Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Gallinari, Davis, Thunder

September 22nd, 2015 at 3:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies looked into trading for Danilo Gallinari around the trade deadline this past season, several league sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe, advancing a report from June indicating that Memphis was pursuing the combo forward as the draft approached. The Nuggets instead held on to him, even though they “absolutely could have” scored first-round picks for Gallinari or Wilson Chandler, Lowe writes, citing league sources. Both signed renegotiations-and-extensions this summer with Denver, a place Gallinari loves, according to Lowe, making him a relative rarity among top-level players and extra valuable to the Nuggets, who aren’t eligible to trade him until February even if they so desired because of the terms of his new deal.

The Kroenke family, which owns the team, has never wanted to strip down the roster, Lowe adds as he examines a Nuggets team stuck far from contention but too talented to bottom out. See more from the Northwest Division:

Ed Davis received the second most lucrative deal that the Blazers handed out this summer, at $20MM spread over three years, and while the former 13th overall pick is anxious to become a full-time starter for the first time since entering the league in 2010, it not a given that will happen this season, as The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman examines.
Susan Bible of Basketball Insiders, writing in the site’s preview of the Thunder‘s season, likes what extension candidate Dion Waiters and Oklahoma City’s new coaching staff can contribute to the team as it approaches a pivotal year ahead.
Thunder director of strategic planning Jason Ranne is headed back to the Wasserman Media Group, which used to employ him, for an executive position within the agency, as Wasserman announced and as Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal details.
The Blazers have promoted associate video coordinator Jim Moran to assistant coach, the team announced.
See the details on Anthony Bennett‘s buyout deal with the Timberwolves right here, and check out the news on the teams in the running for the former No. 1 overall pick, including the Blazers, in this post.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 9/21/15

September 21st, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier today, we learned that the Wolves are making progress on a contract buyout with former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett. Minnesota has a deep frontcourt with playing time likely to be distributed among Kevin Garnett, Nikola Pekovic, Gorgui Dieng, Adreian Payne and No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns. The team also added Damjan Rudez and Nemanja Bjelica, who could both vie for minutes as well. Bennett’s representatives have wanted a buyout to allow him a chance for greater playing time.

Bennett would be a free agent if he clears waivers. He is owed $5.8MM this season and only the Sixers and Blazers possess enough cap space to claim him. Bennett hasn’t lived up to expectations, but he has improved since coming into the league. He slash line improved from .356/.245/.638 during his first season with Cleveland to .421/.304/.641 last season with Minnesota. Although he only took 23 three-pointers, his long-range shot is worth monitoring. If he can handle an uptick in shooting from behind the arc, while improving his percentage there to about 32%, a total that would be above what a few other stretch fours, like Markieff Morris and Nikola Mirotic, hit last season, he could be a nice piece for some team willing to take a chance on him. Becoming that proficient from behind the arc is no easy feat and it’s not the only part of his game that needs works. He needs to improve on the defensive end as well, as he was the fourth worst power forward in the league last season on that end of the floor, according ESPN’s Real Plus/Minus.

So here’s tonight’s topic: Will Anthony Bennett have a prosperous career in the NBA and if so, what kind of player do you see him becoming?

Let us know your thoughts on him as a player now and what kind of player he can potentially be. Also, let us know what team would be a good fit for him should he clear waivers. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say!

Latest On Anthony Bennett

September 21st, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Will Joseph

The Wolves are making progress on a contract buyout with former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter). Bennett, as Wojnarowski points out, would be a free agent if he clears waivers.

Bennett’s representatives have wanted a contract buyout to allow him the chance for greater playing time, Wojnarowski reports in a full story. The Wolves have a deep frontcourt, Wojnarowski adds, so there is not much of a future for him with the franchise.

Bennett is owed $5.8MM and the Wolves currently have 16 guaranteed contracts, former Nets executive Bobby Marks tweets. Marks adds that only the Sixers and Blazers have enough room to claim Bennett and the Cavs are the only team with a big enough Traded Player Exception (Twitter link).

It is worth noting that a decision looms by November 2nd on Bennett’s team option for 2016/17, worth $7,318,289. The possible move comes as a surprise to many, including Basketball Insiders’ Alex Kennedy, who points out (on Twitter) that Bennett is still only 22 and entering his third year in the league.

Making the news even more surprising is that Bennett played well for the Canadian national team during the summer, and Wolves owner Glen Taylor recently downplayed the idea that the Wolves will trade the power forward. Prior to that, however, Wolves had reportedly been willing to move Bennett for the right return.

Wolves Sign Nick Wiggins

September 18th, 2015 at 12:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 12:29pm: The deal is official, the team announced (on Twitter).

THURSDAY, 4:05pm: The Timberwolves have agreed to a deal with unrestricted free agent swingman Nick Wiggins, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). It is a non-guaranteed training camp deal, according to Pincus, likely for the minimum salary, though that is merely my speculation.

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.

Minnesota now has 19 players heading to training camp with the team, including 16 with full guarantees on their contracts. This number includes center Kleon Penn, who agreed to a training camp deal with the team on Wednesday.

Wolves Sign Kleon Penn

September 18th, 2015 at 12:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 12:28pm: The deal is official, the team announced (on Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 9:00pm: The Timberwolves have agreed to a deal with unrestricted free agent center Kleon Penn, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the deal are not yet known. It is most likely a minimum salary training camp deal that includes little or no guaranteed salary, though that is merely my speculation.

The 29-year-old went undrafted out of McNeese State back in 2009, and he has played outside the U.S. ever since. Penn 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.

Penn joins a Timberwolves squad that already has a roster count of 17 players, including 16 possessing fully guaranteed deals. The 6’11” big man will certainly have a slim chance to beat the odds and secure a spot on Minnesota’s opening night roster, though he will provide some frontcourt depth during the preseason.

Northwest Notes: Faried, Bennett, Kaman

September 18th, 2015 at 11:45am CST by Chuck Myron

People close to the Nuggets have indicated that Kenneth Faried played a larger role in the downfall of former coach Brian Shaw than publicly known, according to Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders. Trade rumors surrounded Faried for much of the past year, and many people around the league expect Denver will deal him away. Still, Dowsett takes Shaw to task for his performance as a coach last season and calls the hiring of Michael Malone the team’s best offseason addition. See more from the Northwest Division:

Anthony Bennett looked strong playing for the Canadian national team during the summer, and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor downplayed the idea that the Wolves will trade the former No. 1 overall pick, telling Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, “We shouldn’t assume he’d go” (Twitter link). The Wolves have reportedly been willing to move Bennett for the right return.
Chris Kaman would probably fit best on a contender, but he enjoyed playing for the Trail Blazers last season, and Kaman’s level of contentment has had much to do with whether he’s been successful over the past few seasons, as The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman examines. Kaman will make $5.016MM this season in the last year of his contract.
The exodus of so many of last season’s Trail Blazers has C.J. McCollum excited about the more prominent role he’s poised to take on this year, one reminiscent of his time as a scoring force in college at Lehigh, as he tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. McCollum is hopeful that he can continue to work with Steve Nash, who helped him with his game this summer, even though Nash is reportedly finalizing a deal to become a part-time player development consultant for the Warriors.

Western Notes: Timberwolves, Vonleh, Warriors

September 14th, 2015 at 8:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves interim coach Sam Mitchell will have his patience tested by flashy point guard Ricky Rubio, David Aldridge of NBA.com opines. While the franchise wants to take pressure off Rubio by making him understand that he’s no longer viewed as its savior, he may be on a shorter leash than he had with coach Flip Saunders, who is out indefinitely while he receives cancer treatments, Aldridge continues. It was Saunders, as the franchise’s president of basketball operations, who gave Rubio a $56MM extension last year, Aldridge points out. In the same piece, Aldridge also reports that many people around the league felt team owner Glen Taylor wanted to bring back Mitchell as the team’s head coach, though not under these circumstances. Mitchell was one of the franchise’s most beloved players and a former NBA Coach of the Year with Toronto, Aldridge adds.

In other news around the Western Conference:

Noah Vonleh’s size, shooting touch and ballhandling make him an intriguing prospect but he needs to prove he can consistently use those skills against NBA competition, according to Mike Richman of The Oregonian. Vonleh, who was traded to the Trail Blazers from the Hornets this offseason, led Portland’s summer team in scoring (17.3 points per game) and rebounding (8.5) while displaying his ballhandling and ability to take slower forwards off the dribble, Richman continues. A sports hernia injury in training camp sidelined Vonleh early in his rookie season and he got buried in Charlotte’s crowded frontcourt rotation, Richman adds.
Ian Clark and Jarell Eddie will receive approximately half of their salaries if they make the Warriors’ opening night roster, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Clark, a 6’3” shooting guard, would receive $474K on the contract he signed Monday. Eddie, a 6’7” small forward who also signed Monday, would make $423K.
The Warriors announced that 1,650 fans were denied access to Oracle Arena last season due to counterfeit tickets purchased from third-party vendors, Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group tweets.

Northwest Notes: Mitchell, Wolves, Jazz

September 13th, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Will Joseph

New Wolves interim coach Sam Mitchell left the Raptors in 2008 after more than four seasons as head coach with the reputation of a man who demanded too much, but now at 52 he believes he is better prepared to replace Flip Saunders as coach, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes.

It was announced earlier in the week that Mitchell would take over as Saunders battles cancer.

The Wolves, as Zgoda points out, have a blend of youth and experience. Mitchell takes over a team built around consecutive No. 1 overall draft picks Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. The roster also includes veterans Kevin Garnett, Andre Miller, Tayshaun Prince and Kevin Martin.

Here’s more out of the Northwest division:

In its season preview of the Wolves, Basketball Insiders lists Karl-Anthony Towns as the team’s best addition. The Wolves now have a dangerous one-two punch with Towns and Andrew Wiggins that they will be able to build around, the piece adds.
Utah isn’t a destination place for A-list free agents, so the Jazz must keep adding help mainly from the draft, writes Shaun Powell in his 30 teams in 30 days series for NBA.com. The Jazz did that — and pretty much only that — this summer, Powell adds. When the season tips off, the Jazz starting five will all be under 25, as Powell points out.

Northwest Notes: D-League, Wolves, Westbrook

September 11th, 2015 at 10:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The acquisition of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants by the Pacers will certainly change how teams around the NBA without their own affiliates utilize the D-League. The Blazers severed their partnership with the Idaho Stampede, who are now the Jazz‘s affiliate, at the completion of the 2013/14 campaign, but not having a D-League franchise of its own hasn’t hurt Portland’s player development yet, Mike Richman of the Oregonian opines. The franchise was still able to add point guard Tim Frazier last season, who was the D-League’s MVP and Rookie of the Year, despite not having their own affiliate, Richman notes. Establishing its own D-League affiliate isn’t currently a priority for Portland, Richman adds.

Here’s more out of the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves GM Milt Newton, who’s in charge of the team’s front office while Flip Saunders recovers from cancer, wants to add two more players for training camp and he’ll need to unload one of the team’s 16 fully guaranteed contracts before opening night, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
Kevin Durant expressed his admiration for what teammate Russell Westbrook was able to accomplish last season with the rash of injuries the Thunder had suffered, including Durant himself missing a total of 55 contests, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report writes. “It was amazing to see a guy at the point guard position take over the game from all aspects and will his team with his passion, his enthusiasm, his energy on top of his skill,” Durant said. “It was incredible to watch. I was [expletive] I wasn’t out there to help him out. But I could tell he learned a lot and gained a lot of confidence.“
The Nuggets are in for a long, difficult season, but the franchise does possess solid building blocks in Jusuf Nurkic and Emmanuel Mudiay, as well as a revitalized Danilo Gallinari, which should give the team hope for the future, writes Tim Bontemps of The New York Post (Facebook link) in his season preview.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Mitchell, Newton To Fill In For Ailing Saunders

September 11th, 2015 at 10:14am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 10:14am: Saunders recently experienced complications related to treatments that he’s completed for his cancer, and he’s undergoing tests and treatment at a Minnesota hospital, the team announced via press release, adding that GM Milt Newton will take on an expanded role in the front office while Saunders recovers. The team also confirmed that Mitchell will serve as interim head coach. Wolves CEO Rob Moor says the timetable for the return of Saunders, who is taking what the team calls a leave of absence, is a matter of months, not weeks, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

“First and foremost, my immediate concern is for the Saunders family and the health of Flip,” owner Glen Taylor said in the team’s statement. “Our priority right now is for him to regain his strength so that he can be 100 percent when he returns to his Timberwolves duties. In the interim, I remain confident in the direction of our team. I have known Sam Mitchell for a number of years, back to his playing days in Minnesota. He is a former NBA Head Coach of the Year. I have no doubt he will get the most out of our players and will continue to serve as a great mentor to our young and talented players as interim head coach.”

Newton, also quoted in the release from the team, expressed confidence in Mitchell and said he doesn’t anticipate a change in the team’s basketball philosophy, and Mitchell conveyed similar sentiments in his contribution to the statement and in his comments during today’s press conference, as the Wolves relay via Twitter.

THURSDAY, 3:03pm: The Timberwolves will soon name assistant coach Sam Mitchell as interim head coach while Flip Saunders continues to battle cancer, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Saunders had planned to stay in his dual jobs of head coach and president of basketball operations despite his treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, but it appears that plan has changed. Hope exists for Saunders to return to the bench at some point this season, Wojnarowski adds (on Twitter).

Saunders, 60, has a career regular season coaching record of 654-592 that he compiled as head man of the Timberwolves, Pistons, and Wizards. His career regular season mark in Minnesota is 427-392, and his Timberwolves teams have gone 17-30 in the postseason.

Mitchell has previous head coaching experience, having spent four plus seasons as coach of the Raptors from 2004/05 through part of the 2008/09 campaign. He won the Coach of the Year award in 2006/07, when the Raptors went 47-35 and won the Atlantic Division. Through 345 regular season games Mitchell has compiled a mark of 156-189, and he owns a lackluster 3-8 postseason mark. He had previously interviewed for the head coaching job with the Wolves, and he is reportedly a favorite of owner Glen Taylor after having spent 10 seasons with the franchise as a player. The 52-year-old’s most important task this season as coach will be to continue developing Minnesota’s wealth of young talent.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.