Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavs Would Give Up No. 1 Pick For Kevin Love

May 29th, 2013 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Immediately after the Cavaliers won this year's draft lottery, we heard that the team would be open to fielding trade offers for the first overall pick. But according to Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com, there's one particular the team with whom the Cavs would like to deal: The Timberwolves. Kotoch reports that the No. 1 pick would be available to the T-Wolves if they were willing to part with Kevin Love.

Kotoch's report doesn't come as a huge surprise — Love is a two-time All-Star and was a member of the gold-medal U.S. Olympic team in 2012, so he's a proven commodity, whereas there's no real consensus top pick in this year's draft class. Nerlens Noel, who sits atop many draft boards, is recovering from ACL surgery. As such, it makes sense that the Cavs, who hope to earn a playoff spot next season, would target a veteran who could make an immediate impact.

Love has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate in the past because he and the Timberwolves have had an up-and-down relationship since the team was unwilling to give him the five-year rookie scale extension he was seeking. Still, with former GM David Kahn out of the picture and Flip Saunders now running the show in Minnesota, I'd be shocked if the T-Wolves seriously considered moving Love this summer. Even if he does intent to opt out down the road, Love still has at least two more years remaining on his contract, so there'd be plenty of time for the Wolves to weigh their options.

In addition to the nugget on the Cavs and Love, Kotoch shared a few more draft-related rumors to go along with his latest mock draft. Here are the highlights:

Kotoch echoes a report by ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Twitter link) suggesting that Giannis Antetokounmpo has been given a first-round guarantee. According to Kotoch, two teams have made such a promise to the so-called "Greek Freak," and Kotoch believes one of them may be the Hawks, who have two first-round picks.
The Jazz are interested in C.J. McCollum, but would be happy to select Michael Carter-Williams or Dennis Schroeder if McCollum is off the board at No. 14, says Kotoch.
McCollum also intrigues the Thunder, who pick 12th, though Oklahoma City has been primarily linked to bigs so far.
The Knicks "really like" Shane Larkin, according to Kotoch.

Timberwolves Eyeing Tim Connelly, Milt Newton

May 28th, 2013 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

Although Flip Saunders will be heading up the Timberwolves' basketball operations for the forseeable future, Saunders will only assume the role of team president, not general manager. As such, he's looking to hire a new GM in Minnesota, and according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), Saunders is eyeing two candidates with whom he has worked in the past: Pelicans assistant GM Tim Connelly and Wizards VP of player personnel Milt Newton. Newton was first identified as a potential GM candidate last week by ESPN 1500's Darren Wolfson (via Twitter).

We heard last week that Saunders was seeking out a general manager, with a hire potentially not happening until after next month's draft. The team's new GM would figure to have input on basketball decisions, with Saunders retaining the final say. Having been in Washington with Connelly and Newton, Saunders presumably feels comfortable working with both executives.

As the draft and free agency approach, the Timberwolves will be facing a number of key decisions this summer, including how to use their four draft picks and what to do with restricted free agent big man Nikola Pekovic.

Western Links: Gay, Howard, Mavs, Hornacek

May 27th, 2013 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

It's Memorial Day in America, but it's certainly no holiday for the Grizzlies and Spurs, who will meet in Memphis tonight, with the Spurs looking to complete a four-game sweep. As the Grizzlies look to begin climbing out of a 3-0 hole, ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton (Insider-only link) re-examines a question that has come up several times in the last few months, exploring whether Memphis misses Rudy Gay. Here are a few more Memorial Day links from around the Western Conference:

Dwight Howard is "wide open" to the Mavericks, tweets Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. That fits with what we've heard about Howard being willing to listen to pitches from any team when free agency opens. Ingram goes on to say that the Mavs, unlike the Rockets, actually project to have the space necessary to sign Howard without making a corresponding move. Without O.J. Mayo's option on the books, that may be true, though it will likely depend on how much the salary cap increases for 2013/14.
In exploring the Mavericks' chances of landing Howard, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com wonders if the Rockets are a greater threat than the Lakers.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com touches on the upcoming Howard drama in his latest piece, in which he also explains why his idea of a LaMarcus Aldridge-for-Kevin Love trade could make some sense.
The Suns' hiring of Jeff Hornacek may give the team a boost in the community, given Hornacek's positive reputation in Phoenix, but it wasn't a factor in GM Ryan McDonough's decision, a source tells TNT's David Aldridge. Aldridge speculates that the community impact is something owner Robert Sarver may have considered. Aldridge's Morning Tip also includes a look at Larry Bird and details on Billy Hunter's lawsuit.
Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv lists all the players scheduled to participate in the Timberwolves' draft workouts this week.

Draft Links: White, Matthews, Celtics

May 25th, 2013 at 10:18pm CST by Spencer Lund

Terrico White was the 36th player chosen in the 2010 NBA Draft. After the Pistons snagged him from Ole Miss, he broke his right foot in his very first preseason game. He bounced around the NBA's D-League, even averaging better than 17 PPG for the Idaho Stampede during an excellent 7-game stretch in the 2011/12 season, before heading to Serbia this year.

After averaging 14.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.5 APG for Serbia's Radnicki Kragujevac, his contract is set to expire at just the right time, writes Ridiculous Upside's Gino Pilato. White will be looking to make an NBA roster this summer after his Serbian contract runs out in June.

There are plenty other college hopefuls looking to be drafted by an NBA team this summer..

Newsday's Roderick Boone discusses the NBA draft's biggest "wild card" big man hopeful in July: Farmingdale State's A.J. Matthews. The 6'11" center out of Division III Farmingdale State (academic issues kept him out of bigger basketball schools) was invited to the NBA's combine and the center with a wingspan measuring 7 feet, 3 1/2 inches impressed the Nets' director of player personnel Greg Polinsky.
We already mentioned all the players the Celtics have worked out the last couple days and ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg broke it all down for you, but here are the projected draft positions for all those players based off Chad Ford's rankings.
Darren Wolfson of ESPN1500 Twin Cities says Brandon Paul, Vander Blue and Derrick Nix are coming for the Wolves' NBA Draft workout. He also adds that Wisconsin's Mike Bruesewitz is hoping to get an invite (Twitter link)
Alex Kennedy at HoopsWorld has a profile of Dennis Schroeder of Germany. The son of a German father and a Gambian mother, Schroeder promised his dying father he'd make the NBA; he's projected as a mid-first-round pick next month.
The Jazz will pick 14th in next month's draft after failing to move up during last week's draft lottery. Jody Genessy of the Deseret News spoke by phone with Jazz president Randy Rigby and general manager Dennis Lindsey about their moves in a busy Jazz offseason.

Odds & Ends: Magic, Warriors, Dwight, Clippers

May 24th, 2013 at 11:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

In the NFL, teams are frequently better off drafting for positional need rather than going for the best player, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, who argues that the opposite is true in the NBA. Thus, he implores the Magic to ignore fans who have football on the mind and draft the most talented player available with the No. 2 pick. He also notes that the Orlando summer league will add a title game this year, similar to the Las Vegas summer league, and sees Kevin Love's frequent chats with Flip Saunders as encouraging news for the Timberwolves. Here's more from around the Association as a long weekend commences:

Dwight Howard's camp has "never given the slightest indication" that he wants to join the Warriors, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link), echoing an earlier report from Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game. Kawakami thinks the W's shouldn't pursue Howard as a result.
Grantland's Bill Simmons points to evidence that suggests Howard is in decline, leading him to advise the Lakers to pass on him. Simmons encourages Howard to sign with the Rockets instead.
DeAndre Jordan was surprised to see the Clippers and Vinny Del Negro part ways, as the center tells Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link).
As for Del Negro's replacement, HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram makes the case that Nate McMillan and Brian Shaw should top the list of coaching candidates for the Clippers.
Point guard Pierre Jackson will work out on June 17th for the Trail Blazers, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports, adding that strong workouts in New Jersey this past week have turned the Baylor senior into a potential first-round pick.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune thinks the Wolves will shy away from guards with the No. 9 pick, as long as they don't trade the selection (Twitter link).

Draft Notes: Wolves, Oladipo, Muhammad, Nets

May 24th, 2013 at 4:14pm CST by Zachary Links

With the NBA Lottery in the rear view mirror, we're roughly one month away from the 2013 Draft. Here's the latest..

Wolves president Flip Saunders is a big fan of Indiana's Victor Oladipo, league sources tell Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN, and the only way to nab him is to trade up from the No. 9 pick. Meanwhile, if Minnesota winds up keeping their pick, one league source predicts they will take UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad. Word has it that the Wolves like him but so do the Pistons, and they pick at No. 8.
The Nets, who have the 22nd pick in the draft, are looking for a solid role player, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Despite the fact that this year’s draft class has been labeled as weak by many observers, the Nets believe they'll have a chance to draft a player who can help them off the bench. They'll likely be targeting players that can help them immediately since they have no cap room and their mini mid-level exception will be used on Bojan Bogdanovic.
Kansas big man Jeff Withey worked out today for the Celtics, a source tells Adam Zagoria of SNY (on Twitter). Withey is ranked No. 3 amongst NCAA seniors by DraftExpress and is slated to go No. 22 in their latest mock draft. The Celtics could likely grab him with their No. 16 selection in the first round.

Broussard On Coaching Searches, Wolves, Lottery

May 24th, 2013 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

We briefly touched on the latest Insider-only offering from ESPN.com's Chris Broussard last night, but let's take a more in-depth look at Brousard's newest tidbits today:

NBA executives are curious to see who the Pistons hire as a head coach, since it may indicate whether advisor Phil Jackson or GM Joe Dumars has more sway in Detroit. Dumars is believed to favor Nate McMillan or Maurice Cheeks, while Jackson's pick would likely be Brian Shaw.
Had Chris Hansen's purchase of the Kings gone through, Jackson would have run the team's front office in Seattle, and intended to hire Shaw as head coach, says Broussard.
The Nets have yet to approach any coaching candidates besides Jackson, who told the team he wasn't interested in coaching. Brooklyn is currently conducting "rigorous checks" on potential candidates, and is seeking someone tough and firm who is able to get the most out of the talent on the roster.
The Clippers are high on McMillan, according to Broussard.
Sources tell Broussard that Bobcats GM Rich Cho is interested in hiring Quin Snyder to replace Mike Dunlap.
"Many league insiders" believe Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer is the favorite to land the Hawks' job, says Broussard.
While Celtics GM Danny Ainge has privately told teams he won't grant them permission to speak to Doc Rivers, Broussard says if Rivers really wanted a change of scenery, Ainge would probably allow him to explore other options. There's no indication that's the case though.
Although Flip Saunders will run the Timberwolves' basketball operations, he's looking to hire a general manager, and is currently performing background checks on possible candidates. A hire likely won't happen until after the draft, according to Broussard.
Rival lottery teams aren't necessarily jealous that the Cavaliers landed the first overall pick. Said one GM: "I'd rather be two, three or four in this draft than one."
Another executive from a lottery team on the process: "We didn't want to win this year's lottery. Next year's the one to win. Then after that, you want to be out of the lottery."

Odds & Ends: Jackson, Cavs, Love, Lakers

May 22nd, 2013 at 4:03pm CST by Zachary Links

When Mitch Kupchak called Phil Jackson to tell him that he was hiring Mike D'Antoni as coach, he didn't give the Lakers General Manager the most encouraging reaction. "I laughed," Jackson told ESPN's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" show, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. "It was humorous to me when Mitch said that we think that Mike is a better coach for this group of guys." Here's the latest from around the league..

The Cavs have a lot of options at their disposal this summer as they look to get back to the postseason, writes Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. Cleveland has just over $27MM in guaranteed salaries on the books for next season, but could create more space by dropping the non-guaranteed contracts of C.J. Miles ($2.3MM) and Kevin Jones ($789K). Veteran forward Marreese Speights also holds a player option of $4.5MM for next season and could opt out to pursue a multi-year deal this summer.
More from Greene, who writes that Kevin Love is optimistic about the Timberwolves' future. “I think Flip is great,” Love said. “I’ve always admired what he’s done, obviously coming from the Timberwolves prior, being with Detroit and having been in the Western and Eastern Conference Finals he’s got quite a reputation."
Phil Handy has joined Mike Brown's staff as an assistant coach with Cavs, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Handy was a player development coach with the Lakers under Brown.
Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) notes that Jerry Colangelo never believed Mike Krzyzewski wouldn't come back to coach the U.S. Olympic team even though Krzyzewski publicly said he was done. Colangelo said in an interview back in February that he hadn't heard from Coach K directly that he didn't want to return, which led him to believe that he could lure him back for 2016.
Memphis senior D.J. Stephens registered a 46 inch maximum vertical at today's workout in Brooklyn, which may be the highest recorded measurement in NBA history, tweets Matt Kamalsky of DraftExpress.

Lottery Leftovers: Cavs, Mavs, Blazers, Wolves

May 21st, 2013 at 9:38pm CST by Alex Lee

We gave you the pre-Lottery links and the Lottery results, so with the 2013 NBA Lottery in the books, it's only fair that we round up for you the draft news and notes from around the league:

Despite winning the lottery, the Cavaliers will still explore potential trade scenarios for the top selection, tweets ESPN's Brian Windhorst. The Cavs, who own the first, 19th, 31st and 33rd picks in June's draft, also have cap space and a hunger to win as soon as possible.
If the Cavs, or whoever else, don't select Nerlens Noel with the top selection, the former Kentucky center could fall out of the top three, tweets Yahoo's Marc Spears.
If not Noel, ESPN's Chad Ford tweets that Otto Porter could be a dark horse candidate to go first overall. According to Ford, Cleveland loves Porter because he is a perfect fit who is NBA-ready and can therefore help right away.
The Mavericks will look to trade the No. 13 pick in an attempt to preserve cap space for a run at Dwight Howard, tweets ESPN's Chad Ford. Ford adds that the No. 13 pick will make $1,655,300 in 2013/14.
With a roster ready to win now and a draft thin on impact talent, look for the Blazers to dangle their No. 10 pick in an attempt to move up or acquire veteran help for Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum, writes Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest. Mike Tokito of the Oregonian agrees, writing that unless the team can acquire a legitimate center to guard the paint, look for Portland to be active in trade talks.
The Timberwolves secured the No. 9 pick, which leads Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, via Twitter, to guess that the team will take the best big man available with their first pick and then take a flyer on a shooting guard with their second first rounder at No. 26.
Here is an assortment of mock drafts published immediately following the lottery results: ESPN via Chad Ford, Draft Express via Jonathan Givony, HoopsWorld, and Sheridan Hoops via Joe Kotoch.

Lottery Teams’ Odds To Land Top-Three Pick

May 21st, 2013 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA's draft lottery is set to take place tonight, with the league's 14 non-playoff teams vying for a chance at the first overall pick and the opportunity to select a player from a crop of prospects that includes Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore, and others.

The odds at landing the first overall pick are cited frequently, from the Magic's 25% all the way down to the Jazz's 0.5%. But what chance does each team have to land a top-three pick? Listed in the chart below are the odds each lottery team has at the first, second, and third overall picks, as well as each team's overall odds at landing in the top three.