Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Love, Budinger, Nuggets, Miller

February 19th, 2014 at 6:59pm CST by Alex Lee

Teams have begun assembling trade offers for Kevin Love amid speculation that he’ll leave the Wolves in free agency next summer, most likely for the Lakers. The All-Star dispelled the idea that it’s unlikely that he’ll re-sign with Minnesota in an interview with Steve March of GQ. Love says the Wolves have a better team and better foundation than the Lakers.

That must be music to the ears of Wolves’ owner Glen Taylor, who told 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson on Wednesday that Team President Flip Saunders “doesn’t even bring [the proposals for Love] to me.” A deal involving Love seems improbable. In fact, Taylor said any move is unlikely, but conceded that Minnesota is engaged in other talks and that the team might take back money in the right deal (Twitter links).

Here’s the rest of what’s going on in the Northwest division:

Corroborating a report from earlier today, Minnesota’s Chase Budinger indicated that things are quiet in his camp at the moment, tweets Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “[My agent] said he will call me if he finds anything serious out and there hasn’t been anything in the last two days,” he said.
Grantland’s Zach Lowe is hearing from multiple teams that, save for Ty Lawson, everyone on the Nuggets roster is available (via Twitter).
Andre Miller is one of those available guys, but indications are that the Nuggets are nowhere close on a deal to move the veteran, tweets Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post. Dempsey also opines, via Twitter, that Denver’s efforts have been hampered by trying to deal from a “disadvantageous” position.

Multiple Teams Pursue Shabazz Muhammad

February 19th, 2014 at 4:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wolves have received calls from multiple teams about rookie Shabazz Muhammad, reports Christopher Reina of RealGM.com. The 14th overall pick in the 2013 draft has yet to make a significant impact in Minnesota, and spent about a week in the D-League last month. The Wolves acquired him in a draft-night deal that sent Rookie of the Year candidate Trey Burke to the Jazz.

Muhammad was once a top-tier prospect, but he had a disappointing one-year stint at UCLA last season and dropped on many team’s draft boards. He’s only seen 81 total minutes of action in the NBA so far.

He makes a shade more than $1.887MM this year on his rookie deal, and that figure rises to about $1.972MM next season. The final two years of rookie scale contracts are team options, and the deadline to decide on the first one is October 31st this year. That means Muhammad is running out of chances to make an impression before the Wolves, or another team, might decide to end his contract early.

Latest On Pau Gasol

February 19th, 2014 at 2:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:10pm: The Gasol-to-Suns deal is “dying on the vine,” according to TNT’s David Aldridge, who hears the Suns are moving on to other talks (Twitter link).

8:50am: The Lakers, with an eye on Kevin Love, gauged the Wolves’ interest in a deal that would send Pau Gasol to Minnesota, but those talks didn’t go anywhere, a source tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. There’s a growing sentiment within the Lakers that it’s more worthwhile to retain Gasol and his Bird Rights heading into the offseason than unload him by tomorrow’s trade deadline, Shelburne writes. The Lakers remain in contact with the Suns and Cavs about potential deals, but there’s been no significant progress with either team, as Shelburne notes.

The Bobcats and Lakers have reportedly been in talks about Gasol, though such a deal is unlikely, and Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, who broke the story, wonders if the Lakers leaked the news to prompt the Suns into more serious conversations (Twitter link). The Suns and Lakers are expected to engage once more in negotations about Gasol before the deadline.

The Lakers have been active, canvassing the market for Gasol, Jordan Hill, Steve Blake and Chris Kaman, Shelburne writes. A groin injury has kept Gasol out of action for the past six games, perhaps slowing trade chatter surrounding him, but he’s listed as questionable for tonight.

Gasol is eligible for an extension, so the Lakers could lock him up, as they’ve done with Kobe Bryant. The big man says he’s had no conversations with the team about an extension, but that doesn’t bother him, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

“Actually, it makes it easier for me,” Gasol said. “[I can] wait until that moment comes and then see what I got.”

Wolves, Grizzlies Discussing Budinger, Barea

February 19th, 2014 at 12:26pm CST by Zachary Links

12:26pm: A source involved in the talks tells Berger that the proposal is “dead,” though others are holding out hope for revival. Some members of the Memphis camp suspect the Timberwolves are using these discussions to further their chances for a different deal, according to Amick (Twitter links).

12:13pm: The Grizzlies are “very unlikely” to yield on Allen, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.

11:12am: The Wolves are eager to swap Barea, but they’re somewhat reluctant to move Budinger, Wolfson adds (on Twitter).

11:01am: There’s no way Wolves executive Flip Saunders will make the trade without Allen as part of it, Wolfson tweets.

10:50am: The teams are “nowhere close to a deal,” according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, who seconds what Wojnarowski is hearing about the Grizzlies’ reluctance to include Allen (Twitter link). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities nonetheless hears the clubs are making progress, as he notes on Twitter.

10:45am: The Wolves are insisting that Allen be included along with Prince in a deal for Budinger and Barea, but the Grizzlies are resisting at the moment, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

WEDNESDAY, 10:23am: The Grizzlies and Wolves have gained momentum toward a deal involving Prince and Allen, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Presumably, Budinger and Barea are also still a part of the talks.

MONDAY, 7:04pm: The Grizzlies are discussing a deal with the Timberwolves centered on forward Chase Budinger and guard J.J. Barea, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Memphis wants to include forward Tayshaun Prince into the package and the deal could be expanded to include guard Tony Allen, though components of a proposed deal are still fluid.

Memphis has been trying to unload Prince and his cumbersome contract, sources tell Wojnarowski. The forward is earning $7.2MM this season and will make $7.7MM in 2014/15. on his contract. Meanwhile, Wolves GM Flip Saunders is believed to want to add defensive toughness to his roster, and that would make Allen a natural fit.

Budinger, 25, missed much of the early season recovering from knee surgery, and has averaged 6.0 PPG in 17.7 minutes per game this season. Barea, 29, is averaging 8.7 PPG in 18 minutes per contest this season. The Wolves badly want to make the playoffs this season with Kevin Love’s free agency on the horizon and they have reportedly been open to moving the diminutive guard in order to help make that happen.

Allen has been sidelined since early January with a fracture in his left hand. In his 27 games this season, Allen has averaged 10.2 PPG off of 49.3% shooting from the floor.

Ford’s Latest: Knicks, Rockets, W’s, Pelicans

February 19th, 2014 at 11:32am CST by Chuck Myron

Chad Ford of ESPN.com takes an Insider-only look at the trade market for a handful of teams with little more than 24 hours remaining before Thursday’s 2:00pm Central trade deadline. We’ll round up the highlights here:

The Knicks are shopping Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert and Beno Udrih as they seek to upgrade their point guard spot. Ford mentions Jeremy Lin as a long shot possibility for New York, but Houston is adamant it doesn’t want to give him up. Trading for Lin or Kyle Lowry would require the Knicks to relinquish Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Warriors have been listening to offers for Harrison Barnes, and they’ve gone as far as to counter a few of them, Ford hears. Greg Monroe, Thaddeus Young, Tristan Thompson, Kenneth Faried, John Henson and Amir Johnson all intrigue the W’s as possible targets in exchange for Barnes, Ford writes. Golden State is also enamored with Kevin Love, as most teams around the league are.
Ford describes David Lee as available, too, but he notes there isn’t much of a market for him, which makes sense, given his bloated contract.
Part of the Pelicans‘ motivation for exploring trades for Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans is the feeling that they could fall back into position to snag a top-five pick in this year’s draft if both guys are off the roster, according to Ford. Their first-rounder goes to the Sixers if it’s No. 6 or worse. Chris Mannix of SI.com wrote earlier this morning that New Orleans was looking to move either Gordon or Evans, but not both.

Wolves To Target Jameer Nelson?

February 19th, 2014 at 10:54am CST by Chuck Myron

There’s a chance the Wolves would prefer to trade for Jameer Nelson rather than Andre Miller if Minnesota pulls off its rumored trade with the Grizzlies, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported Monday that the Wolves would only trade for Miller if they shipped out J.J. Barea, who’s a part of the Grizzlies proposal, but perhaps Minnesota now sees Nelson as a superior option. Nelson, along with Glen Davis, appears to be the focus of Orlando’s trade efforts, although the Magic have made little progress with either.

Nelson says the Magic haven’t given him any indication that they’re trading him, and he’s eager to stay in Orlando. He’s making $8.6MM this season as the Magic’s highest-paid player, but only $2MM of his $8MM for next year is guaranteed. Miller is cheaper for this season, making $5MM, but he’s likewise only partially guaranteed for $2MM next season.

Nelson, 32, has been markedly more productive than the 37-year-old Miller this season. Nelson has notched 12.9 points and 6.7 assists per game as Orlando’s starter. Miller put up just 5.9 PPG and 3.3 APG in a backup role before the Nuggets sent him home around New Year’s Day following a public spat with coach Brian Shaw. Either of them would figure to back up Ricky Rubio in Minnesota.

Northwest Notes: Love, Martin, Nuggets, Miller

February 18th, 2014 at 10:18pm CST by Charlie Adams

While most any team would certainly have interest in acquiring Kevin Love, the Timberwolves reportedly have no intention of trading him. Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com tweets that the multitude of clubs seeking the big man’s services will continue to be turned away. Kevin Martin might not be so untouchable however, as Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times hears the sharpshooting two guard might be moved before Thursday’s deadline. Let’s round up the latest from the Northwest Division:

Given the current state of their franchise, the Timberwolves might be wise to listen to offers for Love, opines Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Hamilton thinks the T-Wolves should find a taker on Love while his value is as high as it is right now.
Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman is open to the idea of adding contributors to his team, writes Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press. “Any time you can add players that are going to help you, then you really have to look at it,” Adelman said. “If something gets serious, we’ll find out about it, but right now you have to listen to whatever is going on. It takes two, sometimes three (players), to make a deal.”
Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post believes that Nuggets rookie coach Brian Shaw has handled the Andre Miller situation correctly. Miller hasn’t played since December, when he publicly disagreed with Shaw’s decision to keep him on the bench during a game. Rumors circulated yesterday about a possible deal that would send Miller to the Timberwolves, but nothing new has surfaced tonight.
It’s been an exciting season for Thunder fans, as the team finds itself atop the Western Conference heading into the trade deadline. Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman takes a look at how the team should approach the coming days.
The Thunder have assigned rookie Andre Roberson to their D-League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers, the team announced in a press release. Roberson has appeared in 22 games for the Thunder this season, averaging 1.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game.

Amick’s Latest: Rondo, Love, Asik, Ilyasova

February 18th, 2014 at 8:06pm CST by Charlie Adams

Despite the high asking price set by Celtics GM Danny Ainge, Rajon Rondo is still being pursued by several teams, most actively by the Raptors, Knicks, and Kings, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Ainge is seeking multiple first round picks and a young prospect in exchange for Rondo, and no team has been able to present a deal that meets such a hefty cost. Here’ more from Amick:

The Timberwolves are willing to listen to offers for any player on their roster besides Kevin Love, says on league executive. It’s a common belief Love will part ways with Minnesota in the summer of 2015 to seek out a deal with the Lakers, and the Wolves want to do everything they can to help prevent such a scenario.
Omer Asik has been asking for a trade since the Rockets signed Dwight Howard, but Amick hears it’s unlikely the disgruntled big man gets moved this week. It’ll be interesting to see where Asik is come Thursday, since this news contradicts an earlier report stating the Sixers might be in play to land him.
The Bucks have emerged as a possible “longshot destination” for Asik, as the Rockets would be interested in a swap involving Ersan Ilyasova. The Bucks remain hesitant to take on Asik, who will receive a steep pay increase next season, despite word that Ilyasova is unhappy in Milwaukee.
Amick reiterates earlier reports that suggest Mike Dunleavy is unlikely to be traded away from the Bulls.
Jeff Teague might emerge as a fallback option for clubs that are unable to trade for Rondo, as rival executives believe Teague will be available to teams if the price of the package coming their way is high enough.

Kahn Fronts Group Seeking Share Of Bucks

February 18th, 2014 at 3:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:27pm: Lowe cautions that he didn’t run into either Kahn or anyone from the Bucks this past weekend, so he hasn’t independently confirmed the story, even though he’s heard the rumor over the past few days (Twitter link).

3:20pm: Grantland’s Zach Lowe seconds the report, having heard plenty of chatter about the news at All-Star weekend (Twitter link).

2:53pm: Former Timberwolves GM David Kahn is the front man for a group that’s looking to buy a share of the Bucks from owner Herb Kohl, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times (Twitter link). Woelfel reported nearly a month ago that there were four “serious suitors” who were considering bids for the team, but Kohl appears to be seeking to add minority owners for now.

Milwaukee might be the league’s most unstable franchise, given the desire of Kohl and the NBA for a new arena. The team’s lease at the Bradley Center, the team’s home for the past quarter-century, expires in 2017. Milwaukee civic leaders have been reluctant to fund upgrades to the existing facility, and while Kohl is “obsessed” with building a new home for the team, as Woelfel wrote last month, it appears securing public funding will be an uphill battle. Concerns about the viability of the Milwaukee market is making the league hesitant to expand to Seattle or anywhere else in the near future.

It’s unclear just how large a stake Kahn and his partners are looking for, or just how much of a role any minority ownership will play in the team’s quest for a new arena. Woelfel pegged the value of the team at anywhere from $380MM to $500MM in his earlier report.

Wolves Have Interest In Andre Miller

February 18th, 2014 at 2:00pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 2:00pm: The Wolves would be Miller’s top choice for a trade destination, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, who notes that it’s probably not a factor in Denver’s thinking. The Nuggets still aren’t making progress on a Miller trade, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 9:05pm: The Timberwolves are among the clubs that have expressed interest in Nuggets guard Andre Miller, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Wolves would only acquire Miller if they find another home for guard J.J. Barea, however.

A straight-up swap of the two probably isn’t in the cards as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter) believes that such a deal has already been proposed. The Nuggets, unsurprisingly, rebuffed the Wolves’ offer.

The veteran guard left the club earlier this year and apparently has no interest in returning to them this season. The 37-year-old isn’t the player he once was, but he has proven to be one of the most durable players in the league. Our own Chuck Myron recently looked at Miller as a trade candidate.