Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wojnarowski On Wolves, Smith, Nets, Bell

February 18th, 2013 at 10:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's the latest news from around the league courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski with all links going to Twitter..

The Wolves have been aggressive in offering multiple first-round picks for established talent, according to league sources (Twitter link). We've heard some trade buzz around Minnesota in recent weeks, but it has mostly concerned guard Luke Ridnour.
The Celtics are on several fronts, including discussions on Josh Smith, Wojnarowski tweets. They've got plenty of competition, however, as the Nets are solely focused on making a deal for Smith, despite being linked to a few other big names in recent weeks.
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni has remained intrigued with bringing exiled Jazz guard Raja Bell to Lakers, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Jazz would be delighted to put a bow on their saga with the disgruntled guard.
League GMs believe that the Hawks, Bucks, and Suns will make significant moves before the trade deadline.
The Trail Blazers are still willing to move J.J. Hickson, but haven't found an appealing offer yet.
Teams trying to trade for J.J. Redick of the Magic are surveying the cost of re-signing him this summer, Wojnarowski tweets. If Bucks move a starting guard, he'll be a major target for them.

Wolves Rumors: Ridnour, Pekovic, Williams, Roy

February 15th, 2013 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Friday morning means the latest installment of Darren Wolfson's Scoops column has been published at 1500ESPN.com. With Minnesota expected to be active in trade talks over the next several days, let's check out the latest Timberwolves rumors from Wolfson….

The Knicks are one of several teams interested in Luke Ridnour, who is mentally preparing to be moved. The Celtics, Sixers, and Jazz are among the other clubs with varying degrees of interest, says Wolfson.
Nikola Pekovic has been assured by the T-Wolves that he isn't going anywhere for now.
While Derrick Williams is still available, a trade over the summer may be more likely, according to Wolfson.
Brandon Roy's financial advisor is still "rejecting overtures" on a buyout. It seems unlikely the Wolves will be able to move his salary in a trade, so a buyout would be the team's preferred route.
When Chris Johnson signed for the rest of the season with the Wolves, the contract included a second year. Wolfson expects that it'll essentially be a team option for 2013/14 — a non-guaranteed minimum salary.

Western Notes: Timberwolves, Rockets, Clippers

February 15th, 2013 at 12:02am CST by Ryan Raroque

Back in December, there were some rumblings of frustration brewing with Kevin Love about the direction of the Timberwolves franchise (though he would insist that he desired to stay in Minnesota soon after making those comments). Today, team owner Glen Taylor said that after meeting with Love this week, both of them are – and have been – on the same page. Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press writes that Taylor and Love have met periodically to discuss the future of the team, and that their latest encounter has given the impression that all is currently well in Minnesota. Here's the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links out of the Western Conference:

Kevin McHale thinks that having James Harden will make the Rockets an attractive destination for free agents (Jonathan Feigen of Ultimate Rockets reports). In another article, Sam Amick of USA Today talks about Harden's emergence into superstardom in Houston.
Jamal Crawford tells HoopsHype that he doesn't want the Clippers to make any trades right now: "We are family and it would be like trading a family member…We don’t think there is one thing we need that is missing. We have everything."
Dave of the Blazers Edge answered a few questions about the Trail Blazers in his mailbag, saying that it's a "pretty safe bet" that Portland won't retain many of its bench players next season and that a backup point guard will surely be a target. He mentions Luke Ridnour and Jarrett Jack as hypothetical targets, but adds that the team will have to be wary of the cap in order to try adding a starting center or quality bench players as well.
Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW took part in a chat with fans earlier today about the Mavericks. Among his more notable thoughts are that Dallas will miss out on the big names this summer and that he doesn't believe Dirk Nowitzki will ask to be traded. In the event that Dirk wants out, Cowlishaw thinks that Mark Cuban would try to convince him to stay first. In another article, Eddie Sefko (also of SportsDayDFW) makes an argument about why Darren Collison could be a keeper moving forward.
The Warriors have taken pride in the progress they've made this season, and with four representatives participating in the All-Star weekend festivities, higher ratings for games, and sitting 30-22 in the Western Conference, there is a sense that Golden State is headed in the right direction (Marcus Thompson II of San Jose Mercury News).

Knicks Have Expressed Interest In Luke Ridnour

February 13th, 2013 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Last night, we heard that the Knicks and Timberwolves have engaged in trade talks, though it wasn't clear which players were being discussed. Today, a report from Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld starts to fill in the blanks, as Kennedy tweets that the Knicks have expressed interest in Luke Ridnour.

From the Timberwolves' perspective, trade discussions involving Ridnour make sense, since the Wolves are said to be shopping the veteran point guard. The Knicks' interest is a little surprising though — as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors pointed out last night, New York seems fairly set at point guard, with Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, and Pablo Prigioni all healthy. Presumably, if the Knicks were to acquire Ridnour, the club would either ship out one of their current options (likely Prigioni) in the deal or plan on playing Ridnour at the two.

Speculating on how Ridnour would fit on the Knicks' roster is probably premature, however, as Kennedy doesn't suggest the talks are serious. It's possible New York was just kicking the tires on Ridnour to get an idea of the T-Wolves' asking price.

Knicks, Wolves Talking Trade

February 12th, 2013 at 10:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Wolves GM David Kahn is in talks with the Knicks about a trade, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, though it's unclear which players are being discussed (Twitter link). Wolfson tweets his suspicion that Ronnie Brewer could be headed to Minnesota, but that appears to simply be an educated guess, as the Wolves made an offer to Brewer over the summer before he signed with the Knicks. Both teams have full rosters with 15 players, limiting flexibility, but the Knicks may be looking to add depth to their front line, while the injury-depleted Wolves could use some healthy bodies.

Wolfson speculates via Twitter that a long list of Knicks, including Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Jason Kidd, are probably off-limits in any trade conversations. The Knicks are a taxpaying team while the Timberwolves are well below the tax line, but given that New York is in title contention while Minnesota is probably looking toward next season, I don't think the Knicks are looking to pawn off any salary. Coincidentally, the Knicks are one of a few teams that reportedly has interest in Lou Amundson, whom the Wolves just waived.

The Wolves have been shopping Luke Ridnour, according to Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com, but the Knicks, like the Wolves, seem set at point guard, with Raymond Felton, Kidd and Pablo Prigioni around to man the position. The Wolves' most glaring need seems to be at the two, and while shooting guard Iman Shumpert's name has been linked to the Suns, it appears that rumor came from Phoenix's side.

Northwest Rumors: Carroll, Olshey, Pekovic

February 12th, 2013 at 7:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

There are only six games in the NBA tonight, but four of the five Northwest Division teams are in action, including a clash between the Nuggets and Jazz in a matchup that would be a first-round pairing if the playoffs began today. The division's other teams in action tonight are on the road, with the Trail Blazers facing a stiff test against the Heat while the Nuggets take on the Raptors. While we wait to see how those games turn out, here's what's happening off the court around the Northwest:

Jazz forward DeMarre Carroll will be a free agent this summer, but he feels he's found his niche in Utah, as Jared Zwerling of ESPN The Magazine details.
Blazers GM Neil Olshey sat down with broadcaster Mike Barrett for a one-on-one that's up on the team's website (video link), and Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge provides a transcript. Olshey said he coveted Nicolas Batum when he held the Clippers GM job, and revealed that owner Paul Allen never wavered in his commitment to match the offer sheet Batum signed with the Timberwolves this summer.
Rival executives tell Grantland's Zach Lowe that the Nuggets are "projecting calm" in advance of the trade deadline. The team seems fairly satisfied with its young core and doesn't want to add much or any payroll, so major moves are unlikely. That's in line with coach George Karl's recent comments indicating there's only a slight chance the team makes a deadline trade. Still, the most common prediction from executives around the league about Denver's playoff chances this year is that they'll go out in the second round.
The Wolves love Nikola Pekovic and don't want to trade him, so the smart money is on the club making a smaller move, perhaps one that includes Luke Ridnour, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.

Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors contributed to this post.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Thunder, Rubio, Williams, Oden

February 9th, 2013 at 9:33pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Northwest Division on Saturday evening:

Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that the Jazz' rebuilding efforts over the past two seasons have not yielded much progress.
Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that the Thunder may not be able to keep their core together because of the new CBA.
Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune praises Derrick Williams' play since Ricky Rubio returned to the Wolves' lineup.
John Canzano of The Oregonian reflects on Greg Oden's tenure with the Trail Blazers as he gears up to sign with a new team.

Wolves Links: Pekovic, Taylor, Johnson, Trades

February 8th, 2013 at 10:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

We rounded up several items on the Timberwolves this morning, but after a day when the team inked Chris Johnson and Mickael Gelabale for the rest of the season, letting Louis Amundson go at the same time, there's plenty more to report from Minnesota. Here's the latest:

Nikola Pekovic is set to hit restricted free agency this summer, but he's talking like he'd welcome a return to the Wolves, as Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press documents. "I like everything about Minnesota," the 27-year-old center said. "First of all, I like the team. I think we can do a lot when we're healthy. I like the coaching staff."
Walters also notes that commissioner David Stern and Wolves owner Glen Taylor met to discuss Taylor's potential successor. Negotiations with the unnamed investor are going slowly, Taylor said.
GM David Kahn says Johnson has the edge on Gelabale to stick with the team next season, the Star Tribune's Kent Youngblood notes. That makes sense, since we heard earlier today that Kahn and Johnson had discussed adding 2013/14 to the rest-of-season deal the big man signed today.
Rick Adelman hints that the team isn't done after today's moves, as Youngblood details in the same piece. "We felt these guys were young, they came in and did a good job, and they give us bodies at the spots we need," the coach said. "[But] we'd better be hoping to do something. We have to improve this team."

Wolves Re-Sign Johnson, Gelabale, Cut Amundson

February 8th, 2013 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have re-signed Chris Johnson and Mickael Gelabale to rest-of-season deals, and have released Louis Amundson to make room on the roster, according to Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). The T-Wolves had been carrying all three players for a total of 16, thanks to an injury exception, but were now required to reduce the roster to 15.

Johnson and Gelabale had both received a pair of 10-day contracts from the Timberwolves, so the team needed to either sign them for the remainder of the season or lose them. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported earlier today that the club had been discussing a deal with Johnson that would keep him under contract for the 2013/14 season as well.

Unlike some players on 10-day deals, both Johnson and Gelabale have seen a good deal of playing time since joining the Wolves. Johnson, 27, has averaged 8.6 PPG and 3.6 RPG while shooting 75.0% from the floor in seven games with the team, while Gelabale has appeared in each of the Wolves' 10 games since he first signed with Minnesota, averaging 6.5 PPG on 54.3% shooting.

As for Amundson, he hadn't been a huge part of the T-Wolves' rotation this season, appearing in just 20 games. He was on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, so even though Minnesota will be on the hook for his remaining salary, the cap hit won't be excessive.

Wolves Rumors: Ridnour, Roy, Johnson, Gelabale

February 8th, 2013 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

2013/14 Timberwolves season ticket holders appear to be in line for a 10% discount, as the T-Wolves continue to slip further out of playoff contention. As Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities writes in his latest Scoops column, the marketing department that promised a 10% discount if Minnesota failed to reach the postseason should have also offered a money-back guarantee if the team doesn't make a deadline trade, since that seems like a near certainty. Here are the latest Wolves rumblings from Wolfson:

Following up on Chris Sheridan's report on Luke Ridnour's availability, Wolfson confirms that the Jazz like Ridnour. However, Wolfson thinks a package that includes Raja Bell and one of Utah's first-round picks is more likely than one that features Alec Burks.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor confirmed that GM David Kahn has engaged Brandon Roy's agent in talks about a possible buyout. Roy's contract could also be used for salary-matching purposes in a trade.
Taylor also said the T-Wolves were never too involved in Rudy Gay talks, and said other trade discussions are "slow-going" at the moment.
Chris Johnson's and Mickael Gelabale's 10-day contracts expired overnight, but both players are expected to be retained for the rest of the season. The Wolves are talking to Johnson about a deal that would keep him around for 2013/14 as well.
If Johnson and Gelabale are both re-signed, Louis Amundson appears to be the odd man out. Minnesota has been allowed to carry 16 players temporarily after receiving an injury exception, but will have to reduce that number to 15.