Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Wolves, Suns, Akognon, Nash

September 21st, 2012 at 11:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

Wolves owner Glen Taylor has had plenty to say of late, and while guaranteeing he'll be majority owner for the next two years to ESPN 1500 radio's Darren Wolfson, the owner also weighed in on the trade market. "Nobody is talking trade right now," Taylor said, adding that action should pick up once preseason begins. That could be interpreted as tough news for Anthony Tolliver, who'd like to return to the Wolves but has been unwilling to do so on the minimum-salary deal he'd have to take unless the team moved another of its contracts. While there hasn't been a trade since the Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum blockbuster was finalized on August 10th, that certainly hasn't stemmed the flow of news, and we've got more from the West tonight:

Lon Babby, president of basketball operations for the Suns, said the team "will not do anything dramatic at this point" to the roster in response to Channing Frye's season-ending heart ailment, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic tweets. There's no need for the Suns to seek a disabled player exception since they're more than $8MM below the cap.
Guard Josh Akognon, who's set to join the Mavericks in training camp, is headed back to China if he doesn't make the regular season roster, reports Christopher Reina of RealGM.com. D.J. Mbenga has already agreed to go to the Mavs D-League affiliate if he's waived, but Akognon apparently wouldn't be joining him. Both are longshots to make the team, since Dallas already has 15 fully guaranteed contracts.
Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld believes Steve Nash will have a greater impact on the Lakers than any other player changing teams this summer, and that includes new teammate Dwight Howard.
Danny Green gave the Spurs more than eight times the value of his minimum-salary contract last season, according to advanced metrics compiled by Quixem Ramirez of Air Alamo. As Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News points out, the Spurs had a host of players whose work exceeded their paychecks.

Glen Taylor On Sale, Darko, CBA, Kahn, Adelman

September 21st, 2012 at 9:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

This week we passed along a couple of updates on Glen Taylor's search for a buyer who would eventually succeed him as majority owner of the Timberwolves. Taylor, who said he won't sell the team to anyone who would move it out of Minnesota, spoke in greater detail about his plans and about the team's rebuilding process to Britt Robson of Twin Cities Business. Taylor told Robson he received "seven serious inquiries" about the team, and while most of them were rejected because they wouldn't guarantee the team wouldn't move, Taylor is confident he'll be able to announce the buyer before the Wolves' first game of the 2012/13 season, on November 2nd. It would be about six years before the new partner assumed the majority stake, Taylor said.

Taylor is also the chair of the league's board of governors, and he opened up to Robson about the new CBA and its effect on the Wolves, as well as other matters. Here are a few of his noteworthy comments:

On the decision-making process and how the team moved on from Darko Milicic:

“Most of the moves [GM] David [Kahn] is making are heavily influenced by what [coach] Rick [Adelman] has asked of us. But when it comes to finances, David will tell Rick no. At the end of the year, Rick gives me a report of what he thinks of each player. He tells me it’s the same one he gave David and that David knows he is giving it to me. Then he goes through the list. He says, ‘This is the first one I want gone’—that was Darko. ‘This is the second one I want gone. This is what I think of this player.’"

Regarding the CBA and its effect on the Wolves:

"The new deal really helps us. As bad as we’ve played and as bad as the economy has been, we were still in the middle of about 22 or 23 teams that were losing money. If we were losing $15 million or $18 million, some others were losing $40 million. [The new revenue-sharing fund] will step up over three years. Next year there is a possibility of $10 million—now, if we do well it will be less. But I would say that between $5 million and $12 million will come to us.”

About GM David Kahn:

"The person who convinced me about Kahn was Donnie Walsh, who was David’s mentor in Indiana and a guy I really like and respect. Donnie told me, ‘I’d take a risk on him. He’s very smart. He doesn’t know all the basketball stuff, but he’ll know how to run your team.’"

On coach Rick Adelman:

"We were going to build slowly with a young coach [Kurt Rambis] and young players. It was a good plan, but there was a misstep. Now we have a seasoned coach who has said ‘This is my last job.’ He is going to push faster because he wants to win sooner. But his [style of communication] is one I understand and can relate to."

Free Agent Notes: D.J. White, Whiteside, Yi

September 21st, 2012 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

As teams continue to fill out their training camp rosters with free agent signings, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld takes a look at which clubs still have cap space or various cap exceptions. Pincus' piece is worth checking out for an update on where your favorite teams stands, financially, and it also provides one important reminder: When the season begins, sign-and-trade deals are no longer permitted. Given the rule changes coming next summer, these next few weeks will be the last opportunity taxpaying teams will have to conduct sign-and-trade deals under the current CBA.

Here's the latest on a few free agents still looking for work:

ESPN.com's Marc Stein passes along "word from China" suggesting that the Shanghai Sharks are strongly pursuing unrestricted free agent D.J. White (Twitter link). We heard earlier this week that White was drawing interest from Israel.
GM David Kahn and the Timberwolves have been doing extensive due diligence on Hassan Whiteside, says Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500, who believes the big man is a good bet to join the T-Wolves (Twitter links).
Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside looks at whether Yi Jianlian's NBA window could be closing, and wonders if the former lottery pick would give the D-League a shot if it provided the best path back to the NBA.
Matt Dickey, who went undrafted out of UNC Asheville, is hoping to join the D-League for the coming season, according to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.

Taylor Considering Prospective T-Wolves Owners

September 19th, 2012 at 10:09pm CST by Luke Adams

10:09pm: Walters has tweeted that Glen Taylor now has three interested buyers.

12:24pm: Back in late July, we heard from Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor had found a buyer to succeed him as majority owner of the franchise. However, according to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Taylor is now considering more than one prospective owner.

"At first I opened it up to just one person and said I would 'hold it for you for a while,'" Taylor said. "But when we didn't get a deal done, I told that person there are other people who had made inquiries and that I'm going to talk to them, and that's what I'm doing now."

While Taylor didn't reveal specific details about the interested parties, Walters says there are believed to be three prospects in play. The plan would be for Taylor's eventual successor to first invest in about 25% of the franchise before gradually assuming more than 50% control of the team.

Inquiries have been made to Taylor about buying the franchise and moving it elsewhere, but that's "not part of the conversation," according to the Wolves owner — the new owner would be required to keep the team in Minnesota. Taylor added that he's in no rush to sell his majority stake in the franchise.

"I'm not anxious, and I'm not in a hurry," Taylor said. "I just think it's wise of me to investigate it for planning for the future, my family and the club. This isn't something I get real excited about. I just think it's the right thing to do."

Categories:
Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves Still Seeking Big Man, Wing

September 19th, 2012 at 5:15pm CST by Luke Adams

5:15pm: According to a tweet from ESPN contributor Darren Wolfson, the Wolves are still interested in free agent swingman Mickael Pietrus.

3:14pm: After a busy offseason that saw the team bring in new additions like Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, Chase Budinger, and Alexey Shved, the Timberwolves are still looking for a couple more pieces to round out their roster. According to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500, the Wolves would like to bring in another big man and wing player, but the issue of guaranteed salary has been a roadblock so far (Twitter link).

The Timberwolves have been linked to a number of players in recent weeks, including Sean Williams, Hassan Whiteside, Mehmet Okur, Mickael Pietrus, and Anthony Tolliver. However, Minnesota can only offer a minimum-salary contract, and based on Wolfson's report, it sounds as if the team may not even necessarily want to guarantee a minimum-salary deal.

In a second tweet, Wolfson says it doesn't appear that Raja Bell will be a target for the T-Wolves if and when he receives a buyout from the Jazz. Wolfson adds that Chris Andersen has interest in joining the Wolves, but that the interest isn't mutual. That seems to be a common theme for the Birdman, who also reportedly has unreciprocated interest in the Knicks and Heat.

Brandon Roy On Comeback, Wolves, Health

September 18th, 2012 at 11:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

Brandon Roy told Vince Cellini and Dennis Scott of NBA TV that during the 2010/11 season with the Blazers, "people around me got down on me," as Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge transcribes (Sulia link). That was a bittersweet year for Roy, who played in just 47 regular season games, coming off the bench for all but 23 of them as he recovered from arthroscopic surgeries on both knees. It was as a reserve that Roy seemed to announce his return to health as he led the Blazers to a fourth-quarter rally against the eventual champion Mavericks in Game 4 of their first round playoff matchup, but he hasn't played an NBA game since that series. Roy will be back soon, this time with the Wolves, and Golliver provides a longer transcription of the interview that touches on why he chose Minnesota and how his game has changed. Here are the highlights:

On his decision to come back, and why he picked the Wolves:

"It really is a crazy story. For me, I'm just happy to be back with the Wolves. For the last six or seven months after the whole amnesty and me sitting out, I had a conversation with my agent. I said, in my heart, I don't feel like I'm done playing basketball and I want to make a comeback. I told him with this coming back, I don't want to say that sitting on my couch. I want to get in the gym and start working and preparing for really coming back and giving it an honest effort. He called me and said there's a doctor down in Los Angeles doing the Regenecon procedure that a lot of NBA players and baseball guys are having. he said it would be great to go down there and do it. I flew down there and had the procedures done and ever since then I've just been feeling really good. I started meeting with teams, Minnesota showed a lot of interest and I was just happy to get a deal done and I feel extremely good being here."

Regarding his health and how that affects his on-court abilities:

"Honestly, right now and all summer long, I've been preparing to not have to take a step back with my game. I'll be honest, some of the lift isn't what it used to be. But my explosiveness, my explosiveness to get to the basket, is good. More than anything, I think I'm a lot smarter of a basketball player. The NBA season is long and my body isn't what it used to be. Right now I feel great. Me and coach [Rick] Adelman are going to sit down before the season and communicate throughout the year about how I'm feeling and what's the best way to get the most out of me. I feel great, right now there's nothing holding me back, I can go out there and play as much as I like."

About Kevin Love's influence:

"I'm really excited. He was the first guy to text me when I was meeting with Minnesota. The first thing I asked [Timberwolves president] David Kahn was, 'How does Love feel that I fit in?' He was just real excited to have me. He texted to say he would love to have me on the team and he was looking forward to training camp and improving. That made me feel great. Kevin Love had an incredible season last year and to cap it off with the Olympic team and all those great players. I just want to come in next year and help them make the next step, which is to get to the playoffs. Just so he can get that experience because I think he deserves it."

Odds & Ends: Bucks, Wolves, McGee, Cook, Mavs

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

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel checks in with several Bucks who are working out prior to the opening of training camp. Joining the workout are a few hopefuls who are auditioning for a formal invitation to camp, and that group includes Alando Tucker, the 29th overall pick in the 2007 draft, and Orien Greene, a four-year NBA vet who last played with the Nets in 2010/11. It's been a busy night as teams make their final moves before training camp, and we've got several more tidbits here:

Chase Budinger might be new to Minnesota, but he's no stranger to the Wolves coaching staff, having played under coach Rick Adelman and some of his assistants while they were together with the Rockets, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes.
In the same piece, Zgoda adds Anthony Tolliver to the list of players whose agents remain in contact with Wolves GM David Kahn. Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 reported earlier that Kahn was talking to the representatives of Hassan Whiteside and Sean Williams.
Hakeem Olajuwon has worked with several NBA players, but none have spent more time under his tutelage than JaVale McGee, who re-signed with the Nuggets this summer on a four-year, $44MM deal, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com writes (Insider only).
Brian Cook, who re-signed with the Wizards today, was initially apprehensive about getting sent to Washington from the playoff-bound Clippers in a deadline deal last season, but was quickly sold on the move when he realized his new teammates wanted to win, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post notes.
Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside looks at Josh Akognon's circuitous journey to Mavericks training camp. The 5'11" point guard is set to join the Mavs, likely on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal.
Mark Montieth of Pacers.com examines the basketball roots of Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard, an Indiana native who played under former Pacers coach Larry Brown in college.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel gives his take on the alliance of Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard, who are supporting the same local political issue in Orlando months after their acrimonious departures from the Magic.
The company that owns the Staples Center, home of the Lakers and Clippers, is up for sale, as Walter Hamilton of the Los Angeles Times writes.

Odds & Ends: Heat, T-Wolves, Hudson, Grizzlies

September 18th, 2012 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

After weeks of consideration, the Heat appeared to conclude their hunt for a big man yesterday, inking Josh Harrellson to a non-guaranteed deal. Another team that has long been eyeing free agent bigs, the Timberwolves, continued their search today. According to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 (via Twitter), Wolves GM David Kahn is still talking to agents, with Hassan Whiteside, Sean Williams, and others believed to be in the mix. That's one of a handful of today's odds and ends that we've yet to cover, so let's round up the rest….

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel fielded questions in his mailbag about how the signing of Harrellson would affect the Heat's roster and rotation.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio follows up his tweet on Lester Hudson from earlier today with a full story on Hudson's agency letting him go when he failed to attend a workout with the Bobcats. "The Bobcats ended up eating a ticket for $750," said agent Tyler Glass. "I worked so hard to get him a workout, and he didn’t show. The Bobcats were annoyed and they should have been. They’re a professional organization. You don’t skip out on workouts…. He really can play in the league. But what happened with the Bobcats… Word gets around."
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld makes his picks for the offseason's most underrated acquisitions.
The sale of the Grizzlies to Robert Pera continued to move in the right direction today, as Memphis City Council approved transfer of the city's agreement with ownership. Amos Maki of the Memphis Commercial Appeal has the details.
With Dwight Howard no longer a distraction, the Magic are excited about their new direction, writes John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com.

Northwest Links: Williams, Roy, Harden, Jazz

September 14th, 2012 at 10:11pm CST by Alex Lee

The Blazers announced, via Twitter, that Elliot Williams underwent successful surgery on his left Achilles tendon today and will miss the entirety of the 2012-13 season. Williams ruptured his Achilles on Tuesday during a voluntary workout, which is the latest misfortune for the snakebitten former Memphis Tiger. CSN Northwest has more details on the surgery here. Here are some other links from the Northwest Division:

Brandon Roy said on Thursday that he wants to "come in and make an impact right away" for the Timberwolves, writes Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press. Roy has expressed confidence all offseason: "I want to be ready to deliver. A lot of people think I'm going to be limited. I tell them, 'Go ahead and think that way.' I'm not cautious about anything. I'm confident everything will go well." I asked readers a month ago how Roy would fare this year, and about half of you thought he'd average around 10 points per game.
The staff at HoopsWorld published their season preview for the Timberwolves, complete with strengths, weaknesses and predictions. The consensus is that Minnesota will finish right smack in the middle of the Northwest, which would be an improvement from last year's last place finish.
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News looks at five scenarios in play for James Harden and the Thunder. He predicts that the team will wait until next summer to re-sign him as a restricted free agent, getting rid of Kendrick Perkins and others to clear the necessary cap space to do so.
Ben Golliver of CBS Sports gives his offseason report card for the Jazz. He gives Utah a B, concluding that it was a typically quiet but effectively offseason for the team. Golliver says that hiring Dennis Lindsey as their GM was a coup, especially considering the similarity in markets and the amount of current Jazz players that may hit free agency soon.

Odds & Ends: Kirilenko, LeBron, Nets, Gordon

September 14th, 2012 at 12:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's this morning's look around the Association..

Andrei Kirilenko spoke with Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune about why he ultimately chose to sign with the Timberwolves this summer. The forward said that he picked Minnesota in part because of his affinity for coach Rick Adelman, who he first started following when he was coaching the Kings.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't believe that LeBron James changing agents indicates that he's thinking about leaving Miami in 2014, but thinks that the Heat will have to hold their breath for at least few days during that summer. Earlier this week, James left CAA to join up with a newly-formed agency headed by childhood friend Rich Paul.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld identifies the coaches that need to win in 2012/13 in order to keep their jobs. The list is headlined by Nets coach Avery Johnson, who was never expected to win in New Jersey but will have to deliver in Brooklyn. Bucks coach Scott Skiles could also be looking for work if he can't guide Milwaukee to the postseason.
Players from non-playoff teams got a bigger chunk of the free agency money pie this offseason than those hitting the market after taking part in the postseason, writes Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. The "losers" topped the "winners" $651MM vs. $608MM thanks in part to lucrative deals for Eric Gordon and Nicolas Batum.