Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kevin Love Will Lobby For Offseason Moves

April 25th, 2012 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Love will be in line for a big raise next season when his new contract extension kicks in, but the Timberwolves should still have some flexibility to make roster moves. If the T-Wolves choose not to retain free agents like Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph or partially-guaranteed players like Martell Webster, the team could have nearly $10MM in cap room, and Love would like to see them take advantage of it.

"I think we just need to make some moves," Love told Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, adding that he will encourage management to be aggressive in acquiring veterans.

Minnesota's own first-round pick will head to New Orleans, but the team will have Utah's first-rounder, which figures to take up some cap room. Between the draft pick and cap holds, the team won't have a ton of space to pursue high-end free agents, and Zgoda believes that a trade may be more likely than a free agent signing for the Wolves, perhaps for a player like the Rockets' Kevin Martin. Still, coach Rick Adelman thinks Minnesota's young core could attract free agents.

"When you look at Kevin and you look at Ricky [Rubio] and the style that we're going to play, it's going to be good," Adelman said. "I think people will look at it. We have some pieces people would like to play with. I mean, this team was pretty good not long ago and let's face it, guys like to get paid. So if you can pay 'em and you have some people around? There are some positives here."

The Timberwolves recently exercised their 2012/13 option on GM David Kahn, so he'll be responsible for attempting to improve a roster that looked like a playoff contender this season, prior to Rubio's season-ending ACL injury.

Courtney Lee Wants To Return To Rockets

April 23rd, 2012 at 10:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

Courtney Lee will be a restricted free agent this summer, but he'd "love to stay" with the Rockets, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

“Houston is always going to be my first choice," Lee said. "It’s up to those guys, if I get an offer, whether they match it or if they just come out and give me an offer.”

The Rockets acquired the former first-round pick as part of a four-way trade before the 2010/11 season, and used the 6'5", 200-pound shooting guard primarily as a backup until starter Kevin Martin got hurt midway through this season. Lee has averaged 14.2 PPG in 25 games as a starter this year, well above his career mark of 10.0 PPG.

A few teams, including the Pacers, Bulls and Clippers, were reportedly interested in trading for Lee this season, but the Rockets' price was too high. Houston's qualifying offer on Lee is $3.22MM, but he figures to command significantly more than that. The Pacers, in particular, will have plenty of cap room if they are still interested in pursuing him, and other teams in need of a shooting guard, like the Timberwolves, could get involved. The Rockets will have tough decisions to make on Lee and fellow free agent Goran Dragic. Both entered the season as backup guards, but emerged as starters and played well in the second half of the season.

Timberwolves Exercise Option On David Kahn

April 23rd, 2012 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have exercised the 2012/13 option on David Kahn's contract, reports Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Owner Glen Taylor says he has already informed or is informing the team's general manager of the decision.

Kahn is in the final season of his three-year guarantee in Minnesota, but the club holds team options for next season and 2013/14. Each option is separate, so the T-Wolves could still decide to decline their final-year option, despite picking up next season's.

While Kahn has received some criticism for his moves in Minnesota, most recently during the Kevin Love extension negotiations, the emergence of Ricky Rubio had the team looking like a playoff contender before injuries derailed the season. Kahn won't have the Timberwolves' first-round draft pick this June, as it's ticketed for New Orleans. However, as our tentative draft order shows, Minnesota is in good position to acquire Utah's first-rounder, which is top-14 protected and currently projects as 16th or 17th overall.

Odds & Ends: Pacers, Orton, Warriors, T-Wolves

April 22nd, 2012 at 10:09pm CST by Daniel Seco

If the Rockets beat the Hornets on Thursday, it will mark their third consecutive season of missing the playoffs while finishing with a winning record, tweets John Schuhmann of NBA.com. Let the pain of that fact sink in as we take a look around the league to catch up on the latest news and happenings.

Now that the Pacers have clinched the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, head coach Frank Vogel needs to figure out which players he needs to rest before likely facing the Magic in the first round, writes Conrad Brunner of Pacers.com.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says Magic rookie Daniel Orton has taken the criticism he received from head coach Stan Van Gundy in stride as he knows he has a long way to go to becoming a contributing NBA player.
Being out of the playoff race has allowed the Warriors to experiment with different lineups and provide extensive minutes to the team's rookies, reports the Associated Press (link via the San Jose Mercury News).
Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports Luke Ridnour has joined Kevin Love on the list of Timberwolves starters who are being shut down for the remainder of the season.
Monday night's game against the Sixers marks the Nets' final game in New Jersey after 35 mostly forgettable seasons, reports the Associated Press (link via NBA.com). The team will move to Brooklyn for the 2012/2013 season where they will play in the brand-new Barclays Arena.
Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com says Sixers head coach Doug Collins wants his team to take care of business against the Nets on Monday so they no longer have to worry about the Bucks sneaking into the playoff picture.

Timberwolves Notes: Williams, Adelman, Tolliver

April 21st, 2012 at 8:29pm CST by Daniel Seco

With their highest win total since the 2006/2007 season, the Timberwolves can look forward to next season with a sense of optimism thanks to an improving core of young players featuring Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams. Starting center Nikola Pekovic has also emerged as a solid contributor to a team that looks a few pieces away from being a legitimate playoff contender in the coming seasons. Let's head to Minnesota to check up on the latest news from the Timberwolves.

Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press says Williams wants to use the offseason to get into outstanding shape like Love did last year. Williams, a power forward by trade, would like to get down to 225-230 pounds so that he could potentially play either of the forward positions. Love is currently the starting power forward for the Timberwolves while Michael Beasley and Wesley Johnson have split time at small forward.
Timberwolves head coach Rick Adelman has been tracking the Jazz's chances for making the playoffs given how Utah's fate will determine if the T-Wolves will have a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. If the Jazz make the playoffs, the Timberwolves will receive Utah's first-round draft pick (expected to be in the mid- to late teens), but the team would be left without a selection in the first round if the Jazz fail to make the playoffs. "We're certainly following it," Adelman said. "That'll add more excitement to the draft for us."
Zgoda spoke with backup center Anthony Tolliver, who said that his agent has had informal talks with the Timberwoles about a contract extension this offseason. Tolliver, an unrestricted free agent who has expressed interest in staying in Minneapolis, cannot receive a formal contract offer from the team until July 1. "There have been talks, but you never know on something like that," Tolliver said. "I'd love to stay, but so much can happen between now and then."

Draft Notes: Fournier, Lottery, Jazz, Wolves

April 20th, 2012 at 5:52pm CST by Alex Lee

With the 2012 NBA Draft scheduled for Thursday June 28th, we should expect to see more and more early entrant decisions and mock drafts as the next two months progress. Luke Adams recently posted an index page for our Prospect Profile series, which should become more complete as we near the draft. Let's take a look at some draft updates as we head into Friday night's games:

Jonathan Givony from Draft Express takes a look at Evan Fournier, and he says could be the only international player taken in this year's first round. Givony says the 19-year-old Frenchman is, at 6-foot-7 with a good frame, the ideal size to play wing in the NBA, but needs to work on his jumper.
Chad Ford in an ESPN insider piece provides a detailed look at the race for the top selections in June's draft as well as many of the existing trade scenarios that will help to shape the order. The Jazz, in particular, are an interesting case – they can still end up with two lottery picks, or they can end up with none.
Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press takes a look at the Timberwolves' draft situation, who will have an eye on the Jazz's final few games of the season. Minnesota traded away their own first rounder, but should the Jazz make the playoffs the Wolves would get their first rounder as part of the Al Jefferson trade. Walters says Minnesota is desperate for a shooting guard.

J.R. Smith Expected To Decline Option

April 18th, 2012 at 4:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after he returned from China and signed with the Knicks, J.R. Smith told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that he anticipated picking up his second-year player option and remaining with the Knicks. I was a little skeptical at the time, since the option will only be worth about $2.5MM, and Smith should easily be able to land a longer and larger deal on the open market.

So it's not a huge surprise to see Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reporting that Smith is expected to turn down his option for 2012/13. According to Kennedy, Smith will seek a multiyear deal, with the Timberwolves, Clippers, and Magic among the teams likely to have some interest.

If Smith does opt out of the second year of his contract, the Knicks will have difficulty re-signing him. Even if New York doesn't pursue a big-name free agent, the team may need to use its mid-level exception to retain Jeremy Lin, leaving little to offer Smith, who wouldn't have Bird rights.

When Smith came back from China, most of his NBA suitors could only offer portions of their mid-level or mini mid-level exceptions, meaning he had to sign for a discount to join the Knicks. In 2010/11, Smith earned $6MM+ for the Nuggets. While he may not find a multiyear guarantee that pays him $6MM+ annually, he should at least be able to easily exceed the $2.5MM on his option year.

Northwest Notes: Beasley, Blazers, Felton, Ahearn

April 18th, 2012 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves are one of only two NBA teams not in action tonight, but the Northwest's other four squads will play. Of particular interest is the game in Portland, where the Jazz need to beat the Blazers to remain in the playoff hunt. As we await tonight's slate of games, let's round up some Northwest Division updates:

Less than a week after declaring that he wants to return to the Timberwolves next season, Michael Beasley backtracked a little in comments to Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Beasley referred to his future as "blurry," expressed some frustration about not receiving a contract extension, and said he didn't want to get too comfortable in a reserve role.
Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge passes along some comments made by acting Trail Blazers GM Chad Buchanan on the impending managerial changes coming in Portland. Buchanan figures the new general manager will need at least a month or so to prepare for the draft and free agency, meaning the Blazers should have a permanent GM in place by June 1st.
Raymond Felton talked to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian about his future and his season as a Trail Blazer.
Blake Ahearn is on the last day of his 10-day contract, and the Jazz are undecided about whether they'll re-sign him, writes Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune. GM Kevin O'Connor says the team will explore all its options before making the decision.

Odds & Ends: Magic, Randolph, Kings, Irving

April 15th, 2012 at 9:59pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Earlier this evening, an ESPN report (via the Associated Press) indicated that Stan Van Gundy is prepared to handle the rest of the season and playoffs without Dwight Howard. To make matter worse, forward Glen Davis hyper-extended his right knee today during the first quarter against the Cavaliers and did not return for the rest of the game. Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweeted that Davis is unsure about when he'll be able to play again this year, which currently leaves Daniel Orton as the only true big man on the Magic roster. It should be noted that if the Magic decide to find replacements for their big man rotation through free agency, the only playoff-eligible players at this point are those who have not already played in an NBA game this year. You can find tonight's other significant stories here:

Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press writes that the determining factor in Anthony Randolph's future with the Timberwolves will significantly hinge on his ability to remain consistent as the team finishes out the year. Randolph is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and even with his brilliant performance over the last three games, coach Rick Adelman feels that the jury is still out on whether he can be counted on for a full season.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports writes that a Sacramento group including mayor Kevin Johnson is hinting at proposing new ownership for the Kings. The Maloof brothers had recently pulled out of a deal to finance a new arena with the city, much to the chagrin of the city members who are working hard to keep the team in Sacramento.
Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott will proceed with caution with regards to the health of Kyrie Irving, says Tom Reed of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Irving is recovering from a sprained right shoulder, and Scott would rather have him focused on being ready for off-season workouts than returning for the team's final weeks.
Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated examines the role of Chris Bosh as the key to Miami's playoff success.
Raymond Felton has likely seen his last minutes of the season with the Trail Blazers, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Interim GM Chad Buchanan said that he and Felton agreed that this would be an opportune time to properly evaluate their other young guards, namely Nolan Smith and Jonny Flynn. Haynes also wrote another article in which he asked Kings GM Geoff Petrie about being linked to the Blazers vacant GM position, to which Petrie replied: “That's something I can't really comment on. I have a job.”
Ten things you need to know about Derrick Favors, according to Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post spoke with coach George Karl to reflect on how he has handled coaching while prioritizing his life during this season.

Odds & Ends: Lee, Bynum, Howard, Spurs, Wolves

April 13th, 2012 at 11:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's been a full day in the NBA, with a dozen games on the schedule and plenty of news coming out of the Board of Governors meetings in New York, including a new owner for the Hornets and turmoil in Sacramento. Here are a few links to round out an eventful Friday the 13th:

David Lee is likely out for the year with a groin strain and stress reaction, the Associated Press reports. The Warriors announced that team doctors have advised him to rest until he's healed. Golden State may put a fourth rookie, Mickell Gladness, in their depleted starting lineup, notes Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Fran Blinebury of NBA.com argues a change of scenery might have been best for Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard, and speculates that the Lakers and Magic may regret not swapping their centers before the trade deadline this year.
Mike Monroe of the Express-News takes a look at how the Spurs are integrating midseason pickups Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson into their system.
The last days of the season will be critical for Wolves Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, Malcolm Lee and Wesley Johnson, whose futures are up in the air, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
The NBA expects to lose money this season on the heels of significant losses the last two years, but is projecting a profit for next season, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (hat tip to TNT's David Aldridge).