Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wolves Rumors: Greene, Anderson, Lee

December 23rd, 2012 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Timberwolves have been particularly hard hit by injuries this season. They entered the year knowing Ricky Rubio would still need time to recovery from his knee injury last March, and Kevin Love missed the first nine games of the season with a broken hand. Chase Budinger is slated to miss three months because of knee surgery, and the team waived Josh Howard this week after he tore his ACL. There's yet more news on the team's injury front, as we detail here along with other Wolves rumors.

Donte Greene is on the shortlist for the the Wolves as they seek someone to replace Josh Howard, tweets Darren Wolfson. Minnesota is unlikely to sign anyone for another week, but the team worked out Lazar Hayward yesterday and has another audition scheduled on Wednesday for James Anderson, Wolfson reports (Twitter link).
Minnesota will also probably be without guard Malcolm Lee for the balance of the season, though he has yet to decide whether to have surgery to repair the chrondal injury he suffered to his right knee, notes Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Wolves GM David Kahn outlined the sort of player he'd like to sign, as Alex Conover of Wolves.com chronicles. "We’ve lost Malcolm — in all likelihood for the season — and we’ve lost Josh, who isn’t here right now," Kahn said. "So when you think of that profile, somebody who is 6'5", 6'6", 6'7", long-armed in Josh’s case, defensive-minded in Malcolm’s case, capable of helping us a little bit offensively in both guys’ case … we’re missing two people, not one. So I think that’s the profile of who we’re looking for. We’ll obviously move reasonably quickly, but we want to be thorough."

Western Notes: Roy, Conroy, Fisher

December 22nd, 2012 at 10:37pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Here are some quick notes out of the Western Conference tonight:

Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets that DeMarcus Cousins has decided to hire Dan Fegan as his new agent, replacing John Grieg. Two of Fegan's most notable clients include Kevin Martin of the Thunder and Lakers center Dwight Howard (All Twitter links).
In what should be encouraging news for the Timberwolves and their fans, Brandon Roy returned to practice today and reported that he felt no pain in his knee (Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune reports). The veteran two-guard had been inactive since undergoing surgery on his right knee last month and hadn't played since November 9.
Will Conroy was at Minnesota's practice today, but attended as a special assistant to David Kahn and not as a candidate to re-join the team as a player, says Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press. The 6'2 guard and close friend of Brandon Roy had been released earlier in the season in order to make room for recently-waived Josh Howard. According to Kahn, Conroy will serve as the team's D-League scout before returning to Seattle to finish his school degree.
When asked about Derek Fisher being waived, coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters to ask GM Mitch Kupchak if the team had any interest in the former Lakers guard (according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles via Twitter). Although we heard an earlier report that Fisher was contemplating retirement, Ramona Shelburne (also of ESPN LA) tweeted that in the event that he would still continue playing, any team who signs him would have to inherit the non-guaranteed deal he signed with the Mavericks.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas provides the current rundown of Rick Carlisle's point guard situation following Fisher's abrupt departure.
Alex Kramers of TheKingsBlog.com elicited the reaction from the Kings locker room as they prepare to compete without DeMarcus Cousins. Coach Keith Smart told the media that the situation will be reassessed within the next few days. On a different and much lighter note, Kramers delves a bit into the minor ties between Jimmer Fredette and the Warriors' Stephen Curry.

Timberwolves Work Out Hayward, Anderson On Radar

December 22nd, 2012 at 7:54pm CST by Ryan Raroque

7:54pm: Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that today's workout was indeed with Hayward, adding that James Anderson is also now on Minnesota's radar.

7:37pm: Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press reports that although the Timberwolves held a workout today and plan for another one this upcoming Wednesday, GM David Kahn won't look to add another wing player until after the Christmas holiday. Although Kahn did not identify the players on their workout list, Richardson mentions that Lazar Hayward could be one of the team's targets.

After losing guard/forward Josh Howard and Malcolm Lee to season-ending injuries, Minnesota has been reportedly flooded with calls from agents and players looking for an opportunity.

Odds & Ends: Varejao, Bargnani, Mayo

December 21st, 2012 at 11:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

A night after the first-place Thunder lost to tighten up the Western Conference race, the idle Heat slipped into the top spot in the East by percentage points on Friday when the Knicks fell at home to the Bulls. There's still plenty left to be resolved this season, and with the trade deadline now less than two months away, the level of intrigue is on the way up. Here's more from the Association.

In a HoopsWorld video, Alex Kennedy says consensus around the league is that the Cavs will trade Anderson Varejao this season, and with some executives still high on Andrea Bargnani, Kennedy wouldn't be surprised to see a team take a risk to bring him on board.
O.J. Mayo wasn't caught off guard when the Grizzlies let him walk in free agency, and the two sides didn't have talks about bringing him back this summer, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. "Once you see the writing on the wall, you can’t be dumb to the fact," Mayo said. “I didn’t even go to the exit meeting. I pretty much knew what it was.”
Lou Williams had hoped he wouldn't have to come back to Philadelphia with an opposing team, as he did tonight, and wanted to work out a return to the Sixers in free agency last summer, Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com has the details. "I think Philly did a good job of making my decision easy for me," the Hawks guard said. "They made it clear they were going in a different direction and at that time I had to find somewhere else to go, and luckily for me I landed on my feet in my hometown. Both sides moved on. It is what it is, and I am sure they are happy with what they got out of the deal and I am happy to be at home."
Andrei Kirilenko fit the profile of what the Wolves front office identified as the team's most pressing need this past offseason, but Minnesota still had questions about him, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Kirilenko is answering those doubts, and coach Rick Adelman has been surprised at just how much the 31-year-old defensive ace has helped the team.
The Suns recalled Kendall Marshall from the D-League today, but the rookie doesn't appear to be any better from the experience, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.

Wolves Rumors: Redick, Williams, Love, Varejao

December 21st, 2012 at 7:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ever since the Wolves released Josh Howard following news of his ACL tear yesterday, we've heard plenty about potential replacements, as a roster spot on a team contending for a playoff spot has many NBA hopefuls salivating at the opportunity. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN has provided many of the updates via Twitter, and he's collected those rumors along with plenty of other Wolves-related scuttlebutt in his latest piece. We'll round up the highlights here.

Wolfson earlier today mentioned former Sonic Mickael Gelabale as one of the players reaching out to the Wolves about the open roster spot, and Gelabale's agent has contacted all 30 teams about a return to the NBA for his client, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. Charania also hears that the Wolves are unlikely to sign any wing player until after Christmas.

Earlier updates:

Minnesota would be "heavily" in the mix for J.J. Redick if the Magic decide to put him on the market. Derrick Williams' name has come up in connection with Redick in the past, but it'll take more than Williams to get a deal done, Wolfson hears. Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game listed the Wolves among a handful of likely trade partners earlier this week.
Kevin Love made a few hearts jump in Minnesota earlier this month when he questioned his future with the franchise, but according to Wolfson, no teams have called the Wolves' front office to ask about Love's availability.
Anderson Varejao is still "very much on the Wolves' trade radar," but Tyreke Evans is not, Wolfson writes.
The Wolves aren't thinking of signing Chris Douglas-Roberts, who's been the second-leading scorer in the D-League this season at 22.7 points per game after the Mavericks waived him at the end of training camp.
Though Howard's minimum-salary contract was non-guaranteed, he'll recoup some money from an insurance policy.
The Wolves own the draft rights to Serbian power forward Nemanja Bjelica, and the Wolves are entertaining the possibility of bringing him to the NBA next season. Wolfson provides a scouting report from an executive who likes his offense better than his defense.

Odds & Ends: Wolves, Heat, Nets, Johnson

December 21st, 2012 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Timberwolves have a roster vacancy following Josh Howard's season-ending injury and they're getting flooded with calls from agents, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). One guy who wants to be in Minnesota is Mickael Gelabale, who can opt out of his deal with Valencia on January 1st. Gelabale hasn't played in the NBA since tearing his ACL in the 2007/08 season with the Sonics. Here's more from around the league..

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't see the Heat and the Cavaliers teaming up for an Anderson Varejao trade. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert probably still has ill feelings towards Miami and Cleveland already owns their 2013 and 2015 first-round picks.
Knicks guard Jason Kidd doesn't think that Nets coach Avery Johnson is to blame for Deron Williams' shooting woes, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the coach,” Kidd said Thursday. “I think it’s just a matter of getting comfortable making shots. Also, he has new teammates. He’s got to get used to a new crew. It’s always a growing period."
Meanwhile, Johnson told reporters that he isn't concerned about his job security and doesn't fear the worst case scenario, according to Roderick Boone of Newsday (on Twitter).
Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal writes that freshman Kentucky center Nerlens Noel is similar to Anthony Davis, and is the current favorite to be the first pick in the 2013 draft.

T’Wolves To Audition Lazar Hayward

December 21st, 2012 at 8:41am CST by Zachary Links

Forward Lazar Hayward is in Minnesota today for a workout with the Timberwolves, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). It’s not yet known if Hayward will be working out solo or against competition (Twitter link).

Minnesota is looking to bolster their bench after Josh Howard tore his ACL and was subsequently waived. After hearing the news of Howard’s injury, head coach Rick Adelman told reporters that the team is now in need of a back up small forward who is capable of guarding wing players. Howard gave the T’Wolves some solid production, averaging 6.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and nearly 1 steal per game in 18.8 MPG.

Whoever the Wolves sign to fill the roster spot won’t receive a guaranteed deal, according to Wolfson (on Twitter). That makes a free agent such as Michael Redd unrealistic, as he won’t sign a non-guaranteed contract (Twitter link).

Hayward, 25, was released by the Rockets prior to the start of the season. The forward has appeared in 68 total games for the Timberwolves and Thunder since being drafted 30th overall in 2010.

Odds & Ends: Batum, Gallinari, Kabongo, Lee

December 20th, 2012 at 10:08pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jason Quick of the Oregonian looks at the friendly rivalry between the Trail Blazers' Nicolas Batum and the Nuggets' Danilo Gallinari that has stemmed from their days as young Euroleague stars hoping to make it into the NBA. Most notably, Quick mentions that Batum's salary negotiations this past summer were influenced by the type of deals that Gallinari, Marvin Williams, and Arron Afflalo had received with their respective teams. With that aside, here are a few more rumblings from around the Association tonight:

Derrick Rose took part in the non-contact portion of Bulls practice today, although coach Tom Thibodeau has not yet placed a timetable on the superstar's return (Seth Gruen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports).
Despite a strong start to the season, the Warriors' upcoming stretch against teams that have a notable inside presence will help determine if their interior defensive struggles against the Kings were either minor or a sign of a major problem, writes Marcus Thompson II of MercuryNews.com.
Rookie Royce White is "hopeful" that he'll play for the Rockets again sometime this season (Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets).
1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson confirms earlier speculation via a team source that Timberwolves guard Malcolm Lee will be sidelined for the rest of the year (Twitter link).
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweeted that Chris Douglas-Roberts is another top option available for the Timberwolves in addition to Michael Redd.
In his Nuggets Mailbag, Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post discusses why he thinks Gallinari has shown the capability of being a clutch All-Star type of player, why Carmelo Anthony isn't necessarily the clear-cut MVP right now, and the Nuggets' decision to commit to a long-term deal with Ty Lawson.

Who Should The Timberwolves Target?

December 20th, 2012 at 7:37pm CST by Ryan Raroque

With the Timberwolves now looking to fill a void at the wing position, we've heard today that Michael Redd and Chris Douglas-Roberts are among the options that the team could consider. Keeping in mind some of the available free agents who are capable of playing on the perimeter, who do you think the Timberwolves should go after?

Timberwolves Waive Howard, Could Target Redd?

December 20th, 2012 at 5:02pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Timberwolves have waived Josh Howard after an MRI revealed a torn ACL, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). CBS's Ken Berger also tweeted that Howard will need season-ending surgery. The 6'7 swingman, who had been signed last month, suffered his injury in a game against the Hornets just a few days ago. Since joining Minnesota, Howard had averaged 6.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and nearly 1 steal per game in 18.8 MPG, reaching double figure scoring in three out of 11 games.

After hearing the news of Howard's injury, head coach Rick Adelman told reporters that the team is now in need of a back up small forward who is capable of guarding wing players, but also mentioned that there haven't been any discussions regarding what management will do next. While Michael Redd may not be known for his defensive abilities, Zgoda suggests that the former Bucks and Suns player could be a possible consideration. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN added that whether or not it will be Redd, a new addition will be likely (all the Twitter links).