Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Timberwolves Sign Chasson Randle To Camp Deal

September 27th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 27: Randle has officially signed with the Timberwolves, per a press release from the team.

Minnesota is now at the maximum offseason limit of 21 players under contract.

SEPTEMBER 9: The Timberwolves have agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with guard Chasson Randle, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Randle, 31, spent last season with AEK Athens but is quite familiar with the NBA. He has appeared in 119 regular season games, seeing action for the Knicks, Sixers, Wizards, Warriors, and Magic. His last stint came with Orlando, when he played in 41 games (five starts) during the 2020/21 season and averaged 6.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 20.4 minutes per contest.

Earlier in the day, the Timberwolves’ G League team, the Iowa Wolves, acquired Randle’s returning player rights from the Oklahoma City Blue (Twitter link). That set the stage for an Exhibit 10 offer.

If they’re waived by their NBA club and join that team’s G League affiliate, players who ink Exhibit 10 contracts are eligible for bonuses worth up to $77.5K (on top of the standard NBAGL salary) should they remain with those affiliate squads for at least 60 days.

And-Ones: G League Trade, Brissett, Future Power Rankings, Lowe

September 27th, 2024 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ and Pacers‘ G League affiliates have completed a trade involving a former No. 3 overall NBA draft pick, per a press release from the Valley Suns. Phoenix’s new affiliate acquired the returning rights to guard David Stockton from the Indiana Mad Ants in exchange for the returning rights to forward Garrison Brooks and former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor.

Brooks and Okafor were among the Suns’ picks in June’s expansion draft, but it’s unclear if either one intends to play in the G League at all in 2024/25 — they both competed overseas last season.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Free agent swingman Oshae Brissett is believed to be drawing interest from a EuroLeague team, according to a report from Sportske.net. As Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays, the Serbian outlet says that the Belgrade-based club Crvena Zvezda has its eye on Brissett as a potential target. The five-year NBA veteran, who won a title last season with the Celtics, has been on the lookout for a new home since he turned down his player option with Boston in June.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, and Tim Bontemps (Insider link) have published the latest installment of their annual “future power rankings,” which are based on each team’s projected on-court success for the next three seasons. The Thunder top this year’s version of the list, while the Celtics drop from No. 1 to No. 2 despite their 2024 championship, since their salary cap situation may get untenable in the near future. The Knicks (third) Sixers (fourth), Mavericks (fifth), Rockets (seventh), Timberwolves (eighth), and Spurs (10th) each rose five or more spots to claim a place in ESPN’s top 10.
Howard Beck of The Ringer sorts the NBA’s 30 teams into six separate tiers based on how clear their plans are going forward. The Nets and Wizards, in full-on rebuilds, are among the teams in the “ever-clear” top tier along with championship hopefuls like the Mavericks and Sixers, while clubs with less obvious goals, like the Hawks, Bulls, and Raptors, find themselves in the lowest “fun-house mirror” tier.
ESPN has laid off senior writer Zach Lowe, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Lowe is the second noteworthy NBA reporter to depart the network in recent weeks, joining Adrian Wojnarowski, who unexpectedly announced his retirement from the news industry last week.

Timberwolves Waive Trevor Keels

September 26th, 2024 at 5:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Timberwolves have cut guard Trevor Keels, Minnesota has announced in a press statement.

The 6’3″ guard had only recently been inked to an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the club. Should he join Minnesota’s G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, and stay with the club for at least 60 days, he’ll earn a bonus worth $77.5K.

The Knicks selected Keels with the No. 42 pick in 2022 out of Duke. He only appeared in three regular season contests for the Knicks, posting averages of 1.0 points and 0.7 rebounds across 2.7 minutes per night.

In 25 regular season contests for New York’s NBAGL affiliate squad that year, the Westchester Knicks, he averaged 13.9 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.0 steal while shooting .425/.355/.710. He was waived by New York following his 2022/23 rookie season.

Keels, now 21, played for the Iowa Wolves for the entire 2023/24 season. Across 23 regular season contests (17 starts), Keels averaged 13.5 points (on .434/.367/.857 shooting), 3.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game.

Derrick Rose Announces Retirement

September 26th, 2024 at 6:16am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose has announced his retirement as a basketball player.

Rose confirmed the decision in a post on Instagram and, according to Malika Andrews and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, by taking out full-page ads in local newspapers of the six NBA cities he played in: Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis.

“Knowing that I gave my all to the game, I feel confident in my decision,” Rose told ESPN. “Basketball was just the beginning for me. Now, it’s important that I give my all to my family — they deserve that.”

Rose added in a statement to Shams Charania of The Athletic: “The next chapter is about chasing my dreams and sharing my growth. I believe true success comes from becoming who you were created to be, and I want to show the world who I am beyond basketball.”

Rose, who will turn 36 next Friday, was selected first overall in the 2008 NBA draft by his hometown Bulls. He earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2009 and was named an All-Star in each of his next three seasons, winning the MVP award in 2011. Over the course of that season, his third in the NBA at age 22, he averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game across 81 starts, leading the Bulls to a league-best 62-20 record.

The fact that Rose won the MVP award while still on his rookie scale contract resulted in an NBA rule being unofficially named after him. As we’ve outlined in a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry, the “Derrick Rose rule” allows players coming off their rookie deals to sign maximum-salary contracts worth up to 30% of the salary cap instead of the typical 25% if they’ve earned a major award such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, or All-NBA.

However, Rose’s career hit a snag following his first four seasons in Chicago, as he missed the entire 2012/13 season due to an ACL tear and only played in 10 games in ’13/14 as he continued to recover from that injury.

The 6’3″ guard ultimately made it back to the court on a more regular basis in ’14/15, but he only appeared in more than 51 games in a season twice in his final 10 NBA seasons as he continued to be affected by health issues that sapped him of the speed and explosiveness he displayed in his first few years.

Rose was still an effective role player when healthy, earning Sixth Man of the Year votes in 2019, 2020, and 2021 for the Timberwolves, Pistons, and Knicks, but his injury woes prevented him from fully delivering on the potential to be a longtime NBA star that he showed early in his career.

Rose will call it a career with averages of 17.4 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 3.2 RPG in 723 career regular season games (30.5 MPG). He also made 52 postseason appearances and put up 21.9 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 4.3 RPG in those outings. He made the Eastern Conference Finals with the Bulls during his MVP year in 2011, though he never played in the NBA Finals. In addition to suiting up for the Bulls, Timberwolves, Pistons, and Knicks, he spent time with the Cavaliers and Grizzlies.

Rose had been under contract with Memphis for the 2024/25 season, but requested his release and gave up his full $3.3MM guaranteed salary for the year as part of that agreement.

As K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network tweets, there are no immediate plans for Rose to sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Bulls, but the organization will almost certainly honor its former star at some point this season.

Timberwolves Sign Guard Trevor Keels

September 25th, 2024 at 2:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 25: The Timberwolves have officially signed Keels, the team confirmed in a press release. The Wolves also formally confirmed three other recent signings.

SEPTEMBER 24: The Timberwolves have agreed to a contract with Trevor Keels, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

The 21-year-old guard played three games for the Knicks in 2022/23. Keels, who was the 42nd overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Duke, was waived by New York after his rookie campaign.

Keels participated in Minnesota’s training camp last season but he was waived before the opener. He spent the season with Minnesota’s G League club, the Iowa Wolves, where he averaged 13.5 points and 3.7 assists per game.

Terms of the contract have not been disclosed but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 contract. Assuming that’s what Keels signs, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spend at least 60 days with Iowa again.

And-Ones: Sports Betting, NBA Offseason, Injury Returns

September 21st, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

While the NBA is in favor of federal regulations for sports betting, the league doesn’t unequivocally support the bill introduced last week in Congress, which is considered to have both positives and negatives, per David Purdum of ESPN.

The Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act, also known as the “SAFE Bet Act,” would prohibit sportsbook advertising from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm (and during live sports broadcasts) and would ban in-game betting. The proposal to eliminate live wagering is one aspect of the bill likely to be opposed by the NBA and other sports leagues, given the increasing popularity of that form of betting, notes Purdum.

A league source tells Purdum that the NBA is keeping an eye on the legislation and views it as a “starting point to a very lengthy process.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the

In a pair of articles for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus finds one word to describe each team’s offseason (including “inactive” for the Lakers, “attrition” for the Nuggets, and “limbo” for the Timberwolves) and outlines a hypothetical three-team trade that he believes could work for the Magic, Pacers, and Nets. Pincus’ proposed three-team deal sends Dorian Finney-Smith and Isaiah Jackson to Orlando, Wendell Carter to Indiana, and Jarace Walker and Caleb Houstan to Brooklyn.
It was a relatively drama-free NBA offseason, according to Zach Kram of The Ringer, who observes that most of the biggest trades, including ones involving Mikal Bridges and Dejounte Murray, were agreed to in June and nearly all of the biggest free agent decisions (such as Paul George‘s and Klay Thompson‘s) were made within the first 24 hours of free agency opening. Last offseason, by comparison, trade candidates like Damian Lillard and James Harden remained on the market all summer.
Knicks forward Julius Randle (shoulder), Bulls guard Zach LaVine (foot), Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (knee), and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) are a few of the key players returning from injuries who will be worth monitoring this fall to see if they’re back to 100%, according to ESPN’s Chris Herring, Jamal Collier, and Ohm Youngmisuk, who also single out several more returning players to watch.

Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Northwest Division

September 20th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Northwest Division. Let’s dive in…

Denver Nuggets

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Christian Braun, Vlatko Cancar, Aaron Gordon, DaRon Holmes, Nikola Jokic, DeAndre Jordan, Jamal Murray, Zeke Nnaji, Jalen Pickett, Michael Porter Jr., Dario Saric, Julian Strawther, Hunter Tyson, Peyton Watson, Russell Westbrook
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Gabe McGlothan, Jaylin Williams, Jahmir Young
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Trey Alexander, PJ Hall, Spencer Jones

Under general manager Calvin Booth, the Nuggets have typically set their training camp roster early in the offseason and not made any changes to the back end until the preseason is underway. Last year, for instance, Denver maxed out its 21-man roster on August 3 and didn’t make another roster move until October 13.

It looks like the team will probably stick to that pattern this year, taking the current group to camp and then rotating some Exhibit 10 signees on and off the roster during the preseason. With 15 players on guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals, Denver’s projected regular season roster also looks set.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Mike Conley, Rob Dillingham, Anthony Edwards, Luka Garza, Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, Jaden McDaniels, Leonard Miller, Josh Minott, Naz Reid, Terrence Shannon, Karl-Anthony Towns
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- PJ Dozier (partial guarantee)
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Jaedon LeDee, Skylar Mays, Eugene Omoruyi
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Jaylen Clark, Jesse Edwards, Daishen Nix
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Chasson Randle (Exhibit 10)

Although the Timberwolves have some back-end roster flexibility, they also have significant projected luxury tax penalties, and with the battle for control of the franchise headed to arbitration this fall, it’s still unclear who exactly will be on the hook for that tax bill.

With that in mind, I’d be surprised to see the Wolves carry a full 15-man standard roster into the regular season. And it’s probably safe to assume Dozier will start the season as the 14th man, since he has a $1MM partial guarantee that the team would have to eat if he’s waived and replaced with a newcomer. Minnesota could potentially make a change at that 14th spot before the league-wide guarantee date on January 7 if Dozier doesn’t prove in the first half that he deserves it, but his place on the opening night roster looks relatively safe.

While I expect some more Exhibit 10 shuffling in the coming days and weeks, the Wolves could set their camp roster by simply completing Randle’s deal, which would get them to the 21-man limit.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Alex Caruso, Ousmane Dieng, Luguentz Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Joe, Dillon Jones, Nikola Topic, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, Jalen Williams, Kenrich Williams
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Jaylin Williams
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Alex Ducas, Adam Flagler, Ajay Mitchell
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
- Buddy Boeheim (Exhibit 10), Malevy Leons (Exhibit 10)

Even if they finalize their reported Exhibit 10 deals with Boeheim and Leons before October 1 and have both players with them in training camp, the Thunder would only have 19 players under contract, so they likely have more moves up their sleeve in the coming week or two.

The Thunder are one of the few NBA teams well positioned to bring in another veteran free agent who could make the 15-man standard roster. While Jaylin Williams will make the team, that still leaves the 15th spot open, and Oklahoma City is more than $11MM away from the luxury tax line, so another minimum-salary signing wouldn’t be a problem financially. With Topic out for the season and Kenrich Williams seemingly unlikely to be ready for opening night, the club could also use another depth piece.

It’s unclear whether the Thunder are perusing the free agent market with an eye toward adding a 15th man, but one more wing would make sense to me, with Oshae Brissett, Nassir Little, Justin Holiday, and Reggie Bullock among the available players who could fit.

Portland Trail Blazers

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Deni Avdija, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray, Duop Reath, Rayan Rupert, Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, Matisse Thybulle, Jabari Walker, Robert Williams
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- Dalano Banton (partial guarantee), Devonte’ Graham
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Henri Drell
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Bryce McGowens, Justin Minaya, Taze Moore

Banton’s big numbers (16.7 PPG, 3.6 APG) down the stretch for the Trail Blazers were the result of significant usage (27.2%) rather than a jump in scoring efficiency (he shot .408/.311/.780). Still, I’d give him the edge over Graham for the 15th roster spot in Portland since he’s younger and has a small partial guarantee. That spot’s not set in stone though.

The Trail Blazers still have one opening on their 21-man preseason roster. Unless the Blazers intend to bring in another player to compete with Banton and Graham to be the 15th man, that roster spot could be used to churn through Exhibit 10 signees for the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate.

Utah Jazz

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Jordan Clarkson, Isaiah Collier, John Collins, Drew Eubanks, Kyle Filipowski, Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Johnny Juzang, Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, Patty Mills, Svi Mykhailiuk, Brice Sensabaugh, Collin Sexton, Cody Williams
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Max Abmas, Keshawn Justice, Babacar Sane
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Micah Potter, Jason Preston, Oscar Tshiebwe

The Jazz‘s roster looks pretty close to ready for the regular season, with 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts and all three two-way spots occupied. Utah’s roster moves this fall may just consist of rotating Exhibit 10 players in and out before making final cuts at the end of the preseason.

A two-way shake-up is always a possibility, but Potter, Preston, and Tshiebwe all played well in the G League last season, so one of the non-guaranteed camp invitees would have to make a strong impression in October for the team to make a change there.

Previously:

Atlantic Division

Western Notes: Timberwolves, Beal, James, Buss, Grizzlies

September 19th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

The arbitrators in the Timberwolves’ ownership dispute have been named.

Retired Hennepin County (Minn.) District Court Judge Thomas Fraser will serve as the neutral arbitrator in the upcoming legal proceedings, according to Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams and Michael McCann.

Fraser is one of three people who will oversee the proceedings, which will begin the week of Nov. 4, to settle the legal battle between current Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor and the group headed by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore. The other two arbitrators will be retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Kathleen Blatz (appointed by Taylor) and Wilson Sonsini partner Joseph R. Slights III (appointed by Rodriguez/Lore).

We have more from the Western Conference:

The suggestion that Bradley Beal should be the Suns’ sixth man doesn’t make a lot of sense, Gerald Bourguet of Gophnx.com opines. Despite an injury-plagued season, Beal is the team’s third-best player and removing him from the starting five in favor of Grayson Allen is a downgrade on several levels, in Bourguet’s view.
LeBron James‘ work ethic never ceases to amaze Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, she told Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times. “He consistently delivers. He puts in the work. He’s not only a worldwide brand, but he is our leader,” Buss said. “He’s the captain of our team and he sets the tone, sets the pace by putting in the hard work. Nobody can complain about the work if you see somebody with his résumé and his longevity of career, nobody can complain about having to practice if he’s willing to do it. And he does. He just amazes me.”
Robinhood Markets, Inc., a financial services company, will serve as the jersey patch and official investing partner of the Grizzlies, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. The same company is also in a partnership with the Wizards for their jersey patch this season.The Grizzlies haven’t had a jersey patch since 2021, after a three-year deal with FedEx came to an end, Cole adds.

Timberwolves Sign Jaedon LeDee To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 18th, 2024 at 6:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former San Diego State forward Jaedon LeDee has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Timberwolves, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The deal is official, per RealGM’s transaction log.

LeDee, 25, joined Minnesota’s Summer League team after going unselected in this year’s draft. He appeared in five games in Las Vegas, averaging 2.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per night.

In his senior season with the Aztecs, LeDee received the Karl Malone Award as the best power forward in college basketball. He was also selected as a second-team All-American by NABC and the Sporting News and was a third-team choice by the Associated Press after posting 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 36 games.

LeDee began his collegiate career at Ohio State, but transferred to TCU after his freshman season. He moved on to San Diego State two years later and was part of the 2023 Final Four team. He originally declared for the draft in 2023, but withdrew his name to spend one more season in college.

The Wolves currently have 14 players on standard contracts and all three of their two-way slots filled, so LeDee faces long odds to earn a roster spot. He’ll likely end up with the team’s G League affiliate in Iowa, where he’ll be eligible to earn a bonus of up to $77.5K by remaining with the team for 60 days.

LeDee’s signing brings Minnesota’s roster to 20 players, one off the 21-man offseason limit.

Northwest Notes: Gupta, Mays, Singer, Jazz Offseason

September 17th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves executive Sachin Gupta is changing sports. He’s leaving his post as executive vice president of basketball operations to take a prominent position with soccer’s Chelsea FC, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets.

Gupta, 42, has been in the Timberwolves’ front office since May 2019. He also had stints with the Rockets, Sixers and Pistons. Gupta served as the interim head of basketball operations in Minnesota following the 2021 dismissal of Gersson Rosas before the organization hired Tim Connelly in 2022.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Timberwolves’ NBA G League franchise, the Iowa Wolves, has acquired the returning player rights to guard Skylar Mays from the Westchester Knicks in exchange for the returning player rights to guard Vit Krejci and a 2025 G League first round pick, according to a Wolves press release. The Timberwolves signed Mays to an Exhibit 10 contract on Tuesday. By trading for Mays’ returning player rights, the Wolves can offer him a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Iowa Wolves.
A former Nuggets beat writer is joining their organization. Denver is hiring former Denver Post reporter Mike Singer as their director of intelligence and strategy, according to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. In addition to hiring Singer, the Nuggets are promoting Todd Checovich to the position of scouting director. Drew Nicholas, who held that position for two years, accepted a new job with the Nets this summer.
Many of the Jazz players stayed close to their NBA home during the offseason. Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Kyle Filipowski, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton spent the majority of the summer working out in Utah, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.