Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Karl-Anthony Towns Signs Super-Max Extension With Timberwolves

July 7th, 2022 at 8:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JULY 7: Towns has officially signed the contract, according to a team press release.

“I couldn’t be prouder to continue my commitment to this franchise and community for years to come,” Towns said. “Minnesota has become my home and I am excited to continue making the fans proud to support the Timberwolves. My first seven years in the league, it has been an amazing journey. It all started with Flip Saunders taking a chance on me and now here we are. I look forward to all the achievements that are ahead for our team and the Timberwolves fanbase.”

JUNE 30: Karl-Anthony Towns has agreed to sign a four-year, super-max extension with the Timberwolves, agent Jessica Holtz tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The deal will begin in 2024/25 and will be worth 35% of that season’s salary cap, with 8% raises in subsequent seasons. Since the ’24/25 cap figure isn’t yet known, neither is the amount of Towns’ extension, but Wojnarowski projects it to be worth about $224MM over four years.

The signing is something of a no-brainer for a Minnesota club on the rise. Towns, still just 26, enjoyed something of a comeback season with Minnesota in 2021/22. Though his stats in recent years remained impressive, the team had been mired in middling lottery-bound purgatory for three straight seasons prior to 2022.

In 2022, the 6’11” center made his first All-Star team since 2019 and his first All-NBA Team since 2018. Towns also won the NBA Three-Point Contest during the 2022 All-Star Weekend, a rarity for a big man. During 74 games last year, Towns averaged 24.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 3.6 APG, with guard-like shooting splits of .529/.410/.822.

The three-time All-Star’s offensive prowess was a big reason the Timberwolves returned to their first playoff berth in four years. Led by Towns and second-year phenom Anthony Edwards, plus guards D’Angelo Russell and Patrick Beverley, the seventh-seeded Timberwolves pushed the second-seeded Grizzlies in a tough, physical first-round series. Minnesota would ultimately fall to Memphis in six games.

A super-max contract extension for Towns, an exceptional offensive talent just reaching his prime, had previously been considered the top priority for Minnesota’s front office this summer.

So far in free agency, the team has also added veteran small forward Kyle Anderson and re-signed tweener forward Taurean Prince to a two-year extension. The team also exercised non-guaranteed team options for 2022/23 on Naz Reid and Jaylen Nowell.

In the draft, the Timberwolves added several intriguing young players. Auburn big man Walker Kessler, the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year, and Duke small forward Wendell Moore, were selected in the first round. Memphis drafted Memphis swingman Josh Minott and Vanoli Cremona shooting guard Matteo Spagnolo in the second round.

Timberwolves Sign Wendell Moore To Rookie Deal

July 7th, 2022 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Timberwolves have signed Wendell Moore to his rookie scale contract, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

Moore was selected with the No. 26 pick. The Mavericks held the pick and agreed to trade it to Houston as part of the Christian Wood deal. Houston then re-routed the pick to Minnesota for the rights to TyTy Washington and two future second-rounders.

The former Duke wing’s four-year deal is worth $11,839,563, assuming the usual 120% rate above the rookie scale. His first-year salary would come out to $2,306,520.

Western Notes: Wolves, Morant, Preston, Mahlalela

July 7th, 2022 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

When Rudy Gobert first heard about the proposed deal sending him to the Timberwolves, he told his agent Bouna Ndiaye that he needed a day or two to think about it, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. After some deliberation, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year got fully on board with the move.

“After one day, I told him it was probably the best, most exciting situation in terms of basketball for me,” Gobert told reporters on Wednesday.

As Michael Rand of The Star Tribune details, the deal will deplete the Timberwolves’ depth to some extent, but the trade-off should be worth it, as Minnesota will have one of the NBA’s best starting fives.

The deal has major boom-or-bust potential, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who notes that the Wolves are betting big on “big ball” by pairing Gobert with Karl-Anthony Towns. If the twin-towers approach works for Minnesota, it could “quickly spawn imitators,” says Hollinger. If it doesn’t, it’ll be a costly mistake that could set the franchise back for years to come.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Ja Morant‘s new maximum-salary extension with the Grizzlies includes a 15% trade kicker, but it doesn’t feature a fifth-year player option, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means Morant will remain under team control through the 2027/28 season.
Jason Preston will be available for the Clippers‘ Summer League team after missing his entire rookie season due to right foot surgery. According to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times, about three weeks after the Clippers’ season ended, Preston was able to start participating in 5-on-5 scrimmages without restrictions.
The Warriors are promoting assistant coach Jama Mahlalela to the front of their bench for the 2022/23 season, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Mahlalela will fill the opening created by Mike Brown‘s departure to Sacramento, while Kenny Atkinson – who nearly departed for Charlotte himself – will replace Brown as Steve Kerr‘s lead assistant.

Northwest Notes: Gobert, Hardy, Holmgren, Sharpe

July 6th, 2022 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Minnesota fans have been some of Rudy Gobert‘s harshest critics, but that’s going to change now that he’s a member of the Timberwolves, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. With the lifting of the league moratorium, the Wolves officially sent four players and five first-round picks to Utah in exchange for Gobert, who expressed his excitement about joining his new team at a press conference today.

The organization has received criticism for giving up so much to acquire the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and for pairing him with Karl-Anthony Towns when so many teams are downsizing. New president of basketball operations Tim Connelly dismissed those concerns, insisting that Gobert provides what the Wolves have been lacking.

“He doesn’t inhibit anything we have presently,” Connelly said. “He makes it better. He augments what we have presently. So, when we look at fit, it’s not just about talent. It’s about kind of developing the team … and he’s going to make it better.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

New head coach Will Hardy found he has “a lot of touchpoints” with the Jazz involving players and the front office, tweets Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s been great to get some feedback from them,” Hardy said, “but I also feel like I’m coming in eyes wide open and want to kind of formulate my own opinions and develop my own relationships.”
Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren made an impact in his first Summer League game Tuesday night, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. The No. 2 overall pick had 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting and registered seven rebounds, four assists and a league record six blocks in 24 minutes. “Gotta be better,” Holmgren said. “You can never really have a perfect game, but that’s what you strive for.”
Shaedon Sharpe‘s teammates with the Trail Blazers‘ Summer League squad have been raving about his performance in practice, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Summer League will provide the first major exposure for the No. 7 overall pick, who didn’t play in college. “He’s a freak athlete,” Keon Johnson said. “He can score the ball, but he can also defend. I see why we drafted him. I feel like me and him are very similar in many different ways.”

Jazz Trade Rudy Gobert To Timberwolves

July 6th, 2022 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: Gobert has officially been traded from Utah to Minnesota, the Timberwolves confirmed today in a press release.

JULY 1: The Jazz are trading three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski (all Twitter links), the Jazz will receive Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, 2022 first-round pick Walker Kessler, and four future first-rounders in the deal.

Minnesota will send Utah unprotected first-round picks in 2023, 2025, and 2027, along with a top-five protected 2029 first-round pick and the right to swap first-rounders in 2026, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A major shake-up had been expected in Utah this spring and Gobert has been mentioned in trade rumors since the Jazz were eliminated from the postseason. On top of that, the Wolves were rumored to be in the market for a rim-protecting center to play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, and had been linked to Gobert.

Still, the fact that the two division rivals were able to agree to terms on this blockbuster deal comes as a major surprise. It represents a huge home-run swing by new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and incoming owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, and is the first significant roster move made by Jazz CEO Danny Ainge.

The move will cost the Timberwolves a good amount of their depth, but will create a loaded starting five. Towns and Gobert figure to be joined by point guard D’Angelo Russell, rising star Anthony Edwards, and one of Kyle Anderson, Taurean Prince, or Jaden McDaniels.

The Wolves will have Gobert under contract for several years — he’s owed a guaranteed $123MM over the next three seasons and has a $46.7MM player option for 2025/26.

Minnesota currently projects to be about $9.5MM below this season’s luxury tax line, with 11 players on their books, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Meanwhile, of the players headed to Utah in this trade, only Kessler will have guaranteed money on his contract beyond 2022/23. Beverley is on an expiring contract, while Beasley, Vanderbilt, and Bolmaro all have team options for ’23/24.

The Jazz are currently $11MM below this year’s tax line for 13 players and should have significant cap flexibility in future seasons, says Marks.

Having also acquired a first-round pick from Brooklyn this week in exchange for Royce O’Neale, the Jazz are now loaded with draft assets and plan to retool their roster around Donovan Mitchell going forward, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Tony Jones of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter) that the team has no plans to trade Mitchell.

There could be an opportunity for the Jazz to turn around and immediately flip some of the picks they’ve accumulated for an impact player who will complement Mitchell.

For instance, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reports (via Twitter) that Utah has some interest in exploring a sign-and-trade deal for Suns restricted free agent center Deandre Ayton, and Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer confirms (via Twitter) that the Wolves, Jazz, and Suns had discussed some three-team scenarios.

After seeing multiple unprotected first-round picks change hands this week in deals involving Gobert and Dejounte Murray, it’s safe to say the Nets’ asking price for Kevin Durant will be astronomical. Brooklyn is said to be seeking a “historical haul” for the former MVP.

Northwest Notes: Prince, Wolves, Nuggets, Jordan, Arms

July 5th, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

Taurean Prince‘s two-year extension with the Timberwolves was initially reported to be worth $16MM, but its base value actually comes in at just $14.56MM, and the second year is non-guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Prince’s new deal also includes $195K in likely incentives per year, along with another $870K in annual unlikely incentives, so if he plays out the full two-year contract and maxes out its value, it’ll be worth $16.69MM in total.

The second year of Prince’s new deal would become fully guaranteed if he remains under contract through June 28, 2023.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

It might be a while before we know if the Timberwolves “won” the deal for Rudy Gobert, and even evaluating what constitutes a win will be complicated, writes Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. However, Rand views the deal as trading “nine dimes for a dollar,” and believes it’s the kind of move the team needed to make to be serious about contending for a title.
Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required) acknowledges that the Nuggets‘ deal with DeAndre Jordan may not have been an exciting way to kick off free agency, but says the team did its homework on Jordan, vetted his engagement, and felt comfortable bringing him into the locker room. “They’d learned enough about former center DeMarcus Cousins that they weren’t willing to make the same commitment,” Singer writes.
Both Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports and Singer (Twitter links) believe that Adonis Arms, who is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nuggets, is a strong candidate to eventually fill Denver’s open two-way slot. Currently, Collin Gillespie is the only Nugget signed to a two-way deal.
In case you missed it, our Community Shootaround discussion on Monday explored what’s next for the Jazz following the blockbuster Gobert trade.

Wolves Notes: Gobert, Towns, Durant, Murray

July 3rd, 2022 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Timberwolves were encouraged by last season’s success, there was an “overwhelming feeling internally” that the team would hit a wall before becoming a legitimate title contender if it didn’t make at least one more major upgrade, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

That line of thought was the motivation behind the team’s blockbuster trade agreement for three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. As Krawczynski explains, the front office had a hard time identifying another player around the NBA who could address so many of the club’s weaknesses and would be available for the package Minnesota was willing to offer.

The Timberwolves anticipate Gobert will make life easier for his new teammates, allowing them to take more gambles on defense and giving D’Angelo Russell a pick-and-roll partner who sets good screens and can be a lob threat.

The Wolves also believe they can make Gobert’s life easier — Minnesota has stronger perimeter defenders (Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Taurean Prince) than Utah did, and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ ability to make outside shots will complement Gobert’s inside game, Krawczynski notes.

Here’s more on the Wolves and their roster shake-up:

Sources tell Krawczynski that Gobert has expressed excitement about playing with the Timberwolves and that Towns was especially supportive of the move.
According to Krawczynski, Wolves sources were pessimistic throughout the process that an agreement would actually be reached, and a deal looked to be “in peril” as of Friday morning. Minnesota was prepared to shift its focus to other targets like Myles Turner or Clint Capela before the Gobert talks gained traction again later on Friday when Utah agreed to do a deal without McDaniels included.
Before striking a deal for Gobert, the Wolves made “several calls” to the Nets about Kevin Durant, sources tell Krawczynski. However, Minnesota was unwilling to give up Edwards or Towns for Durant, so those talks didn’t go far.
The Timberwolves were also in the mix for Dejounte Murray and could have outbid the Hawks for him, but the fact that they didn’t shows that they valued Gobert more, observes Krawczynski.
Chris Hine of The Star Tribune takes a closer look at the impact the acquisition of Gobert will have on the Wolves both offensively and defensively, as well as from a salary cap perspective.

Jazz Rumors: Mitchell, Gobert Trade, McDaniels, Backcourt

July 2nd, 2022 at 6:45am CST by Luke Adams

In the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast (video link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said people around the league still believe Donovan Mitchell will be traded, despite reports that the Jazz plan to retool around the All-Star guard following the Rudy Gobert blockbuster. His ESPN colleague Tim MacMahon agrees.

“I don’t think he’s on the roster when the season starts,” MacMahon said. “Maybe he is. I’d be shocked if he’s on the roster after the trade deadline.”

Tony Jones of The Athletic, who – along with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski – reported following the Gobert trade agreement that the Jazz don’t intend to move Mitchell, reiterated on Friday night that the team is “not amenable” to trading the former Louisville star. The plan is for Mitchell to be with the team for the start of the 2022/23 season, Jones says.

However, Jones added a caveat: If Utah receives an offer that’s similar in scale to the Gobert package, “it will be hard not listen.” Jones also notes that the Jazz will need to ensure they have Mitchell’s buy-in before committing to building the roster around him.

Mitchell and Gobert never seemed to be on the best of terms, so Mitchell may not view the Gobert trade unfavorably, especially if the front office is committed to flipping some of the assets from that package for win-now help.

Still, the team just hired a first-time head coach (Will Hardy) on a five-year contract and may be moving on from three of Mitchell’s best friends on the roster (Royce O’Neale was traded to Brooklyn, while Eric Paschall and Trent Forrest became unrestricted free agents after not receiving qualifying offers). So there will have to be conversations between the Jazz and the 25-year-old guard, Jones writes.

Here’s more on the Jazz:

In initial negotiations between the Jazz and Timberwolves for Gobert, Utah was insisting on the inclusion of forward Jaden McDaniels, but Minnesota refused, according to Jones. That’s one reason why the package of draft picks (three unprotected first-rounders, a top-five protected first-rounder, and a swap) was so substantial — the Wolves preferred to give up extra draft assets rather than surrender McDaniels.
The Jazz’s front office viewed Gobert’s super-max contract as a “hindrance,” sources tell Jones. The big man is owed a guaranteed $123MM over the next three seasons and has a $46.7MM player option for 2025/26, so moving that contract creates significant cap flexibility for Utah going forward.
The Jazz are “not even close” to finished with their offseason, according to Jones, who says a logjam in the backcourt will need to be cleared. In addition to Mitchell, Utah still has guards Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker , Jared Butler, and Leandro Bolmaro.
Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune breaks down the return the Jazz got for Gobert, making a case that all 10 pieces headed to Utah can be viewed as assets (as opposed to filler).

Northwest Rumors: Wolves, Gobert, Murray, Beasley, Brown, Micic

July 1st, 2022 at 12:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Thursday’s agreement with Kyle Anderson will give the Timberwolves 15 players under contract, but they’re not done with offseason moves, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota remains in the market for another big man and has talked to the Jazz about Rudy Gobert, sources tell Krawczynski.

Although the Wolves used a first-round pick on Auburn’s Walker Kessler, they want to add a veteran center so there’s not too much pressure on Kessler to produce right away. They were interested in free agents JaVale McGee and Isaiah Hartenstein, but they both reached deals with other teams Thursday night.

Minnesota’s talks with Utah about Gobert began before the draft, but the Jazz are asking a lot in return for their perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. If the Wolves can’t work out a trade for Gobert, Krawczynski cites the Pacers‘ Myles Turner and the Hawks‘ Clint Capela as other options, although he adds that Minnesota’s talks with Atlanta haven’t gotten very far.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Timberwolves talked to the Spurs about Dejounte Murray but weren’t willing to meet the asking price, Krawczynski confirms. There was also skepticism that Murray would re-sign with Minnesota once his contract expires in two years.
Teams have been making calls to gather background info on Timberwolves wing Malik Beasley, but no deal is imminent, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Beasley, who will make $15.45MM next season, carries a team option for his $16.52MM salary in 2023/24.
Bruce Brown possibly could have made more than the $13+ million he’ll receive from the Nuggets over the next two years, but he believes he’s entering a good situation in Denver, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). A source tells Reynolds that “fit” was more important to Brown than money.
Vasilije Micic‘s representatives are pressing the Thunder to trade him, but Oklahoma City isn’t willing to give the European star up cheaply, according to Aris Barkas of EuroHoops. The Nuggets, Bucks, Bulls and Spurs have all expressed interest in Micic, Barkas hears.

Timberwolves Sign Kyle Anderson

June 30th, 2022 at 7:44pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 8: The Timberwolves have officially signed Anderson, according to the transactions log at NBA.com.

JUNE 30: The Timberwolves and free agent forward Kyle Anderson have agreed to a two-year, $18MM deal, agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The terms of the contract suggest Minnesota will be using part of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Anderson. Both years will be guaranteed, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.

After enjoying a career year in 2020/21 with 12.4 PPG and a .360 3PT%, Anderson failed to match those numbers in ’21/22, but he remains a solid defensive wing who rebounds well for his size and can act as a secondary play-maker.

Anderson averaged 7.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.1 SPG on .446/.330/.638 shooting in 69 games (21.5 MPG) for Memphis this past season.

According to Dane Moore of Bring Me The News (Twitter link), the Wolves “really wanted” to add a player who could create his own shot and put pressure on the rim. They believe Anderson fits that bill.