Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Have Inquired On Tyus Jones

September 21st, 2018 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Timberwolves Rebuffing Inquiries On Jimmy Butler

September 21st, 2018 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

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.

Latest On Jamal Crawford

September 21st, 2018 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

With NBA training camps just a few days away, veteran guard Jamal Crawford is perhaps the most notable free agent without a team. However, Crawford is still optimistic that he’ll find a new NBA home soon, telling Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that he’s “staying ready and staying patient” as he seeks a new deal.

“If you would have asked before if I thought it would go this long, I’d say no,” Crawford told Spears. “But, I guess it’s kind of a special circumstance with the way the league is going, the market and different things of that nature. But I’m fine. … I know I will be somewhere at some point. It will work out the way it’s supposed to. That’s the part where I’m like, ‘Hey, at least you get more time with your family right now.’ That part is a plus.”

A source tells Spears that the Warriors, Celtics, Sixers, and Lakers are among the teams that have shown interest in Crawford, but those clubs haven’t made formal contract offers. Meanwhile, Crawford tells Spears that he has turned down offers at “lower levels” since he wasn’t convinced they were good fits.

“There is interest,” Crawford said. “I’m just waiting for the situation where I think I can help [and] where I fit well. I don’t want to sign something just to sign it. … I’m not saying ‘championship or bust.’ A team on the rise makes sense. I bring a specific skill set, so a team that needs me instead of just, ‘Oh, that can work.’ I feel like I just went through that last season, and I don’t want to do that again.”

Crawford turned down a $4.5MM player option with the Timberwolves in order to reach the open market this summer. Although he seems unlikely to match that salary when he eventually signs, the 38-year-old is still being paid by the Hawks on a contract that was terminated in 2017, so accepting a minimum-salary deal wouldn’t be the end of the world. And, as Crawford notes, he has no regrets about declining his option to get out of Minnesota.

“It just wasn’t a happy environment,” Crawford said. “I thought I would be playing more before I signed. It ended up being the second-fewest minutes I’ve ever played. Just wasn’t a fit or went like I was under the impression it would.”

Tom Thibodeau Not Interested In Rebuilding

September 20th, 2018 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite the fact that Jimmy Butler seeking a trade out of Minnesota, head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau is reportedly averse to the idea of dealing his star swingman, preferring to keep Butler around and push for the playoffs again in 2018/19. As Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reports, citing multiple league sources, Thibodeau is even less inclined to move Butler in exchange for “young, rebuilding-type pieces.”

According to Deveney, Thibodeau initially made the move from Chicago to Minnesota because he thought that the Timberwolves were on the path to contention, and last summer’s acquisition of Butler was meant to accelerate that process. Dealing Butler for a package of young players and/or picks would mean taking a step back, and Thibodeau has “zero interest” in that scenario, Deveney notes.

“No one expects Tom to coach a 25-win or even 35-win team,” one front-office executive told Deveney. “Even if he has to agree to dissolve the contract, they’d do that before they go and trade Butler for draft picks.”

While it may be an exaggeration to suggest that Thibodeau would quit before he trades Butler for draft picks, it will be interesting to see whether he and owner Glen Taylor are on the same page when it comes to the All-NBA wing. While Taylor was certainly pleased that the Wolves’ playoff drought ended this past spring, he – like Thibodeau – likely wants to see a deeper postseason run next time around.

The middle ground between keeping Butler and moving him for a package of young players and picks would be to take the route the Spurs did with Kawhi Leonard, attempting to secure a return highlighted by win-now pieces. Of the three teams on Butler’s wish list, the Clippers may be best equipped to offer such a package, but Minnesota figures to expand its list of possible trade partners beyond just the Clippers, Knicks, and Nets.

As Deveney outlines, Minnesota plans to make Butler available to “any team.” The Heat have been cited as one club that could be in the mix, and rival executives believe the Suns and Nuggets will be among the others with interest, according to Deveney. As we’ve seen with Leonard and Paul George, high-profile trade candidates don’t always end up where we expect, so it’s worth keeping an eye on those other teams like Phoenix and Denver.

Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Fizdale, Butler, Noah

September 20th, 2018 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

During a meeting with the media today, Knicks GM Scott Perry declined to comment on his strategy for negotiating an extension with Kristaps Porzingis , tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Porzingis is eligible for a five-year, $157MM extension now, but New York could save about $10MM in cap space by waiting to get the deal done next summer. That money could prove to be important for a team that plans to be a major player in the 2019 free agent market.

Team president Steve Mills told the media that Porzingis knows he’s a cornerstone of the franchise, regardless of when extension talks are held, Begley notes. Porzingis, who suffered a torn ACL in February, is meeting with team doctors this week to discuss a realistic timetable for his return.

There’s more today out of New York:

Despite the injury to Porzingis and a lackluster summer of free agency, the Knicks plan to remain as competitive as possible this year, coach David Fizdale added (Twitter link). He said the first thing Perry and Mills told him in his interview is that they would never intentionally tank a season.
When asked about a possible trade for Jimmy Butler, Mills reiterated his commitment to not skipping steps in the development process (Twitter link). That means the Knicks aren’t likely to pull the trigger on a big deal now when they have the cap room to offer a max contract next summer. Butler included the Knicks on the list of preferred locations he gave to the Timberwolves.
Perry said the front office is hoping to reach a “resolution” soon with veteran center Joakim Noah, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post. The team is talking to Noah’s representatives in hopes of working out a deal to part ways. The Knicks reportedly plan to use the stretch provision on the final year of Noah’s contract if trade or buyout talks prove unsuccessful.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

September 19th, 2018 at 9:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler wants to sign a five-year maximum deal with a new team next year, which is why he wants out of Minnesota this season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Butler, who is expected to opt out of his current contract next summer, is limited to four years and about $140MM if he changes teams in free agency. However, his Bird rights will transfer in any trade, so if a team deals for him, it can make a five-year offer in the neighborhood of $190MM.

Butler was hoping for a larger extension offer from the Wolves than the four-year, $100MM+ deal he turned down in July, Charania adds. However, Minnesota was prohibited by CBA rules from offering more than that amount this offseason unless the team renegotiated Butler’s contract, which would require cap room.

Executives from other teams believe a Butler trade will happen at some point this season, but it’s not clear where he will go or when it might happen. Butler identified the Knicks, Nets and Clippers as his preferred locations when making his trade request, but the Wolves are under no obligation to grant his wishes. Another report tonight identified the Clippers as the early front-runner.

Brooklyn and L.A. seem motivated to try to land Butler, Charania adds, while New York is reluctant to part with draft picks and young players. The Celtics have the assets to make a play for Butler, but don’t need him with Gordon Hayward‘s return from ankle surgery. Charania suggests the Sixers may also check into Butler’s price tag.

There’s more to pass along as teams line up for a shot at Butler:

Butler didn’t put the Lakers on his list, reportedly because he isn’t interested in a complementary role to LeBron James, but even if he wanted to go there the team would have difficulty putting together an offer for the next three months, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. L.A.’s roster is filled with newly signed free agents who aren’t eligible to be traded until December 15. The team would need to send out at least $16MM to match salaries and has a limited pool of players to pick from. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram would give them a combined $13.2MM, but the Lakers aren’t likely to part with two young stars when they can offer a max deal next summer. They could have kept Luol Deng for salary matching purposes, but Pincus states that Butler was never a priority for the organization.
The Nets have young talent, a couple of large expiring contracts and their first-round pick for the first time since 2013, notes Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Caris LeVert is considered a core piece of the organization, but Brooklyn may be willing to part with the versatile guard for a player like Butler. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is coming off his best NBA season, but will be eligible for restricted free agency next summer. Impending free agents Kenneth Faried ($13.76 million) and DeMarre Carroll ($15.4 million) could both be useful to match salaries.
The Heat would love to acquire Butler, but may not have the assets to make a deal work, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson and Hassan Whiteside could all be traded one-for-one for Butler, adds Anthony Chiang of The Herald, but he states that Minnesota will be looking for younger talent such as Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo.
Oddsmaker Bovada lists the Timberwolves as 3/2 favorites to still have Butler when the season starts, relays Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The Sixers are next in line at 11/4, followed by the Knicks at 15/4, the Lakers at 5/1 and the Nets and Celtics each at 15/2.

Clippers Reportedly Jimmy Butler’s Top Choice

September 19th, 2018 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler gave the Timberwolves a list of three preferred destinations, but the Clippers stand out as his first pick, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. L.A. may have more than $56MM in cap room next summer, and Butler likes the idea of teaming with other established stars.

The Clippers have very little salary committed beyond the upcoming season apart from Danilo Gallinari, who will make $22.6MM in 2019/20 on an expiring contract. Avery Bradley has a $12.96MM non-guaranteed deal for that same season, and the team will have to decide whether to extend a $7.875MM qualifying offer to Milos Teodosic. The only other significant salaries beyond this year are $8MM for Lou Williams and $6MM for Montrezl Harrell, whose deals both expire after the 2019/20 season.

The ideal scenario for the Clippers would be to send Gallinari to the Wolves as part of the trade for Butler, notes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. L.A. also has significant expiring contracts to offer in Tobias Harris ($14.8MM) and Marcin Gortat ($15.57MM), along with a pair of 2018 first-round draft picks in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson.

A multi-player deal could ease the contract logjam the Clippers are carrying into camp. L.A. has 15 players with guaranteed money, along with a partially guaranteed salary for Tyrone Wallace and a non-guaranteed deal for Patrick Beverley. If a trade opens another roster spot or two, it could remove the incentive for a rumored deal that would send Beverley to the Suns.

There will be plenty of talent for the Clippers to target on next year’s free agent market, but Kawhi Leonard seems like the most natural fit. Leonard’s desire to play in L.A. reportedly led to his departure from San Antonio, and he and Butler could form a frightening tandem for the Clippers on both ends of the court.

Pat Zipfel Rejoining Timberwolves

September 19th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Pat Zipfel, who had been the head coach at Division II school Mansfield, has accepted a role with the Timberwolves, per Andy Malnoske of NBC Elmira (Twitter link). Previously an assistant coach for the Rockets and Timberwolves, Zipfel also has served as an advance scout for multiple NBA teams. It’s unclear what his new title in Minnesota will be.
In case you missed the biggest news out of the Northwest today, Jimmy Butler has requested a trade from the Timberwolves. Here are the latest rumors on Butler.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

September 19th, 2018 at 3:20pm CST by Luke Adams

With training camps around the corner, the NBA rumor mill has sprung back into action today, as word broke that four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler is seeking a trade out of Minnesota. Butler even has a few specific destinations in mind, having reportedly told the Timberwolves that he’d have interest in being dealt to the Nets, Knicks, or Clippers.

In his full report on the Butler situation, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski provides several more tidbits on the All-NBA wing, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

Butler’s list of preferred landing spots could expand based upon the willingness of the Timberwolves and rival teams to negotiate a deal, league sources tell Wojnarowski.
For now, Tom Thibodeau and the Timberwolves have little interest in dealing Butler, preferring to keep him and attempt to make a deeper playoff run in 2018/19, says Wojnarowski. Thibodeau’s “tenuous” status with team owner Glen Taylor may play a part in that stance, according to Woj, who notes that it would be tough for Minnesota not to take a step backward in the short term by trading Butler.
Butler is into the idea of playing a central role for a big-market club, per Wojnarowski. The Lakers are a less appealing option now that LeBron James is on the roster, since Butler would be playing second fiddle there.
The Clippers, Nets, and Knicks have varying levels of interest in Butler, each “prioritizing him in different ways,” writes Wojnarowski. All three teams will have substantial cap room next summer, so acquiring Butler (who will have a $30MM+ cap hold) could hinder their ability to pursue other stars.
According to Wojnarowski, the Heat are another team with interest in Butler. Going after him in free agency likely won’t be an option for Miami, since the club doesn’t project to have cap space in 2019.
While initial reports suggested that there were teams with whom Butler would be willing to sign an extension, Wojnarowski clarifies that the former Bull wants to be sent to a team that would plan on re-signing him to a five-year max contract as a free agent in 2019. Such a deal is currently projected to be worth nearly $190MM — it remains to be seen if any team would make such a huge investment in a player who will be 30 years old when he reaches free agency.

Timberwolves’ Jimmy Butler Requests Trade

September 19th, 2018 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

1:25pm: The Nets, Knicks, and Clippers are Butler’s three preferred destinations, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

12:48pm: Timberwolves All-NBA swingman Jimmy Butler has requested a trade, league sources tell Jon Krawcznyski and Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to the duo, Butler has given Minnesota a list of one to three teams with which he’d be open to signing a long-term extension, informing the Wolves that he doesn’t intend to sign a new deal with the team next summer.

Butler, who spent the first six years of his NBA career with the Bulls, was traded to the Timberwolves during the 2017 offseason and helped the club snap its 13-year postseason drought in the spring. Despite being limited to 59 games due to injuries, Butler earned All-Star and All-NBA Third Team nods in 2017/18, averaging 22.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.9 APG, and 2.0 SPG while playing strong perimeter defense.

Although Butler enjoyed a strong individual season and the Wolves took strides toward title contention, there were whispers throughout the year about tension among the club’s stars. A report in July suggested that Butler was “all but fed up with the nonchalant attitude of his younger teammates,” including Karl-Anthony Towns. Earlier this week, we heard that Towns may be postponing his contract extension decision until he sees what happens with Butler.

Still, Krawcyznki hears that possible issues with Towns and Andrew Wiggins have “very little, if anything,” to do with Butler’s trade request. It’s more to do with contractual matters, Krawczynski adds (via Twitter).

Butler is technically under contract for two more years, but he’ll have an opportunity to hit the open market in 2019 by turning down his player option. If the Wolves expect him to jump ship at that point – and there have been rumors that he’s interested in playing alongside Kyrie Irving – then it makes sense to gauge the trade market for him before then. However, head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau has been “resistant” to the idea of moving his star wing, tweets Krawczynski.

Butler, who informed the Wolves of his stance during a meeting on Tuesday to discuss his future, already turned down a contract extension offer from the team earlier this offseason. As we noted at the time, Minnesota is limited to offering four new years worth just over $100MM at this point — the club could go much higher with its offer in free agency, when Butler would be eligible for a five-year contract worth up to a projected $190MM. If he signs with a new club, Butler would be limited to approximately $141MM over five years.

If Butler is traded, his Bird rights would be traded along with him, so his new team would gain the ability to offer a five-year contract worth an estimated $190MM. Those may be the “contractual matters” Krawczynski is alluding to. It’s also possible Butler would be more willing to consider an extension prior to free agency if he joins a team on his wish list. CBA restrictions would prevent him from being eligible for that four-year, $100MM+ extension for six months after being traded though.

From the Timberwolves’ perspective, moving on from Butler may alleviate some long-term cap concerns, as carrying maximum contracts for Wiggins, Towns, and Butler beginning in 2019/20 might not have viable. Of course, it won’t be easy for Minnesota to recoup fair value for its four-time All-Star now that his trade request has been leaked publicly.

As for the teams that may be of interest to Butler, it’s safe to say that his short list probably includes at least one or two big-market clubs. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) hears from a source that Butler is likely interested in the Knicks. A report last month indicated that Butler would consider the Lakers in free agency.

However, Knicks president Steve Mills just talked about not wanting to surrender big trade packages for players that may be available in free agency, and the Lakers don’t really have the salaries necessary to make a Butler deal work at this point. The Lakers – and many more teams around the NBA – will be in a better position to make deals when various trade restrictions lift after December 15.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.