Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jared Terrell Signs Two-Way Deal With T-Wolves

July 5th, 2018 at 12:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 5, 12:19pm: Terrell’s contract is official, the Wolves announced on Twitter.

JUNE 23, 8:55am: Rhode Island guard Jared Terrell has agreed to a two-way deal with the Timberwolves, the school’s men’s basketball team tweets.

Despite getting passed over on Thursday night, Terrell had attracted Minnesota’s attention during the pre-draft process. Terrell worked out twice for the club.

Terrell was a four-year starter for the Rams and his senior season was his best. The 6’3” Terrell averaged 16.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.5 SPG. His shooting also improved, as he drained 41.4% of his 3-point tries.

Terrell led Rhode Island to the NCAA Tournament, where it defeated Oklahoma and Trae Young in overtime during the first round of the Midwest Region before succumbing to Duke.

Tolliver Chose Wolves Over Four Other Teams

July 4th, 2018 at 5:03pm CST by clarkcrum

According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, Timberwolves’ free-agent signee forward Anthony Tolliver chose a return to Minnesota over four other pursuing teams because of the familiarity he has for the franchise – he played for the Wolves from 2010 to 2012 – and because “(he) want(s) to win.”

Timberwolves Re-Sign Derrick Rose To One-Year Deal

July 4th, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by marksuleymanov

JULY 4: The Timberwolves have officially re-signed Rose, the team announced today in a press release. While most signings can’t be finalized until after the July moratorium, deals that use the minimum salary exception are permitted, so Minnesota didn’t have to wait until Friday.

JULY 1: Former MVP Derrick Rose is finalizing a one-year deal to return to the Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a one-year, minimum salary contract.

Since Rose has 10 years of NBA experience, his full salary for 2018/19 figures to be $2,393,887, the minimum for a 10-year veteran.

Rose, 29, is coming off a mostly disappointing season in 2017/18 as he appeared in 25 total games split between the Cavaliers and Timberwolves. Despite starting the year as Cleveland’s starting point guard, injuries — a familiar theme in his career — derailed Rose’s season, and multiple reports suggested he might retire. Instead, the Cavaliers shipped Rose to Utah as part of a three-team deal at the deadline and he was promptly released by the Jazz.

The Timberwolves, anchored by Rose’s former head coach with the Bulls, Tom Thibodeau, brought the veteran aboard in early March for their charge to the postseason. Rose appeared in just nine games with Minnesota, averaging 5.8 PPG in 12,4 minutes per contest. All told, Rose averaged 8.4 PPG and 1.4 APG between Cleveland and Minnesota.

However, Rose showed some life in the postseason as the Timberwolves faced the Rockets in the first round. Coming off the bench, Rose posted double-digits in four of the games, including back-to-back 17-point performances as the Wolves fell to Houston in five games. For the series, Rose averaged 23.6 minutes per game.

While it’s clear that he is far removed from his past MVP form, Rose’s postseason rejuvenation proved he is still a useful role player. Barring any other moves, the veteran will likely back up Jeff Teague along with Tyus Jones.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving Interested In Playing Together?

July 3rd, 2018 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

All-Stars and former USA Basketball teammates Jimmy Butler and Kyrie Irving are interested in figuring out a way to play together, a league source close to the situation tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

Both Butler and Irving were dealt to new teams in 2017 and thrived in those new homes during the 2017/18 season, so neither player is viewed as a trade candidate for the time being. However, both veterans hold player options for the 2019/20 season, meaning they could opt out and reach free agency at the same time a year from now.

Both Irving and Butler are eligible for contract extensions this summer, but are unlikely to sign them. A June report indicated that Irving won’t consider a new deal this offseason, since it wouldn’t make financial sense for the Celtics point guard to do so. Butler is in a similar boat for the Timberwolves, as he has the ability to make significantly more money if he waits for free agency.

Additionally, a league source tells Cowley that Butler has been “all but fed up with the nonchalant attitude of his younger teammates” in Minnesota. Cowley singles out Karl-Anthony Towns as a player who isn’t on the same page as the veteran forward, hinting that Butler’s end-of-season comments to the Sun-Times could have been aimed at KAT and other young teammates.

Butler said in late April that he doesn’t understand “how or why you all don’t love to get better the way that I do” and that he gets “lost in how everybody is not built the way that I’m built.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about unease in Minnesota related to the team’s three stars, Butler, Towns, and Andrew Wiggins. While there’s no indication that the Timberwolves need to take immediate steps to address any tension by moving one of those three players, the frequency of these reports is making it harder to envision them all staying with the franchise long term.

Timberwolves Sign First-Round Pick Josh Okogie

July 2nd, 2018 at 8:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves have signed first-round pick Josh Okogie, the team’s public relations department tweets.

Okogie, who was selected with the No. 20 overall pick, will receive approximately $2.16MM in the first year of his rookie contract. Okogie, a 6’4” shooting guard, departed Georgia Tech after his sophomore year, in which he averaged 18.2 PPG and 6.3 RPG. He turns 20 in September.

He’ll compete for minutes behind starter Jimmy Butler.

Free Agent Rumors: Crawford, Ellington, Bjelica, Williams

July 2nd, 2018 at 5:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers are interested in veteran free agent guard Jamal Crawford, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Crawford could fortify a bench that has lost Ersan Ilyasovaand Marco Belinelli since the start of free agency. Crawford, 38, averaged 10.3 PPG in 20.7 MPG for the Timberwolves last season. The Pelicans, Cavaliers, Warriors and Nuggets are also reportedly in the mix for Crawford, who opted out of his contract with Minnesota and left $4.54MM on the table.

In other news regarding the free agent market:

Unrestricted free agent shooting guard Wayne Ellington has drawn significant interest but he’s viewed as a good bet to re-sign with the Heat, Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports tweets. Miami has a cap hold of $8.15MM on Ellington, who appeared in 77 games and averaged 11.2 PPG in 26.5 MPG while shooting 39.2% from long range.
The Jazz have a strong interest in Nemanja Bjelica, Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. The Timberwolves pulled their qualifying offer to the power forward in order to sign Anthony Tolliver, thus making Bjelica an unrestricted free agent.
The Knicks are interested in Alan Williams if he clears waivers, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Suns waived the power forward/center on Monday. The Knicks have also reached out to free agent power forwards Amir Johnson and Trevor Booker, Berman adds.
Williams hasn’t ruled out a return to the Suns but his agent has already heard from a handful of teams interested in his services, according to Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic. Williams, who appeared in only five games last season due to a knee injury, had a non-guaranteed salary of $5.5MM for next season and will likely get through waivers.
The Lakers have renounced their free-agent exception rights to guard Andre Ingram and power forward Travis Wear, according to the RealGM transactions log. The Lakers had a cap hold of $1.338MM on Ingram and $1.5MM on Wear. Ingram appeared in two games with Los Angeles last season, while Wear saw action in 17 games.
The Suns renounced their free-agent exception rights to center Alex Len, according to the RealGM transaction log. The Suns had a $7.96MM cap hold on Len. He appeared in 69 games last season but became expendable when they drafted Deandre Ayton.

Wolves Sign Anthony Tolliver

July 2nd, 2018 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 8: The Tolliver signing is now official, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

JULY 2: The Timberwolves have withdrawn their qualifying offer for Nemanja Bjelica, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The move will make Bjelica an unrestricted free agent, with Minnesota losing the right of first refusal.

With Bjelica expected to land elsewhere, the Wolves will fill his spot on the roster by signing Anthony Tolliver.

Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports first reported (via Twitter) that Minnesota was nearing an agreement on a one-year deal with Tolliver, while David Aldridge of TNT confirms (via Twitter) that they’ve come to terms.

According to Charania (via Twitter), Tolliver’s new one-year contract with the Timberwolves will be in the $5-6MM range, so it sounds like the team will sign him using its mid-level exception.

If the Wolves want to avoid becoming hard-capped for the 2018/19 league year, they’d have to ensure that Tolliver’s salary doesn’t exceed $5.337MM, the value of the taxpayer mid-level exception. However, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) pegs the value at $5.75MM. That would mean dipping into the full MLE and creating a hard cap.

The Timberwolves made Tolliver a priority when the free agent period opened, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, who tweets that Tom Thibodeau had two separate phone calls with the veteran forward. Tolliver also drew interest from the Clippers, Mavericks, and Sixers, but liked the idea of returning to Minnesota, where he spent two seasons earlier in his career.

In 2017/18, Tolliver – the No. 43 free agent on our top-50 list – enjoyed perhaps his best NBA season for the Pistons. Appearing in 79 regular season games, he averaged 8.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG with a shooting line of .464/.436/.797. His ability to stretch the floor will benefit the Wolves, particularly with Bjelica no longer in the mix.

Bjelica, 30, averaged 6.8 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 20.5 minutes per contest (67 games) for the Wolves last season. His .415 3PT% should appeal to teams in the market for a stretch four, especially now that he’s an unrestricted free agent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

New York Notes: Harris, Davis, Nets, Hezonja

July 2nd, 2018 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Before he agreed to a two-year, $16MM deal with the Nets, free agent sharpshooter Joe Harris fielded competitive offers from rival suitors. However, he tells Michael Scotto of The Athletic that his priority was remaining in Brooklyn.

“I had some offers for longer-term deals, but ultimately from the get-go, I had basically said that I wanted to stay in Brooklyn and however we could come to an agreement on that,” Harris said.

Meanwhile, the Nets’ other noteworthy July 1 move involved reaching a contract agreement with Ed Davis, who will ink a one-year, $4.4MM contract with the club. According to Scotto, Davis received interest from the Warriors, Sixers, Thunder, and Trail Blazers before striking a deal with the Nets.

Here are a few more notes on the NBA’s two New York teams:

The Nets are not actively shopping anyone on their roster in trade talks, a league source tells Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That includes Jeremy Lin, who has a $12.5MM expiring contract in 2018/19 and will be part of a point guard rotation that also includes Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell.
Within his report on Mario Hezonja‘s agreement with the Knicks, Marc Berman of The New York Post notes that the forward chose New York over seven other teams, including the runner-up Trail Blazers. “The main reason is David Fizdale. He sold him,” a source told Berman. “The goal is to be here long term and finish his career. He was a fan of the team growing up.” Hezonja’s deal significantly reduces the odds of Michael Beasley returning to the Knicks, Berman adds.
Nets restricted free agent Milton Doyle has drawn interest from the Timberwolves and an Eastern Conference team, among others, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). A two-way player last year, Doyle could sign an offer sheet with another club, but Brooklyn would have the chance to match it.

Free Agent Rumors: Favors, Ellington, Tolliver

July 2nd, 2018 at 12:01am CST by Austin Kent

The Jazz have already met with free agent big man Derrick Favors, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune reports. Favors met with club general manager Dennis Lindsey and head coach Quin Snyder for three hours today to discuss his future.

Marc Spears of The Undefeated, also reporting on the meeting, tweets that the forward is expected to make a decision on Monday. Favors – like the Jazz in general – enjoyed a pleasant surprise of a 2017/18 season and meshed with center Rudy Gobert in ways that he hadn’t previously.

That successful year has breathed new life into Favors’ future with the franchise that he’s played for since 2011. Favors averaged 12.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season, a notable improvement from the 9.5 and 6.1 he posted in 2016/17.

Both the Timberwolves and Mavs were previously linked to the 26-year-old.

There’s more from around the league tonight:

With LeBron James suddenly a Laker, the Sixers can entertain other free agent possibilities. One option, on a notably smaller scale, is 3-and-D specialist Wayne Ellington, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets that the Timberwolves have also shown interest in the 39.2% three-point shooter.
There has been no shortage of players the Timberwolves are said to be interested in this summer but Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News adds Vince Carter to the list. The 41-year-old veteran played last season with the Kings.
The Clippers have sent their top brass to Dallas to meet with Pistons forward Anthony Tolliver at his home, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. Tolliver drew praise in 2017/18, establishing himself as a reliable stretch four and a respected veteran presence.
While he’s still open to returning to play with the Warriors, forward Kevon Looney has been in touch with the Clippers. Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times tweets that no deal is imminent.
After carving a minor role for himself in the Hornets‘ rotation last season, undrafted guard Treveon Graham is drawing interest from the Wizards, Pistons and Timberwolves, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post tweets. Graham is a D.C. native.
Although he ended up signing a one-year deal with the Knicks, small forward Mario Hezonja turned down multiple multi-year offers, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets. Scotto cites head coach David Fizdale and the potential for Hezonja to grow his role with the franchise as reasons why the free agent forward chose New York.

Free Agent Rumors: Gordon, Brewer, Favors

July 1st, 2018 at 6:02pm CST by Austin Kent

While the Magic plan to pursue a long-term deal with restricted free agent Aaron Gordon, another team to keep an eye on is the Lakers, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets.

It’s no surprise that Gordon, a 23-year-old fresh off of a career year with averages of 17.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, is generating interest in free agency but Zach Lowe of ESPN writes that Orlando may not have much pressure to go as high as the max to retain him.

The Lakers join a number of other teams apparently interested in poaching Gordon’s services, including the Pacers (story) and Kings (story).

The Rockets have scheduled a meeting with free agent wing James Nunnally, per international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). Nunnally, who has also been linked to Portland and Minnesota, played for Turkish team Fenerbahce last season and knocked down 55% of his three-pointers in EuroLeague play, making him an interesting fit for Houston.
Having already been linked to several potential targets since the free agent period opened, the Timberwolves have also “planted seeds” with Corey Brewer and Davis Bertans, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). As Wolfson observes, Minnesota has made a habit in recent years of spreading a wide net in free agency, inquiring on dozens of players.
In a later tweet, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News added that the Timberwolves have also checked in on Derrick Favors, Mike Scott, David Nwaba and Ian Clark.