Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Karl-Anthony Towns Suffers Dislocated Wrist

December 27th, 2020 at 7:20pm CST by JD Shaw

Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has suffered a dislocated wrist (left perilunate subluxation), the team announced in a medical update. The injury was revealed during further examination with a hand specialist on Sunday.

Towns, who sustained the injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s contest against Utah, will be examined on a week-by-week basis going forward. There’s optimism that it won’t be a long-term absence for the 25-year-old, but he’s expected to miss several games, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Towns is averaging 22.6 points and 11.5 rebounds through the team’s first two contests of the season. He originally left Saturday’s game after falling hard on his wrist, but later returned to help Minnesota secure a 116-111 victory.

“I didn’t want to just quit the game and go get X-rays and stuff,” Towns said, as relayed by Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “I wanted to be available in case my team needed me, and just be out there cheering them on. I did what I had to do.”

Towns fractured the same wrist last season, though he won’t need surgery on this injury, according to the team. He played 35 games in 2019/20, averaging 26.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per contest. This includes a 51% shooting mark from the floor and 41% mark from deep.

Towns Hurts Wrist, But Returns To Game

December 27th, 2020 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves got a scare when Karl-Anthony Towns had to leave Saturday’s game after falling hard on his left wrist, notes Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune. Towns returned to help Minnesota win at Utah, but the team won’t know how much damage was done until he undergoes further testing. “I didn’t want to just quit the game and go get X-rays and stuff,” he said. “I wanted to be available in case my team needed me, and just be out there cheering them on. I did what I had to do.”

Latest Details On NBA G League Bubble

December 24th, 2020 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Seventeen teams have indicated that they plan to participate in the NBA G League bubble, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, who notes that the G League Ignite select team will be the 18th squad.

While we don’t yet have a full, official list of the teams participating in the G League bubble, Ridiculous Upside has done a good job passing along reports (including some of ours) and providing new details on which clubs are in and out. Their list includes 13 teams believed to be in, not counting the Ignite, as follows:

Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers)
Austin Spurs (Spurs)
Canton Charge (Cavaliers)
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers)
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers)
Lakeland Magic (Magic)
Long Island Nets (Nets)
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies)
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder)
Raptors 905 (Raptors)
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz)
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors)
Westchester Knicks (Knicks)

G League expert Adam Johnson says the Greensboro Swarm (Hornets), Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves), and Erie BayHawks (Pelicans) are also expected to take part (Twitter link).

The G League reportedly asked for teams to volunteer to opt out, since bringing 29 franchises to the bubble wouldn’t have been logistically possible, so the clubs passing on the bubble aren’t necessarily doing so because they’re not interested in participating.

Teams opting out of the bubble who signed players to Exhibit 10 contracts before the season will be given the option to loan or “flex” those players to another G League team for the bubble and will be responsible for paying all expenses for those players, Givony explains.

The Wizards, for example, aren’t expected to have the Capital City Go-Go play in the bubble, but will likely use the Pelicans’ affiliate – the BayHawks – as their temporary affiliate for their former Exhibit 10 players, such as Caleb Homesley, Marlon Taylor, and Yoeli Childs, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

A G League draft would take place in January, according to Givony, who reports that players whose returning rights are held by non-bubble teams would temporarily be dispersed to other clubs in that draft. If non-bubble teams don’t want to “flex” their former Exhibit 10 players to G League teams participating in the bubble, those players will also enter the draft pool, says Givony.

Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News reported earlier this week that the tentative start date for the G League season is February 8. Adam Zagoria of Forbes (Twitter link) shares a more detailed breakdown of the proposed timeline, which would see G League players and staffers begin an “at-home” quarantine period on January 13.

Givony confirms that teams participating in the bubble still expect to play a minimum of 12 games apiece (not including the playoffs), as was reported in November.

Finally, Givony reports that the G League is making adjustments to its roster rules to make it easier for NBA teams to recruit and sign veterans with five or more years of NBA experience. Each team will be able to designate an “NBA Vet Selection” who fits that bill, and won’t have to navigate the NBAGL’s complicated waiver process to add that player, per Givony.

As Johnson tweets, the rule will be a one-off for this season and will allow – for instance – the Warriors to add Jeremy Lin to their Santa Cruz affiliate, like they wanted to.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots To Start Season

December 24th, 2020 at 12:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the regular season is underway, no NBA team is carrying more than 17 players in total — 15 on standard contracts and two on two-way deals. However, not every team is making use of all 17 roster spots available to them.

Currently, 12 of the league’s 30 teams have at least one open roster spot, either on their regular roster or in their two-way slots.

Those dozen teams have different reasons for not carrying a 15th man on their standard roster. For some clubs, the decision is likely financially motivated, since an open roster spot means not having to pay an extra player.

Some teams may want to maintain the roster flexibility that an open roster provides — it can allow a club to act quickly and decisively in the event of an injury or a two-for-one trade opportunity.

A handful of teams actually can’t add a 15th man at this point, since they’re too close to their hard cap and won’t be able to fit another minimum-salary contract below that hard cap until later in the season.

With the G League season not yet underway, a healthy team may simply decide there’s no point in filling the 15th spot with a developmental player who won’t see any game action. That may also be the reason why some teams haven’t yet filled both their two-way contract slots.

Listed below, with the help of our roster counts breakdown, are the teams that aren’t carrying full rosters.

Teams with an open 15-man roster spot:

Charlotte Hornets
Houston Rockets *
Los Angeles Clippers *
Los Angeles Lakers *
Milwaukee Bucks *
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Portland Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs
Utah Jazz

Note: An asterisk (*) denotes that the team can’t currently sign a 15th man due to the hard cap.

Teams with an open two-way slot:

Detroit Pistons
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers

Wolves Notes: RHJ, Taylor, Vanterpool, Russell, Towns

December 24th, 2020 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Darren Wolfson of SKOR North, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor praised Rondae Hollis-Jefferson‘s performance during training camp and the preseason, explaining that the team’s decision to release him was an “insurance policy” for roster flexibility.

“If we’d (retained Hollis-Jefferson), then we’d have the roster. We wouldn’t have any room for any movement at all,” Taylor said. “And I just think that you want to go into this year leaving a little bit of flexibility to see if you get some injuries or something like that, that you can bring in somebody to fill it.”

While Taylor’s point is a fair one, it’s worth noting that Hollis-Jefferson had a non-guaranteed contract, as do Jaylen Nowell and Naz Reid, who remain on the roster. So even if the Timberwolves had carried a full 15-man roster into the regular season, they would’ve had some flexibility to make changes if necessary prior to February’s league-wide salary guarantee deadline.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Although Taylor has done his due diligence on a potential sale of the franchise, he suggested in his conversation with Wolfson that no agreement is close and acknowledged that he could still own the club a year from now. “There’s probably a good possibility that could happen,” Taylor said.
Within his discussion with Wolfson, Taylor also said he expects Timberwolves assistant coach David Vanterpool to eventually become an NBA head coach and said that president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas remains on the lookout for trades that could upgrade Minnesota’s roster.
Ricky Rubio started in place of D’Angelo Russell in the Wolves’ opener because Russell was late for his coronavirus test on Wednesday, writes Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune. As Reusse notes, Russell tested negative and ended up playing 33 minutes, but the Wolves’ decision not to start him sent a message that they expect their players to strictly follow COVID-19 protocols.
Following the death of his mother and several other loved ones this year, Karl-Anthony Towns is playing with a heavy heart and is no longer the “happy-go-lucky” player he was during his first five seasons in the NBA, Jon Krawzyncski writes for The Athletic. “You may see me smiling and stuff, but that Karl died on April 13,” an emotional Towns said following the Wolves’ win on Wednesday. “He’s never coming back. I don’t remember that man. I don’t know that man. You’re talking to the physical me, but my soul has been killed off a long time ago.”

Malik Beasley Enters Guilty Plea On Violence Charge

December 21st, 2020 at 4:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley has entered guilty plea for threats of violence stemming from a late September incident, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter).

As part of the agreement, felony drug charges lodged against him were dismissed, his attorneys Steven Haney and Ryan Pacyga told Charania (Twitter link).

Beasley’s potential incarceration, or home confinement, will not exceed 120 days and will be served at end of this season. Upon successful completion of probation, the threat of violence charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor, Charania adds.

The guilty plea will likely result in league discipline against Beasley. The league typically awaits the outcome of court proceedings before taking action.

Beasley was originally charged with fifth-degree drug possession, along with threats of violence. A family alleged that Beasley pointed an assault rifle at them when they were stopped at the side of the road outside his home.

After obtaining a search warrant for Beasley’s home, officers found three firearms – including one matching the description of the assault rifle – and more than 835 grams of marijuana, according to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

Beasley, who was traded last season from Denver to Minnesota, averaged 20.7 PPG and shot 42.6% on 3-pointers in 14 games with the Timberwolves. He signed a four-year, $60MM contract with the Timberwolves last month after entering the market as a restricted free agent.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Campazzo, Thunder, Hollis-Jefferson

December 20th, 2020 at 7:58pm CST by JD Shaw

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor cautiously expects his team to reach the playoffs this season, as relayed by Chris Hine of The Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Minnesota sports a young core of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Malik Beasley and others, and enters the season with higher expectations than it had last year.

“I think I expect playoffs,” Taylor said. “We’re in a really tough division, but I think we really have a good team. By that I mean, what we have done is we aren’t relying on four or five players. I just think the way that we have put this team together that the first unit or second unit should go in and be very competitive with the groups that they need to compete against.”

Taylor understands how difficult it will be to achieve that goal, especially in the Western Conference, but he hopes the acquisitions of point guard Ricky Rubio and No. 1 draft pick Edwards help propel the team to success this season.

There’s more from the Northwest Division tonight:

Mike Singer of the Denver Post examines why Facundo Campazzo decided to leave Spain for the NBA, signing a deal to join the Nuggets in free agency last month. “Truth be told, Facu was not really a hidden gem,” said Rafal Juc, the team’s international scout. “He was arguably a top-five European player for half a decade or so. So basically, he’s been on our radar for a while.” Campazzo, an entertaining 5’11” guard, is known for giving maximum effort on both ends of the floor. He’s expected to provide depth off the bench for a team focused on making a deep playoff run this season.
The Thunder‘s 2020/21 starting lineup remains fluid right now, coach Mark Daigneault said, as relayed by Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Oklahoma City has a revamped roster this season, with players such as Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Steven Adams and Dennis Schroder no longer with the franchise. Daigneault is also in his first season and is the second-youngest head coach in the league. He said the team’s starting group would likely include George Hill, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley and Al Horford, but that nothing was set in stone.
By waiving Rondae Hollis-Jefferson on Saturday, the Timberwolves lost a much-needed defensive spark from their rotation, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. Hollis-Jefferson is known for being a versatile defender, though he’s limited offensively. As Krawczynski notes, Minnesota will enter the season with 14 players on standard contracts, leaving roster flexibility to aid in any potential trade. The team could upgrade its power forward position and acquire a proven veteran alongside Karl-Anthony Towns if it chooses, with P.J. Tucker among the targets to watch if he and the Rockets don’t agree to a contract extension.

Timberwolves Place Four Players On Waivers

December 19th, 2020 at 7:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

As rumored earlier today, the Timberwolves have officially waived veteran forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, along with guard Charlie Brown Jr. and forwards Zylan Cheatham and Tyler Cook.

Hollis-Jefferson was in camp on a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary contract, but he played well in three preseason games, averaging 7.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per night. After four years in Brooklyn, he joined the Raptors last season and posted a 7.0/4.7/1.8 line in 60 games.

Brown appeared in 10 games for the Hawks last season, but spent most of his rookie year in the G League. Cheatham got into four games for the Pelicans as a rookie, while Cook played a combined 13 games for the Cavaliers and Nuggets.

The moves leave Minnesota’s roster at 14, with 12 guaranteed contracts, plus a pair of two-way players.

Timberwolves To Release Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

December 19th, 2020 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will be among the players waived by the Timberwolves in advance of the regular season, sources tell Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While most of today’s roster cuts are moves that had been anticipated, Hollis-Jefferson’s release comes as a surprise. He had played fairly well in three preseason games – including a 17-point outburst on 6-of-6 shooting on Monday – and the Wolves aren’t exactly loaded with depth at the power forward spot.

According to Krawczynski (Twitter link), the decision to part ways with Hollis-Jefferson is a “flexibility play” for the Wolves, who will enter the season with an open roster spot. Krawczynski hears that there’s a possibility Minnesota will bring back RHJ at a later date, but for now the club wants to keep that 15th spot open in case an injury replacement is required or an opportunity for a two-for-one trade arises.

Hollis-Jefferson, who will turn 26 next month, played for the Raptors last season, providing energy and defense off the bench. He averaged 7.0 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 60 games (18.7 MPG) for Toronto.

Since Hollis-Jefferson was on a non-guaranteed one-year, minimum-salary contract, a team with interest would be able to claim him off waivers on Monday using the minimum salary exception. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll return to the free agent market.

The Timberwolves will have to cut a few more players – likely Tyler Cook, Zylan Cheatham, and Charlie Brown Jr. – to set their regular season roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Timberwolves Sign Zylan Cheatham, Waive Ade Murkey

December 19th, 2020 at 8:28am CST by marksuleymanov

The Timberwolves made a pair of roster moves on Saturday, signing forward Zylan Cheatham and waiving forward Ade Murkey, according to RealGM. It’s likely an Exhibit 10 contract for Cheatham, who appears unlikely to make the regular season roster.

Cheatham, 25, was waived by the Thunder on Dec. 2 after he was part of the four-team deal that sent Steven Adams to New Orleans. The Arizona native signed a two-way deal with the Pelicans in July 2019 and subsequently made his NBA debut last season.

During the NBA’s restart in Orlando, Cheatham saw action in three contests for the Pelicans. In total, Cheatham posted averages of 3.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG in four games.

Minnesota signed the undrafted Murkey to an Exhibit 10 deal back in early December. The 22-year-old made one preseason appearance for the Timberwolves after appearing in 118 games across four seasons at the University of Denver. In that time, he posted averages of 10.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.0 APG. He was named to the 2020 All-Summit League Second Team.