Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Poll: Which Team Most Needs To Add A Wing?

November 14th, 2012 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the season is only a little over two weeks old, a handful of teams have already seen players go down with significant injuries. The Pacers, Timberwolves, and Warriors are among the clubs to lose players for three months or more, having all lost key contributors at shooting guard or small forward.

For the Pacers, Danny Granger is expected to miss three months with left patellar tendinosis. Minnesota's Chase Budinger will miss around the same amount of time after undergoing knee surgery. And the Warriors won't even get Brandon Rush back this season after he tore his ACL in the team's second game.

All three teams have been linked to potential replacements since their players suffered their respective injuries, with free agents like Mickael Pietrus and Josh Howard discussed as possibilities, along with trade candidates such as Raja Bell. So far, none of three teams have made a move, but each club has the flexibility to do so, with fewer than 15 fully guaranteed contracts on the books.

Today's poll question is this: Which of these three clubs most needs to add a player on the wing? Granger is the biggest star of the three, but he should be back in time for the second half for the Pacers, whereas the Warriors will be without Rush all season. Meanwhile, Budinger isn't necessarily a top scorer in Minnesota, but with a handful of players already sidelined by injuries, the T-Wolves may be the team in most immediate need of a replacement.

So which club do you think most needs to make a move?

Heat At Top Of Kenyon Martin’s Wish List

November 13th, 2012 at 8:20pm CST by Luke Adams

8:20pm: The Wolves turned down an offer from Kenyon Martin to sign for the minimum, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. That seems to indicate he'd be willing to sign for the minimum to play for Miami, too, as well as perhaps other NBA teams.

12:29pm: The Heat have moved to the top of Kenyon Martin's wish list for potential destinations, a source tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Earlier this month, we heard that Martin is still seeking a contract offer, and is hoping to land with a contender.

If Martin is open to playing for the veteran's minimum, a concession he wasn't willing to make in the offseason, the Heat could potentially be a fit. Miami used its mid-level exception to sign Ray Allen, but is still eligible to sign players to minimum-salary contracts. The team is also carrying 15 players and would have to cut someone in order to make room for Martin, with non-guaranteed players Josh Harrellson and Terrel Harris the most logical candidates.

Still, there's no indication yet that the Heat are interested in signing Martin, who established career-lows in PPG (5.2), RPG (4.3), and PER (9.9) last season with the Clippers. The 34-year-old is one of a number of big-name free agents still on the market, two weeks into the regular season.

Western Rumors: Lakers, Wolves, Dirk, Rockets

November 13th, 2012 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

We heard almost a month ago to the day that the Lakers had made Steve Blake and Chris Duhon available via trade, and that hasn't changed even with Steve Nash out, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). Mannix reports that the Lakers have continued to dangle the two point guards in trade talks, but, unsurprisingly, neither player is drawing much interest. Here are a few more updates out of the Western Conference:

With Chase Budinger officially out for about three months, the Timberwolves will likely move to add a wing, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Zgoda names Mickael Pietrus, Josh Howard, and Raja Bell as possibilities, though Pietrus is seeking more than Minnesota can offer and Bell is still a member of the Jazz.
Dirk Nowitzki's rehab on his surgically repaired knee isn't progressing quite as quickly as he'd anticipated, Nowitzki said on FOX Sports Southwest last night. Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News has the details.
Following up on yesterday's report that the Rockets would send their three rookies to the D-League, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle notes (via Twitter) that that's always been the case with Rockets rookies who aren't getting regular playing time.
SI.com's Ian Thomsen fields questions on the Lakers, DeMarcus Cousins, the Grizzlies, and a few other topics in his latest mailbag.

Budinger Has Knee Surgery, Out Three Months

November 13th, 2012 at 10:50am CST by Sean Highkin

TUESDAY, 10:50am: Budinger has undergone surgery on his left knee and will miss the next three months, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Wojnarowski adds in a second tweet that Budinger had the entire meniscus in his knee repaired and that the procedure isn't expect to have lingering effects once he recovers.

SUNDAY, 7:54pm: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Chase Budinger will undergo surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, the team announced via press release (link from the Minneapolis Star Tribune). Budinger injured his knee during Saturday's game against the Bulls. It is unclear how long he is expected to be out, but a timetable will be determined after his surgery.

Between Budinger, Ricky Rubio, Kevin Love, and Brandon Roy, the Wolves are dealing with a rash of injuries to key players. Earlier Sunday, it was reported that the team was considering making offers to free-agent wings Josh Howard and Mickael Pietrus. This latest injury would seem to make it more likely that they turn to one of those players or another for short-term help.

Budinger had been averaging 11.8 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 23.5 MPG this season, his first in Minnesota.

Western Notes: Harden, McMillan, Jackson, Wolves

November 12th, 2012 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Less than two weeks into the NBA season, the Association's two biggest stories so far have come from two teams expected to compete for the Western Conference crown — the Thunder's trade of James Harden, and the Lakers' coaching change. We have updates on both Harden and the new Lakers coach, along with a few other notes out of the West, so let's check them out:

The final year of Harden's max-salary deal with the Rockets is only 50% guaranteed, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports (via Twitter). However, Deeks adds in a second tweet that there are a number of conditions Harden could meet to ensure it becomes fully guaranteed.
Mike D'Antoni is expected to reach out to Nate McMillan to offer him a spot as defensive assistant on his Lakers staff, reports Ken Berger of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link), people around the NBA expect Phil Jackson to take a job within the next year, since he's interested in returning if a team can meet his demands.
Wesley Johnson spoke to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld about adjusting to a new situation in Phoenix, and the Suns' prospects for the 2012/13 season.
With Chase Budinger set for knee surgery, the Timberwolves could ask the league for an injury exception to add a player without cutting anyone, but it doesn't appear they will, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

Odds & Ends: West, Allen, Garnett, Stiemsma

November 11th, 2012 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Reaction has been largely negative to FIBA's announcement of changes to the basketball World Cup. John Hollinger of ESPN.com characterizes the moves as a "money grab" that degrades the tournament (Twitter link). With qualifiers taking place in the middle of the season instead of during summer, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com believes Team USA may only have non-NBA pros at its disposal for those games (Twitter link). Tom Ziller of SB Nation tweets that Team USA could simply circumvent the qualifiers by winning the World Cup and Olympic gold every time, though that might prove a difficult standard to maintain. While we await more fallout on the international basketball scene, here's what's going on around NBA. circles.

David West wants to remain with the Pacers after this year, but he acknowledges the team's other financial commitments could make that difficult, reports HoopsWorld's Lang Greene.
Ray Allen was open to signing an extension with the Celtics during last season, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Washburn also notes the $12MM final season of the three-year contract Kevin Garnett signed this summer is only guaranteed for $6MM, per ShamSports.
Greg Stiemsma credits his work with Al Jefferson and Garnett for helping him establish his NBA career, notes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside runs down a list of seven-footers in D-League camps, while fellow Ridiculous Upside scribe Keith Schlosser observes that the Warriors affiliate is well-stocked with talent.
Omer Asik is the primary reason for the strong defensive play of the Rockets so far this season, concludes Jason Friedman of Rockets.com.
A source tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that the "odds aren't great" that top 2013 draft prospect Shabazz Muhammad will play for UCLA anytime soon. The NCAA has declared Muhammad ineligible for an unspecified number of games.