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Edwards Wants Timberwolves To Pick Him

November 10th, 2020 at 8:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Georgia guard Anthony Edwards wants the Timberwolves to draft him with top pick, he told Marc Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). He’s unconcerned about dealing with Minnesota’s winters. “I’m not going to play basketball in the snow. So, I’m not worried about it,” he said. Edwards has long been considered a possible No. 1 selection, though a recent report indicated he could slip a bit due to an unspectacular Pro Day and questions regarding his background.

  • The Timberwolves, who own the top pick, attended Isaac Okoro‘s workout last week, according to Alder Almo of Empire Sports Media. The freshman Auburn wing is currently ranked No. 7 by ESPN but he could be a Minnesota target if the team trades down. Okoro’s strengths include his defense and rebounding.
  • There’s speculation that the Thunder might have some interest in trading for the No. 1 pick in order to land LaMelo Ball. That would require Oklahoma City to give up quite a few assets, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman notes. Mussatto believes a package for the top pick might include Chris Paul, Hamidou Diallo, the pick OKC owns at No. 25, a 2021 first-round pick and a 2024 first-rounder. The Timberwolves would throw in James Johnson to make the salaries work. However, the Suns appear to be even bigger players for Paul.
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Draft Notes: International Prospects, Wolves, Suns, Lewis, Terry

November 9th, 2020 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s deadline for early entrants to withdraw from this year’s draft has now passed, which means it should just be a matter of time before we get an updated official list from the league of the early entrants who have kept their names in this year’s pool.

In the meantime, updates on a handful of international prospects continue to trickle in. According to Nicola Lupo of Sportando, Estonian forward Henri Drell – who is currently playing for Pesaro in Italy – has withdrawn his name from the 2020 draft.

On the other hand, Isralie point guard Yam Madar, a member of Hapoel Tel Aviv, has elected to keep his name in the draft, per Barak Haklai of ynetsport (Twitter link). And after initially announcing that his client Marko Simonovic would be pulling out of the draft, agent Misko Raznatovic has clarified (via Twitter) that Simonovic will remain in the draft after all.

Here’s more on the 2020 NBA draft:

  • An NBA general manager who spoke to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link) this morning said he doesn’t envy the Timberwolves and their efforts to maximize the value of the No. 1 pick. “The teams at the top are desperate to try and trade down, but there just isn’t much value with the top few picks this year,” the GM said.
  • Within a piece on Kira Lewis Jr., Mike Mazzeo of Forbes says the Timberwolves and Suns are among the teams that have watched the Alabama guard work out in person. Lewis also worked out in person for Detroit, Chicago, New York, and Orlando, as previously reported.
  • Few prospects have increased their stock in recent months as substantially as Stanford’s Tyrell Terry, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who notes within a profile of Terry that the 20-year-old has interviewed virtually with all 30 NBA teams.
  • In an Insider-only article, Kevin Pelton of ESPN uses advanced stats to break down this year’s prospects into tiers. Pelton has LaMelo Ball on his own in tier one, followed by Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton in tier two, with Deni Avdija, Onyeka Okongwu, and James Wiseman in tier three.
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Givony’s Latest: Ball, Edwards, Hornets, Williams, More

November 9th, 2020 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

Barring a surprise trade that shakes up the top of the draft, LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, and James Wiseman still look like the three players who will come off the board first on November 18, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link). Givony, who has had conversations with multiple team executives, scouts, and agents, says most teams’ front offices are operating under the assumption that Ball will be the No. 1 pick.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Timberwolves will be the team making and keeping that top pick in the 2020 draft. According to Givony, executives view the Bulls, Pistons, and Thunder as some of the most realistic candidates to trade up to No. 1 for Ball. Oklahoma City has the No. 25 pick, which would make trading up more difficult, but the Thunder do have a massive collection of future first-rounders they could dangle if they’re genuinely interested in moving up.

Here are several more draft-related tidbits from Givony’s latest roundup:

  • According to Givony, some front offices were underwhelmed by Edwards’ Pro Day performance. Tyrese Maxey, who was in great shape and shot the ball very well, may have made Edwards look a little worse by comparison, some executives told ESPN.
  • Despite reports that they’re eyeing Onyeka Okongwu, the Hornets haven’t seriously considered picking any prospects outside the top tier of Ball, Wiseman, and Edwards, sources tell Givony.
  • After the top three, the next tier of prospects is made up of Deni Avdija, Obi Toppin, Isaac Okoro, Tyrese Haliburton, Patrick Williams, and Okongwu, according to Givony, who says those players all seem likely to be selected in the 4-9 range. Givony adds that Williams has boosted his stock in recent months and is receiving consideration as high as No. 4. Givony also confirms that the Pistons have legit interest in Williams at No. 7, which was previously reported.
  • Picks belonging to the Kings (No. 12), Celtics (14), Timberwolves (17), Mavericks (18), Nets (19), and Heat (20) have popped up frequently in recent trade talks, sources tell ESPN.
  • Upperclassmen like Malachi Flynn, Desmond Bane, Jordan Nwora, and Xavier Tillman are candidates to come off the board late in the first round, since contending teams with late first-round picks may be prioritizing “plug-and-play” prospects who will be best equipped to handle the quick turnaround between the draft and the start of the NBA season, says Givony.
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Northwest Notes: Wolves’ No. 1 Pick, M. Morris, Thunder, McDaniels

November 7th, 2020 at 6:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves haven’t received tempting offers yet for the top pick in next week’s draft, but executive vice president Sachin Gupta said “three phone” time is coming soon, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. That’s what Gupta calls the days immediately before the draft when front office members are balancing several phone calls at once.

“There’s not a whole lot of pleasantries that are happening with those calls,” he said. “There’s no time for it. It’s, ‘What do you want? What do you got for me?’ ”

Minnesota should find a lot of interest in the top selection between now and November 18. The Warriors and Hornets are both believed to be eyeing former Memphis center James Wiseman, while Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball may entice other teams to move up. The Wolves could have the luxury of playing teams against each another to drive up offers.

“We’ve always been active, and with these types of assets at our disposal, it really plays into sort of our mentality of turning over every rock and figuring out what all the possibilities are,” Gupta said.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

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No Indications Devin Booker Wants Out Of Phoenix

November 6th, 2020 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Ryan Russillo of The Ringer created a stir earlier this week by declaring during an episode of Bill Simmons’ podcast that Devin Booker’s desire to leave the Suns is “the worst-kept secret in the league.” However, that claim has been repeatedly refuted in recent days.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, one of Phoenix’s most plugged-in reporters, emphatically shot down the idea that Booker wants out of Phoenix, calling it “100% not true” and adding that “not one time has he ever told anyone he wanted out” (Twitter link). For good measure, Gambadoro added, “Don’t listen to this garbage.”

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype conveyed a similar sentiment, citing a source who says there’s no truth to the idea that Booker wants out. Scotto also noted that multiple executives who have been in touch with the Suns say the star guard won’t be traded.

Elsewhere, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported that the Timberwolves have been looking into Booker’s possible availability for months but have been given zero indication he’ll be available. And Zach Lowe of ESPN wrote this week that the Suns have shown no interest in moving Booker for either of the top two picks in this year’s draft.

The notion that Booker would have become dissatisfied with his situation in Phoenix this year doesn’t make a lot of sense. The Suns were one of the most impressive teams in the Walt Disney World bubble this summer, winning all eight of their seeding games and finishing the season with a .466 winning percentage — it was the first time in Booker’s career that number didn’t end up below .300.

On top of that, Booker still has four years remaining on the contract extension he signed in 2018. Even if he did want out of Phoenix, he wouldn’t be in a strong position to push for a trade.

“He has no leverage,” an Eastern Conference executive told Scotto. “He’s locked up for four more years. There is no way for him to demand a trade with that much time left on his contract.”

While the Timberwolves and other clubs will likely keep checking in with the Suns to see if anything changes, it sounds like a safe bet that Booker will remain in Phoenix for the foreseeable future.

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Northwest Notes: Beasley, Trent, Thunder, Nuggets, Jazz

November 6th, 2020 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

Already facing two felony charges as a result of a late-September incident in Minnesota, Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley is now having his parental rights challenged by Hennepin County officials, according to Paul Walsh of The Star Tribune.

A petition filed in District Court by the Hennepin County’s Human Servies and Public Health departments alleges that Beasley was caught on video surveillance pointing a rifle “in the general direction” of his 19-month-old son on the same day he allegedly pointed the rifle at a family outside his home. Officials want to put Beasley’s son under court-ordered protection. For now, he remains in the custody of his parents – Beasley and wife Montana Yao – as a judge weighs the petition’s allegations.

A restricted free agent this offseason, Beasley had been poised for a lucrative new contract after finishing the season strong in Minnesota. It’s unclear what sort of effect his legal troubles will have on the Timberwolves’ enthusiasm for a new deal.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Gary Trent Jr. will become extension-eligible this offseason, and Jason Quick of The Athletic explains why the Trail Blazers will probably consider locking him up in the coming weeks or months rather than risk the possibility of a sizeable offer sheet in 2021 when Trent can become a restricted free agent.
  • Erik Horne of The Athletic checked in on the NBA’s only remaining head coaching search, examining which candidates might still be in play for the Thunder and what factors the team is considering. As we relayed earlier today, Will Weaver is reportedly in Oklahoma City and seems likely to be interviewing for the job.
  • Former Arizona shooting guard Josh Green recently worked out for the Jazz, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (via Twitter). Utah holds the No. 23 pick in the 2020 draft.
  • The Nuggets could use a shooting guard and there’s no shortage of them in this year’s draft, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, who mentions Green, Tyrese Maxey, Leandro Bolmaro, and Desmond Bane as some options for the Nuggets if they’re still available at No. 22.
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Lowe’s Latest: Beal, Celtics, Culver, Heat, Gordon, More

November 5th, 2020 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams with interest in Bradley Beal haven’t given up hope that the Wizards will consider trading him this fall, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN, who notes that multiple “strong playoff teams” have looked into what it would take to acquire a top-10 pick and may be seeking extra assets to swing a big trade for someone like Beal.

However, the Wizards have shown zero interest in trading Beal, even for the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, sources tell ESPN. The Timberwolves (No. 1) and Warriors (No. 2) are both known to be hoping to trade their selections for an All-NBA caliber player like Beal (or Ben Simmons or Devin Booker), but it seems unlikely that such a deal will materialize, says Lowe.

For the Wizards to really consider the idea of moving Beal, he may have to tell the team he would prefer to play elsewhere, per Lowe. Perhaps that will happen down the road if Washington doesn’t bounce back from a second consecutive lottery finish, but it hasn’t to this point.

Here’s much more from Lowe:

  • Lowe confirms the Celtics have explored using their three first-round picks to trade up in the draft, but says Boston is considering a number of options with those picks, including trying to trade for a “solid veteran.” Since so many teams are in win-now mode, there aren’t many of those players available, according to Lowe, who says that Larry Nance Jr. and Dennis Schröder are among the players who could be under-the-radar targets for teams looking to upgrade their rotations.
  • Jarrett Culver‘s name has popped up in trade rumors, but Lowe thinks the Timberwolves would only move him in a package for a star, or for a draft pick that would help acquire a star. Lowe adds that he thinks Minnesota will dangle the No. 17 pick and James Johnson‘s expiring contract in search of a veteran contributor.
  • While Lowe thinks the Heat should be able to re-sign Goran Dragic on a big one-year deal, he expects it to be tougher for Miami to take the same approach with Jae Crowder, who will likely receive multiyear offers in the mid-level range.
  • Rival executives have pitched the idea of the Mavericks acquiring Rudy Gobert from the Jazz, but Lowe is skeptical there will be a match there and believes Dallas will have a tough time acquiring a third star via trade this offseason.
  • It’s unclear what sort of leaguewide interest there is in Magic forward Aaron Gordon. Lowe points to the Trail Blazers as a potential match, but says the two teams have never seriously discussed a swap involving Gordon and CJ McCollum and isn’t sure whether lesser assets like Zach Collins or Anfernee Simons would appeal to Orlando.
  • Lowe’s offseason preview is jam-packed with many more notes and is worth checking out in full. We relayed a number of Lowe’s other most intriguing tidbits in our stories earlier today, including items on the Bucks, Pistons, and Knicks.
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Taylor Still Insisting Any Buyer Keep Team In Minnesota

November 3rd, 2020 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams
  • The sale price for the Jazz ($1.66 billion) should be encouraging to Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, who is exploring the sale of his own franchise. However, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst observes in an appearance on Darren Wolfson The Scoop podcast (audio clip), Taylor hasn’t wavered from his stance that any buyer must keep the team in Minnesota, which will limit his ability to maximize the value of the team in any sale.
  • The Timberwolves finished the 2019/20 season just slightly over the tax line as a result of their deadline trade, a source confirms to Dane Moore of News Talk 830 WCCO (Twitter link). However, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets, president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas is confident the team will stay out of the tax in 2020/21, reducing the likelihood of repeater penalties down the road.
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James Wiseman Reportedly Doesn’t Want Wolves To Draft Him

November 1st, 2020 at 9:50am CST by Arthur Hill

James Wiseman is considered the best center in this year’s draft, but he doesn’t want the Timberwolves to take him with the No. 1 pick, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Windhorst made the comments on “The Scoop” podcast with Darren Wolfson, saying Wiseman would prefer not to join a team that already has an established center in Karl-Anthony Towns.

‘“Wiseman does not want to come to Minnesota because Karl Towns is there,” Windhorst said. “From what I understand, Wiseman doesn’t even want to do anything with the Wolves.”

The 24-year-old Towns is the centerpiece of the rebuilding project in Minnesota and is under contract through 2023/24. He’s already a two-time All-Star and averaged 26.5 points and 10.8 rebounds last season. Neither Towns nor Wiseman seems suited to play power forward in a twin-towers approach.

If Windhorst’s claim is accurate, it seems to set up a trade for the No. 1 pick, possibly involving the Warriors, who hold the second choice, or the Hornets, who are at No. 3. Both teams attended Wiseman workouts recently and both have a need to upgrade at center. A report earlier this week indicated that Charlotte is willing to trade up to get its hands on Wiseman.

Wiseman is ranked third on ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects. Although he only played three games in college, his combination of size and athleticism has many scouts believing he can become a dominant NBA center.

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Draft Notes: Ball, Edwards, Maxey, Yurtseven, More

October 30th, 2020 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

LaMelo Ball, a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, reportedly met virtually with New York and Golden State earlier in the year and had an in-person visit with the Timberwolves this week. He’s also expected to meet with the Hornets, Bulls, and Warriors (again) next week.

While Ball has been getting familiar with the teams at the very top of the draft, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer said during an appearance on Sports Radio WFNZ this week that he has heard from multiple sources that Ball “is not performing very well at job interviews.”

“He is not improving his perception via job interview,” Bonnell said, per Dan Feldman of NBC Sports. “There are people drafting later in the top ten who were not preparing for the possibility of Ball still being around. And I’m not saying that he will not be a top-three pick. I am saying that I know for a fact that there are teams later in the top ten who are doing more research on him, because they no longer think it’s a given he will.”

With the 2020 NBA draft less than three weeks away, we’re knee-deep in smokescreen season, so it’s difficult to know how seriously to take reports like these. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic dug into the “art of subterfuge” in a new article, noting that the Timberwolves and Warriors – both of whom are said to be interested in trading down – are taking different approaches during the pre-draft process.

While Golden State has been rumored to have real interest in over a half-dozen prospects, Minnesota has been very tight-lipped about the No. 1 pick. In each case, teams that might be interested in trading up haven’t been able to get a clear sense of whether or not the Wolves or Warriors will take the player they want.

Here’s more on the draft:

  • NBA scouts and executives weren’t allowed to be in the gym for the televised Pro Day for Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey on Thursday, as Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. A source tells Berman that some agents were unhappy with the setup, feeling as if it was “unwarranted exposure” for Rich Paul‘s clients. The Knicks were among the teams watching the event on TV, Berman adds.
  • Former Georgetown big man Omer Yurtseven has had virtual meetings with 19 teams, he told Keith Smith of RealGM. However, he’s disappointed he hasn’t got a chance to conduct in-person workouts for all those clubs. “It’s been tough to not be able to work out directly for teams,” Yurtseven said. “I’ve spent a lot of time working on my lateral quickness. I know I needed to be quicker to play in the NBA. I worked on that a lot and can’t wait to show teams.”
  • Eamonn Brennan of The Athletic identifies five prospects he thinks are sleepers in the 2020 draft, including Kansas center Udoka Azubuike, Michigan State guard Cassius Winston, and Charleston guard Grant Riller.
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