there is a unified front of wait and see from around the league. So if Cleveland really wants to trade Irving they’re not get a Denver Melo return for Irving.
Guess Glen Taylor enjoys losing. Keep that in mind Wolves fans. Only chance they have would be to ship KAT+Wiggins to CLE to pair Kyrie with Butler. At least then you have half a chance against Warriors and the other 3/4 teams in the West that mop the floor with Minn.
Yeah I am going to go off your name and assume that KAT being included was a troll.
Computer hour at the secure psych unit
This wasn’t even a successful troll, trolly mctrollerson.
Stay on your trolley dude and go back to the land of make believe…Mr. McFeeley will bring you a special delivery of whatever your smoking…