Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Mudiay, Stone, Jazz

October 29th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Flip Saunders built this year’s Timberwolves in an unusual way, with a seasoned veteran for every position group, notes Lee Jenkins of SI.com. Big man tutor Kevin Garnett, mentor wing player Tayshaun Prince and experienced point guard Andre Miller all signed contracts during the offseason before the late Saunders had to leave the job because of his ailing health. Now, they’re serving as guides through a difficult time as the team mourns Saunders’ death. Minnesota opened the season Wednesday with a one-point win over the Lakers.

“Coach brought us all here for a reason,” coach Sam Mitchell said, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. “And he would expect nothing less than us coming out and being focused and doing the very best job.”

See more from around the Northwest Division:

New coach Michael Malone wants to win, but he acknowledges that so much of this season for the Nuggets is about the education of No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay, as Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post relays. “If we’re getting our butts kicked, I’m not going to just sit there and say: ‘Well, this is good for Emmanuel’s development,'” Malone said. “But, overall, I want to be able to say at the end of Year 1 that we gave Emmanuel every chance to succeed and learn going into Year 2, because that’s only going to accelerate the growth of this roster and this organization.”
Thunder camp cut Julyan Stone has signed with Gaziantep of Turkey, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).
The Jazz named Linda Luchetti the team’s vice president of basketball operations this week, a position that will have her reporting directly to GM Dennis Lindsey, the team announced. The move makes her one of the most highly ranking female basketball executives in the league, though her responsibilities will be focused on the business side of the team, according to The Associated Press.

And-Ones: Paul, Agent Changes, Leonard

October 28th, 2015 at 11:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Paul rejects the notion that he’s a poor teammate, an idea that rumors of a rift between Paul and DeAndre Jordan helped fuel this summer, writes Dan Woike of the Orange County Register. Jordan has downplayed any tension, citing a mutual desire to win, and that’s just what Paul is thinking about as he envisions playing the rest of his career with the Clippers, as Woike details.

“Hell, I never imagined I’d leave New Orleans, but there’s no question this is where I want to be,” Paul said to Woike. “I want to win. Here.”

The earliest Paul can elect free agency is the summer of 2017. See more from around the NBA:

Agent Michael Tellem, the son of former agent turned Pistons organization executive Arn Tellem, is leaving the Wasserman Media Group for the Creative Artists Agency and taking high-profile client Danilo Gallinari with him, reports international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Mario Hezonja, Bojan Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica have dropped Tellem and will continue with Wasserman, Pick adds (on Twitter). The loss of Arn Tellem has proven tough for Wasserman, which also lost Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge and Joe Johnson over the offseason. Gallinari, Hezonja and Bjelica all signed new deals earlier this summer, while Bogdanovic remains on a deal with the Nets that runs through 2016/17.
Extension talks between the Trail Blazers and Meyers Leonard are off to a late start, but Leonard’s preference is to stay in Portland, observes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. The deadline for the sides to reach a deal is Monday. “I really, really like and love this city,” Leonard said. “I love the organization and now that a greater opportunity has presented itself, I think a lot more people are embracing me. I’d love to be here. That’s my hope. But I don’t know if I’ll get an extension. I don’t know what will happen after this year. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Al Harrington said in March that he was retiring, but instead the 16-year NBA veteran is joining the Sydney Kings of Australia on a four-week deal, league sources told Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia.

And-Ones: Colangelo, Timberwolves, Leonard

October 26th, 2015 at 10:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jerry Colangelo will step down as chairman of USA Basketball after the 2020 Olympics, he confirms to TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes about it in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Colangelo nonetheless committed to remain in his job that long to help persuade Gregg Popovich to take over as Team USA head coach, Aldridge notes. Popovich is also signed only through 2020, though it’s unclear if he’s open to coaching the team beyond then. “For sure, I’m done in ’20,” Colangelo said. “There’s an end date.”

In other news around the league:

The Timberwolves spoke with league officials about postponing Wednesday’s season opener against the Lakers after coach Flip Saunders succumbed to complications from cancer treatments on Sunday, but the talks never reached a serious stage, Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. The sorrowful Timberwolves know it will be difficult to play so soon after their coach’s untimely death, Zgoda adds. “We’re definitely in a tough spot, but we’re gonna do the best we can,” veteran small forward Tayshaun Prince said.
The Trail Blazers have not engaged in extension talks with center Meyers Leonard, according to Jason Quick of CSNNW.com. Neil Olshey, the Blazers’ president of basketball operations, delayed the process because he wanted to avoid drawn-out negotiations with Leonard’s agent Aaron Mintz, Quick continues. The Blazers can preserve cap space for next summer by putting off the extension, Quick points out, because the first year of his salary would count against the cap if they sign him before the Nov. 2nd deadline.
Owners are looking to former agent Arn Tellem, who joined the Pistons organization as an executive this year, for perspective as they prepare to negotiate on labor issues with the players, reports Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Tellem, who is the vice chairman of the Palace Sports and Entertainment group that controls the Pistons, addressed owners at last week’s Board of Governors meeting.

Northwest Notes: Saunders, Waiters, Gobert, Atkins

October 26th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Flip Saunders was in a coma for nearly six weeks before his death at age 60, writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. He had one more treatment left for Hodgkin’s lymphoma when he came down with pneumonia, went into the hospital, and failed to recover, sources told Hartman. Saunders was optimistic in the months leading up to his death, about his own prognosis — saying that he thought he’d return to the team shortly after the New Year — and about the Timberwolves, as Hartman details. The coach/executive predicted a title for the team within three years, though close friends speculated that by that time, he hoped that he could turn over head coaching duties to son Ryan, a Wolves assistant coach, according to Hartman. Saunders was by far the winningest coach in Timberwolves history, going 427-392 over his two tenures in the job, and was the only coach ever to take the team to the playoffs, the Star Tribune’s Jerry Zgoda writes in an obituary. As the NBA mourns, see more from the Northwest Division:

The issue of whether or not the Thunder sign Dion Waiters to an extension could signal whether the team is committed to significant spending for years to come or if the Thunder’s recent high payrolls represent a temporary strategy, writes Keith P. Smith of RealGM. Oklahoma City is reportedly actively exploring an extension for the former No. 4 overall pick in advance of the November 2nd deadline.
Rudy Gobert credits the arrival of Jazz coach Quin Snyder last season with a renewed focus on defense and increased cohesion, as Gobert, optimistic about the season ahead, details to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
The deal that point guard Eric Atkins signed Sunday with the Jazz is non-guaranteed and for one year at the minimum salary, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reveals (Twitter link).

Reactions To The Death Of Flip Saunders

October 25th, 2015 at 2:07pm CST by Will Joseph

Hoops Rumors extends its condolences to the family of the late Flip Saunders and to all who knew him. Many around the league were hurt, surprised and saddened upon learning the news that Saunders died at the age of 60.

Here are some sentiments, memories and messages passed along on Twitter regarding Saunders:

Marc Stein of ESPN.com called this one of the saddest days in the NBA that he could remember.
In Chicago, members of the Bulls media learned about the news just as head coach Fred Hoiberg was addressing reporters after the team’s practice. Hoiberg said you won’t find anyone who knew Saunders who didn’t like and respect him, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Upon learning what happened, Dan Woike of the Orange County Register said he shared the news with a chatty Clippers media room and it became silent.
Nets GM Billy King called Saunders “one of the best guys in the NBA.”
Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press shared that his baby daughter was wearing a pink bib, which was a gift from Saunders, this morning before the announcement was made.
LeBron James echoed the sentiment of many when he tweeted that Saunders died at too young of an age.
Veteran Kris Humphries said Saunders was one of the most caring and genuine people he ever met.

Flip Saunders Dies At Age 60

October 25th, 2015 at 1:06pm CST by Will Joseph

Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders has died, the team announced via Twitter. Saunders was 60.

Saunders has been battling the effects of cancer treatment and his health situation became dire earlier this month. Changes to way that Saunders‘ body had responded to chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma placed him in a life-threatening situation.

The team called the ailment a “very treatable and curable form of cancer” in August, when it announced his diagnosis along with the news that Saunders would continue his duties as head coach and president of basketball operations. A shift occurred last month, when Saunders took a leave of absence. Sam Mitchell has been coaching the team and GM Milt Newton running the team’s basketball operations since Saunders went on leave. The team said at that point that he’d experienced complications related to the treatments he was receiving and that he was undergoing tests and further treatment at a hospital.

As Saunders’ condition worsened recently, owner Glen Taylor said that Saunders would not return to the team this season because of the complications.

Saunders coached the Wizards, Pistons and Wolves in a career that spanned 17 seasons and included 654 victories. Saunders’ death was shocking and saddening to many around the league. Saunders was both well-liked and well-respected for a variety of reasons.

Wolves Waive Three Players

October 24th, 2015 at 11:33am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Timberwolves have waived shooting guard Lorenzo Brown, center Kleon Penn, and swingman Nick Wiggins, the team announced via a press release. Both Penn and Wiggins were signed to non-guaranteed deals, so Minnesota won’t be responsible for any salary as a result of those moves, but Brown’s deal includes a $75K partial guarantee, which the team would be responsible for unless he is claimed off waivers. The Wolves’ roster count is now at the regular season maximum of 15 players.

Penn, 29, went undrafted out of McNeese State back in 2009, and he has played outside the U.S. ever since. He spent the 2014/15 season playing for the Puerto Rican team Vaqueros de Bayamon. In 44 contests last season, Penn averaged 4.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 19.3 minutes of action per night. His career NCAA numbers were 5.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.9 BPG to go along with a shooting line of .601/.000/.565.

Wiggins, 24, is the older brother of Andrew Wiggins. The elder Wiggins went undrafted in 2014 out of Wichita State after averaging 5.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists as a Senior. He spent the 2014 summer league playing for the Kings’ squad before signing a deal to play with Tigers Tübingen of the Basketball Bundesliga, though his tenure with the team ended after just 11 contests. Wiggins played for both the Jazz and Wolves in the summer league this offseason.

Brown, 25, has made a total of 55 appearances in two NBA seasons, averaging 3.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists to go along with a slash line of .375/.155/.656.

Northwest Notes: Chandler, Jazz, Saunders

October 24th, 2015 at 10:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said that coach/executive Flip Saunders would not return to the team this season because of complications resulting from his treatment for cancer, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays. When asked if he expected Saunders to return this season, Taylor said, “Not this year. I just think his illness, I mean, it’s serious. At this point, if he came back I still think he’d have a hard time to recover all his energy and all that because he has been in the hospital for a long time.”

Taylor also noted that GM Milt Newton and interim coach Sam Mitchell have the authority going forward to make trades and player personnel decisions in Saunders’ absence, Zgoda adds. “We haven’t put anything on hold,” Taylor said. “Milt’s handling it just the way I’d expect him to. He tells me what he thinks, and we talk about things, just the same as I did with Flip. Milt’s just stepped in. Sam has to be his own coach. He won’t do things exactly as Flip does, and I wouldn’t expect him to.”

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

Taylor was re-elected as the chairman of the NBA Board of Governors, commissioner Adam Silver announced at a press conference on Friday (h/t Tim Bontemps of The New York Post via Twitter).
The Nuggets have in the past asked for either two first-round picks or a first-rounder and a young player in exchange for Wilson Chandler, league sources told Grantland’s Zach Lowe, and while Lowe thinks it’s conceivable that price comes down, he still doesn’t believe a Chandler trade is likely. Meanwhile, the chatter surrounding the idea of a Kenneth Faried trade that’s been going on for the past two years hasn’t stopped, Lowe adds.
The Jazz intend to utilize their wing players as playmakers this season, which will influence a number of the team’s roster decisions, Aaron Falk of The salt Lake Tribune writes. “I think we’ve got good ball handlers on the wings, and you get to a point where you have to make tough decisions,” coach Quin Snyder said. “… We have Joe Ingles. We have Alec Burks. We have Rodney Hood and Gordon Hayward. Those guys can all handle the ball and make plays.”
Mitchell and Newton indicated that the Wolves still intend to continue with the youth movement put in place by Saunders, who is on a leave of absence while he battles Hodgkins’ Lymphoma, writes Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. “Most definitely the vision is still to develop our young players. We’d love to make the playoffs, but we’re not going to circumvent the process that it’s going to take to be a perennial playoff team,” Newton said. “You have to win to learn how to win, but overall the vision is to develop that young core we have to become that perennial playoff team.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Wolves Exercise Options On Five Players

October 21st, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Will Joseph

4:00pm: The Wolves have officially announced that they have picked up the options on the five players (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 3:20pm: The Wolves have indeed picked up the options, as Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports hears (Twitter link), though the team has yet to make an official announcement.

SUNDAY, 1:26pm: The Wolves plan to exercise options on Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammad, Gorgui Dieng and Adreian Payne early this week, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press reports (on Twitter).

The moves are largely expected and do not come as a surprise, as Krawczynski tweets. All the options are for the 2016/17 season and the deadline is November 2nd.

All five players are young and each have high ceilings. They each are also affordable. Wiggins’ option is for $6,006,600, LaVine’s is $$2,240,880, Muhammad’s is $3,046,299, Dieng’s is $2,348,783 and Payne’s is $2,022,240.

The options for Wiggins, LaVine and Payne are for the third years of their respective rookie scale contracts and the options for Muhammad and Dieng are for the fourth. We regarded Wiggins’ option as a slam dunk, Dieng’s option as highly likely and the other three as generally expected.

Northwest Notes: Stotts, Monroe, Waiters, Mitchell

October 16th, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The future of Terry Stotts is unresolved beyond this season, as the Trail Blazers have yet to pick up the team option on his deal for 2016/17, but Blazers players, including Damian Lillard, are fully supportive of the coach, as The Oregonian’s Jason Quick details.

“As long as I am here,” Lillard said, “I would like him to be here.”

Lillard signed a five-year extension this summer that will run through 2020/21, and the Blazers are making him the centerpiece of their retool, but time will tell if Portland retains Stotts as one of its building blocks. See more on the Blazers amid the latest from around the Northwest Division:

Greg Monroe narrowed his choices to the Bucks and Trail Blazers before selecting Milwaukee in free agency this summer, according to Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports, who recounts Monroe’s decision making that led up to his three-year max deal with the Bucks. That means he first eliminated the Knicks and Lakers, who, as Lee notes, also met with him.
The Thunder aren’t worried about making too many commitments to middling talents that would be tough to build around if Kevin Durant bolts next summer, and instead they’re focused on building a stable supporting cast around Durant for the long term, writes Royce Young of ESPN.com. That, plus Oklahoma City’s penchant for rewarding players who want to stick around, helps explain the team’s reported willingness to explore an extension for Dion Waiters, as Young examines.
Sam Mitchell didn’t feel a burning desire to coach again when Flip Saunders called to offer him a job with the Timberwolves last year, Mitchell tells Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. Saunders nonetheless made a convincing case, and Mitchell joined as an assistant, which led to his promotion to interim head coach when cancer treatment forced Saunders to take a leave of absence. “He thought I did a good job in the media — I thought I did an excellent job — but he said to me ‘you’re always going to be a basketball coach,’” Mitchell said of his conversation with Saunders.