- 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.
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.
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.
The Timberwolves, who hold the No. 1 overall selection in this year’s draft, met with potential top pick LaMelo Ball on Tuesday in Southern California, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
While the meeting provided the Timberwolves – including president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas and head coach Ryan Saunders – an opportunity to interview Ball in person, no basketball activities were conducted as part of the visit, a source tells Givony.
[RELATED: Wolves’ Gupta On Draft: “We’re Ready To Pick”]
Ball confirmed earlier this month that he conducted virtual interviews earlier this year with the Warriors and Knicks. However, his Tuesday meeting with the Timberwolves is the first time he has met with a club in person, per Givony.
According to Givony, Ball is also tentatively scheduled to interview in person with the Warriors early next week, and will likely meet with the Hornets and Bulls as well. Those clubs hold the second, third, and fourth overall picks in the 2020 draft.
The NBA recently allowed teams to conduct in-person visits with draft-eligible prospects, after having prohibited such meetings for most of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Teams are allowed to conduct a total of 10 meetings.
Although a number of clubs are getting a chance to work out prospects during those meetings, it’s not unusual for presumed top picks like Ball to decline to work out, Givony notes. Still, the Wolves and the other teams at the top of the draft are probably disappointed not to get an in-person look at Ball, since he hasn’t played in a competitive game since November 30, 2019, having been sidelined with a foot injury for much of Australia’s NBL season.
Timberwolves swingman Malik Beasley faces a pair of felony charges related to his late-September arrest, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who tweets that Beasley is being charged with fifth-degree drug possession and threats of violence.
As Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News relays, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office issued a press release detailing the charges against Beasley and providing more details about the September 26 incident. According to the release, a family alleged that Beasley pointed an assault rifle at them when they were on the road outside his home:
“They stated they were on a Parade of Homes tour with their 13-year-old, when they pulled up to the roped-off residence, assumed it was closed, and decided to look for another home to view, the complaint says. The victims at the time were on the shoulder of the road in front of the roped-off house.
“The complaint continues, saying that the victims heard a tapping on the (vehicle’s) window and saw Beasley pointing the firearm at them, telling them to get off his property. The victims got back onto the road and saw Beasley pointing the rifle at them as they drove off.”
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 the statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Paul Walsh of The Star Tribune provided some additional details on the charges and allegations against Beasley.
“We are cooperating with the law enforcement investigation and will carefully review the discovery and charges in the coming days,” Beasley’s lawyers, Steve Haney and Ryan Pacyga, said in a joint statement, per Charania.
Beasley, who was traded from Denver to Minnesota at the February trade deadline, finished strong, averaging a career-best 20.7 PPG and shooting 42.6% on three-pointers in 14 games with the Timberwolves. He’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason and the team has suggested it plans to re-sign him, as executive VP Sachin Gupta reiterated on Wednesday.
“Essentially we’re not going to be a real big player in terms of cap room,” Gupta said when asked about the team’s cap situation, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “But we do have plenty of room below the tax. We’ve got our own free agents with Malik and Juancho (Hernangomez) so with the Bird rights we’ll be able to re-sign those guys, and now with a No. 1 pick, that’s a bigger salary slot than maybe we would’ve expected prior to the lottery. … But we still feel good about having plenty of room below the tax to bring those guys back and also add in free agency as well.”
A week ago, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas acknowledged that the 2020 draft class features no clear-cut top choice. However, it sounds like the team is comfortable with its options. On a Wednesday conference call with reporters, including Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, executive VP Sachin Gupta said the Wolves are prepared to make the first overall selection.
“We feel pretty good about where we’re at. We’re ready to pick,” Gupta said. “There is still information flowing in from different prospects. The NBA is doing a great job trying to salvage the draft combine process and pre-draft process. … But we feel really good about where we’re at the at the top of the draft and are ready to pick if we have to.”
As Gupta alluded to, teams still have a few weeks to conduct up to a total of 10 private, in-person workouts with prospects, and those sessions may influence draft-day decisions. Still, it sounds as if the Wolves have a pretty good sense of which player they’ll draft first overall if they keep the pick. Trading out of No. 1 also remains a possibility, according to Gupta.
“We’re having conversations and by those conversations, we’ll get a better sense of what (the No. 1 pick is) worth,” he said. “Those conversations are happening and will continue to happen, and we’re wide open. But I know we’re very happy picking at the top, but certainly teams are inquiring and we’ll get back to them.”
[RELATED: Hornets reportedly willing to trade up for James Wiseman]
Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball have been identified most frequently as presumed Minnesota targets at No. 1, though there’s no guarantee the team will opt for one of those two guards. The Wolves have been keeping their cards close to the vest, and this year feels a little like 2013, when four or five prospects were still in play for the No. 1 pick leading up to draft day. We’ll find out in three weeks what the club ultimately decides.
With the 2020 draft currently scheduled for November 18, the Timberwolves are trying to gauge the market value of their three picks this year, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The Wolves currently have the No. 1, No. 17, and No. 33 picks.
President of basketball operations Gersson Rosas and his staff have been conducting talent appraisals of their own roster to evaluate the appeal of the team’s trade assets.
“It’s not 100 percent accurate by any means,” Rosas said of the process, “but it gives you a good perspective as you look at your roster, as you look at your body of talent on your team and you look at how you value not only the picks that you have currently, but the picks around the league.”
There’s more out of the NBA’s Northwest Division:
- In his latest mailbag, Mike Singer of The Denver Post examines some of the best trade options for the Nuggets. These include projecting the players and picks necessary for a possible Jrue Holiday deal, and what could be gained from moving up in the 2020 draft. With power forward Paul Millsap, center Mason Plumlee, and combo forward Jerami Grant all entering free agency, the team may also look to shore up its frontcourt with tactical signings.
- Thunder wing Darius Bazley impressed Jack Reining of Daily Thunder during the playoffs of his 2019/20 rookie season. Bazley’s improved long-range shot selection appeared to greatly benefit his efficiency, and he was better able to take advantage of his physical attributes and timing during the NBA’s Orlando restart.
- As we previously relayed, the Jazz may be focused on using the No. 23 pick in this year’s draft to improve their defense.
- Likening Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer suggests the Timberwolves are in position to follow the roster-building blueprint established by the Nuggets. However, Tjarks acknowledges that the Wolves need to start adding more two-way players and would benefit tremendously from finding their own version of Paul Millsap.
- The Timberwolves‘ dilemma with the No. 1 pick is exacerbated by the fact that most of this year’s top prospects aren’t elite shooters or defenders, which are the two kinds of players Minnesota would most like to add. Passing along comments from president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune examines how the Wolves will assess which prospects are capable of improving their outside shooting.
As we’ve heard for months, the general perception of the 2020 draft class is that it’s relatively deep, but lacks a clear-cut star prospect at the top. Speaking today to reporters, including Eric Woodyard of ESPN, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, who controls the No. 1 pick, admitted that analysis is “fair.”
“There’s no guy that has separated himself from the pack from public or external view,” Rosas said. “But I’m very confident that as we go through this process, the talent will rise to the top and we’ll be confident about identifying one guy as the best guy, the best talented player with the most upside and most ability for our organization.”
As Woodyard writes, Rosas said today that he and the Timberwolves feel good about the talent at the top of this draft class. However, it’s worth noting that many executives around the NBA believe Minnesota would prefer to trade down or out of that No. 1 overall pick rather than keep it. It remains to be seen whether the Wolves will get an offer that they feel represents fair value for this year’s top pick, but Rosas acknowledged that the club is exploring all its options.
“For us, we typically study the draft from No. 1 to whatever number we feel like is a draftable player,” Rosas said. “And we’ll evaluate those guys for trade scenarios, trade back, trade out, for undrafted free-agent opportunities, for minor league opportunities, so we really beat up the draft board as much as can all the way up until the draft.”
Assuming the Wolves do hang onto the top pick, guards LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards are viewed as their most likely selections, despite the fact that neither player projects to improve the club’s already-shaky defense.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report wrote today that most executives and scouts believe Ball would have the edge over Edwards if Minnesota remains at No. 1. Wasserman added that the Wolves are also high on Obi Toppin, though it’s not clear if the team would take the Dayton forward first overall or if he’d only be an option in a trade-down scenario.
All 30 NBA teams suffered financially from the shutdown, but the Lakers were impacted more than anyone, writes Bill Shea of The Athletic. Figures released by Team Marketing Report, a Chicago-based sports business intelligence firm, show the league lost $694MM from the cancellation of 258 regular-season games.
The Lakers missed out on revenue from 10 home games, tied for the most in the league, which cost the franchise an estimated $52.7MM. Rounding out the top five were the Knicks at $45MM, the Warriors at $42.5MM, the Rockets at $35MM and the Celtics at $31.5MM. Teams losing the least tended to be in smaller markets, led by the Grizzlies at $10.4MM, the Hornets and Timberwolves at $11.7MM each and the Cavaliers and Suns at $11.8MM each.
TMR arrived at the figures by using a weighted formula that considers Fan Cost Index, premium vs. regular ticket prices and attendance. The Fan Cost Index estimates how much it costs a family of four to attend a game. The NBA average for this season is $430, up about $9 from a year ago. Golden State created the most income from fans this year at $6MM per game, with the Lakers just behind at $5.6MM and the Knicks at $5.2MM. The Hornets were last, generating just $1.1MM per home game.
Although the NBA brings in $2.6 billion annually through its national television deals and billions more in corporate advertising, the league still depends heavily on fans coming to games. Commissioner Adam Silver has estimated that attendance is responsible for about 40% of revenue, which is why TMR owner and publisher Chris Hartweg believes teams will aggressively offer promotions to bring the public back when it becomes safe to fill arenas again.
“Something that jumps out as we’ve gone through these gross game day fan revenue exercises is that fan attendance is still critical to teams, even with billion-dollar media deals to cushion the blow,” Hartweg said. “If you take the NBA numbers and project across a full 41-home game season, the average NBA team hit becomes more than $110 million each. Leaguewide, we’re talking $3.3 billion. Our MLB projection was $173 million per team or $5.5 billion total for their 81 lost games.
“Those dollars are a huge incentive for teams and venues to make their facilities as safe as possible for fans to return as soon as possible. And in fans’ favor, we anticipate teams creating very fan-centric deals and offerings to welcome fans back.”