Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Odds & Ends: Tolliver, Rubio, Knicks

September 13th, 2012 at 10:40pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Anthony Tolliver has been working out with several Timberwolves players, namely Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger (Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) looks at it as a sign that Tolliver "badly" wants to remain in Minnesota next year. In another tweet, Zgoda caught Nikola Pekovic's thoughts regarding Ricky Rubio, saying that while the Spanish point guard looks good and hopes to be running again next week, he is still aiming for a return in December. We've had quite a bit of updates tonight, so be sure to check out the newest tidbits from around the league here..

Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets that Trail Blazers guard Elliot Williams is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a ruptured achilles tendon.
Justin Verrier of ESPN talks about Chris Bosh's willingness to continue playing center after contributing to a successful title run at that position with the Heat.
Free agent Maurice Evans remains confident in the leadership ability he can bring to a team, says Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Although a source suggested that the Wizards offered him a position in their front office, Evans says that he believes he still has value as a player.
ESPN's Chris Broussard writes that Hakeem Olajuwon is slated to visit with the Knicks for several days next week to continue working out with Amare Stoudemire in addition to helping Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Marcus Camby. On another matter, Tracy McGrady's health looked "good" during his workout with the team (Ian Begley of ESPN New York tweets).
According to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, Dwight Howard's rehab is going well, although he won't be ready for the start of training camp or the start of pre-season. Earlier, Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register reported (via Twitter) that the Lakers were expected to make an announcement today regarding an update of Howard's recovery from back surgery.

Mickael Pietrus Close To Signing?

September 13th, 2012 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Mickael Pietrus' camp believes that Pietrus is close to a deal with a team, according to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 (via Twitter). While Wolfson isn't sure which club is the frontrunner for Pietrus' services, he says it doesn't appear to be the Timberwolves.

Pietrus' agent said earlier in the offseason that his client wouldn't be signing for the minimum salary, and while that still may be the case, it's hard to imagine the 30-year-old getting too much more than that. Pietrus was said to be interested in returning to the Celtics for the team's bi-annual exception, and the Bucks were also eyeing the Frenchman, though their interest reportedly waned.

Pietrus has been well-traveled in recent years, playing for the Magic, Suns, and Celtics within the last two seasons. In 2011/12 for Boston, the 6'6" wing averaged 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game.

Wolves To Sign Will Conroy

September 11th, 2012 at 10:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

Guard Will Conroy hinted at a deal with the Timberwolves earlier tonight on Twitter, and it appears that's exactly what's happening, as Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News reports that he'll receive a partially guaranteed contract from the team (Twitter link). It will likely be a minimum-salary deal for the former University of Washington teammate and close friend of Brandon Roy.

The 6'2" Conroy has had stints with the Grizzlies, Clippers and Rockets, the last of which came in 2009/10. He's totaled just six points and 16 assists in 12 NBA games, but has played extensively in the D-League since going undrafted in 2005. He averaged 12.6 points and 9.0 assists with a 14.7 PER in 23 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers last year.

The Wolves have been focusing their attention on big men of late, so the move may be largely a favor to Roy, much as the Knicks' signing of Chris Smith was seen as a favor to his brother, J.R. Smith. Roy used Conroy's Twitter account back in June to announce his intention to come back from retirement.

Northwest Rumors: Williams, Stotts, Roy, Conroy

September 11th, 2012 at 8:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Blazers caught a tough break today, as guard Elliot Williams tore his left ACL during a voluntary workout, The Oregonian's Joe Freeman reports. He'll have surgery, but there's no date set for that and no timetable for his recovery (Twitter links). Williams missed his entire rookie year because of surgery on both knees, and this past season ended prematurely for him because of a dislocated left shoulder. He's played in only 24 games since the team drafted him 22nd overall in 2010, and though the $1.443MM he'll receive on his rookie scale contract this year is guaranteed, the Blazers have until October 31st to decide whether to pick up their option on his $2.374MM for 2013/14. There's more out of Portland tonight, along with news on other Northwest Division clubs:

Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge speculates that the Blazers could choose to waive Williams now and pay his guarantee anyway, as they did with Jeff Pendergraph in 2010 (Sulia link).
New Blazers coach Terry Stotts spoke with the team's broadcasters and had plenty to say about LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard and the transition into his new job, and Golliver has a transcript of the video that's on TrailBlazers.TV.
Mark Remme of Timberwolves.com checks in on Brandon Roy, who's begun workouts with Wolves coaches.
Will Conroy, Roy's close friend and former college teammate, tweeted about his excitement to join Roy in Minnesota, perhaps indicating that a training camp invite from the Wolves is in the offing (hat tip to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News). Conroy briefly spent time with the Grizzlies, Clippers and Rockets, but only has 12 career NBA games and hasn't appeared in the league since 2009/10.
The Idaho Stampede, the Blazers' D-League affiliate, has hired Michael Peck, a high school coach at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada, as its new coach, Golliver reports (Twitter link). He beat out former Blazers assistant coach Dan Dickau, who was also reportedly a candidate for the post.
Thunder GM Sam Presti shared his thoughts on an extension for James Harden, as we noted earlier today.