- The Timberwolves recently announced some additions and promotions on their coaching staff, including Pat Zipfel as an advance scout and Malik Allen and Larry Greer as assistant coaches (link via Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune).
SEPTEMBER 23: The Timberwolves have officially signed Towns to his new extension, the team announced today in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 22: Karl-Anthony Towns has decided to accept an extension from the Timberwolves, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The new deal could pay Towns as much as $190MM over the next five years based on current cap projections.
The latest news out of Minnesota may be further indication that Jimmy Butler is headed out of town soon. A report this week suggested that Towns, who clashed with the former Bulls star during his first year in Minnesota, was delaying a decision on an extension until Butler’s fate was decided.
News first broke in July that the Wolves were discussing an extension with Towns, and they have been waiting more than two months for the fourth-year center to accept their offer. His agent, Leon Rose of CAA Sports, contacted the club tonight with news of his decision, sources told Wojnarowski.
“On June 25, 2015, I was drafted to and committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Towns said in a prepared statement. “On September 22, 2018, I made a recommitment to the Wolves and have the same feelings of excitement that I felt back in 2015.
“I promise to the fans, my teammates and the organization to keep the vision of the man who drafted me, Flip Saunders, alive and treat his dream of winning with respect and dignity. To the fans from Day One and the Timberwolves fans, this is for you. Thank you for believing in me.”
Terms of the super-max contract enable Towns to earn 30% of the team’s salary cap by making an All-NBA team or by being named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year this season. The deal does not contain a player option, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).
If Towns doesn’t meet the super-max criteria, his new deal would start at 25% of the cap rather than 30%. In that scenario, the yearly cap hits for the Wolves project to be worth $27.25MM, $29.43MM, $31.61MM, $33.79MM and $35.97MM, for a total of $158.05MM. If Towns earns one of the honors noted above, the annual cap hits would increase to $32.7MM, $35.32MM, $37.93MM, $40.55MM, and $43.16MM ($189.66MM in total).
The new deal also establishes Towns as the cornerstone of the franchise for the foreseeable future. He quickly turned into one of the best young centers in the league after being drafted with the top pick in 2015. Towns hasn’t missed a game in his first three seasons and posted a 21.3/12.3/2.4 line last year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
It has been another busy day of Jimmy Butler rumors, with the latest whispers suggesting that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor wants to make a deal soon, and that the Cavaliers are among the teams with interest in the All-Star swingman.
We have a few more Butler-related items to pass along to finish off the weekend, so let’s dive in and round up the latest….
- Pat Riley and the Heat have been “as aggressive as any team” so far in pursuing a Butler trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who adds that Timberwolves ownership would still like to find a deal by early this week.
- Noting that the Heat have long been fans of Butler, Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald confirm that the club is “aggressively” pursuing a trade for the 29-year-old. While Miami would likely be willing to give up Justise Winslow in a Butler deal, it’s not clear if the team would open to including Josh Richardson or Bam Adebayo, per the Herald report. As Jackson tweets, the Heat also wouldn’t be going after Butler unless they believed they could lock him up long-term.
- The Timberwolves have told at least one interested team that they can get a good player back in a Butler deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Wolfson also hears that the Raptors are interested in Butler.
- Despite the Timberwolves‘ lack of leverage, they should be able to do pretty well in a trade, given the number of teams that view Butler as their potential difference-maker, opines Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune (via Twitter).
The Cavaliers are the latest team in the mix to acquire Timberwolves All-Star Jimmy Butler, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was seen speaking privately with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor at the NBA Board of Governors meeting on Friday, per Wojnarowski.
The Butler saga is expected to reach a conclusion soon as Taylor reportedly working to trade his disgruntled superstar as soon as possible. Wojnarowski’s earlier report listed the Nets, Pistons, Rockets, Clippers, Heat, Sixers and Trail Blazers as teams that have expressed interest.
For Cleveland, swinging a deal for the swingman would propel the team from a fringe contender to a likely postseason team in the Eastern Conference. Butler, 29, represents a solid replacement for the departed LeBron James, who left for the Lakers this summer.
However, acquiring Butler would be a challenge; the Cavaliers cannot trade Kevin Love for at least six months from the day he signed his extension this summer and the organization owes the Hawks a first-round pick, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
As Wojnarowski noted, the two franchise’s owners, Gilbert and Taylor, played roles in striking the Love for Andrew Wiggins deal in the summer of 2014. While a deal would require some creativity, there is a history between both sides of making major trades.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has taken control of the Jimmy Butler trade talks and wants to get a deal completed as soon as possible, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Tom Thibodeau, who serves as president of basketball operations as well as coach, had been objecting to a deal, hoping to hold onto the veteran forward for another season. However, Taylor wants the process to end before training camp starts Tuesday and has mandated that a deal get done quickly.
Wojnarowski cautions that no team has entered serious discussion with the Wolves yet, but he identifies the Nets, Pistons, Rockets, Clippers, Heat, Sixers and Trail Blazers as franchises that have shown interest.
Taylor plans to review the offers over the next two days, then present the best ones to Butler and his agent, Bernie Lee, to see which teams Butler would be willing to sign a five-year extension with. That information will be used to help finalize a deal, although Wojnarowski adds that some teams would be willing to trade for Butler with no guarantee of an extension .
GM Scott Layden may have jeopardized his job by refusing to talk to other teams about a Butler deal, according to Wojnarowski. Taylor has demanded that Layden start aggressively pursuing a trade, even to the point of contacting rival GMs. Taylor has been considering changes in the front office for months and may re-evaluate Layden’s role once the Butler deal is done.
Timberwolves All-Star Jimmy Butler has been granted permission to skip the team’s media day this coming Monday, sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota has also been informed that Butler will not be available for on-court activities at the start of training camp, Krawczynski adds.
This is the latest development in the Butler saga after he requested a trade earlier this week. After meeting with head coach Tom Thibodeau, Butler reportedly requested a trade and granted a list of three teams — the Knicks, Nets and Clippers — to whom he’d prefer to be dealt. The Clippers are reportedly Butler’s top choice.
Reports suggested Thibodeau was against the idea of trading Butler as Minnesota looks to contend for the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. However, word broke yesterday that Timberwolves’ owner Glen Taylor informed owners and GMs at the NBA’s Board of Governors meetings that Butler is available. Taylor also told interested teams to contact him directly to discuss a Butler deal if necessary.
“The owner’s trading him,” a Board of Governors attendee told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “That was made clear. It’s just a matter of when.”
Butler, 29, spent his first six seasons with the Bulls before he was traded to the Timberwolves last summer. The swingman averaged 22.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 4.9 APG as he earned All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honors while helping to snap Minnesota’s 13-year playoff drought last season.
The trade demand reportedly stems from contractual matters as Butler seeks to sign a long-term pact. The three teams on his preferred destinations list all have assets and cap flexibility to acquire and sign him long-term. At this point, as Butler prepares to sit out the start of training camp, the chances that his Timberwolves run lasts only one season appears likely.
Defying his front office executives, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is telling other owners and GMs at the NBA’s Board of Governors meetings that Jimmy Butler is available and they can make trade inquiries directly to him, if necessary, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Taylor’s willingness to deal the disgruntled swingman, who can become an unrestricted free agent this summer, flies in the face of an earlier report by Wojnarowski on Friday that the Timberwolves were rebuffing calls on Butler’s availability.
This leads to speculation that a showdown is looming between Taylor and Tom Thibodeau, the Wolves’ president of basketball operations and head coach, Wojnarowski notes. GM Scott Layden reports to Thidobeau and is the usual point person on trade talks.
Thibodeau has no desire to deal Butler in any scenario that would set back the team’s chances of making the playoffs again and advancing deeper into the postseason.
In contrast, it appears that Taylor’s mind is made up that Butler must go.
“The owner’s trading him,” a Board of Governors attendee told Wojnarowski. “That was made clear. It’s just a matter of when.”
There is a good possibility that Butler will not report to camp when it opens next week, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Krawczynski details how the Butler-Thibodeau relationship deteriorated over the past year.
Thibodeau is willing to let any drama between Butler and the team’s other two stars, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, play out in training camp and into the regular season. Taylor, on the other hand, does not want to go through a potentially dysfunctional season and see the franchise’s image tarnished, Wojnarowski continues. The franchise’s business operations have successful marketed the team’s stars and don’t want that campaign completely ruined, Wojnarowski adds.
Taylor has gotten involved in trading high-profile players in the past, including Kevin Garnett and Kevin Love.
The early trade market for Jimmy Butler is “confused and cool” as teams contemplate the risk of trading for the All-Star wing, according to Zach Lowe, who takes a deep dive into the Butler situation his his latest piece for ESPN.com. The 29-year-old’s reported desire for a five-year contract that could be worth in the neighborhood of $190MM may make some potential suitors back off, though those teams could also be posturing in the early going, Lowe notes.
One of the most interesting tidbits that Lowe passes along in his article is on the Timberwolves‘ desire to include Gorgui Dieng in a deal if they decide to move Butler. Lowe is skeptical that any prospective trade partners will be eager to take on Dieng, who still has three years and over $48MM left on his contract.
Here’s more from Lowe and others on Butler and the Wolves:
- It would be “shocking” if the Clippers were willing to offer rookie guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in any package for Butler, sources tell Lowe. In fact, there has been no indication that the Clips haven’t acted aggressively – or much at all – on Butler so far.
- The Bucks placed a courtesy call to the Timberwolves asking to be kept in the loop if the team gets serious about moving Butler. Still, Lowe doesn’t view Milwaukee as a fit, observing that Khris Middleton would probably have to be included. The Bucks would likely have a better chance next summer to re-sign Middleton than Butler.
- After reporting earlier today that the Timberwolves are telling teams Butler’s not available, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has updated his story to suggest that opposing clubs believe the “fastest avenue” to negotiating a trade is to engage owner Glen Taylor, rather than Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau is less inclined to part with Butler, but Taylor has stepped in on this sort of matter in the past, overseeing trades involving Kevin Garnett and Kevin Love.
- In the wake of Butler’s trade request, initial reports suggested his desire to leave Minnesota was motivated more by “contractual matters” than any discord with Karl-Anthony Towns or Andrew Wiggins. A source in Butler’s camp who spoke to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times disputes that notion, suggesting it was “manufactured” by “ownership mouthpieces” to make Butler look bad. “According to the source, this is about a philosophy in making an impact in the Western Conference,” Cowley writes. “In Butler’s mind you can’t run down a dynasty like Golden State when two of the so-called dogs in the pack are in fact kittens.” Presumably, that’s a reference to Towns and Wiggins.
12:58pm: The Suns aren’t the only team to inquire on Jones, though they’ve been the most active in trying to acquire him, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN, noting that the Pelicans have liked him in the past.
According to Wolfson, the Timberwolves have told teams they aren’t interested in moving Jones right now. They also haven’t engaged in extension talks yet with the fourth-year point guard.
8:22am: The Suns, who remain on the lookout for possible point guard targets, have asked about Timberwolves guard Tyus Jones, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe. It’s not clear how recently that inquiry happened, or if the two teams engaged in any discussions.
Jones appeared in all 82 games for the Timberwolves last season, averaging 5.1 PPG and 2.8 APG as Jeff Teague‘s backup at the point. However, the club acquired Derrick Rose late in the year and re-signed him in the offseason, raising some questions about Jones’ role. According to a June report, Teague suggested last season that the 22-year-old – who averaged 17.9 MPG – should play more.
That same report indicated that Jones considered requesting a trade, but that head coach Tom Thibodeau “reasserted his support” for the youngster, assuring him his role will increase in 2018/19 despite Rose’s return, due to the departure of Jamal Crawford. Still, Jones is entering a contract year and will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2019, so if Minnesota isn’t certain of his long-term role, it could make sense to gauge his trade value.
As for the Suns, they’ve traded Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight within the last year, leaving them without a clear-cut starting point guard. Patrick Beverley, Cory Joseph, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Terry Rozier are among the other potential Phoenix trade targets named by various reports.
For now, the Suns’ depth chart at the point features Shaquille Harrison, De’Anthony Melton, Elie Okobo, and Isaiah Canaan. Canaan is on a non-guaranteed contract while Melton – acquired in a deal with the Rockets – remains unsigned.
Despite Jimmy Butler having requested a trade out of Minnesota, the Timberwolves continue to show no desire to trade their All-NBA wing. As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports, rival executives who have called the Wolves’ front office to inquire on Butler are being told that Minnesota views him as an elite player and plans to keep him.
Since word of Butler’s trade request broke, reports have repeatedly suggested that head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau has shown little to no interest in moving his star swingman. While it’s possible that the Timberwolves’ stance is a negotiating tactic to regain some leverage, Wojnarowski observes that Minnesota hasn’t even shown interest in hearing what prospective trade partners would hypothetically offer for Butler.
Butler reportedly prefers to be dealt to the Clippers, Knicks, or Nets, with Wojnarowski suggesting that the four-time All-Star has prioritized the Clips and Knicks over Brooklyn. Still, there are number of teams around the NBA with interest, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who tweets that not all of those clubs would need assurances that the 29-year-old would sign long-term. Still, they won’t get a chance to put an offer on the table for Butler at all as long as Thibodeau and the Wolves insist they’re hanging onto him.
If the Timberwolves are serious about keeping Butler, it will be fascinating to see how it affects their extension talks with Karl-Anthony Towns. As Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN said on a podcast this week that Towns wants the Wolves to “figure out” the Butler situation before committing to a huge new deal.
“I’m led to believe that a big reason why he hasn’t signed it is that he – through his agent, Leon Rose – went to the Wolves and said, ‘Hey, I can’t coexist with Jimmy. Do something about it,'” Wolfson said. “So, figure out the Jimmy situation. On top of that – whether it’s right or wrong – this is the way he feels, that it’s been Jimmy and Thibs ganging up on him.”
While Thibodeau is adamantly opposed to trading Butler, team owner Glen Taylor intends to be involved in the decision-making process along with Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden, league sources tell Wojnarowski. It remains to be seen if Taylor will have a different view on how to handle Butler’s trade request.