Timberwolves Rumors

Latest On Lakers’ Failed Trade For Beasley

1:36pm: Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld reports a slightly different story on how the Beasley talks broke down, saying the Lakers were trying to send Luke Walton and other "salary dump type pieces" to Minnesota. Ingram suggests the reports on Fisher's inclusion causing Minnesota to back out are Lakers' spin.

10:42am: We heard yesterday that the Timberwolves had backed out of a potential three-team trade that would've sent Michael Beasley to the Lakers, Derek Fisher and Jamal Crawford to Minnesota, and a first-round pick to the Trail Blazers. The Lakers ultimately moved Fisher and that first-rounder to Houston for Jordan Hill, but a few details have surfaced on that failed deal have surfaced today.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, Anthony Tolliver would have also been involved in the deal, heading from Minnesota to Portland. McMenamin says the T-Wolves pulled out of the deal with just seven minutes left before the trade deadline, leaving Lakers officials "puzzled and disappointed."

Mike Breshanan of the Los Angeles Times hears from a source that the trade was "whisker-close" to being completed, but that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor blocked the deal. Presumably, if ownership vetoed the deal, it was for financial reasons rather than basketball reasons, though that's just my speculation.

Anthony Carter Interested In Spurs, Wolves, Heat

The Raptors officially waived Anthony Carter yesterday, giving the team a chance to play more of its young players over the final few weeks of the season. For Carter, the move means he'll likely get a chance to catch on with a contender.

Carter will have to clear waivers before becoming a free agent and signing anywhere he likes, which is no guarantee. But Carter tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that agent Bill Duffy has already talked to the Spurs and Timberwolves about a potential signing (Twitter link). Carter would be interested in joining either team, and wouldn't mind going to Miami either, though the Heat haven't expressed interest yet (Twitter links). Tomasson finds Miami an unlikely destination, since the Heat are more focused on adding a big man (Twitter link).

Carter, 36, spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career playing with the Heat, Spurs, and Timberwolves, respectively. Since then, he's joined the Nuggets, Knicks, and Raptors. In 623 career games, the point guard has averaged 4.8 points and 3.8 assists in 19.6 minutes per contest.

Odds & Ends: Beasley, Bucks, Spurs, Nash

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Thursday night:

Timberwolves Backed Out Of Beasley Deal

The Lakers and Blazers had agreed to a three-team trade that would've sent Michael Beasley to the Lakers, with Jamal Crawford and Derek Fisher heading to the Timberwolves, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. However, the T-Wolves pulled out of the deal, says Cooper (Twitter link).

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune echoes Howard-Cooper's report, saying that Minnesota decided upgrading from Beasley to Crawford wasn't enough to justify the additional salary heading to the T-Wolves (Twitter link). The Wolves also had no guarantee that Crawford would exercise his player option and remain in Minnesota next season, says Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (via Twitter).

Zgoda adds that Luke Ridnour and Steve Blake don't seem to have been involved in the discussed deal, as the Blazers would have received Dallas' first-round pick from the Lakers (Twitter links).

Failed Deals: Beasley, Crawford, Allen, Pierce

You've read about the trades that were completed prior to the deadline, but there were also plenty of moves that didn't quite work out. Here are a few that have been reported so far:

  • The Lakers had been in talks to acquire Michael Beasley in a deal that would've sent Jamal Crawford and Derek Fisher to the Timberwolves, with Dallas' first-round pick going to the Blazers, says Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (on Twitter).
  • Crawford also could've gone to the Lakers, but the Blazers didn't want to take on Derek Fisher, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Before they acquired Nick Young, the Clippers talked extensively with the Rockets about trading for Courtney Lee, tweets Sam Amick of SI.com.
  • The Clippers were also "this close" from acquiring Ray Allen, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link).
  • The Celtics had serious talks with several teams about both Allen and Paul Pierce, but nothing came together, says Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
  • Another interesting tidbit from Amick: He says the Nuggets tried to engage the Kings on Nene/DeMarcus Cousins swap about a month ago, but the Kings weren't interested (Twitter links).
  • The Bucks made a "strong late push" for the Hornets' Carl Landry, but couldn't work anything out, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
  • GM Otis Smith told John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com that the Magic explored many deals to bring in help around Dwight Howard, but that the risk/reward factor didn't make sense (Twitter link).

Lakers’ Talks For Michael Beasley Falling Apart

1:46pm: Amico's GM source now says talks for Beasley are "collapsing" (Twitter link). Mike Breshanan of the Los Angeles Times also says discussions are falling apart rapidly (Twitter link).

1:16pm: The Lakers are "closing in" on a trade for Michael Beasley, a Western Conference GM tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link).

Los Angeles managed to work out a deal for Ramon Sessions without using its $8.9MM trade exception, so the Lakers could absorb Beasley's salary without sending out any players. However, the Sessions deal saw the Lakers give up its 2012 first-round pick, so L.A. only has the Mavericks' 2012 first-rounder to work with now.

Lakers Still Could Make Multiple Deals

The pace of the Lakers' trade talks has picked up to the point where Los Angeles could make multiple trades before the deadline, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.

Yesterday, I would've assumed that two trades for the Lakers would mean bringing in Michael Beasley from the Timberwolves and Ramon Sessions from the Cavs, but J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today reports (via Twitter) that the Lakers' three-way talks with Portland and Minnesota for Beasley seem to be losing momentum. Falgoust hears that Portland "dragged its feet," and that other deals are now in the works.

Earlier reports suggested that the Lakers were gaining interest in Jamal Crawford.

Kyler On Rockets, Gasol, Pacers, Blazers, Smith

In his NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler reported that Dwight Howard is highly unlikely to change his mind again, but that the Magic seem to have a deal they'd do with the Nets if Howard waffles once more. You can follow all of today's Howard updates here, and check out the rest of Kyler's morning notes below:

  • The Rockets are discussing more than half their roster in trades, having offered around Terrence Williams, Jonny Flynn, Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, Patrick Patterson, Luis Scola, Hasheem Thabeet and Courtney Lee. According to Kyler, Houston would trade any combination of those players to acquire Chris Kaman.
  • The Bulls want Lee, but aren't likely to meet the Rockets' asking price, which would mean parting with Taj Gibson or Omer Asik. The Pacers and Timberwolves are also eyeing Lee.
  • Houston has a standing offer out to the Lakers for Pau Gasol, but it doesn't include Kyle Lowry, so nothing is expected to happen there.
  • If the Blazers' three-team deal with the Timberwolves and Lakers involving Jamal Crawford falls through, Portland may have a backup trade in place with the Pacers.
  • The Magic won't be able to make a move for Josh Smith, which isn't a surprise. One league source tells Kyler the Hawks want an All-Star frontcourt player in exchange for Smith, so a deal is very unlikely.

Los Angeles Rumors: Beasley, Gasol, Bledsoe

The Lakers appear to be closing in on a three-way deal that would land them Michael Beasley, but different variations of the deal are being discussed. Most reports have Steve Blake and a first-rounder heading from L.A. to Portland, but Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported last night that it may be Luke Ridnour, rather than Blake, who goes to the Blazers. In that hypothetical trade, the Lakers would still give up a first-round pick, but wouldn't necessarily need to make a follow-up to replace Blake at the point.

While we wait to see how those negotiations shake out, here are a few Lakers- and Clippers-related rumors out of Los Angeles:

  • A Pau Gasol trade is "highly unlikely," tweets ESPN.com's Chris Palmer. Palmer says interest dropped way off after the Lakers reportedly backed out of talks involving Gasol and Rajon Rondo.
  • The Clippers continue to explore trades that would see them move Eric Bledsoe for a "big guard," says Palmer in a separate tweet.
  • Pedro Viola of ESPNLosAngeles.com thinks the Clippers will ultimately decide they can maximize Bledsoe's value by keeping him rather than trading him.

Latest On Rumored Lakers, Wolves, Blazers Deal

1:20am: Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports another variation on the proposed three-team swap, saying that the Timberwolves may send Luke Ridnour to the Blazers. According to McMenamin, the Blazers would still receive a first-round pick from the Lakers in the deal, which doesn't make sense to me — I'd think giving up Beasley and Ridnour would earn the T-Wolves that pick.

THURSDAY, 1:06am: A source tells John Canzano of The Oregonian that the deal should be completed Thursday morning (Twitter link).

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