Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Conley, Teague, Roberson

October 3rd, 2019 at 7:24pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Mike Conley is one of the biggest acquisitions in the history of the Jazz and the team is excited to have him around, as Matt John of Basketball Insiders writes. “Watching him play, being around him, seeing how he interacts,” head coach Quin Synder said. “When I say elite, that manifests itself in a lot of different ways.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest Division:

After a disappointing year in Minnesota, Jeff Teague is ready for a new campaign, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes. Teague missed 40 games with injuries last season for the Timberwolves and the point guard told Hine that he had never endured a season like that before.
Andre Roberson hasn’t played in nearly two years after rupturing his patellar tendon, but the wing is back on the court for Thunder, as Erik Horne of The Oklahoman passes along. Roberson has been cleared to practice without restrictions.
The Nuggets have a battle on their hands for the starting small forward position, Mike Singer of The Denver Post relays. “By no means is there a leader in the clubhouse,” head coach Mike Malone said of the competition. Torrey Craig, Juan Hernangomez, Will Barton, and Michael Porter Jr. are among the options at the three.

Wolves Raving About Layman; Covington Feeling Good

October 2nd, 2019 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves‘ sign-and-trade deal for Jake Layman didn’t earn any accolades as one of the summer’s key moves, but Layman’s new team can’t stop raving about him, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. As Krawczynski explains, Minnesota loves Layman’s athleticism, his ability to play multiple positions, and the way he can complement star player Karl-Anthony Towns.

“A lot of our offensive creativity is going to be with Karl and the ball in his hands, whether that’s top of the key in a lot of our series or even at the elbows or even out of the post,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said. “Guys that can space the floor, run the floor, cut away from the basket with high IQs are going to be important for us. A guy like Jake Layman can really do that and has done that throughout his career.”

It remains to be seen whether Layman will come off the bench or if he’ll crack the starting lineup alongside Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Robert Covington, and Jeff Teague. Either way, he figures to play a regular role in the Timberwolves’ rotation after being acquired in July from their division rivals in Portland.

Robert Covington admitted this week that his physical health issues last season affected his mental health, telling reporters – including Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune – that he saw a therapist to deal with his frustration at being sidelined. Heading into a new season, the Timberwolves forward says he’s feeling good both physically and mentally.

Rohan Promoted To Assistant GM

October 1st, 2019 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves have promoted Emmanuel Rohan to assistant GM, according to a team press release. Assistant GM Gianluca Pascucci will have the added responsibilities of GM of the Iowa Wolves, the team’s G League affiliate.

Timberwolves Hire Joe Branch As Assistant GM

September 25th, 2019 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 25: The Timberwolves have officially named Branch an assistant GM, the team announced today in a press release.

“Joe is a talented individual with great experience and exciting potential,” president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said in a statement. “He brings a different perspective and skill set from his experiences as a player agent and sports executive which aligns with our philosophy of adding talent with diverse backgrounds to our front office. We look forward to him joining our front office staff and contributing at a high level.”

SEPTEMBER 10: The Timberwolves are making another addition to their new-look front office, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is hiring Roc Nation agent Joe Branch as an assistant general manager.

Branch, who has also previously worked for the NBA’s league office, represented clients like Caris LeVert, Justise Winslow, and Josh Hart. He recently helped finalize a three-year extension for LeVert in Brooklyn, clearing the way for him to accept a front office role in Minnesota, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic notes (via Twitter).

After hiring Gersson Rosas as their new president of basketball operations in the spring, the Wolves have made several more changes to their management group in recent months. Former Pistons executive Sachin Gupta joined the Wolves as their executive VP of basketball operations, while former Nets exec Gianluca Pascucci also came aboard as an assistant GM.

As Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets, the hiring of Branch will further diminish the role of former Wolves GM Scott Layden. Wolfson recently heard from owner Glen Taylor that Layden will primarily focus on scouting this season and will be based out of New York rather than Minnesota.

Wolves Sign Jordan Murphy To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 16th, 2019 at 5:03pm CST by Luke Adams

5:03pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

3:35pm: Undrafted rookie Jordan Murphy, who has spent much of the summer working out with the Timberwolves, will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Minnesota and be in training camp with the club, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Murphy, a 6’6″ forward, averaged a double-double in each of his final two years playing college ball at Minnesota, putting up 14.4 PPG and 11.0 RPG in 36 games (31.1 MPG) in 2018/19.

Although he wasn’t selected in the draft, Murphy caught on with his local team for Summer League play, appearing in seven games in Las Vegas with the Wolves’ squad. He averaged 8.9 PPG and 4.9 RPG in just 14.0 minutes per contest.

The Timberwolves currently have 19 players under contract and also have a reported agreement in place with undrafted rookie Tyus Battle. The team can’t exceed 20 players, so if the team intends to sign both Battle and Murphy, another player will have to be waived at some point.

The Wolves have 15 players on guaranteed contracts and have filled both of their two-way contract slots, so the idea of Murphy earning a regular season roster spot may be a long shot. Krawczynski suggests the rookie forward is a candidate to end up with the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s G League affiliate.

NBA Teams With Most, Fewest Guaranteed Salaries

September 16th, 2019 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

At this point in the offseason, the majority of the NBA’s teams are carrying either 13 or 14 players on guaranteed salaries. Teams will have to pare down their rosters to no more than 15 players on standard contracts once the regular season begins, so having 13 or 14 players on guaranteed deals now gives those clubs the flexibility to allow one or two non-guaranteed players to make the team — or to carry an open roster spot into opening night.

However, there are currently a dozen teams around the league carrying fewer than 13 guaranteed salaries or more than 14. With the help of our roster counts tool, here’s a look at those teams, with details on what they might be thinking as the 2019/20 season nears:

Fewer than 13 fully guaranteed salaries:

Houston Rockets (10)
Miami Heat (12)
Toronto Raptors (12)
Utah Jazz (12)

With only 10 players on fully guaranteed salaries, the Rockets may have some competition for their final few roster spots in training camp. For now Isaiah Hartenstein and Gary Clark – each of whom have partial guarantees – look like good bets to earn spots, with Ben McLemore perhaps the frontrunner for the 13th spot. Anthony Bennett, Chris Clemons, Michael Frazier, William McDowell-White, and Shamorie Ponds are candidates to fill out the roster, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Houston eventually acquires a veteran or two with its open spots.

Duncan Robinson‘s and Kendrick Nunn‘s partial guarantees put them in good position to earn the Heat‘s 13th and 14th roster spots. The hard-capped club won’t have room for a 15th player to start the season.

Royce O’Neale is a lock to make the Jazz, and Georges Niang seems like a safe bet too. William Howard and Stanton Kidd could be the prime contenders for the 15th spot if Utah wants a full roster.

For the Raptors, second-round pick Dewan Hernandez, veteran point guard Cameron Payne, and returning role players Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller are the top candidates for the final two or three openings on the regular season roster.

More than 14 fully guaranteed salaries:

Brooklyn Nets (15)
Dallas Mavericks (15)
Indiana Pacers (15)
Memphis Grizzlies (15)
Minnesota Timberwolves (15)
New York Knicks (15)
Phoenix Suns (15)
San Antonio Spurs (15)

The Grizzlies were the only team carrying more than 15 guaranteed salaries, but a buyout agreement with Dwight Howard changed that. If they reach a similar deal – or find a trade – involving Andre Iguodala, their roster count would dip to 14 fully guaranteed contracts.

The Nets, Mavericks, Pacers, Timberwolves, Knicks, Suns, and Spurs could shake things up with roster moves before the season begins, particularly if any of those teams is impressed by a non-guaranteed camp invitee. But for now, their regular season rosters look pretty set with their 15 players on guaranteed salaries.

Jared Terrell Will Play In Israel

September 15th, 2019 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Timberwolves two-way player Jared Terrell has reached an agreement to play in Israel, tweets Dane Moore of 1500 ESPN. The 24-year-old shooting guard will play for Hapoel Eilat.

Terrell signed a two-way deal with Minnesota last July after going undrafted out of Rhode Island. He appeared in 14 games at the NBA level, averaging 2.2 points in about eight minutes per night. He posted a 15.3/4.0/2.3 line in 32 G League games with Iowa.

Terrell spent a lot of the offseason training at the Wolves’ facilities, Moore adds, and played for their Summer League team. Minnesota already has the league limit of 20 players headed to training camp, including 15 with guaranteed contracts.

Ty Wallace Has No Contract Guarantees

September 13th, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Unlike last season, Timberwolves guard Tyrone Wallace does not have any guaranteed money in his contract, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. Wallace had a $300K partial guarantee if he remained on the roster through September 12 a year ago. Wallace’s $1,588,231 salary this season won’t become fully guaranteed unless he’s on the roster through January 10. Wallace, who came off the bench in 62 games with the Clippers last season, is the No. 3 point guard on the roster behind Jeff Teague and Shabazz Napier, and may ultimately be the odd man out on opening night, since Minnesota has 15 other players on fully guaranteed deals.

Wolves Hire Greg Stiemsma, Finalize Coaching Staff

September 13th, 2019 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have hired former NBA center Greg Stiemsma as a player development associate, the team announced today in a press release.

Stiemsma, who will turn 34 later this month, played in the NBA for four years from 2011-15, spending one of those four seasons in Minnesota. He has been out of the league since being waived by the Trail Blazers in the fall of 2016 before the regular season got underway.

Stiemsma is one of a handful of new hires joining the Wolves’ coaching staff, along with Kevin Hanson (assistant coach/director of player development), Jeff Newton (offensive associate/player development coach), and Max Lefevre (video coordinator/player development associate). Kwadzo Ahelegbe and Cole Fisher will also return with added responsibilities, as the team outlines in its press release.

The Wolves’ coaching staff has undergone significant changes since Ryan Saunders was named the permanent head coach earlier this offseason. None of the team’s front-of-the-bench assistants – including Ed Pinckney, Jerry Sichting, Larry Greer, Malik Allen, and John Lucas III – are returning, but the franchise has filled out Saunders’ staff with some notable names.

Veteran Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool joined Saunders’ staff in June, as did former NBA point guard Pablo Prigioni. Minnesota also hired veteran assistant Bryan Gates away from Sacramento in July.

Iowa Affiliate Will Work Closely With Parent Club

September 6th, 2019 at 5:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves want their G League affiliate in Iowa to mimic what the parent club is doing, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. Iowa coach Sam Newman-Beck will employ similar systems, both a motion offense and switching defense, to what Minnesota coach Ryan Saunders is running with the Timberwolves. “We want the players when they’re coming to Iowa or going to Minnesota to feel like it’s the same playbook, that there’s no change,” Newman-Beck said.