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O’Connor’s Latest: Capela, Smart, Wiggins, Nuggets

September 13th, 2017 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Gary Harris (Nuggets), Marcus Smart (Celtics), Jabari Parker (Bucks), and Clint Capela (Rockets) are among the most intriguing players eligible for rookie scale contract extensions this offseason, Kevin O’Connor writes in his latest piece for The Ringer. In addition to going into detail on those four players, who have until October 16 to work out new deals with their respective clubs, O’Connor drops a few other notable tidbits within his article, so let’s round up the highlights…

The Rockets and Capela have had “very introductory” discussions on a contract extension, according to O’Connor. Those discussions figure to become more frequent and more in-depth as next month’s extension deadline nears.
The general consensus among the league sources O’Connor has talked to is that Smart’s next contract figures to be in the neighborhood of Andre Roberson‘s three-year, $30MM deal, given both players’ defensive prowess and offensive limitations. O’Connor believes the Celtics guard will be able to do better than that though, and I’m inclined to agree. Smart will be a restricted free agent next summer if he’s not extended this offseason.
Multiple league sources have told O’Connor that Andrew Wiggins is expected to sign the contract extension offered by the Timberwolves once he gets his new representation in order. Wiggins filed paperwork to part ways with Bill Duffy and BDA Sports shortly after Minnesota put a five-year, maximum salary offer on the table.
Multiple sources believe the Nuggets were targeting OG Anunoby in June’s draft when they traded down from No. 13 to No. 24, says O’Connor. Anunoby ended up coming off the board one spot earlier, with Toronto nabbing him at No. 23. Denver used the 24th pick on Tyler Lydon.

Wolves Rumors: FAs, Muhammad, Wiggins, Roth

August 29th, 2017 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves are still carrying just 11 players on guaranteed contracts for 2017/18, but head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau expects that number to increase in the near future. As Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune details, Thibodeau and the Wolves plan to add three players on guaranteed minimum contracts, retaining some flexibility with the 15th and final roster spot.

As has been the case for more than a month now, the Wolves intend to add a backup point guard and two wings to their roster. While the market for backup point guards has thinned out considerably, there are still several interesting wings on the market, including Tony Allen, Gerald Green, Anthony Morrow, and Mike Dunleavy.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Of course, as Minnesota looks to add a couple wings, Shabazz Muhammad remains an option, if he’s willing to settle for a minimum salary contract, writes Zgoda. “There’s an opportunity here for him,” Thibodeau said of Muhammad. “He has several opportunities to look at.”
The process of signing Andrew Wiggins to a contract extension will be delayed by his agent change, but Thibodeau and the Wolves still expect that deal to get done in the “next few weeks,” as Zgoda details.
Nemanja Bjelica and Justin Patton continue to recover from foot injuries. According to Zgoda, Thibodeau is hopeful that Bjelica will be ready for training camp and Patton will good to go for the Wolves’ regular season opener.
Thibodeau confirmed that the Wolves explored the possibility of acquiring Kyrie Irving from the Cavaliers, per Zgoda. “You have the responsibility to explore every possibility,” Thibodeau said. “If it makes sense for us, we’ll do it. If it doesn’t, we move on. We love the players we have. We know there’s a lot of work to do.”
Former Timberwolves player and current scout Scott Roth is set to become the first head coach of the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s newly-purchased G League affiliate, according to Zgoda. Roth will be tasked with his helping to develop young players for the Wolves, as well as implementing Thibodeau’s strategic concepts in Iowa.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Harris, Wiggins

August 25th, 2017 at 5:01pm CST by Austin Kent

While the addition of Paul Millsap gives the Nuggets a tantalizing frontcourt combination, the team’s duo of Nikola Jokic and Gary Harris was one of the league’s most gifted offensive pairings last season, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype writes.

While Jokic’s status as one of the league’s most prolific low-post weapons is undisputed, Urbina’s recount demonstrates exactly how the Nuggets center established himself as one of the game’s most efficienct big men.

Harris, who posted a modest but intriguing 14.9 points and 2.9 assists per game last season, has a skill set that compliments Jokic’s particularly well, as evidenced by the fact that the Nuggets boasted the league’s highest offensive rating when the relatively small sample size was prorated over the course of the full season.

For that reason, while the Nuggets will be happy to add a blue chip forward like Millsap, much of the team’s future success will likely come from the talent that they’ve built through the draft.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The fact that Andrew Wiggins recently changed agents won’t impact his extension deal, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press tweets. CBA rules dictate that Wiggins must wait two weeks to sign the new deal after changing his representation. Some within the Timberwolves organization, Krawczynski adds in a second tweet are ‘puzzled by the timing of the move’.
The Trail Blazers have named Jesse Elis their new director of player health and performance, Mike Richman of the Oregonian writes. Elis will replace Chris Stackpole who had held the position for the past four years.
The Jazz have appointed Jonathan Rinehart the new team president of their G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced in a press release. Rinehart has been with the big league club for the past 12 seasons.

Andrew Wiggins Leaves Agent Who Negotiated Max Deal

August 22nd, 2017 at 8:13pm CST by marksuleymanov

Andrew Wiggins has filed paperwork to leave BDA Sports after his agent Bill Duffy negotiated a five-year, maximum salary extension for the Timberwolves‘ budding star, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. That deal, which has not yet been agreed upon, is expected to be worth about $148MM.

Duffy revealed to Wojnarowski that Wiggins filed paperwork to terminate his relationship with BDA Sports as Minnesota sent a contract to both agent and Wiggins. Players are free to leave their agents at any time but guidelines of the National Basketball Players Association are set up to protect agents who negotiated deals for their players while representing them. Duffy indicated that whenever Wiggins puts ink to paper to confirm the deal he negotiated, he will be in touch with the NBPA to protect his interests.

“We are disappointed that Andrew made this decision, especially after a three-year partnership where we worked closely with Andrew and his entire family,” Duffy said to ESPN. “Unfortunately, tampering is a common problem in our industry, and that’s part of the reason why I’ve already been in contact with the NBPA to discuss my rights in this matter. Obviously, whenever Andrew signs the max extension that we negotiated with Minnesota, we will work with the NBPA to make sure that our interests are protected.”

The former first overall pick would become the first player from his 2014 draft class to sign a rookie extension. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that Wiggins is likely to sign with a Canadian agent (Wiggins is a native of Toronto, Canada) that works for a major agency in the United States. Once he has new representation, Wiggins’ tentative deal with Minnesota will likely not change, Wolfson adds.

Wiggins, 22, has shown vast improvements in his offensive game in his first three seasons, topping out at 23.6 PPG last season while completing his third straight season of at least 81 games played. Along with Karl-Anthony Towns, the recently acquired Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague, Wiggins is expected to be a vital piece for a potential playoff team.

Wiggins Can Get Max If He’s Loyal To Wolves

August 7th, 2017 at 4:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor wants assurances from Andrew Wiggins that he’s committed to the franchise and determined to improve his game before giving the high-scoring forward a max extension, according to Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press.

Taylor wants to receive those pledges in a face-to-face meeting with Wiggins, who averaged 23.6 PPG last season.

Wiggins is still working on his rookie contract and the exact amount of an extension is tied to the 2018/19 salary cap. Based on projections, a five-year, max extension for Wiggins would net him slightly under $148MM, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors recently detailed.

Wiggins’ name has popped up in trade rumors regarding Cavaliers disgruntled point guard Kyrie Irving but Taylor insists he won’t give up Wiggins in the team’s efforts to land the All-Star floor leader. The addition of All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler in a blockbuster deal with the Bulls this summer has made the Timberwolves a popular pick as the most improved team next season.

Wiggins can certainly find areas for improvement beyond his scoring average. His 35.6% shooting from long range last season was the best of his 3-year career but far from elite. He could also become a better rebounder (4.0 RPG last season), free throw shooter (76%) and defender, both man-to-man and in takeaways (1.0 SPG).

If Wiggins is maxed out, the Timberwolves will have five players on the current roster making at least $14MM for the 2018/19 season.

Timberwolves Rumors: Wiggins, Thibodeau, FAs

August 4th, 2017 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves’ trade offer for Kyrie Irving doesn’t include Andrew Wiggins, and that appears unlikely to change. According to Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune, team owner Glen Taylor has “made it clear” that the club intends to lock up Wiggins to a five-year, max extension in the near future. Hartman adds that the former top pick “is not available to anybody in a trade.”

While that news doesn’t come as a huge surprise, it’s hard to imagine the Wolves being putting together a viable package for Irving without including Wiggins, so Minnesota looks to be a long shot to acquire the Cavaliers’ star point guard.

Here’s more from out of Minnesota:

Taylor owns about 70% of the Timberwolves, and while a pair of minority stakeholders are looking to sell their shares in the franchise, that’s not the case for Taylor, as Hartman details. “We have a couple of my limited [owners] that have indicated that they’re going to sell, and we have another limited [owner] that is going to buy them,” Taylor said. “I won’t be selling any of my stock. Whatever I have, I’m keeping.”
Although Taylor would have liked to see the Timberwolves play better in 2016/17, he remains confident in Tom Thibodeau‘s long-term vision for the team, per Hartman. “I brought him in here for the long run,” Taylor said of Thibodeau. “We tried it with the young players, and it appears that we need more experience on the team to get where we want to get. [Thibodeau] is flexible and he’s trying his best to bring in the quality guys we need to get to the championship, so I’m happy.”
Taylor’s sights for 2017/18 are set higher, according to Hartman. “Well, of course we have to get into the playoffs,” Taylor said. “And where we get into … the playoffs is probably very important for us. To get into fourth place so you have home-court advantage would really be the super position.”
The Wolves expect to sign three more players to veteran minimum contracts, according to Taylor, via Hartman. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News indicated earlier this week (via Twitter) that the club had a contract offer out to a shooter.

Kyler’s Latest: Irving, Suns, Wolves, Melo, Rockets

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

As we enter the dog days of the NBA offseason, two All-Star trade candidates remain on the block — the Cavaliers and Knicks continue to explore trades involving Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony, respectively. Nothing appears imminent on either front, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders checks in on both situations to see where they stand, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights from Kyler…

The Cavaliers aren’t operating with a sense of urgency to find an Irving deal. One source from a team interested in Irving tells Kyler that Cleveland doesn’t seem to be operating with a deadline when it comes to getting something done. The source described the Cavs as still being in “fact-finding mode” at this point.
The Suns and Timberwolves are viewed as two strong candidates for Irving, but they’ve been reluctant to include Josh Jackson and Andrew Wiggins, respectively, and are unlikely to win out unless they relent on that stance. While Phoenix doesn’t want to move Jackson or Devin Booker, there’s a sense that anyone else on the roster could be had, says Kyler. That may not be enough for the Cavaliers, however.
The “prevailing thought in NBA circles” is that the long-rumored Anthony deal between the Knicks and Rockets isn’t going to happen unless Houston finds a way to improve its offer. As Kyler details, the idea of the Knicks accepting a package made up entirely of players they don’t view as long-term pieces isn’t “appealing or agreeable” to the team’s front office.
The Knicks seem as if they’re willing to bring Anthony to training camp if he doesn’t expand his list of preferred landing spots or if the Rockets don’t improve their offer, according to Kyler, who describes the Carmelo situation as “more like a standoff” than the Cavaliers‘ situation with Irving.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

August 2nd, 2017 at 7:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kyrie Irving doesn’t want to be in Cleveland as long as LeBron James is around, though that doesn’t mean he’s willing to commit long-term to another franchise should the Cavs trade him. According to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, Irving, who has two years before he can become a free agent, wants to keep his options open for the summer of 2019. Pluto adds that the former No. 1 overall pick isn’t ready to commit to any team at this point.

While an extension with a new team was never a likely outcome for Irving, the latest news could potentially suppress his trade value. Any team giving up a haul to acquire the point guard would want him around long-term and without that assurance, teams may think twice about mortgaging their futures to bring in the Duke product.

Here’s more from Pluto’s piece on Irving:

The Suns would be willing to deal Eric Bledsoe to the Cavaliers for Irving even if Irving makes no commitment to stay in Phoenix past his current deal. However, they would not want to include Josh Jackson in that scenario.
The Cavs would love to take back Devin Booker in an Irving-to-the-Suns deal, but Phoenix is unlikely to trade Booker since it already told the shooting guard that he wasn’t going anywhere. Phoenix would like to send a package of Bledsoe, T.J. Warren, and Brandon Knight to the Cavs for Irving and additional salary (Iman Shumpert or Channing Frye). That proposal is underwhelming to Cleveland’s front office.
The Nuggets remain a threat to trade for Irving, but Pluto hears that Denver will not give up both Jamal Murray and Gary Harris in a deal. Pluto adds that there are players on Denver’s roster who are attractive to Cleveland and because of that, the Nuggets could be involved in an Irving trade as a third team even if they don’t land the point guard themselves.
If Andrew Wiggins signs an extension with the Wolves, it’s unlikely that he gets dealt to Cleveland, a source tells Pluto.

Community Shootaround: Andrew Wiggins’ Future

August 2nd, 2017 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

With all of this year’s top free agents off the board, the focus of the NBA rumor mill has shifted to trade candidates and extension candidates. Former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins certainly falls under the latter category, and it’s not unreasonable to include him in the former category as well.

As a former first-round pick entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract, Wiggins is eligible to sign a contract extension, and the Timberwolves have reportedly been discussing the prospect of a five-year, maximum salary deal. At the same time, the new-look Wolves have been linked to Kyrie Irving, who has asked the Cavaliers to trade him, and Wiggins appears to be the most logical trade chip Minnesota could include in an offer for Irving. However, the Wolves have thus far been unwilling to make Wiggins available in any Irving proposal.

As I discussed at length when I profiled Wiggins as an extension candidate last month, the 22-year-old can score at an elite level, but has yet to round out his game in other areas — he was a below-average defender, rebounder, and distributor last season. He’s young enough and talented enough on offense that it’s easy to make a case for a maximum-salary investment, but it’d still be a bit of a gamble.

In an in-depth piece of his own, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com makes the case today that the Wolves should be in no rush to lock up Wiggins to a max extension. In Ziller’s view, it makes sense for the club to be patient, giving Wiggins another year to develop and perhaps even allowing for more potential trade opportunities to arise. If the young forward takes another step forward, the Wolves could still sign him to a max deal next summer as a restricted free agent.

That argument is a fair one, though waiting on a new deal for Wiggins isn’t without potential downside either. This year’s top free agent, Gordon Hayward, is case study in the risks of letting a potential star reach restricted free agency after his rookie contract. The Jazz could have locked up Hayward with a five-year extension entering the final year of his rookie deal, but the club instead let him reach restricted free agency, where the Hornets signed him to a four-year offer sheet that included an opt-out after year three.

The Jazz matched that offer sheet and retained Hayward, but instead of having him locked up for five years, the team only had him for three, plus an option year. That allowed Hayward to opt out after three seasons and reach the open market this summer, at which point he signed with a new team. If the Jazz had signed him to a five-year extension when they had a chance, he’d still be under contract with Utah for two more years. The Wolves will have to consider that scenario if they decide to let Wiggins reach free agency.

What do you think? Should Wiggins and the Timberwolves get an extension done as soon as possible? Is he worth a maximum-salary investment? Should Minnesota wait until he becomes a restricted free agent to act? Or is trading him in a deal for Irving the most logical move for the Wolves?

Jump into the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Wolves Not Offering Wiggins For Kyrie, Focused On Extension

August 1st, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Details of the Timberwolves’ reported offer for Kyrie Irving aren’t known, but Andrew Wiggins isn’t part of Minnesota’s proposal, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Wolfson adds that for the Wolves to have a real shot at acquiring Irving, their offer would need to include Wiggins “and more.”

The No. 1 overall pick in 2014, Wiggins was initially drafted by the Cavaliers before being sent to Minnesota for Kevin Love, and Sam Amico of Amico Hoops hears that the fourth-year forward wouldn’t be opposed to a return to Cleveland.

However, according to Wolfson (Twitter link), the Cavs would want “something of substance” in addition to Wiggins if they were to send Irving to the Wolves. A deal between the two sides isn’t at all close, and given Minnesota’s reluctance to offer Wiggins – let alone additional pieces – it looks like a long shot at this point.

Assuming Wiggins remains in Minnesota, as expected, there’s a good chance he and the Wolves end up working out a contract extension this offseason. Owner Glen Taylor confirmed over the weekend that the team is discussing a five-year max deal with its young forward, and Wolfson has another update today from Taylor.

According to the Wolves’ owner (Twitter link), Minnesota has formally put an extension offer on the table for Wiggins, whose agent is due to be in town later this month. In the case of a five-year, maximum salary deal, not a lot of negotiating is required, so it sounds as if the two sides have a chance to get something done within the next few weeks.