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Northwest Notes: Wolves, McDaniels, Jazz, K. Johnson

June 24th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Having traded away so many first-round picks a year ago to acquire Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves know they have to get “creative” if they hope to add young talent to their roster, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly told reporters during his post-draft press conference, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Minnesota entered Thursday night with a single second-round pick and acquired a second one that was used to draft Leonard Miller.

“We’re out a bunch of first-round picks, so we’re probably a bit more aggressive trying to find guys that are maybe a year early, or guys that have slipped for an injury, for example, like (No. 53 pick) Jaylen (Clark),” Connelly said. “I don’t think we can just follow too many trends. We’ve got to be creative and kind of cross our fingers.”

Clark, who injured his Achilles earlier this year and underwent surgery after the season, isn’t expected to be ready for the start of his rookie year. However, the Wolves are optimistic about what he’ll be able to bring to the team once he’s healthy, with Connelly referring to him as “the best perimeter defender in the draft,” according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

“We’re going to be very patient with him,” Connelly said. “Prior to the injury we thought the guy was an easy first-round pick.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • The Timberwolves received “a ton” of trade interest in forward Jaden McDaniels this week, league sources tell Krawczynski. Minnesota rebuffed inquiries from teams “all over the draft board,” Krawczynski adds.
  • Armed with first-round picks at No. 9, No. 16, and No. 28, the Jazz were a candidate to make a consolidation trade on Thursday. Instead, they hung onto all three picks and were thrilled to land Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. “The way the draft board fell took a really fortunate turn for us,” general manager Justin Zanik said. “We got two of the guys that we had in our top 10 — players that we were, frankly, debating out which one to take at 9, and we ended up getting both of them. And at 28, getting a player that we had in our top 18.”
  • Hendricks, George, and Sensabaugh are all 19 years old, so the fact that the Jazz were willing to add all three to their 2023/24 roster is a reflection that they’re not in any hurry to accelerate their timeline for contention. Still, Tony Jones of The Athletic believes all three first-rounders are capable of playing rotation roles as rookies, noting that none of them are projects. “It’s not like we’re leaning into youth, we’re leaning into talent,” Zanik said, per Walden.
  • The Thunder‘s plan is for former Kansas State forward Keyontae Johnson, the 50th pick in Thursday’s draft, to sign a two-way contract, head of basketball operations Sam Presti said on Saturday (Twitter link via Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman).
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Wolves’ Naz Reid In Search Of “Best Fit” As Free Agent

June 16th, 2023 at 7:22pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, who just completed his fourth NBA season, recently spoke to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune about his priorities ahead of unrestricted free agency. Financial considerations will play an important factor, but the 23-year-old says it’s not the end-all-be-all.

“I just want to be put in the best fit,” Reid said. “Obviously money plays a part, but I definitely want to be able to develop in a situation where I’m used to the best of my abilities. A place where I’m able to do things that I could do.”

Hine followed up by asking if Reid thought the Wolves could optimize his abilities, and he said they could. As Hine writes, Reid has been working out in Minnesota the past few weeks after having the cast removed from his left wrist. Reid’s season was cut short in late March following the wrist fracture, so he was unavailable for the postseason.

In April, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly expressed hope that the Wolves would be able to reach a long-term agreement with Reid, who is extension-eligible, and the two sides have had regular discussions about a new deal, with Hine referring to those conversations as “productive and amicable.” Still, Reid intends to test his value on the open market, and says the opportunity to land a starting job — which Minnesota can’t currently provide with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert on the roster — will be a priority.

“I really value that as a person, as a player, because I feel like I worked to that potential,” Reid said. “But with my unique situation, it can go great either way, coming off the bench or starting. Whatever situation is presented. But for sure, I would prioritize that.”

Reid averaged career highs in multiple categories in 2022/23, including points (11.5), rebounds (4.9) and field goal percentage (53.7%) in 68 games (18.4 minutes per night). However, he was out of the rotation at times to start the season before Towns suffered a major calf injury. Reid ended the season on a strong note, with a larger offensive role off the bench with Towns and Gobert healthy. Would that type of role appeal to him?

“I wouldn’t mind it,” Reid told Hine. “Whatever we can do for me to be back in Minnesota would be lovely, but I also feel like I’ve grown to a higher role or situation than I was in, in the beginning of the year.

“I’m pretty sure everybody else would agree as well. As the time goes on, the years go by, you look for a higher role, better situations than you were in if you’ve obviously outgrown them. So, I would love to stay back in Minnesota, but it’s just like we got to find a position for it.”

It’s an interesting interview from Hine, with Reid also talking about growing “closer and closer” with Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, two young franchise cornerstones who have been trying to sell Reid on returning. Both Edwards and McDaniels are eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer.

New York doesn’t currently need a center, with Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims all under contract next season. However, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports that Reid has a “significant amount of fans” within the Knicks organization, and says he’s worth monitoring in the event they decide to trade Robinson or Hartenstein.

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NBA Announces 2022/23 All-Defensive Teams

May 9th, 2023 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced its All-Defensive teams for the 2022/23 season.

A total of 100 media members vote on the All-Defensive awards, with players receiving two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote. This year’s All-Defensive teams are as follows:

First Team

Second Team

Unsurprisingly, Jackson – who was this season’s Defensive Player of the Year – received the most First Team votes (96) and showed up on the most overall ballots (99). Only one voter didn’t have Jackson on either All-Defensive team.

Milwaukee teammates Holiday (94) and Lopez (85) received the second- and third-most First Team votes. No other player earned more than 50.

While the Bucks have two players on the First Team, it’s a bit surprising to see former DPOY Giannis Antetokounmpo miss out altogether. Antetokounmpo earned 16 First Team votes and 28 Second Team votes for a total of 60 points, the most of any player who didn’t earn All-Defensive honors. Although he received more total points than Brooks or Adebayo, Giannis didn’t make the cut because there were four forwards with more points than him.

Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (40 points), Celtics guard Marcus Smart (35), Nets guard Mikal Bridges (33), and Nets center Nic Claxton (25) would have joined Antetokounmpo on a hypothetical All-Defensive Third Team as the highest vote-getters who fell just short.

A total of 38 players showed up on at least one ballot — the full voting results can be viewed here.

Being named to an All-Defensive team will benefit a pair of players financially, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). White earned a $250K bonus for his Second Team nod, while Holiday will receive $129,600 for making the First Team.

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Timberwolves Notes: Edwards, Reid, McDaniels, Roster Decisions

May 3rd, 2023 at 7:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have decided their path to success involves building the best possible team around Anthony Edwards, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The top pick in the 2020 draft took another step forward this year, averaging 24.6 points per game during the regular season and 31.6 PPG in the first-round loss to Denver. In a news conference last week, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said Edwards will be “paramount” in all the team’s future personnel moves.

“We’re tasked with developing, I think, the best 21-year-old in the world who’s a … great, great kid who wants it, who’s so competitive, whose work ethic is off the charts,” Connelly said. “As he grows, we want him to see winning and we want him to be around winners.”

The Wolves were criticized for giving up a large collection of assets to acquire Rudy Gobert from Utah, but Connelly said that trade and the signing of Kyle Anderson were part of a strategy to ensure that Minnesota would remain a playoff contender. The front office wants Edwards to get as much postseason experience as possible early in his career.

“I think too often in our league the development coincides with losing, and we feel pretty strongly that the best way to learn to win is to win early and to win often,” Connelly said. “But certainly it’s a challenge to ensure that we’re doing anything and everything to make sure that he’s developing, not just individually but the team’s developing at a level that we think that we can get to. That’ll be the challenge this offseason.”

There’s more from Minnesota:

  • It doesn’t appear the team will undergo major changes this summer, Krawczynski adds. Connelly told reporters that the Wolves “really like” their current starting five and that Edwards has good chemistry with Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the rotation. As Krawczynski points out, injuries limited the starters to seven games together after Mike Conley joined the team in February.
  • The Timberwolves hold Bird rights on Naz Reid, which means they can offer him more money than anyone else in free agency, but they’re not able to give him a starting spot with Towns and Gobert on the roster, notes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, who believes that will factor into whether Reid decides to re-sign this summer. Hine also examines potential extension offers for Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, along with the need to find a reliable backup point guard.
  • In another Star Tribune article, Hine looks at which members of the current roster are likely to return next season.
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Northwest Notes: Reid, McDaniels, Finch, Jazz Contracts

April 30th, 2023 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Re-signing big man Naz Reid is a major offseason priority for the Timberwolves, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. Heading into unrestricted free agency, Reid averaged a career-high 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game this season.

“I think we’re going to be an organization that’s going to reward guys that do right by the organization,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said. “He came here, he got himself in better shape, he’s gotten better each and every year, and we’re fingers crossed that he’s going to be here for a long, long time. … We’ve been working pretty hard to try to figure out something long-term for Naz.”

The Timberwolves hold Bird rights on Reid, who suffered a left wrist fracture late in the season.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels fractured his right hand in two places during the team’s regular-season finale, costing the Wolves a valuable defensive-minded rotation player entering the playoffs. McDaniels punched a wall in frustration that day and now he’s kicking himself for hurting the franchise, as Hine relays. “I made a dumb mistake,” he said. “I wish I could take it back. But, afterwards, there was nothing I could do. So I was just mad. Mad for my teammates. I know they were probably upset, too. … I just need to learn how to control my emotions better throughout the game.”
  • Timberwolves coach Chris Finch believes the team wilted under increased expectations following last summer’s Rudy Gobert blockbuster acquisition, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawcyznski. “I think we found life a little different just with the weight of expectations after the Rudy trade,” Finch said.
  • Contract options will play a major role in the Jazz‘s offseason, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune notes. Only $3MM of Kelly Olynyk‘s $12.2MM contract for next season is guaranteed. Utah will have to decide what to do with the veteran big man by June 28. Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, Rudy Gay and Damian Jones each hold player options for 2023/24, totaling approximately $35MM.
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Wolves Notes: Edwards, McDaniels, Reid, Gobert, Finch, Connelly

April 27th, 2023 at 2:41pm CST by Rory Maher

As former first-round picks entering their fourth seasons, Timberwolves wings Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels will be eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer. President of basketball operations Tim Connelly didn’t hesitate when asked if the team would commit to the two young players, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

When the Wolves are permitted to have extension discussions with Edwards and McDaniels, both players will have “really, really nice offers with a lot of money in their inbox,” Connelly said.

Edwards is highly likely to receive a rookie scale max extension after emerging as the team’s best player in 2022/23, while McDaniels could potentially get a nine-figure offer himself — particularly with the addition of a fifth year on non-max rookie extensions — following a career season.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

  • Edwards’ attorney released a statement saying the guard intends to fight the “baseless” assault charges he’s facing in Denver, Hine writes for The Star Tribune. “With the game over, Anthony’s exit from the court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later,” attorney Harvey Steinberg said via Klutch Sports, Edwards’ agency. “As video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone. Despite these innocent facts, the Denver Police Department inexplicably chose to charge Anthony with two counts of misdemeanor assault. Anthony intends to vigorously defend against these baseless charges.”
  • Both Connelly and head coach Chris Finch said that bringing back reserve big man Naz Reid will be a top priority for the Wolves, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). Reid will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension. The 23-year-old averaged career highs in points per game (11.5), rebounds (4.9) and field goal percentage (53.7%), but missed the end of the regular season and postseason after fracturing his left wrist, which required surgery.
  • Center Rudy Gobert has been a mainstay for the French national team in international play, but he says he’s not sure if he’ll compete in the World Cup, which starts in late August, per Krawczynski (Twitter link). The three-time Defensive Player of the Year added that he wants to “come back like I want to have the best year of my career next season. I know that this summer I’m going to put myself in position that I’ve never put myself in before.”
  • It certainly sounds like Finch’s job will be safe entering next season, as Connelly called the coach and his staff “elite,” tweets Krawczynski. As for the rumors linking Connelly to the Wizards‘ front office opening, he says he’s “pretty committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves right now” and is focused on advancing in the playoffs and building for the future (Twitter video link via SneakerReporter, who covers the Wolves).
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Wolves Confirm McDaniels Has Broken Hand, Out Indefinitely

April 10th, 2023 at 4:04pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels has sustained fractures of the third and fourth metacarpals of his right hand, the team announced in a press release.

According to the Wolves, the third-year small forward has been placed in a cast and is out indefinitely.

While Minnesota didn’t provide a recovery timeline, Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com notes (via Twitter) that Pistons big man Marvin Bagley III sustained a similar injury in 2022/23 and missed 19 games and 54 days after undergoing surgery (20 total games). Based on that rough timeline, the Wolves will have to make a very deep postseason run for McDaniels to have a chance to return — the NBA Finals tip off on June 1.

The 22-year-old broke his hand on Sunday when he punched a wall in the arena tunnel out of frustration after picking up a couple early fouls. Sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) that McDaniels apologized to the team and took responsibility for his error in judgment. Krawczynski points out that McDaniels went down a tunnel that was covered in a plastic curtain and was unaware of the concrete wall behind it.

McDaniels is the team’s top wing defender and had his best offensive season to date, averaging 12.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.9 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .517/.398/.736 shooting in 79 games, all starts (30.6 MPG). He will eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.

In other Minnesota health news, guard Jaylen Nowell is trending in a positive direction for Tuesday’s play-in game against the Lakers, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SkorNorth (Twitter link). Nowell has missed 17 of the past 20 games due to left knee tendinopathy.

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Northwest Notes: Gobert, McDaniels, Grant, Giddey

April 10th, 2023 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves haven’t determined if Rudy Gobert will accompany the team for Tuesday’s play-in game against the Lakers, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Gobert was sent home during Sunday’s contest after a fight on the bench with teammate Kyle Anderson that reignited at halftime. Head coach Chris Finch told reporters that he will talk with president of basketball operations Tim Connelly before making a final decision on Gobert’s status.

Krawczynski sheds a little more light on the incident, revealing that Gobert was experiencing back spasms Sunday and Anderson pushed him to play because the Wolves needed a win to avoid falling into the 9-10 play-in matchup. Gobert started the game, but his movement was limited by the back condition. During a timeout, Anderson snapped at him to improve his defense and Gobert responded with a punch that hit Anderson in the left shoulder before they were quickly separated.

Gobert was escorted to the locker room with 4:37 left in the first half, but he and Anderson confronted each other again during halftime. Connelly and assistant GM Dell Demps had to calm down the situation and made the decision to have Gobert leave the arena.

Gobert issued a public apology on Twitter Sunday night, admitting that “emotions got the best of me today.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • Jaden McDaniels‘ broken right hand was a result of frustration after being whistled for two early fouls on Sunday, Krawczynski adds. McDaniels walked down the tunnel to try to calm down and wound up punching a wall, leaving the Timberwolves to prepare for the Lakers without their best perimeter defender. “Certainly immaturity has been one of our issues all season,” Finch said.
  • Jerami Grant is pondering a four-year, $112MM extension offer from the Trail Blazers, but even if he opts for free agency it sounds like there’s a good chance he’ll stay in Portland, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. “I definitely like it here,” Grant said. “I’m looking forward to the talks and trying to figure something out. I definitely feel comfortable here.”
  • With a play-in spot already wrapped up, the Thunder had the luxury of resting their rotation players on Sunday, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. There’s plenty of optimism in Oklahoma City after a top-10 finish in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season. “From where we were last year to this year, it speaks volumes to what we’ve been able to do and how much we’ve been able to improve,” Josh Giddey said. “As long as we stay on this right path, I think this team and this organization is gonna be in good hands for a long time.”
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Rudy Gobert Punches Kyle Anderson; McDaniels Fractures Hand

April 9th, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:23pm: McDaniels has a fractured hand, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Minnesota’s President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, addressing the Gobert situation, didn’t specify whether he would take further action against Gobert, Wojnarowski tweets: “We made the decision to send Rudy Gobert home after the incident in the second quarter. His behavior on the bench was unacceptable and we will continue handling the situation internally.”

4:23pm: Rudy Gobert was sent home by the Timberwolves after he punched teammate Kyle Anderson during a timeout on Sunday afternoon, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

In a video posted by Backcourt Alerts (Twitter link), Gobert and Anderson could be seen standing up and arguing with each other. Gobert lurched forward and took a swing at Anderson, hitting him in the chest. Anderson then had to be restrained from retaliating.

Minnesota is in the midst of a pivotal game against New Orleans. The Timberwolves could be seeded anywhere from seventh to ninth in the Western Conference play-in tournament, depending on the outcome of that game and the Lakers’ game against Utah.

Interestingly and somewhat ironically, Gobert commented about Anderson’s leadership skills to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link) on Saturday.

“Kyle wants to win and sometimes he’s a little aggressive in the way he talks, but I don’t take it personally,” Gobert said a day ago. “I receive it in a positive way because it comes from a place of wanting me to be the best Rudy I can be and wanting us to win. I love his competitiveness, love the way he plays the game.”

In a separate development, forward Jaden McDaniels left the game with a right hand injury, the team’s PR department tweets. McDaniels apparently suffered the injury when he punched a wall while exiting the court, Pelicans Film Room tweets.

It’s obviously an ominous way for Minnesota to enter the play-in tournament for the second straight season. It remains to be seen whether Gobert will draw a team suspension for his actions, which would put it at a disadvantage up front. Minnesota’s key frontcourt reserve, Naz Reid, underwent wrist surgery on Wednesday.

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Northwest Notes: Blazers, Joe, Ingles, McDaniels

March 25th, 2023 at 7:47am CST by Luke Adams

As Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (subscription required) writes, the Trail Blazers looked ready on Friday to pull the plug on the 2022/23 season.

Having slipped out of the play-in race during a recent six-game losing streak, Portland ruled out Damian Lillard (right calf tightness) and Jusuf Nurkic (right knee soreness) for Friday’s game vs. Chicago and ran out a starting lineup made up of Ryan Arcidiacono, Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Trendon Watford, and Drew Eubanks. The outcome was predictable, with the Blazers losing to the Bulls by 28 points.

With the Trail Blazers now sitting at 32-41, three-and-a-half games back of the No. 10 seed in the West with nine games to go, there’s little reason to believe the team will resume its push for a play-in spot down the stretch — and it’s possible we won’t see a whole lot more of banged-up vets like Lillard and Nurkic this season. That would be good news for playoff hopefuls like the Thunder and Pelicans, who will visit Portland on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Given the team’s lack of impact moves on the free agent market since relocating to Oklahoma City, Isaiah Joe may be the most important free agent addition in Thunder history, declares Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link). While Joe won’t become a star and may never even be a starter in OKC, he has enjoyed a breakout season and looks like a potential rotation player for years to come, Lowe writes. Joe has knocked down 42.0% of his three-point attempts this season and the Thunder have a plus-6.6 net rating when he’s on the court, easily the best mark by any player who has spent the entire year with the club.
  • Bucks forward Joe Ingles admits that he took it hard when he was traded by the Jazz at the 2022 trade deadline, but he has since comes to terms with it and now appreciates the fact that he got to spend eight years with the franchise, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. The roster overhaul that the Jazz have undergone since Ingles’ departure made it easier for him to move on. “We had a hell of a run; at some point, they always come to an end,” he said. “Ours did — not by the players’ choice, but that’s how it works.”
  • In an interview with Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link), Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels says he thinks he’s the best defender in the NBA.
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