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Doncic, Young, Zion Headline Rising Stars Rosters

January 31st, 2020 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced the 20 rookies and sophomores who have been named to the league’s Rising Stars game for All-Star weekend. Those 20 players, selected by assistant coaches from around the league, will be divided into a U.S. Team and a World Team, as follows:

U.S. Team:

World Team:

Williamson’s inclusion is notable since he has appeared in just four games due to injuries. It’s not surprising that the NBA found a way to get him into the game, since he’s one of the most exciting prospects to enter the league in years, but it’s a tough break for youngsters who have been on the court since the fall for contenders, such as Sixers wing Matisse Thybulle. or Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.

Snubbed players like Thybulle, Porter, and others could eventually make their way into the Rising Stars game if players have to pull out due to injuries, or if All-Stars like Doncic and Young opt not to play in both events.

The Rising Stars game will take place in Chicago on Friday, February 14.

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Napier: Monday's Collapse "As Low As You Can Get"

January 30th, 2020 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Already frustrated by their long losing streak, the Timberwolves were further demoralized by a historic collapse on Monday, writes Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune. “As low as you can get,” Shabazz Napier said. “This is it.” Once 10-8, the Wolves have lost 24 of their last 29 games, including 10 in a row, giving president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas plenty to think about as the trade deadline nears.
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Timberwolves Called Magic About Aaron Gordon

January 30th, 2020 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams
  • The Timberwolves called the Magic about Aaron Gordon earlier in the season, league sources tell O’Connor. If Minnesota made an offer for Gordon, it’s unclear what exactly that offer consisted of, per O’Connor. However, he notes that the Wolves are shopping Robert Covington.

    [SOURCE LINK]
  • The Timberwolves called the Magic about Aaron Gordon earlier in the season, league sources tell O’Connor. If Minnesota made an offer for Gordon, it’s unclear what exactly that offer consisted of, per O’Connor. However, he notes that the Wolves are shopping Robert Covington.
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/29/20

January 29th, 2020 at 9:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Wednesday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

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NBA Players Who Can’t Be Aggregated In Trades

January 28th, 2020 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement includes a rule that states players who are acquired using an exception (ie. not using cap space) can’t be aggregated in a second trade for two months after the original deal.

Aggregating a player in a trade refers to the act of combining his contract with another player’s contract for salary-matching purposes. For instance, an over-the-cap team can’t trade a player with a $5MM salary straight up for a player with a $13MM salary. But if the team aggregates that player with a second player who also earns $5MM, the deal would work.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Traded Player Exception]

The rule against including a player in an aggregated trade for two months after he’s acquired doesn’t preclude the player’s team from adding him to a multi-player deal. His salary simply can’t be combined upon with another player’s for matching purposes in such a trade.

For instance, even if a player earning a minimum salary can’t be aggregated in a trade, his team could still include him in a swap involving a pair of $10MM players, since his minimum-salary cap hit wouldn’t be needed for salary matching.

With those rules in mind, here’s the list of players who have been acquired using a cap exception within the last two months and can’t be aggregated in a deadline trade this season:

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Towns, Wiggins Getting Too Much Blame?

January 27th, 2020 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins get the blame when things aren’t going well with the Timberwolves but the players around them need to do more, Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. Guard Shabazz Napier told Youngblood that the role players need to do their jobs better. “This team is so used to KAT and Wigs doing all the work that when it doesn’t happen, we just stand around,’’ Napier said. “That’s how it is. We just gotta find ways to help them guys out. … We all, the role players, have to figure out, how do we help them out better?’’
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/25/20

January 25th, 2020 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the league:

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Saunders Irked At Wiggins, Wolves

January 25th, 2020 at 3:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • During halftime of a seventh straight Timberwolves loss, irked coach Ryan Saunders berated his team, according to Chris Hine of the Minnesota Star Tribune. Much of that frustration was directed at disappointing $148MM wing Andrew Wiggins. “He was yelling at me a lot of the time,” Wiggins confirmed. “I needed it. The first half was a bad first half. I wasn’t aggressive.”
  • Thunder backup center Nerlens Noel will miss tonight’s tilt against the Timberwolves due to a surgical procedure for a left cheek fracture, according to an ESPN report. The timeline on Noel’s absence will be updated next week. Noel, the No. 6 pick in 2013, has been productive in limited minutes for Oklahoma City, averaging 8.2 PPG and 5.2 RPG.
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Mavs Have Made Offers For Robert Covington

January 23rd, 2020 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams
  • The Mavericks have made offers to the Timberwolves for Robert Covington, but have been turned down, according to O’Connor. While O’Connor doesn’t have the specific details on Dallas’ offers, I imagine they’d start with Courtney Lee‘s expiring contract and the Warriors’ 2020 second-round pick. The Mavs’ first-rounders are tied up for trade purposes until at at least 2025.
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Rosas: Towns “As Untouchable As They Come”

January 23rd, 2020 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NBA have been keeping an eye on the Timberwolves this season to see how Karl-Anthony Towns is coping with another sub-.500 season, but president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas made it clear in a conversation with ESPN’s Eric Woodyard that those clubs won’t get a chance to trade for the star big man this winter.

“Karl-Anthony Towns is as untouchable as they come,” Rosas told Woodyard. “He’s the best player on our team and he’s the guy we’re building around. Everything we do is to help him become the best player and to help us become the best team we can be. He’s a special talent that we’re going to do anything possible to help him achieve his highest potential.”

Rosas’ comments don’t come as a surprise. The opportunity to build around Towns was likely a major reason why he agreed to become the head of basketball operations in Minnesota last spring after nearly two decades in Houston.

Towns is in the first season of a five-year, maximum-salary contract, so there’s no reason for the Timberwolves to consider a move involving the former No. 1 overall pick unless he explicitly asks for one — even then, he’d have limited leverage to force the team’s hand, since he can’t reach the open market until 2024.

Although the Wolves have had a disappointing season so far, with their 15-29 record placing them in a tie for 13th in the West, Towns recently dismissed the idea that he’s unhappy in Minnesota, referring to the trade speculation surrounding him as “nonsense.”

For now, Rosas and the Wolves’ front office are expected to continue seeking ways to upgrade Towns’ supporting cast, with a long-term answer at point guard among the most pressing items on the club’s wish list.

“We’ve been very aggressive. We’ve been very thorough in terms of any opportunities to help our team, and that’ll be a continual process,” Rosas told ESPN. “So for us, we’re gonna be very active and we’re going to look at any opportunity that can present itself and make sure that if there’s a deal that we can do to improve our team, we’re going to take advantage of those opportunities.”

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