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Wolves Make Williams, Shved Available?

November 12th, 2013 at 10:46pm CST by Luke Adams

10:46pm: Wolves president of basketball ops Flip Saunders called Wojnarowski’s report “untrue” and told Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune that he’d prefer to wait until the team is at least 20 games into the season to make a major move. Saunders added that the team hasn’t pursued any free agents and that he’ll talk personnel matters with coach Rick Adelman this week before evaluating the roster again next week.

9:46am: The Timberwolves are off to a solid 5-3 start this season, but it sounds as if the team won’t necessarily be content to play out the season with its current roster. League executives tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that both Derrick Williams and Alexey Shved are available in trades that would help the T-Wolves add veteran contributors.

Wojnarowski’s note on the Wolves duo comes within a larger piece on the Knicks, which we covered earlier today. According to the Yahoo! scribe, with Kevin Love eligible for free agency two years from now, the Wolves are “determined to make deals” that would help the club make a deep playoff run this season or next. That could mean trading a talented but inconsistent young player like Williams or Shved for a veteran more capable of helping Minnesota win in the short term.

Williams, the No. 2 overall pick in 2011, has been considered a potential trade candidate for some time, since he has never quite fit in Minnesota. Within his latest piece for Grantland, Zach Lowe notes that other teams have been keeping an eye on Williams “for a while,” sensing an opportunity to buy low on the third-year forward. However, the 22-year-old hasn’t improved his stock much with his subpar play in the Wolves’ first eight contests (5.8 PPG, 8.5 PER).

Shved, 24, had a solid rookie season in Minnesota last year, averaging 8.6 PPG and 3.7 APG. Like Williams though, he has struggled out of the gates this season. If a rival team were to make a run at either player, that suitor would be investing in upside rather than recent performance, meaning the Wolves may not be able to extract as much value as they’d like.

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Poll: Should Wolves Trade Derrick Williams Now?

November 12th, 2013 at 7:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

One of the NBA’s most frequently mentioned trade candidates over the past couple of years appears to be on the block again. Team executives from around the league tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that the Timberwolves are making Derrick Williams available in trade talks, as we passed along earlier today.  The Wolves are also shopping Alexey Shved, according to the report, but Williams is the much more intriguing name.

The news comes just two and a half weeks after the Timberwolves committed to Williams through 2014/15, picking up the former No. 2 overall pick’s option for more than $6.3MM next season. That could make Williams either more difficult or easier to trade, depending on how rival clubs view him. Timberwolves president Flip Saunders and GM Milt Newton surely hope they can find a team that still believes in the potential that made Williams such a high draft selection and sees his $6.3MM+ salary next season as a potential bargain. The option pickup also allows Williams to remain on track for restricted free agency, furthering his value to a team that has faith in him.

Conversely, Williams no longer has value as an expiring deal, and teams that feel as though his career lows of 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 17.3 minutes this season are more reflective of his worth than his draft status might not be willing to commit for two years. The Timberwolves appear ready to improve their roster now to demonstrate to potential 2015 free agent Kevin Love that they’re serious about winning, but that could be tough to accomplish with Williams off to such a slow start.

There are teams that see Williams as an intriguing buy-low candidate, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports. Of course, that would make Williams a “sell-low” proposition for the Wolves, so perhaps now isn’t the right time for a trade. Still, if Williams continues to languish on Minnesota’s bench and gets farther removed from his days as a promising college prospect, his value may only decrease.

Let us know if you think it’s time for the Wolves to pull the trigger on a Williams deal, and elaborate on your thoughts in the comments.

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Knicks Rumors: Love, Carmelo, Chris Smith

November 12th, 2013 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are the latest team to be featured in our Offseason in Review series, with Zach Links recapping the club’s summer moves last night. So far though, New York’s offseason additions haven’t been paying dividends, as the Knicks have struggled out of the gate, losing four of their first six games. They’ll have a chance to climb closer to .500 tomorrow night in Atlanta, in a game James Dolan guaranteed his team would win. As the Knicks prepare for that contest, let’s round up a few interesting tidbits on the club from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

  • The Knicks are already looking ahead and planning their strategy for the summer of 2015, when big contracts for Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, and Andrea Bargnani all come off the books. According to Wojnarowski, the club is eyeing Kevin Love, and has already begun to devise a strategy to lure him to New York when the time comes.
  • Of course, it’s possible Carmelo Anthony will no longer be a Knick by that point. However, the Lakers are considered the most credible threat for Carmelo, and one source rhetorically asks Wojnarowski: “Do you think ‘Melo wants to be known for not winning titles in New York and L.A.?”
  • Referring to the signings of J.R. Smith and younger brother Chris Smith as a package deal, Wojnarowski cites a source who says former GM Glen Grunwald “never wanted” to sign Chris, and that the call came down from above him.
  • Wojnarowski writes that some Knicks coaches don’t believe Chris Smith is a D-League player, let alone an NBA player. One GM called the younger Smith “maybe the worst player in the history of the Summer League,” according to Wojnarowski.
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Amico On Turner, Young, Granger, Cousins

November 10th, 2013 at 8:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has his weekly column posted; let’s dive in and take a look at the highlights..

  • If the Sixers start to slide and they turn their focus to the offseason, they could find a trade partner in the Mavericks.  The two sides have yet to talk, but sources around the league wonder if Dallas might be interested in landing Evan Turner in an effort to make a playoff run and appease star Dirk Nowitzki.  Turner wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg and a package of Shawn Marion and a draft pick would probably get the job done for the former No. 2 overall pick.
  • If the Sixers part with Turner, word around the league is that the Thunder and T-Wolves will also be among the teams with interest.
  • Sixers small forward Thaddeus Young is also off to a hot start and is likely to draw interest around the trade deadline or sooner.  Young may be a little tougher to move than Turner at $8.6MM this year and $9.1MM next with a player option for $9.7MM in 2015), however.
  • With the Pacers off to a 7-0 start, league execs wonder what Danny Granger‘s role might be when he comes back from injury.  With his expiring contract and recent injury history, it seems as if the Pacers would be receptive to moving him.  If they do dangle Granger, they’ll probably seek out some backcourt help, specifically someone adept at handling the basketball.
  • One league exec told Amico, “If the Kings aren’t any good, mark my words: They’ll trade (DeMarcus) Cousins.” Cousins is still on his rookie contract this year, but has a max extension kicking in next season, which will make it trickier to trade him due to CBA rules, albeit not impossible.
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Northwest Rumors: Martin, Thunder, Lopez

November 10th, 2013 at 11:53am CST by Chuck Myron

The Northwest Division is home to the NBA’s only winless team, the 0-7 Jazz, along with a struggling 1-4 Nuggets outfit. Still, the Thunder are one of a pair of teams in the league with just a single loss, and the Trail Blazers and Timberwolves are off to 4-2 starts. Here’s news on the three Northwest clubs who’ve impressed so far:

  • The Wolves made Kevin Martin a much better financial offer than the Thunder did this summer, but that’s not the only benefit of his decision to sign with Minnesota, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. The Wolves are giving Martin a chance to start and play more than just a complementary role on a team with other marquee players.
  • Martin’s departure seemed to leave the Thunder‘s bench in disrepair, but Steven Adams and Jeremy Lamb, fruits of the James Harden deal, have combined with Derek Fisher to outperform three of the team’s starters, notes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.
  • LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard tell Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com they feel more freedom to play aggressively on defense now that offseason trade acquisition Robin Lopez is protecting the rim for the Trail Blazers.
  • Lior Eliyahu is nearing a three-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel, according to Roey Gladstone of Israeli Channel 5 TV (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The Wolves own the 28-year-old’s NBA rights, but it’s unclear if Eliyahu’s deal would allow him to leave for the NBA before the three years are up.
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Western Notes: Timberwolves, Pekovic, Rockets

November 7th, 2013 at 10:42pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Timberwolves GM Milt Newton is content with how the roles have worked themselves out on the roster: “I see our team already falling into knowing their roles and playing their roles, so that’s good to see. I’ve spoken to guys from other teams, and there’s a period that a lot of teams go through when they’re trying to figure out who is the go-to guy, who is the guy who’s going to get the most shots. We don’t seem to have that problem” (Charley Walters of TwinCities.com).

It doesn’t seem to be as easy of an adjustment for everybody, however. With Kevin Love‘s return to the lineup and Kevin Martin securing a major role within the team’s offense, Nikola Pekovic has been struggling to return to the niche he found on that side of the floor last season. Though Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune points out that Pekovic’s scoring average (11.0) and shooting percentage (38.9%) are significantly lower than last year (16.3 and 52%), the 6’11 center insists that he isn’t unhappy and is focused on trying to find other ways to help the team win games.

Here’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:

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Contract Details: Sixers, Price, Stone, Christmas

November 5th, 2013 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com has updated his salary database to account for every NBA team’s opening night roster, and in the process has provided several contract details that had previously been unreported. Let’s round up Deeks’ new info, which has now been incorporated into our list of non-guaranteed salaries and our schedule of guarantee dates….

  • Daniel Orton and Brandon Davies were late additions to the Sixers‘ roster, but they received the same kind of deals that many of the team’s other offseason signees did: Non-guaranteed four-year pacts. Hollis Thompson, meanwhile, landed a $35K guarantee for this season on his four-year contract.
  • When Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors listed the camp cuts who had been owed guaranteed money, he noted that the guarantees for Vander Blue, Khalif Wyatt, and Richard Howell were still unknown. Deeks fills in those amounts, reporting that the Sixers paid Blue $55K and Wyatt $35K. Howell received $50K from the Trail Blazers.
  • Unlike most players on non-guaranteed contracts, A.J. Price won’t have to wait until the new year for his salary to become fully guaranteed. He’ll get his full minimum salary as long as he’s not waived by the Timberwolves on or before December 8th.
  • Julyan Stone‘s two-year contract with the Raptors was initially guaranteed for $50K, but that amount was bumped up to $100K when he earned a spot on the regular season roster.
  • Dionte Christmas (Suns) and Henry Sims (Cavaliers) both received partial guarantees worth $50K.
  • The Hawks‘ agreement with Cartier Martin is just for one year, for a fully non-guaranteed minimum salary.
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Odds & Ends: Howard, Turiaf, Bobcats, Beasley

November 2nd, 2013 at 4:05pm CST by Charlie Adams

Here’s a quick rundown of some notes around the NBA this Saturday:

  • Josh Howard was named to the training camp roster for the Austin Toros, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. The 10-year veteran, who underwent season-ending ACL surgery last winter, will play for the Spurs’ D-League affiliate as he rehabs his knee. The Spurs signed and waived Howard just last Saturday to ensure that they would retain his D-League rights.
  • McDonald adds that San Antonio camp invitees Courtney Fells and Myck Kabongo will join Howard in Austin.
  • The Timberwolves announced today (via Twitter) that Ronny Turiaf has undergone an MRI revealing a fracture of his right elbow. No timetable for his return has been given. The Wolves are already missing forward Chase Budinger, who is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing arthroscopic surgery. We heard last night that no Wolves roster moves were brewing, but if Turiaf and Budinger miss significant time, the team may need to reconsider its options.
  • Bobcats owner Michael Jordan oversaw a summer in which the team hurt its chances for next year’s No. 1 pick, but he finally showed that he has a legitimate plan in place for the team, argues Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer.
  • Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel notes that Michael Beasley and Roger Mason of the Heat need to prove they can provide value off the bench since their non-guaranteed contracts can be waived until the January 10th NBA guarantee date. Beasley in particular needs to demonstrate that he has grown out of his off-the-court issues that caused many NBA GMs to look past him during free agency.
  • The NBA Player’s Association has started to narrow down candidates for the executive director position, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The NBPA aims to have finalists selected by All-Star weekend.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Western Rumors: Kings, Martin, Bledsoe

November 2nd, 2013 at 11:57am CST by Chuck Myron

Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro said the lack of extensions for Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson and the team’s decision to decline its fourth-year option on Jimmer Fredette aren’t necessarily a reflection of the way the club feels about those players.

“With Jimmer, we spoke to him and his representatives throughout the process,” D’Alessandro said, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee observes. “And they’re not easy decisions to make. We have these deadlines that are at an awkward time, Oct. 31, especially at a time when we just got our positions here.”

We heard earlier that the Kings are enamored with Vasquez and intend to match any offer he gets in restricted free agency this summer. Here’s more on free agents past and future, with a Western kick:

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Northwest Links: Hayward, Hickson, Wolves

November 1st, 2013 at 7:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz and Gordon Hayward didn’t reach a deal on an extension last night, but GM Dennis Lindsey can still envision Hayward retiring with Utah and says much of the moves the team pulled off this summer were done with Hayward in mind. Jody Genessy of the Deseret News and Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune have more details, including Hayward’s morning-after input, as we round up the latest from the Northwest Division:

  • Hayward echoed Lindsey’s comment that “no ill will” came of the failed negotiations. “I love being in Utah,” he said. “I really wish it could’ve happened. This in no way changes the way I feel about Utah at all. Hopefully it will get worked out next summer.”
  • J.J. Hickson is upset with Blazers GM Neil Olshey and some of his former Portland teammates for expressing their desire for an upgrade over Hickson at center this summer, the current Nugget tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Haynes nonetheless hears from a source that the $4MM that Portland paid Hickson on his one-year deal last season was much greater than any other team was willing to cough up at the time.
  • Rick Adelman said a couple of weeks ago that the Timberwolves were looking at bringing aboard someone who could shore up the small forward position, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears there’s “nothing brewing” for now (Twitter link).
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