Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rudy Gobert, Chris Finch Fined For Criticizing Officiating

March 31st, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and head coach Chris Finch were fined on Friday for the comments they made criticizing the officiating after Wednesday’s loss to Phoenix, the NBA announced in a press release (Twitter link).

Gobert’s fine was $25K, while Finch was docked $15K.

As we previously relayed, Gobert was upset in particular about the moving screens he was called for on Wednesday and throughout the season, and suggested that Minnesota doesn’t get a fair whistle because the Timberwolves aren’t a big-market team.

“I’ve been in this league for 10 years and I try to always give the benefit of the doubt, but it’s hard for me to think they’re not trying to help (the Suns) win tonight,” Gobert said on Wednesday. “It’s hard for me to think they didn’t try to help the Warriors win the other night or Sacramento Kings the other night. It’s just so obvious. As a basketball player that’s been in this league for so long, it’s disrespectful.”

Finch wasn’t as direct in his criticism of the officiating, but he did take a page out of Monty Williams‘ book by griping about the free throw disparity between the Wolves and Suns on Wednesday. Finch suggested that Williams’ recent remarks along the same lines must have had a positive effect.

“It works because tonight they went to the line 27 times and we went to the line 12 times. Sitting up here and talking about it or whatever, must have worked for them,” Finch said, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “Because this is a team that doesn’t historically draw fouls at the rate they did.”

Williams ($20K) and Fred VanVleet ($30K) are among those who have also been fined recently for their criticisms of the referees.

D'Angelo Russell Has Nothing But Love For Minnesota

March 31st, 2023 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

As his Lakers prepare for a big game in Minnesota on Friday night, point guard D’Angelo Russell had nothing but praise for his former team and his former city, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details. Russell was traded from the Timberwolves to L.A. at last month’s deadline. “Fans here were amazing. I have nothing bad to say about Minnesota,” Russell said. “If you’re not here or you haven’t lived here or anything like that, then you’re not aware of how good of a city (Minneapolis) is and a sports town, how committed fans are to their sports, things like that. So the city has a lot to offer. They treated me with great respect.”

Wolves’ Naz Reid Breaks Wrist, Out Indefinitely

March 31st, 2023 at 11:41am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 31: The Timberwolves have issued a press release confirming that Reid suffered a left scaphoid fracture and announcing that he’ll be out indefinitely.

MARCH 30: Timberwolves big man Naz Reid has broken his left wrist, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawcyznski of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Athletic’s duo says that Reid will be sidelined for a “significant” amount of time with the ailment.

The center injured the wrist during the second half of an eventual 107-101 loss to the Suns on Wednesday, in a fall after a dunk attempt. Reid appeared to be playing in significant pain afterwards, as Krawczynski noted even prior to the news of the break (via Twitter).

Krawczynski tweets that Reid had emerged as a significant contributor to Minnesota of late. At 39-38, the Timberwolves currently occupy the Western Conference’s eighth seed.

The 23-year-old is the Wolves’ third big man, a crucial utility player who can be played at either frontcourt spot alongside starters Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. In 68 games this season, the 6’9″ big man had been averaging 11.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, and 0.8 BPG across 18.4 MPG for the Timberwolves.

Reid went undrafted out of LSU in 2019, and eventually signed a four-year deal with Minnesota. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and after earning the vet minimum this season.

Wolves Notes: Gobert, Officiating, Reid, Conley, KAT

March 30th, 2023 at 3:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was highly critical of the officiating following Wednesday’s loss in Phoenix and will likely be fined, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

The Wolves have felt they’ve gotten poor treatment from the officials all season long, so it wasn’t just about last night’s game, Hine writes. The Suns attempted 27 free throws versus Minnesota’s 12.

“It’s not fair. It’s really not fair,” Gobert said. “Every night. I’ve been in this league for 10 years and I try to always give the benefit of the doubt, but it’s hard for me to think they’re not trying to help [the Suns] win tonight. It’s hard for me to think they didn’t try to help the Warriors win the other night or Sacramento Kings the other night. It’s just so obvious. As a basketball player that’s been in this league for so long, it’s disrespectful.”

According to Hine, Gobert specifically pointed to how many moving screens he’s been called for this season, and he believes officials are favoring bigger-market teams.

“We understand that we’re not the biggest of the markets and we’re a team that — I think you want to see KD [Kevin Durant] in the playoffs, Steph [Stephen Curry] in the playoffs, you want to see LeBron [James] in the playoffs,” Gobert said. “[The] Timberwolves are not there yet. We got to keep putting our head down, keep playing through that and it’s frustrating for sure, especially for me.”

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Reserve center Naz Reid injured his left wrist yesterday after taking a hard fall on a dunk attempt, Hine adds in the same story. Reid was able to keep playing, but was in noticeable pain in the locker room afterward. It’s unclear if the fourth-year big man will miss time with the injury.
Prior to the game, Suns head coach Monty Williams praised Reid, Hine tweets. “He’s probably a starter in this league on some teams, if not most,” Williams said. If a rival team believes Reid can be its starting center, that might make it tricky for the Wolves to retain him, Hine notes (via Twitter). The 23-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, though he will remain eligible for an extension until the end of June. Reid was recently nominated for Western Conference player of the week.
In addition to his chemistry with Gobert, the Timberwolves traded for Mike Conley because they wanted a mature veteran who “cared less about making flashy plays,” sources tell Kendra Andrews of ESPN. The three-team deal saw the Wolves send out D’Angelo Russell in exchange for Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and three second-round picks. Head coach Chris Finch also strongly implied that Russell’s limitations as a point-of-attack defender played a factor in the trade, according to Andrews, who takes a look at the team’s outlook for the rest of the season.
On The Ringer’s Off Guard podcast with Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi, Wolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns said he would like to play for the Dominican Republic’s national team at this summer’s World Cup (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net). Towns last played for the Dominican team 10 years ago, prior to entering the NBA, Askounis notes.

Injury Updates: Randle, Clippers, Sixers, Wolves, Blazers

March 29th, 2023 at 9:11pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks received both good and bad news on Wednesday night versus Miami. The good news is point guard Jalen Brunson was able to play after missing the past two games with a sprained right hand, and the Knicks came away with an important victory (Twitter link via the team).

The bad news is power forward Julius Randle sprained his left ankle after landing on Bam Adebayo‘s foot following an offensive rebound (YouTube link), with Randle remaining on the floor for a while in pain. He stayed in the game to shoot free throws, but headed back to the locker room with a trainer.

Randle was able to limp off the floor on his own, but as soon as he was back in the team’s tunnel he was bent over in discomfort. The Knicks later ruled him out for the remainder of the contest (via Twitter).

Hopefully the injury isn’t severe, particularly so late in the season. Randle has appeared in all 77 games for the Knicks and was named to his second All-Star team last month.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was ruled out of Wednesday’s game in Memphis due to personal reasons, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links). Head coach Tyronn Lue said the team is hopeful Leonard will only be out one game. On a positive note, Norman Powell was able to return to action after missing the past 11 games with a shoulder injury — he was previously listed as questionable.
Sixers stars Joel Embiid (calf soreness) and James Harden (Achilles soreness) were active for Wednesday’s game vs. Dallas, tweets Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report the news (via Twitter). Embiid missed Monday’s loss in Denver with the injury, while Harden had missed four straight games.
The Timberwolves had several late additions to their injury report (Twitter link) ahead of tonight’s game in Phoenix. Kyle Anderson, Anthony Edwards, Taurean Prince, Austin Rivers and Matt Ryan are all dealing with an illness that head coach Chris Finch described as an “intestinal flu,” according to Chis Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). Edwards and Anderson were able to suit up, but the Wolves later ruled out (via Twitter) the other three players as well as Jaylen Nowell, who continues to battle left knee tendinopathy.
In addition to four starters being held out with various injuries and surgeries sidelining a couple other players, the Trail Blazers added three young players to Wednesday’s injury report ahead of their matchup with Sacramento (Twitter link). Second-year guard Keon Johnson is out with a fractured right finger, while second-year big man Trendon Watford will miss his second straight game with a sprained right ankle. Fourth-year wing Cam Reddish is doubtful due to lumbar soreness.

Lore, A-Rod Make Second Payment, Now Own 40% Of Timberwolves

March 28th, 2023 at 6:17pm CST by Rory Maher

The plan for Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez to succeed Glen Taylor as the controlling owners of the Timberwolves continues to move forward, as they have officially made their second payment and now own 40% of the team, sources tell Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (all Twitter links).

Lore and Rodriguez made a combined $290MM payment this time around and have now paid out more than $500MM in total, according to Charania and Krawczynski. Both owners have committed more than $200MM individually and have invested more than the required amount to this point in their agreement to buy the Wolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.

The incoming owners exercised their option to buy another 20% of the team back in December. A spokesperson for the duo confirmed a couple weeks ago that a second payment would be made on time.

The final stage of the ownership change would see Lore and A-Rod exercise an option to buy another 40% of the team by December 31, 2023. The last payment is on track for March 2024, per The Athletic’s duo — assuming that happens, Lore and Rodriguez would then control 80% of the team, while Taylor would be a minority owner with a 20% stake.

Lore and A-Rod released a statement confirming the news, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

“We are very excited to enter this next phase of ownership. We very much appreciate Glen’s partnership and guidance and will continue to work tirelessly alongside him to bring success to the fans of Minnesota.”

Rodriguez — a former MLB star — has now invested more cash than any former athlete purchasing a professional sports team, according to The Athletic. He has surpassed Michael Jordan, who paid $180MM to buy the Hornets in 2010.

There were reportedly some concerns in 2022 about A-Rod’s liquidity and some speculation that the plan for Rodriguez and Lore to assume majority control of the Wolves could be in trouble, but clearly it remains on track. Lore is a tech entrepreneur who made his fortune in eCommerce.

Injury Notes: Brunson, Bulls, Cavaliers, KAT, Grizzlies

March 27th, 2023 at 6:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks starting point guard Jalen Brunson will miss his second straight game on Monday with a sprained right hand, the team has announced (Twitter link).

The 6’1″ Brunson is enjoying a career season with his new club. Across 65 healthy games, he’s averaging 23.8 PPG on .489/.411/.833 shooting. The 26-year-old is also averaging 6.2 APG, 3.6 RPG and 0.9 SPG for New York.

Reserve guard Derrick Rose, who has been out of the rotation since the calendar rolled over to 2023, will also be inactive for this evening’s bout against the Rockets due to an illness, the Knicks add.

Here are some more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Bulls forward Javonte Green, who continues to recover from a January knee surgery after making a brief return to the lineup last week, will be out tonight against the Clippers, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Johnson adds that veteran Chicago guard Alex Caruso is considered questionable to play.
Several Cavaliers players comprise the club’s injury report ahead of the team’s game Tuesday against the Hawks, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). Starting center Jarrett Allen is questionable with a groin strain, while starting small forward Isaac Okoro is also questionable due to a sore knee. Swingman Danny Green and point guard Raul Neto will not play. Wing Dean Wade is doubtful to play through an illness. Isaiah Mobley, Sam Merrill and Dylan Windler are all going to be working with Cleveland’s NBAGL affiliate, the Cleveland Charge.
Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns will sit out tonight’s game against the Kings as he manages his right calf strain injury on the second night of a back-to-back, the team has announced (Twitter link). Two-way player Matt Ryan is out with an illness. All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards is questionable due to a sprained right ankle. Guard Jaylen Nowell is also questionable with a left knee tendinopathy.
At least five Grizzlies players will be shelved for Tuesday’s contest against the Magic, Memphis has announced (via Twitter). Beyond Brandon Clarke, who’s out for the year with a left Achilles tear, Ziaire Williams, Vince Williams, Jake LaRavia and Steven Adams are all also sidelined. All-Star point guard Ja Morant is considered doubtful to play due to a sore right thigh.

Timberwolves Notes: Reid, Edwards, Towns, Playoffs

March 27th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Dana Gauruder

Karl-Anthony Towns‘ return to action was a welcome sight for the Timberwolves but it created a pleasant dilemma: What to do about Naz Reid?

Though Reid moves to a backup role, he’ll continue to play steady minutes as the team embraces bigger lineups, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes.

“We got to find a way to make the two-big lineup work,” coach Chris Finch said. “It has to be who we are in these last eight games. We have the flexibility to go a lot of different directions. But when a guy’s playing this well, he deserves to be out there in some form or fashion. It’s my job to figure it out.”

Reid, an unrestricted free agent after the season, had a team-high 23 points in 21 minutes in the Wolves’ three-point win over Golden State on Sunday night.

We have more on the Timberwolves:

Anthony Edwards admits he was worn out in his first game back after missing three games with an ankle injury, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. Edwards was held to 13 points in 35 minutes. “Tired. Out of shape,” he said. “No legs. But we got the win, man, so I’m cool.”
Towns hit two clutch 3-pointers against the Warriors. The Wolves had three off-days before the game and that gave them more practice time to get Towns back into a rhythm, Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. “One thing is trying to work on KAT’s spacing and decision-making when he gets the ball,” Finch said prior to the team’s road trip. “We can’t have him coming in and being too much of a ball-stopper right now. We have a really good rhythm to our offense. The ball has been moving really well.”
The Wolves pulled within a half-game of the Warriors for the sixth spot in the West. If they can finish in the top six, it would allow them to avoid the play-in tournament. They play Sacramento on Monday night. “We knew where the standings are and we knew we had to beat them at all cost,” Towns told Hine. “We played with that kind of desperation.” Finch didn’t indicate whether Towns and Edwards would play in the second game of a back-to-back.

And-Ones: Ollie, Postseason Awards, Briscoe, Abu Dhabi

March 26th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Longtime NBA guard and former Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie is leaving his position as head coach of the Overtime Elite development team, Adam Zagoria tweets.

Ollie has been the Elite’s coach for two seasons. He issued a statement which read in part, “With OTE having a strong foundation in place, now is the right time to step away from my position. I’m looking forward to focusing on myself, my family and the next chapter in my career. I feel very confident that those standards will be sustained for years to come as they continue to build.”

We have more from around the basketball world:

Some of the bigger postseason awards are still in doubt, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. While Nikola Jokic was considered the strong frontrunner for the Most Valuable Player award, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid are now very much in the running for the honor. The same goes for the Rookie of the Year race. Paolo Banchero seemingly had it wrapped up but Walker Kessler and Jalen Williams have made a big impact on their teams despite playing far fewer minutes than Banchero.
Former NBA agent Charles Briscoe, who represented Dwight Howard among his clients, is among four men charged with schemes to defraud four professional basketball players of more than $13MM, the U.S. Department of Justice announced (story via Mike Vorkunov and other members of The Athletic staff). Briscoe is no longer certified by the Players Association and has not represented clients since last year. He is also being sued in Delaware state court for allegedly making false representations to secure funding for his startup sports agency.
The Mavericks are now scheduled to play two exhibition games in Abu Dhabi against the Timberwolves early next season, one more than initially reported, Marc Stein writes in a Substack article. It’s part of a growing NBA presence in Abu Dhabi. USA Basketball recently confirmed that it plans to train and play in Abu Dhabi, with a full complement of NBA players, prior to this summer’s FIBA World Cup in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines.

“Strong Optimism” Anthony Edwards Could Return Sunday

March 25th, 2023 at 1:03pm CST by Rory Maher

There’s “strong optimism” that guard/forward Anthony Edwards could return to the Timberwolves‘ lineup for Sunday’s game at Golden State, sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Edwards has missed the past three games — his first absences of the season — after spraining his right ankle last week against Chicago. He sustained the injury in the first quarter when he landed awkwardly and rolled his ankle following a cross-court jump pass.

The former No. 1 overall pick had scored eight points in eight minutes in the game, which the Wolves went on to lose without him. They have gone 2-1 in the subsequent three games to currently hold a 37-37 record, making them the No. 7 seed in the West.

While the injury certainly looked bad at the time, Edwards has been listed as questionable before being ruled out in each of the past three contests, indicating the sprain wasn’t as serious as it could have been.

A first-time All-Star in 2022/23, Edwards is Minnesota’s leading scorer, averaging career highs in points (24.7), rebounds (5.9), assists (4.4) and steals (1.6) per game. He has posted .461/.371/.767 shooting splits through 71 games (36.0 minutes).