Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Jazz, Howard, Hickson, Beasley

January 2nd, 2013 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers saw their 17-game winning streak finally come to an end last night in Denver, and now sit percentage points behind the Thunder in the Western Conference standings. Still, ESPN.com's Chad Ford gives the Clips the slight edge over OKC as the best team in the West at the moment. Here are a few more Western Conference notes from Ford's chat and from a variety of other writers:

Responding to questions about trade candidates like DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Love, Ford suggests the Timberwolves should trade Love sooner rather than later (though there's no indication they will), and says the Jazz wouldn't be a logical suitor for Cousins, since Utah isn't the sort of team that would take that risk.
Elsewhere in his chat, Ford questions whether it's a lock that Dwight Howard will sign a long-term deal with the Lakers, noting that D12 "still pines for Brooklyn." Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld also wrote last night (via Sulia) that it's hard to see a long-term marriage between Howard and the Lakers working. I still think L.A. is the overwhelming favorite to sign Howard, but it's not necessarily the sure thing it seemed to be at one point.
J.J. Hickson is an early candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, according to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld. Hickson, who is playing on a one-year deal and could be a coveted free agent next summer, tells Raskin that he's not sure exactly what his future holds: "I don’t know. All I can do is control what I can control and that’s play the game of basketball and the rest will work itself out."
When Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined some of long-term deals signed last offseason that haven't worked out so far, he didn't mention Michael Beasley's three-year, $18MM contract with the Suns. But as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic writes, Beasley has "bottomed out" in Phoenix.
Newly-signed James Anderson talks to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle about what he hopes to bring to the Rockets.
Having been recalled by the Mavericks from the D-League earlier this week, Jared Cunningham tells Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News that his time with the Texas Legends was "good for me."

Wolves Sign Lazar Hayward

December 31st, 2012 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

12:58pm: It's a non-guaranteed deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). The forward's deal could be guaranteed in a matter of days, however.

11:46am: The Timberwolves announced that they have signed forward Lazar Hayward. Terms of the deal are not yet known but it is likely a non-guaranteed contract.

Minnesota auditioned the Marquette product on December 21st following Josh Howard's ACL tear and subsequent release. The Wolves would like to replace Howard's production off of the bench as he averaged 6.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and nearly 1 steal per game in 18.8 MPG. Hayward agreed to join the Los Angeles D-Fenders just yesterday but hopefully he didn't put his snow boots in storage.

The T'Wolves originally acquired Hayward in a 2010 draft night trade with the Wizards. Hayward played in 42 games as rookie and averaged 3.8 points per contest.

Odds & Ends: Jazz, Hamilton, Gelabale, Ahearn

December 30th, 2012 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

A few Sunday morning odds and ends from around the Association:

Given the number of Western Conference contenders with strong frontcourts, Lang Greene of HoopsWorld wonders if the Jazz would be better off hanging to all their big men. Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson are both in the final seasons of their deals, while Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter are considered Utah's bigs of the future.
Back in the Bulls' lineup, Richard Hamilton tells Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com that he isn't let trade rumors bother him. "It happens every year," Hamilton said. "Every year, if you ain't in a trade rumor, then you ain't doing something right. That's how I always looked at it. That's the way this game goes, you hear about stuff every day because GMs are talking to different players every day. It's nothing that I even get caught up or think about or anything like that."
French forward Mickael Gelabale would be open to signing with the Timberwolves if he received a 20-day guarantee, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter). Because all contracts become guaranteed on January 10th, the team can't exactly offer a 20-day guarantee at this point, but the Wolves could be willing to sign Gelabale to a pair of 10-day deals, or perhaps write buyout terms into a contract ahead of time.
Blake Ahearn, who was released by the Pacers before the season began, has agreed to sign with China's Dongguan Leopards, according to a Weibo report (passed along by HoopsHype).
With the Mavericks struggling, and at least nine of the team's 15 players set for free agency at season's end, coach Rick Carlisle will have a challenging stretch ahead of him over the next few weeks, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

Roy Has Setback In Rehab, Considering Retirement?

December 29th, 2012 at 6:30pm CST by Zachary Links

6:30pm: Via the official Timberwolves' PR Twitter account, Roy issued a statement saying that his goal has been, and continues to be, to return to the court as healthy as possible. The Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda (Twitter link) interprets this as Roy holding off retirement for now.

1:10pm: "All signs are pointing toward retirement" for Roy, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press. Roy has spent the last two days deciding between hanging it up and undergoing one more medical procedure to help his knees, according to Krawczynski (Twitter link).

12:39pm: Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy has had setbacks in rehabilitation from his knee injury and his return date is now uncertain, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Roy returned to Minnesota to practice before issues with knees forced him to step away again in past 48 hours.

The Wolves rolled the dice on Roy this offseason, giving him a two-year, $10.4MM deal. However, the second year of the deal is not guaranteed if Roy does not play in 65 games or log 1,400 minutes this season. Roy obviously won't reach 65 games this year and the 1,400 minute milestone is a virtual impossibility.

If the injury forces Roy to retire, the Collective Bargaining Agreement would allow for the Wolves to wipe the guard's $5.1MM salary from the books on January 9th, 60 days from the last game that Roy played. Roy is eligible for the injury exclusion as he played in less than ten games in 2012/13.

James Anderson Close To Deal With NBA Team

December 29th, 2012 at 4:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

James Anderson is nearing an agreement with an NBA team other than the Wolves, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Minnesota passed on Anderson after bringing him in Wednesday for a workout, Wolfson said. Anderson was reportedly set to sign in the D-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as of two days ago.

Anderson, who spent his first two seasons in the NBA with the Spurs, was in training camp with the Hawks and re-signed with the Spurs in November after Atlanta waived him prior to the start of the regular season. The Spurs let him go last week when injured Kawhi Leonard returned to the lineup.

San Antonio took Anderson with the 20th overall pick in 2010, but declined the third-year option on his rookie deal before the start of the 2011/12 season, making him an unrestricted free agent this past summer. The 6'6" swingman has averaged 6.7 points in 11.3 minutes per game over his NBA career.

Odds & Ends: Raptors, Jamison, Wolves, Bennett

December 29th, 2012 at 2:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's a busy 48 hours on the court, with a dozen games last night and another 11 games on tap this evening. There's plenty of news off the court as well, and we'll round it up here.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears that Andrea Bargnani is "a lock to be moved," and wonders whether the Raptors might try to package him with Kyle Lowry instead of Jose Calderon. The other Raptors appear to prefer playing alongside Calderon, Stein observes, and the team's defense has improved since Bargnani went down with torn ligaments in his right elbow.
Antawn Jamison expressed confusion about his diminished role with the Lakers 10 days ago, and now he doesn't appear pleased as he continues to stay chained to the bench, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. "It doesn't make sense at all," the power forward said. "They're pretty much telling me my services are no longer needed."
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN believes the Wolves may wait to sign a replacement for Josh Howard until January 5th, when teams can begin handing out 10-day contracts. He also thinks Minnesota is high on Mickael Gelabale, whose agent has reportedly been in touch with all 30 teams (Twitter link).
The Wolves made a half-hearted effort to sign O.J. Mayo over the offseason, making just one phone call, according to Wolfson (Twitter link).
UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett is gaining momentum with scouts as he contends for No. 1 overall spot in June's draft, tweets Aran Smith of NBADraft.net.

Odds & Ends: LeBron, Balkman, Magic, Millsap

December 27th, 2012 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The teams with the best records in the NBA are hosting the only two games on the schedule tonight, as the 21-6 Thunder, facing the Mavericks, will look to bounce back from a Christmas Day loss, while the 22-6 Clippers set sights on their 15th straight win with the Celtics in town. As we look forward to those contests, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

While many people around the NBA believe that LeBron James is considering an eventual return to the Cavaliers, SI.com's Ian Thomsen doesn't think that would necessarily be the best move for LeBron's career.
Ex-Knick Renaldo Balkman appears on his way to play in the Philippines in the new year, according to agent Sheryl Reyes (link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel looks back on 12 months of drastic change for the Magic.
Within his preview of a few 2013 NBA storylines, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com focuses on the big decisions coming in Los Angeles and David Stern's last full year as NBA commissioner.
Michael Scotto of RealGM.com talks to Paul Millsap about his contract situation, and speculates about possible suitors for the power forward next summer in free agency.
Russell Westbrook's five-year extension kicks in this season, and The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson argues that his ability to overcome lapses is the key to the future for the Thunder.
Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game takes to Sulia to explore why GMs like the Rockets' Daryl Morey receive more praise than less media-friendly GMs with comparable track records like David Kahn of the Timberwolves.
Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com warns Trail Blazers fans not to get too attached to J.J. Hickson, suggesting the team's best move may involve moving him before the trade deadline. We rounded up a few rumors relating to Hickson and the Blazers this morning.

Joey Graham Worked Out For Timberwolves

December 27th, 2012 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves' search for a wing player has them looking at a former first-round pick that hasn't played an NBA game since the 2010/11 season. According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, the Wolves had Joey Graham in for a workout on Wednesday, as well as James Anderson, who has since agreed to rejoin the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

We had previously heard that Anderson would be coming in to work out for the club, but Graham's name is a new one. Minnesota has also worked out Lazar Hayward within the last week and may still have interest in French forward Mickael Gelabale, as the team looks to replace Josh Howard, who was released after suffering an ACL injury. A move isn't expected until the new year.

Graham, who was drafted 16th overall by the Raptors in 2005, spent six NBA seasons in Toronto, Denver, and Cleveland, before playing in the D-League and overseas following the lockout. For his career, he has averaged 5.9 PPG and 2.8 RPG with a .483 FG% in 377 contests (16.2 MPG).

Odds & Ends: Wall, Felton, Raptors, Harden

December 26th, 2012 at 11:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

A pair of teams at opposite ends of the standings received news about their point guards that conflicts with the way their seasons have gone so far. John Wall told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's targeting sometime next month for his return to the Wizards from a left patella injury that's kept him out all season. Raymond Felton of the Knicks, meanwhile, told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link), that he'll likely have surgery on his broken right pinkie finger that will keep him out four to six weeks. While we don't normally cover injuries at Hoops Rumors, we do so when an absence could have an effect on personnel moves, and there's news on a couple more guys whose health could signal change.

Raptors officials said that center Jonas Valanciunas will miss the next four to six weeks with a broken ring finger on his right hand, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star notes, which might complicate matters if the team intends to trade Andrea Bargnani anytime soon while remaining competitive this season. With Bargnani still recovering from a torn elbow ligament, Aaron Gray has become a starter.
Smith also writes that coach Dwane Casey has decided he'll keep Jose Calderon in the starting lineup even when Kyle Lowry returns from a torn right triceps muscle. Calderon has long been a trade candidate, but the team could dangle Lowry instead, as we heard earlier today.
The Timberwolves had contact with the Thunder about acquiring James Harden, but Minnesota was rebuffed, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. It's unclear how far talks got, but it's no surprise that the Wolves at least made an inquiry, as just about every team surely did this summer while Oklahoma City stared down the dilemma over whether to grant Harden an extension.
The numbers show top pick Anthony Davis has played more efficiently than any other 2012 lottery selection, and he credits some of that success to the mentorship of Ryan Anderson, as Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com tweets.

Latest On Wolves, Anderson, Potential Signings

December 26th, 2012 at 5:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

5:56pm: Coach Rick Adelman said this evening that there are no new updates on the free agent front, adding that he hasn't seen anyone come in yet (Twitter link via the T-Wolves' PR account).

9:36am: The Timberwolves probably won't make a signing until after New Year's Day, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN, who confirms that the team is indeed set to work out James Anderson today (Twitter links). Minnesota is compiling a list of targets to replace Josh Howard, whom the team waived after he tore his ACL last week. Donte Greene and Lazar Hayward are reportedly serious candidates for the open roster spot.

Whoever gets the gig will be on a non-guaranteed deal, according to Wolfson, so there could be more movement on the horizon. With the exception of 10-day contracts, which teams can begin signing on January 5th, all contracts on the books become guaranteed for the entire season on January 10th. That means the Wolves could be waiting until the 5th to ink someone to a 10-day deal, or they could bring a player aboard before the 5th on a de-facto 10-day contract and waive him before the 10th.

Minnesota doesn't have any more than the minimum salary to offer, and the team, which has 14 players, probably won't open up a second available roster spot by waiving injured Malcolm Lee, Wolfson tweets. The Wolves are unlikely to seek a disabled player exception for Lee, either, Wolfson notes. That makes sense, since the exception would be worth half of Lee's second-year minimum salary, not enough money to sign anybody, even a rookie making the minimum. The only way the exception would be of any value to the team is if it traded for a minimum-salary rookie. There's no official word on a timetable for Lee, but Wolfson hears the shooting guard is done for the year with a chrondal injury to his right knee.