Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Timberwolves Waive Dozier, Elleby, Lawson

October 15th, 2022 at 11:25am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves reached the 15-man roster limit by waiving guard PJ Dozier, forward CJ Elleby and guard A.J. Lawson, according to a team press release.

Dozier was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract last month. He spent the last three seasons with the Nuggets, where he averaged 6.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 97 games (six starts).

Elleby received an Exhibit 10 contract in early August and appeared in two preseason games. He spent the last two seasons with the Trail Blazers. Last season, he averaged 5.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 58 games.

Lawson held one of the team’s two-way contracts but Minnesota chose to give big man Luka Garza his two-way spot. Lawson signed his two-way deal in July. The Garza signing was officially announced in a press release on Saturday.

Lawson saw action in three preseason games for the Wolves and also played for the Mavericks’ summer league squad, for which he averaged 15.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG in five games.

Given Dozier and Elleby’s NBA experience, it wouldn’t be a surprise if either gets claimed. Dozier returned to basketball activities this summer after tearing his ACL last December.

Wolves Converting Luka Garza To Two-Way Deal

October 14th, 2022 at 10:47pm CST by Rory Maher

10:50pm: Lawson will be waived to make room for Garza, sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). Minnesota was high on Lawson, but didn’t want to lose Garza, per Krawczynski.

10:26pm: The Timberwolves are signing center Luka Garza to a two-way deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

While Charania says “signing,” Garza is already under contract with the team, so the Wolves are technically converting his Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way deal. Minnesota’s two-way slots are currently occupied by A.J. Lawson and Eric Paschall, so they’ll need to waive one of them in order to convert Garza.

Garza, 23, was selected by the Pistons with the 52nd overall pick in the 2021 draft and spent his rookie season in Detroit, averaging 5.8 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 32 games (12.2 MPG). He was a standout for the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate, putting up 20.6 PPG and 9.5 RPG in 16 games (29.8 MPG) and earning a spot on the All-NBAGL Third Team.

The former Iowa star’s contract with the Pistons was for two years, but the 2022/23 season was a team option, which Detroit declined, making him an unrestricted free agent. Garza signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Wolves in August.

Wolves head coach Chris Finch recently stated that he likes what Garza has brought to the team during training camp.

“He’s the perfect system fit for us. Great acquisition by our front office,” Finch said. “He’s a guy I think can really grow into our system here. He can stretch the floor and he can score around the basket. That’s a great combo. Not a lot of bigs can do that.”

Wolves Pick Up 2023/24 Options On Edwards, McDaniels

October 14th, 2022 at 5:02pm CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 15: The Timberwolves have officially exercised their options on Edwards and McDaniels, the team announced in a press release.

OCTOBER 14: The Timberwolves are picking up their 2023/24 team options on Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The news was expected, since both players are key members of a rising Minnesota squad. Edwards will earn $13,534,817 in his fourth season, while McDaniels will make $3,901,399.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 draft, Edwards had a strong rookie season and was even better in year two, improving his numbers across the board to the tune of 21.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.5 SPG on .441/.357/.786 shooting in 72 games (34.3 MPG). The 21-year-old wing is hoping to make big strides on the defensive end this season.

McDaniels, who just turned 22 a couple of weeks ago, was the No. 28 overall pick of the 2020 draft. The 6’9″ forward is a long, athletic and versatile defender who averaged 9.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 0.8 BPG on .460/.317/.803 shooting in 70 games (31 starts, 25.8 MPG) last season. He has reportedly been named the starting small forward to open 2022/23.

Minnesota exercising the fourth-year options makes both players eligible for rookie scale extensions next summer, with Edwards basically a lock to receive a maximum-salary deal.

Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw Hired By Iowa Wolves

October 14th, 2022 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors staff writer and reporter JD Shaw is leaving our writing team for a position as a basketball operations associate with the Iowa Wolves, the Timberwolves‘ G League affiliate, he announced today (via Twitter).

JD has been with Hoops Rumors since September of 2018, publishing more than 1,200 posts on the website during that time.

He has also broken many news stories over the years and conducted several in-depth interviews with NBA players and prospects, including Omer Yurtseven (story) and Freddie Gillespie (story), among others.

We here at Hoops Rumors wish JD the best of luck in his new role with the Wolves!

Jaden McDaniels To Start At Small Forward For Wolves

October 14th, 2022 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Jaden McDaniels will be the Timberwolves‘ starting small forward to open the 2022/23 season, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. McDaniels, whom the team worked hard to keep out of the Rudy Gobert trade, will fill out a star-studded lineup that features Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns up front, with Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt.

Wolves Notes: Gobert, Towns, Chemistry, Garza

October 13th, 2022 at 4:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves‘ trade for Rudy Gobert was perhaps the NBA’s biggest blockbuster this summer, shocking league executives due to the price Minnesota was willing to pay. The move also surprised the Wolves’ own players, who were caught off guard that so many of the team’s most well-liked players – including Patrick Beverley – were included in the deal, Brian Windhorst writes in an Insider-only ESPN story.

“It wasn’t that it put us in a bad mood,” forward Taurean Prince said, “but, uh, we were surprised.”

As Windhorst outlines, the Wolves recognized that players like Gobert – a three-time Defensive Player of the Year on a long-term contract – don’t become available often, and believed he would make the team’s current core players better. On top of that, Minnesota didn’t have to give up any of those core players – Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, D’Angelo Russell, and Jaden McDaniels – to acquire Gobert.

“We put up the 30 best players in the league on a board,” head coach Chris Finch said. “At any given time, like there’s maybe three or four of them available. Some aren’t even available if you gave 10 picks. And if you have one you can get and he fits and does a lot of the things that we like — the more that we looked at it and the deeper we went, like just the more we felt like we couldn’t not (trade for him).”

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Towns and Gobert are expected to be active together for the first time in Friday’s preseason finale, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Towns’ preseason debut was delayed by a non-COVID illness, while Gobert has rested in the Wolves’ two most recent preseason contests.
The Timberwolves will need some time to figure out how Towns and Gobert work together, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who suspects it will take another year for the best version of this team to show up. Hollinger expects the Wolves to take a small step forward in 2022/23, projecting 47 wins and a seventh-place finish in the West.
In a Q&A with Mark Medina of NBA.com, Gobert spoke about his first impressions of his new NBA home, establishing chemistry with his new teammates, and much more.
Wolves coach Chris Finch likes what Luka Garza has brought to the team this fall, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “He’s the perfect system fit for us. Great acquisition by our front office,” Finch said. “He’s a guy I think can really grow into our system here. He can stretch the floor and he can score around the basket. That’s a great combo. Not a lot of bigs can do that.” Garza is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, so it’s unclear if Minnesota plans to keep him on its 17-man roster to open the regular season.

Northwest Notes: Paschall, Nnaji, Simons, Little

October 9th, 2022 at 2:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

The long process of waiting for a phone call in free agency caused Eric Paschall to consider a career change, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Paschall didn’t receive a qualifying offer after playing for Utah last season and he spent nearly a month as an unrestricted free agent before signing a two-way contract with the Timberwolves in late July.

“It was just a lot, you know what I’m saying?” Paschall said. “I feel like mentally I wasn’t in the greatest place. Just tired. I was like, ‘I might just stop playing basketball.’ … You see the other players getting picked up, you’re not getting a call. You’re calling your agent every day. So I was at a point where I was like I might walk away.”

Paschall credits former teammate Donovan Mitchell and other players with helping him stay focused on the game. Dell Demps, who joined Minnesota’s front office over the summer, was a strong advocate for signing Paschall.

“It wasn’t really the easiest decision. Had to have a lot of tough conversations about it,” Paschall said of accepting the two-way offer. “But I feel like I’m in a pretty good place now. Pretty happy that I’m here.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

After spending the summer in the weight room, Nuggets power forward Zeke Nnaji has added 10 pounds of muscle and increased his vertical leap by four inches, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Nnaji will be competing with veteran center DeAndre Jordan for backup minutes in the front court. “I’ve really taken a giant leap coming into my third year,” he said. “This is an important year for me.”
After running the Trail Blazers’ offense during the second half of last season, Anfernee Simons has to adjust to playing alongside Damian Lillard, notes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Simons has gotten off to a rough start to the preseason, making just six of 25 shots from the field, as he settles into his new role. “It’s a different kind of dynamic from last year because, obviously, I was like the primary ball-handler at all times,” Simons said.
Nassir Little is in a battle for the Trail Blazers’ starting small forward spot after injuries wiped out his summer, Fentress adds in a separate story. Little suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder in January, then had core muscle surgery in May and wasn’t able to play 5-on-5 until last week.

Northwest Notes: Towns, Dort, Alexander-Walker, Hyland

October 4th, 2022 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns is back in practice after being hospitalized for a non-COVID illness, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Anthony-Towns still hasn’t fully recovered his voice and will be eased back into action, but expects to be ready for the season opener.

“I’m still recovering, I’m still getting better,” Towns said. ” I know it sounds weird I’m talking like this, but this is as loud as I can get. This is as much as I could give you.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Thunder guard Luguentz Dort sustained a concussion during Sunday’s practice and has been placed in the league’s concussion protocol, according to a team press release. Dort, who was limited to 51 games last season, signed a five-year, $87.5MM contract in July and projects as the team’s starting small forward.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker appeared in 15 games with the Jazz last season after being acquired in a three-team deal. He has made a strong impression early in training camp as he attempts to solidify a rotation spot, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. Alexander-Walker, who could be a restricted free agent next summer, believes his development has been stalled by playing under different systems. “It’s hard to develop under five different coaches in four years … I think it’s safe to say that in all four years I’ve had a different role and it’s not always clear what that role is,” he said. “I’m still trying to understand that and understand how I can get better.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone wasn’t happy with the performance of Bones Hyland in Monday’s preseason opener, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. “Bones has to do a better job of running his team, and when things aren’t going your way, keep playing,” Malone said. “I thought he took some plays off, which is unacceptable.” Hyland took the criticism well. “He came in here (for Tuesday’s practice) ready to work, ready to get better, and he owned it,” Malone said. “He didn’t come in here feeling sorry for himself. That’s a big step for him.”

NBA GMs High On Cavs’ Offseason Moves, Bucks’ Title Chances

October 4th, 2022 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers‘ acquisition of Donovan Mitchell made their offseason the most successful of any NBA team, according to the league’s general managers. In his annual survey of the NBA’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 41% of the GM respondents picked Cleveland as having made the best offseason moves, while 59% chose the addition of Mitchell as the move that will have the biggest impact.

The Timberwolves and Jazz were on opposite ends of one of the summer’s other blockbuster trades, but the two clubs tied for second (along with the Sixers) in the GM vote for which teams made the best overall offseason moves. Minnesota’s trade for Rudy Gobert was the second-leading vote-getter for the offseason’s most impactful single acquisition, earning 31% of the vote.

The team viewed by the majority of GMs as the title favorite for 2023 didn’t earn any votes for having the best offseason. According to Schuhmann, 43% of the poll respondents picked the Bucks to win next year’s Finals, with GMs apparently betting on continuity in Milwaukee. The Warriors (25%), Clippers (21%), and Celtics (11%) also received votes.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

NBA general managers expect the Clippers – who will have Kawhi Leonard back – to be the most improved team in 2022/23. L.A. received 41% of the vote, with the Cavaliers and Pelicans at 17% apiece.
The Celtics‘ trade for Malcolm Brogdon earned the most votes (28%) for the summer’s most underrated acquisition. The Sixers‘ signing of P.J. Tucker and the Clippers‘ addition of John Wall were the runners-up, with 14% each.
Asked which team has the most promising young core, NBA GMs overwhelmingly chose the Cavaliers (41%) and Grizzlies (38%). The Pistons (10%) were the only other club to get multiple votes.
NBA GMs view Magic forward Paolo Banchero as the best bet to win Rookie of the Year (79%) and also chose him as the 2022 draftee most likely to be the best player in five years (31%), narrowly edging Thunder big man Chet Holmgren (28%). As for the steal of the draft, GMs were split between Pistons big man Jalen Duren and Rockets forward Tari Eason (14% apiece), among many others.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic was picked as the favorite to win MVP, earning 48% of the vote from NBA GMs. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks came in second with 34%.

And-Ones: Extensions, Breakout Players, X Factors, Seattle

October 3rd, 2022 at 10:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Why the sudden surge in two-year extensions for players such as Steven Adams and Larry Nance Jr.? It has a lot to do with the expiration of the league’s national TV contracts after the 2024/25 season, as Bryan Toporek of Forbes.com explains. The salary cap is expected to rise significantly the following season after those rights are negotiated. That provides incentives for veteran players to enter free agency again that summer.

We have more NBA-related topics:

What do Franz Wagner, Cade Cunningham and Nic Claxton have in common? They are some of the young players cited by ESPN Insiders as having potential breakout seasons, like the one Ja Morant enjoyed last season.
Then there are some veteran players whose presence on new teams could change the fortunes of those franchises. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor examines those X-factors, including the Mavericks’ Christian Wood, the Trail Blazers’ Jerami Grant and the Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert.
The Clippers and Trail Blazers are playing a preseason game in Seattle and that has renewed the discussion of the NBA eventually having another franchise in the city, Law Murray of The Athletic writes. The state-of-the-art Climate Pledge Arena – the rejuvenated version of KeyArena, where the SuperSonics played – sparks hope that the NBA will give the city an expansion team.