Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Love, Sterling, Nets

May 19th, 2014 at 10:33pm CST by Cray Allred

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck tells Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe that Boston won’t start any serious trade discussions until the lottery is over. “Nothing has been discussed until we see the pick,” Grousbeck said. “When we see what pick it is, the phones will start ringing and we’ll start answering the phones.” Here’s more from around the league:

The Wolves “gently probed” trade options for Kevin Love last season, league executives tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
In the same piece, Windhorst outlines three strategies the Wolves can implement to either retain Love or retain leverage with trade partners.
The Rockets think they will have a shot at Love with a package built around Omer Asik and Chandler Parsons, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
The Warriors don’t want to give up Klay Thompson in a trade package to land Love, a team source tells Marcus Thompson of Bay Area News Group.
The NBA has released a summary of the charges against Donald Sterling announced earlier today (H/T Jeff Caplan of NBA.com).
Donald Sterling’s attorney has demanded that the NBA give his client three months to respond to the charges, reports Michael McCann of SI.com. The league will reject the request and move forward with the deadline of May 27th for Sterling’s response.
Shelly Sterling’s lawyer weighed in as well, decrying the move to strip her stake in the team along with her husband’s as unlawful, according to a transcription of the statement by Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times.
Tim Bontemps of The New York Post looks at five questions facing the Nets this offseason.
In a separate piece, Bontemps recaps Alan Anderson‘s season with the Nets, writing that he envisions Anderson remaining with Brooklyn regardless of whether he picks up his $1.1MM player option for next season.

Coaching Rumors: Joerger, Scott, Lakers

May 19th, 2014 at 7:15pm CST by Cray Allred

The recently fired Mark Jackson returned to ESPN for the NBA playoffs and he’s not the only talker turned coach/GM turned talker again, the Detroit Free Press staff writes. Longtime Bears coach Mike Ditka was fired in 1992, signed on with NBC, left to coach the Saints in 1997, and eventually came to ESPN. Staying in the NBA, Doug Collins, now with ESPN, knows a thing or two about going back and forth from the booth to the sidelines as well. Here’s more from around the league:

The sense in coaching circles is that Dave Joerger would become a head coaching candidate for the Wolves if he were to be let go by the Grizzlies, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. Stein notes that Joerger is a long-time associate of Minnesota president of basketball operations Flip Saunders.
Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times has heard that the Lakers haven’t and won’t open formal talks with any coaches before the lottery, but they have put out feelers for some (Twitter link).
In another tweet, Pincus says it’s safe to consider Byron Scott a fallback coaching option for the Lakers, presuming that Scott will be around no matter how lengthy L.A.’s process becomes.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Cavs Rumors: Love, D’Antoni, Hollins

May 19th, 2014 at 5:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cavs are in the lottery again, after declaring last year the end of their lottery run. While Cleveland is certainly disappointed to be watching ping pong balls yet again, they would still be thrilled in the unlikely case that they find themselves vaulted to the top-three in tomorrow’s lottery. Here’s more from Cleveland:

Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal looks at the likelihood that the Cavs join in on the Kevin Love sweepstakes.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio tweets that Cleveland will “undoubtedly” try to leverage their assets into trade discussions for Love.
Mike D’Antoni is not a candidate for the Cavs’ coaching job, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. D’Antoni and new GM David Griffin were together in Phoenix, but there are no reunion plans in the works.
An NBA source says there’s mutual interest between the Cavs and Lionel Hollins regarding the coaching vacancy, but there’s no interview scheduled yet, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer.
Earlier, we passed on news that Cavs coaching candidate Kevin Ollie won’t be leaving his college job this season.

Cray Allred contributed to this post.

Wolves Won’t Trade Kevin Love Before Draft

May 19th, 2014 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Timberwolves won’t trade All-Star forward Kevin Love before the draft on June 26th, owner Glen Taylor tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Taylor went on to say that he hasn’t discussed trading Love recently with team president Flip Saunders and said Love has not asked for or told the team to trade him.

It was reported yesterday that Love hadn’t demanded a trade out of Minnesota but his unwillingness to sign an extension certainly makes that a possibility. While Taylor is apparently holding on to hope that he can keep Love for the long term, it’s hard to see the club not exploring trade possibilities.

Meanwhile, since dealing Love would obviously signal a rebuilding process in Minnesota, one would imagine that the T’Wolves would look for a top pick in this year’s talent rich draft in return. I would venture to say that Taylor’s statements are an attempt at a poker face in response to the rumors, but he is also probably holding out hope that he can make Love have a change of heart.

The Warriors, Lakers, Suns, Knicks, and Celtics have all been cited as possible landing spots for Love.

Wolves Notes: Love, Draft, Coach

May 19th, 2014 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

Kevin Love has told the Timberwolves that he won’t sign an extension with them and teams are already circling the wagons. The Warriors, Lakers, and Suns are among the teams with interest and the Celtics are said to be an increasingly intriguing destination for the All-Star. Meanwhile, Knicks president Phil Jackson has been plotting to acquire Love via trade, so they can be added to the list of possibilities as well. Here’s the latest out of Minnesota..

If the T’Wolves trade Love and rebuild, it could change their draft situation over the next couple of years, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. The Wolves owe the Suns a first-round draft pick, but it’s top 13 protected in 2014 and top 12 protected in 2015 and 2016. If that happens, the Suns wind up with the Wolves’ 2016 and 2017 second-round picks.
The Wolves are believed to have met with a number of 2014 NBA Draft prospects at the NBA Draft Combine that are out of their range with their expected 13th pick, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. This could be due diligence on the Wolves’ part, or this could be the beginning stages of accepting that it’s time to move Love while they can still return some value for him and somewhat control the process.
There’s a right way and a wrong way to trade Love, writes Michael Rand of the Star Tribune. For starters, Minnesota shouldn’t move the forward before hiring their next coach.

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Minnesota Timberwolves

Latest On Kevin Love

May 18th, 2014 at 10:22pm CST by Zachary Links

10:22pm: Knicks president Phil Jackson has been plotting to acquire Love via trade, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks’ interest in Love for next summer has been known, but they could try and get him sooner if he’s made available.

4:58pm: The Celtics have emerged as an increasingly intriguing destination for Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The Celtics’ draft position coming out of Tuesday night’s lottery could have a big impact on the feasibility of a deal with Minnesota.

If the C’s get their projected No. 5 slot, that could be a big asset in landing Love. If they move up and get a top three spot, that would make the decision harder for GM Danny Ainge. Love’s representatives with Excel Sports are pushing Timberwolves president Flip Saunders to find a trade acceptable to them before the beginning of summer free agency in July – preferably by the June 26 NBA draft, league sources say. As we learned earlier, Love has let the T’Wolves know that he won’t be signing an extension with them.

The Rockets are planning an aggressive pursuit for Love and the Warriors, Lakers, and Suns were mentioned as landing spots in Wojnarowski’s report from earlier. The Rockets are also in the mix since Kevin McHale has ties to Love.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, JVG, Love

May 18th, 2014 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Nets don’t have a ton of wiggle room this offseason, so they’ll have to explore some unorthodox ideas if they want to make a major overhaul. Last week, it was reported that Brooklyn is open to the idea of moving star guard Deron Williams. Williams just finished a hugely disappointing season, his fourth with Brooklyn and the second on his five-year, $99MM contract, so they might not find the kind of return they’re hoping for. More out of the Atlantic..

The Celtics are slated to come away with the No. 5 pick in Tuesday night’s lottery, but the ping pong balls haven’t always equaled success for them, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Seventeen years ago, Boston brass gathered in Secaucus, N.J., with the best chance of landing the consensus No. 1 overall pick, Tim Duncan. The Celtics instead finished with two of the top six picks and selected Colorado guard Chauncey Billups third and Kentucky swingman Ron Mercer sixth.
Earlier today on ESPN Radio, Jeff Van Gundy reiterated that he would be happy to speak with Phil Jackson if he comes calling, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “If Phil Jackson ever wanted to talk basketball with me, which, listen, who knows if that’s true, but if he ever did, of course I would take the time, because I’m sure I could benefit from the conversation,” the former Knicks coach said.
The good news for Knicks fans is that Kevin Love wants out of Minnesota. The bad news is that the Knicks are going to have a whole lot of competing suitors for him, Begley writes. On top of that, Love is sick of losing and wants to contend immediately. The Knicks, as currently constructed, wouldn’t fit the bill.

Wolves Mull Love Trade, Eye Mitchell For Coach

May 18th, 2014 at 3:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

3:05pm: The Rockets are also planning an aggressive pursuit of Love, according to Wojnarowski (on Twitter). Kevin McHale has a strong bond with the UCLA product.

10:35am: Love has made it clear to the Wolves that he intends to become an unrestricted free agent after next season and has no interest in a contract extension this summer to stay in Minnesota, write Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The article also notes that Love has stated his willingness to accept a deal to the Bulls and Warriors. Sources have told ESPN.com that the Warriors have emerged as a top contender for Love should Minnesota relent and decide to trade him. Golden State doesn’t have a stash of draft picks to offer the Wolves like Phoenix or Boston could offer, but the Warriors could assemble a trade package featuring forwards Harrison Barnes and David Lee, according to the article.

8:56am: It appears that the Timberwolves will seriously consider trading Kevin Love, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. “For the first time, [Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders] sounds like looking at deals for [Love] is an option,” a rival executive told Wojnarowski. Love has an early termination option in his contract that he can exercise next summer. This is putting pressure on the Wolves front office to improve the team enough to convince Love to stay, or trade him for assets instead of risking losing him for nothing. This also comes on the heels of the reports that Minnesota was looking at power forwards in the upcoming draft.

The article also notes that the Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, and Suns are all strong candidates to partner with in a trade for Love if the Wolves decide to move him. Boston and Los Angeles plan to make high-lottery picks in the 2014 NBA Draft available in offers for Love, sources told Wojnarowski.

No team is likely to trade for Love without an assurance that he’ll commit to a five-year, $100 million maximum contract extension, notes Wojnarowski. Despite a belief that Love prefers Los Angeles or New York as potential destinations, he’s open to deals in other markets where he can be part of an immediate contender, the article says.

Wojnarowski is also reporting that Sam Mitchell has emerged as a serious candidate for the franchise’s head coaching job. Mitchell reportedly left a good impression with Saunders in a recent meeting. Mitchell has a strong history with Minnesota, where he had two stops as a player, and Mitchell played for Saunders during his second stint.

The Wolves have also contacted several top college coaches, including Florida’s Billy Donovan, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, and Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg, Wojnarowski notes, but those coaches weren’t inclined to seriously consider the position. The general belief that the Wolves will have to trade Love has made coaches leery of the franchise’s future, according to the article.

Western Notes: Suns, Lawson, Jazz

May 18th, 2014 at 11:17am CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite the presence of Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic, the Suns might consider drafting a point guard this year, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Coro cites the uncertainty regarding the team re-signing Bledsoe, as well as Dragic being able to opt out of his contract next summer as the reasons the team could consider selecting another point guard. The team is seriously looking at Dante Exum and Marcus Smart, notes Coro.

And-Ones: Coaches, Wolves, Cavs

May 17th, 2014 at 10:45pm CST by Cray Allred

A league executive tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that Dante Exum, who considers himself a point guard, will be taken high as a potential point guard despite his uncommon size and skill set for the position. The executive believes Exum will wind up a shooting guard, but says that Michael Carter-Williams‘ standout rookie performance as a 6’6″ point guard makes Exum more enticing for teams at the top of the draft. Here’s more from around the league:

Flip Saunders has conducted the Wolves coaching search with stealth, and Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune reveals that Saunders interviewed rumored candidate Lionel Hollins three weeks ago.
Zgoda describes Hollins as “in the running” for the Cavs job. Hollins was named in earlier reports as a potential candidate.
Zgoda reports that Saunders also had informal discussions with Tom Izzo, Fred Hoiberg, and Stan Van Gundy, but the talks stalled in each case.
Izzo was first offered the five-year, $35MM offer to run the Pistons that Van Gundy eventually accepted, opting to stay in the college ranks, writes Zgoda.
Saunders isn’t interested in George Karl, who would prefer to coach the Cavs or, if Randy Wittman were fired, the Wizards over the Wolves, according to Zgoda.
Zgoda mentions Nate McMillan, Scott Skiles, and Sam Mitchell as intriguing possibilities for the Wolves head coaching vacancy in a separate piece. There hasn’t been any reported interest from the team toward McMillan or Skiles, and Minnesota is reportedly not interested in Mitchell.
During the combine, the Wolves met with enough power forwards and prospects projected in the top tier of the draft to make Zgoda wonder if a Kevin Love trade is a possibility (via Twitter). The Wolves have very little chance of moving above 13th in the first round, and obviously have no pressing need at power forward so long as Love is on the team.
LaQuinton Ross is scheduled to work out for the Cavs on Monday, reports Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal.
Tomas Satoranksy will join the Wizards summer league team for the second consecutive year, reports J. Michael of CSNWashington.com (H/T Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The shooting guard was selected as a “draft and stash” player in the second round of the 2012 draft, and could find his way onto the team next season if Washington loses perimeter talent to free agency, Michael writes.