Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: D’Antoni, Roy, Fisher, Gasol, Bucks

November 18th, 2012 at 11:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mike D'Antoni was expected to make his debut as Lakers coach tonight, but his balky knee forced Bernie Bickerstaff to continue as interim coach for one more night. D'Antoni, who'll try to hit the sidelines again Tuesday, has told Bickerstaff he'll remain on the staff this season, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. D'Antoni did make one change to the coaching staff, however, bringing brother Dan D'Antoni aboard as expected, the team announced. Here's more from an eight-game day and night around the NBA.

Knee trouble has kept Brandon Roy out for the past 10 days, and now he'll undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, reports Jason Quick of The Oregonian (Twitter links). Quick doesn't indicate how long he'll be continue to be out, but says he'll miss what would have been his return to Portland with the Wolves on Friday.
The Mavs aren't interested in free agent point guard Derek Fisher, since owner Mark Cuban wants to see what the current roster can do, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. That means the team will continue to give backup minutes to Dominique Jones, whom the Mavs twice sought to trade earlier this season.
Larry Coon of HoopsWorld won't rule out a Pau Gasol trade, but doesn't think the Lakers are likely to pull the trigger (Twitter link).
"Everyone agreed" the Bucks needed a fast start with GM John Hammond and coach Scott Skiles in the final year of their respective deals, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and at 6-2, the team has delivered.
Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star calls out Roy Hibbert for his struggles this season, just months after the big man signed a four-year, $58MM deal.
Before Damian Lillard came into the league, he watched a lot of video of fellow point guard Derrick Rose and picked up a few of the former MVP's habits, observes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.

Latest On Timberwolves’ Injuries

November 18th, 2012 at 3:39pm CST by Sean Highkin

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been plagued by injuries to their key players in recent weeks, which has forced them to play shorthanded and turn to free agents such as Josh Howard to shore up the rotation. However, Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has some good news for Wolves fans on the injury front involving several players.

Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, neither of whom have played this season, are starting to participate in light offensive workouts, and are both still scheduled to return to the court sometime in December. Center Nikola Pekovic, who injured his ankle last week, is participating fully in practice and is on track to return on Wednesday.

Two Timberwolves players who have yet to participate in basketball-related activities since being sidelined are guards Brandon Roy and J.J. Barea. There is no timeframe for either one to return to action.

Odds & Ends: Udoh, Howard, Knicks, Warrick

November 16th, 2012 at 10:24pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Friday evening:

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes that Bucks center Ekpe Udoh is finding ways to contribute outside of the stat sheet.
Josh Howard is looking forward to helping the injury-plagued Timberwolves. (AP link via NBA.com)
Al Iannazzone of Newsday.com writes that the Knicks' age has worked in their favor so far as they've begun the season 6-0.
The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell believes that Hakim Warrick, acquired this week from the Hornets for Matt Carroll, can help the Bobcats this season.
Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer writes that the Cavs' Tristan Thompson has been more active this season.

Western Notes: Grizzlies, Wolves, Jefferson, Brand

November 16th, 2012 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Insider piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger explores the concept of the "second draft," an idea that involves acquiring players who had the talent to be high draft picks but who fell out of favor with their previous teams, for whatever reason. Hollinger points to the Grizzlies as one team taking full advantage of the "second draft" concept this season, with Jerryd Bayless, Quincy Pondexter, Wayne Ellington, and Marreese Speights making the club's bench one of the best in the NBA so far.

Here are a few more notes from around the Western Conference:

Before the Timberwolves signed Josh Howard, they "politely turned down" interest from Kenyon Martin's camp, and made the same minimum-salary offer to Mickael Pietrus, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Howard accept the team's proposal first, as Pietrus' camp is still holding out for the mini mid-level.
Al Jefferson was upset after the Jazz' game against the Celtics that Boston media had interpreted his comments about his C's history to mean he wanted to return to Boston, according to James Patrick of the Deseret News.
While Mike D'Antoni won over the media when he was introduced in Los Angeles yesterday, it will be more important long-term for the Lakers' new coach to win over Dwight Howard, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
After he didn't land the Lakers' coaching job, Phil Jackson is unlikely to be considered a serious candidate for the next Team USA coach, according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, who says (via Sulia) that newly re-elected chairman Jerry Colangelo and Jackson aren't exactly close.
Elton Brand appeared on ESPN Radio Dallas to discuss the eventual return of Dirk Nowitzki and the adjustments that fellow offseason acquisition O.J. Mayo has had to make with the Mavericks (link via Sports Radio Interviews).

Timberwolves Sign Josh Howard

November 16th, 2012 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 10:29am: Howard has officially signed with the T-Wolves and is expected to be in uniform tonight vs. the Warriors, according to the team's PR Twitter account.

THURSDAY, 9:25am: The Timberwolves have reached an agreement with Josh Howard on a one-year deal, reports ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter). According to Broussard, the contract will be worth the minimum salary.

Having suffered a rash of early-season injuries, the T-Wolves had been eyeing reinforcements, particularly at the wing, where the team will be without Chase Budinger for three months. Mickael Pietrus and Raja Bell were among the other possible options, though as I suggested earlier this week, Howard made the most sense, since Pietrus wanted more than the veteran's minimum and Bell's contract made him an undesirable trade target. As Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets, it was always a matter of getting a player to accept the minimum, which is all Minnesota could offer.

Howard, 32, isn't the player he once was, but could be a useful piece for the Timberwolves as a bench player. In 43 games for the Jazz in 2011/12, the Wake Forest product averaged 8.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 23.0 minutes per contest.

With a full 15-man roster, the Wolves will have to make a corresponding roster move to clear a spot for Howard. Will Conroy is the most likely candidate to be cut, as he's the only Minnesota player without a fully guaranteed contract.

Western Notes: White, Bogut, D’Antoni, Gay

November 15th, 2012 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

You'd be hard-pressed to argue that the undefeated Knicks and the defending champion Heat aren't currently the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Both clubs head west tonight to take on a pair of Western Conference contenders, with the Knicks in San Antonio to face the Spurs, and the Heat playing the Nuggets in Denver. As we await what should be a great night of NBA action, let's round up the latest updates out of the West….

In a pair of columns for the Houston Chronicle, Jerome Solomon argues that the Rockets are handing the Royce White situation poorly, and that patience, not fines, should be central to the team's approach.
Discussing his ankle injury on KNBR in San Francisco, Andrew Bogut said the Warriors have been supportive and haven't pressured him since he arrived in Golden State, but that he still feels as if he's let people down. Brad Gagnon of Sports Radio Interviews has the quotes.
Timberwolves president David Kahn is expecting great things from his club when everyone starts getting healthy, as he tells Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
It was Jerry Buss who had the final say on the Lakers hiring Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson, a source tells Joe McDonnell of FOX Sports West.
ESPN.com's five-man panel weighs in on how D'Antoni's arrival will affect the performances of the Lakers' stars, supporting cast, and defense.
The list of head coaches that Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld believes could be on the hot seat are mostly from Eastern Conference clubs, but Kyler identifies Keith Smart of the Kings as one coach who might be in trouble if his team continues to struggle.
In a piece for the New York Times, Beckley Mason asks whether Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies' highest-paid player, is the team's centerpiece or an expensive accessory.

Timberwolves Waive Will Conroy

November 15th, 2012 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

12:46pm: The Wolves have officially released Conroy, according to the team (Twitter link). The club also confirmed it will sign Howard, pending a physical.

12:16pm: In order to clear a spot on the roster for Josh Howard, the Timberwolves will release Will Conroy, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Wolfson tweets that the team has informed Conroy he'll be let go.

With 15 players on the roster, the Wolves needed to release a player in order to make room for Howard, with whom they agreed to a one-year deal earlier today. As I wrote at the time, Conroy was the most logical candidate to go, since he's the only T-Wolves player without a fully guaranteed contract. If and when they officially cut Conroy, the Wolves will take a small cap hit of $100K, the amount of the 29-year-old's contract that was guaranteed.

As Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press noted yesterday, the Timberwolves could have signed a 16th man without releasing a player in the event of a hardship. However, four players would need to be sidelined for two or more weeks to constitute a hardship. Minnesota only has three players, in Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, and Chase Budinger, that meet those criteria.

Latest On Potential T-Wolves Moves

November 14th, 2012 at 7:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

We've heard a lot of rumors about possible acquisitions for the Timberwolves in light of the team's rash of injuries, and GM David Kahn addressed the talk following a meeting about potential moves today with coach Rick Adelman, reports Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Though we heard earlier that a trade could be in the works, Kahn believes that if the team is to make a move, it would most likely be a free agent signing. Kahn said "there are some names out there" the team would consider, most likely a shooting guard or small forward. Still, Kahn said nothing's on the immediate horizon.

"It's not feasible to do anything right now," Kahn said. "It's harder this time of the season to get a player. Certain players can't be traded until after December 15 if they signed in the summer."

Players who signed as free agents or signed offer sheets that were matched by their teams can't be traded for three months after the transaction took place, or December 15, whichever is later. Reports have linked free agents Mickael Pietrus and Josh Howard to Minnesota in the past week. The Wolves have a full roster, at 15 players, though Will Conroy's contract is partially guaranteed for $100K.

Richardson points out the Wolves are one player short of having enough to qualify for a roster hardship that would allow them to bring on a 16th player. In Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Chase Budinger, the team has three players who will miss at least two weeks of action. They'd need a fourth to get a 16th player on the roster.

As for Love, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune notes that he's targeting a return in early December from his broken right hand (Twitter links). That would make for an absence of about six to eight weeks, on the long side of the initial projection.

Timberwolves Considering Pietrus, Howard

November 14th, 2012 at 7:06pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 7:06pm: Wolves GM David Kahn said the team isn't currently planning on adding a player, even though the team is down to nine healthy bodies for tonight's game with the Bobcats, tweets Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. We heard earlier today that an agent has told Wolfson he believes the team is working on a trade.

5:52pm: Representatives for Pietrus weren't surprised the team worked out Howard, Wolfson tweets, adding that there's no workout scheduled for Pietrus.

TUESDAY, 4:44pm: In addition to reaching out to Pietrus, the Timberwolves have worked out Josh Howard, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).

Jerry Zgoda speculated earlier today that, with Chase Budinger out for three months, Pietrus, Howard, or Raja Bell could be a fit for the T-Wolves. As I suggested at the time, Howard may make the most sense of the three, since Pietrus is seeking more than the minimum while Bell's salary makes him an undesirable trade target.

MONDAY, 4:08pm: A day after we heard that the Timberwolves could reach out to Mickael Pietrus in their search for wing help, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reports (via Twitter) that the team has spoken to Pietrus' camp. According to Wolfson, the T-Wolves are interested in signing Pietrus, but money is still an issue, since Minnesota can only offer the veteran's minimum.

Last Wednesday, Wolfson reported that Pietrus' camp expected the former Celtic to sign with an NBA team in the next week to 10 days. It seems likely that the 30-year-old could find an offer if he were willing to accept the veteran's minimum, either from Minnesota or another club. However, agent Bill McCandless said earlier this summer that there was "no chance" his client would sign a minimum-salary contract. It seems that stance hasn't changed much, even three and a half months later.

If the Wolves were to add Pietrus or another veteran, the team would need to make a corresponding roster move to clear a spot. Minnesota currently has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, with Will Conroy playing on a partially guaranteed deal.

Western Rumors: Spurs, Wolves, Pekovic

November 14th, 2012 at 5:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

While it's not uncommon for several members of a team to butter up an opponent before a game, Knicks coach Mike Woodson delivered a theory on the success of the Spurs in advance of their matchup on Friday, as Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express News documents. "So when young guys or any new player comes on their team, they have to buy in because those banners are up there for a reason," Woodson said. "So I think the transition for a lot of the players that come here is easier." The praise of San Antonio seems warranted as they sit on top of the Western Conference at 7-1. Here's the latest on a few of the teams trying to knock them off that pedestal.

An agent who is trying to get his player on the Wolves believes the team is trying to make some kind of trade, Darren Wolfson reveals via Twitter. Minnesota is looking for help on the perimeter, and Hoops Rumors readers have so far identified them as the team most in need of a new wing player.
HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram calls Nikola Pekovic "the best young traditional center in the NBA," and details his growth as a player as he takes on double-teams with so many of his Wolves teammates out with injury.
Phil Jackson's desire for significant organizational power was the stumbling block that kept him from becoming coach of the Lakers, just as it prevented the Knicks from pursuing him last spring, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
The Lakers put Mike D'Antoni in a no-win situation by reaching out to Jackson, thus forcing D'Antoni to deal with being seen as Plan B in addition to the heightened expectations that already surround the team, opines Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Deveney, in his wide-ranging piece, also questions the bargaining power of Royce White while noting the success of several other 2012 draftees.
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com has been supportive of White in the past, since they suffer from the same anxiety problems, but now Moore takes the rookie to task for his playing-time demands and Twitter outbursts.