Karl-Anthony Towns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Timberwolves Notes: Staff Changes, Edwards, Towns

August 2nd, 2023 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have promoted college scouting coordinator Josh Gershon to director of basketball intelligence and assistant general manager of the Iowa Wolves, their G League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Minnesota also announced the promotions of Jeff Newton (assistant coach/quality control coach) and James White (player development assistant).

White’s name is probably the most recognizable of those three — he was the 31st overall pick in the 2006 draft and appeared in a total of 63 NBA games with the Spurs, Rockets, and Knicks between 2006-13. He has since transitioned to coaching, having been an assistant in Iowa last season. Both he and Newton – who was Iowa’s head coach for the past two years – will join Chris Finch‘s staff in Minnesota.

“All three have earned their new roles and added responsibilities. Working with each has been wonderful,” president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said of Gershon, Newton, and White. “As an organization we have benefited greatly from their unique backgrounds. Excited to see the continued growth of Josh, Jeff and James. All three have tremendously bright futures.”

Here’s more on the T-Wolves:

Rising star Anthony Edwards is changing his jersey number from No. 1 to No. 5 for the coming season, per Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. While a number change shouldn’t have any real on-court impact on Edwards, The Athletic’s duo – in detailing the importance of No. 5 to the Timberwolves guard – note that he’s a “vibes player,” so if he feels better wearing his new number, it should only benefit the team. “He’s already a player that has confidence, but I think you’ll see a little step up in his swagger with the No. 5 on his chest,” said Edwards’ friend and business manager Justin Holland.
In the latest episode of his Jon Krawczynski Show podcast, the beat writer from The Athletic discusses Karl-Anthony Towns‘ decision to represent the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Cup, observing that the Timberwolves big man is feeling 100% again after missing most of last season due to a calf injury. “He said it several times, both publicly and privately as well, that he could just feel that that calf was not where it needed to be,” Krawczynski said (per HoopsHype). “And when I caught up with him in Las Vegas, he said that he was feeling fully healthy again, for the first time since before he was injured.”
As our roster counts page shows, the Timberwolves are currently carrying 14 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals, with a two-way qualifying offer still on the table for swingman Matt Ryan. If Ryan were to accept that QO, Minnesota would have no open two-way slots left, but would still have room to add up to four additional players to its offseason roster.

International Notes: Towns, Hollis-Jefferson, Cleveland, Holland

July 27th, 2023 at 5:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns announced on Instagram that he will compete for the Dominican Republic in next month’s FIBA World Cup, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune relays.

As Hine notes, Towns’ late mother was from the Caribbean country. The national team’s preliminary roster, which includes Towns, features a handful of other players with varying levels of NBA experience, including Al Horford, Chris Duarte, Lester Quinones and Justin Minaya.

Towns last competed for the senior national team in 2013 during the AmeriCup tournament, according to FIBA. The president of the Dominican basketball federation previously expressed optimism that Towns would suit up for the World Cup, which begins August 25.

Here are some more international notes:

Former NBA forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is in the process of obtaining Jordanian citizenship in order to play for Jordan’s national team at the World Cup, according to Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops.net. Hollis-Jefferson, 28, played for the Nets, Raptors and Trail Blazers over the course of his six NBA seasons, holding career averages of 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game.
Antonius Cleveland has inked a two-year deal with Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, per a team press release (hat tip to Sportando). Cleveland split last season playing for teams in Australia and Israel. The 29-year-old holds 28 games of NBA experience over two seasons with the Mavericks and Hawks.
John Holland, who spent 14 months and played 25 games with the Cavaliers from 2017-18, has signed with Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv, the team announced in a press release. The 34-year-old swingman is a well-traveled veteran, having played for teams in France, Spain, Turkey, Russia and most recently Serbia (Crvena Zvedza) over the course of his career.

Knicks Notes: Embiid, LaVine, Towns, Fournier, Free Agency

July 20th, 2023 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Trade speculation involving Sixers center Joel Embiid shows why the Knicks have decided to be patient in building their roster, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Team president Leon Rose has been collecting assets to eventually use in a trade for a star, but that player will have to be a good fit for the organization to go all in, Katz adds.

When Rose pursued Donovan Mitchell from the Jazz last summer, he placed a limit on what he was willing to offer, according to Katz. The Cavaliers outbid New York and were able to land Mitchell in a late summer trade. The Knicks also contacted the Bulls about Zach LaVine, but a source tells Katz that Chicago’s asking price was “giant” and the teams never got close to a deal.

New York has been viewed as a logical destination if the Timberwolves decide to trade Karl-Anthony Towns because of his connections to Rose and CAA. However, Katz hears that Minnesota’s price for Towns is also “sky high,” and another source tells him that New York hasn’t expressed interest in acquiring Towns.

Embiid would represent both the talent level and the fit the Knicks are looking for, but Katz states that management isn’t focused solely on him. With a collection of young talent and all its own draft picks available to trade, plus protected first-rounders from the Mavericks, Wizards, Bucks and Pistons, New York will be in position to make a significant offer for any star who becomes available.

There’s more from New York:

Evan Fournier‘s recent comments to a French news outlet may complicate the Knicks’ plans to trade him, observes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Fournier began the season as a starter, but he only played 27 games and wasn’t used at all in the postseason. He expressed dismay at Tom Thibodeau’s decision and said his feelings were shared by Derrick Rose, who suffered a similar fate. Fournier said it would be “a disaster” for his career to spend another season in New York, but Braziller notes that the trade market is slow right now even for stars, so any Fournier deal may be a long way off.
The Knicks haven’t added a backup power forward since trading Obi Toppin to Indiana, and Ian Begley of SNY.tv is skeptical that they’ll find a replacement before training camp opens. Begley notes that Thibodeau prefers to use a nine-man rotation, and those nine players appear set already.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggests a few bargains who might be available for the Knicks on veteran’s minimum contracts.

And-Ones: Towns, Smith, George, Moneke

July 18th, 2023 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The President of the Dominican Basketball Federation, Rafael Uribe, says there’s a “90 percent” chance that Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns will play in this summer’s FIBA World Cup, Hoops Hype relays. The Dominican team also has several other NBA performers. Lester Quinones, Justin Minaya and Chris Duarte will be part of the Dominican squad that will play a warm-up match against the University of Memphis on August 2, Diamante Deportivo tweets.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Jabari Smith‘s scoring explosion was one of the notable developments in the Summer League, The Athletic’s John Hollinger writes in a recap of this month’s action. The Rockets’ second-year forward scored 71 points in his 64 summer minutes, signaling that he could be a breakout performer next season after struggling through his rookie campaign.
In a similar story, ESPN’s Insiders take a closer look at the Summer League’s surprises and disappointments. Kendra Andrews and Tim Bontemps both note that Jazz rookie Keyonte George, the 16th overall pick, was a standout.
Former NBA forward Chima Moneke has finalized a two-year agreement with Spain’s Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, according to BasketNews.com. Moneke played with AC Monaco last season after a stint with the Kings. Moneke appeared in two NBA games before Sacramento waived him in January.

Northwest Notes: Henderson, Billups, Towns, Juzang, Tyson

July 18th, 2023 at 5:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said that developing lottery pick Scoot Henderson into a top-level point guard is a “personal” project, he told The Athletic’s David Aldridge.

“It’s personal for me,” said Billups, the 2004 Finals MVP. “‘Cause I just remember myself being that dude, third pick in the draft. The expectations. I want to give Scoot what I needed at the time. I can do that. I’ve done everything he wants to do in this league. I struggled mightily early, which I don’t see that happening with him.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Timberwolves had some pre-draft discussions about a possible Karl-Anthony Towns trade, Ian Begley of SNY TV said on ESPN’s Zach Lowe podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “There were talks between the Timberwolves and other teams before the draft and Towns’ name came up,” Begley said. “I don’t know how aggressive the Timberwolves were with Towns, if at all.” Towns is entering the first year of his four-year super max extension.
Jazz summer league coach and developmental assistant Evan Bradds said he’s been pushing second-year swingman Johnny Juzang hard, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune writes. Juzang had a high efficient 26-point outing in the team’s second Summer League game. “I want him to succeed, and I think over the [past] year, we were able to build a good relationship,” Bradds said. “I think if you ask him, he would want to be coached hard. So if you tell me you want me to coach hard, I’m gonna coach you hard, no matter what — when you’re good, when you’re bad. Even during the game, we get a little heated, and that’s OK, that’s part of it.” Juzang is an unrestricted free agent after the Jazz pulled their qualifying offer.
Second-round pick Hunter Tyson was a standout for the Nuggets in the Summer League, Matt Schubert of the Denver Post writes. Tyson averaged 20.8 points in five games and made half of his 3-point attempts. He also averaged 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Wolves Notes: Minott, Edwards, Free Agents

July 13th, 2023 at 11:35am CST by Arthur Hill

Josh Minott created excitement among Timberwolves fans with his G League highlights, but he knows he still has a lot to prove at the NBA level, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The second-year small forward understands that nothing will be given to him as he tries to make an NBA breakthrough, so he’s been approaching Summer League play the same way he did as a rookie.

“Last year, had no respect. This year, no respect,” Minott said. “I’m just trying to go out there and just show what I can do, show the coaching staff.”

The 45th pick in the 2022 draft, Minott impressed scouts with his athleticism, but he saw limited playing time in college and shot just 14% from three-point range. The Wolves took a chance on him because president of basketball operations Tim Connelly believed his energy, play-making and defense could help him develop into an NBA player.

Minnesota needs someone to replace Taurean Prince, who was lost to the Lakers in free agency, and Minott hopes to seize that opportunity. Krawczynski states that Minott has been working out regularly at the team facility, and the Wolves are giving him challenging defensive assignments during Summer League.

“They’re not trying to see me come down and jack five 3s,” Minott said. “They’re trying to see me come down and lock up their best player and stuff like that, cut, a lot of off-ball actions, screening, rolling, slipping, being able to knock down a corner 3 if need be. Overall, in terms of what I can do, it’s whatever a team’s missing.”

There’s more on the Timberwolves:

Minnesota signaled that Anthony Edwards is the centerpiece of its future by giving him a max extension, but the front office hasn’t committed to surrounding him with a roster that complements his skills, observes Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. The Wolves appear to be headed into another season with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, whom Rand views as an awkward combination with each other and with Edwards. Rand believes a Towns trade is inevitable within the next year to rebuild the draft assets that were drained in the Gobert deal and to possibly to find a younger point guard to replace Mike Conley.
Senior VP of basketball operations Matt Lloyd reportedly attended a Tandem Sports free agent workout on Tuesday featuring Elfrid Payton, Justin Jackson, Chasson Randle and Ignas Brazdeikis, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and SKOR North (Twitter link). The Wolves also are said to have watched Harry Giles and Dion Waiters in Las Vegas, two more players attempting NBA comebacks, Wolfson adds.
In case you missed it, we recently passed along details on the new contracts signed by Troy Brown, Shake Milton and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Wolves Notes: Finch, Towns, Gobert, Edwards, Conley, Minott

July 9th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Outside reviews of the Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert pairing were mostly negative, but the Timberwolves saw enough potential that they haven’t tried to break up the experiment this summer. In an interview with Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, head coach Chris Finch talks about how he will approach the upcoming season with the two big men in his starting lineup.

“I think we have to be way more definitive with our spacing around Rudy in pick and roll and KAT in the post,” Finch said. “That gives you two anchor points. Maybe in general, just a little more structured two-big spacing. Both bigs having a purpose at the same time. Then, I think we got away from KAT being in the trail spot. I think we’ve got to get him back where he’s really destructive, which is playing at the top of the floor early in the offense. That’s just off the top of my head of the things that pop out, which I feel pretty confident about being able to firm that up.”

Finch also said Anthony Edwards needs to re-establish his pick-and-roll game with Towns, who missed a major portion of last season with a calf injury. Finch believes Edwards and Gobert developed good chemistry together, and he wants to see that same decisiveness when Edwards is running the pick and roll with Towns.

There’s more on the Timberwolves:

In the same interview, Finch said Mike Conley was able to upgrade the offense after being acquired in February, and he hopes to see even more progress this season. “I think the single biggest thing he can do for us that we weren’t able to maximize or figure out is to be that connective bridge between Ant, Rudy and KAT,” Finch said. “Make all the right plays and all the little plays that you don’t see, and help talk everybody through all these situations. He’s not wired to want to score all the time.”
Edwards will face a new level of pressure in the wake of his max extension, including the expectation of bringing an NBA title to Minnesota, observes La Velle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune. The deal also signifies that Edwards has replaced Towns as the face of the franchise, Neal adds.
After appearing in just 15 games as a rookie, Josh Minott is approaching Summer League in hopes of showing the Wolves he can handle a larger role, Hine adds in another Star Tribune story.“It’s just another opportunity to show the jump I’ve made, to show the work that I’ve been putting in over the summer,” Minott said. “Anybody can watch a workout, but I feel like it’s environments like this, environments like Summer League, where you see how much the work has translated and just how much you’ve gotten better.”

Latest On Damian Lillard

July 3rd, 2023 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Reports over the weekend indicated that the Trail Blazers are “open for business everywhere in the league” when it comes to Damian Lillard trade talks and are casting a wide net in an effort to get the best possible return.

However, the star guard has been “unwavering” in his desire to join the Heat, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, who say that Lillard has conveyed to the Blazers that Miami is the only place he wants to play.

Chris Haynes essentially said the same thing in the latest episode of his #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Marc Stein. Asked by Stein if Lillard could be talked into another landing spot or if he’s dead-set on ending up with the Heat, Haynes simply replied, “Miami. Miami, Stein, Miami.”

Shams Charania of The Athletic also says that Lillard’s sole focus is on the Heat, acknowledging that the Blazers are exploring other scenarios but suggesting that there’s a “strong belief” around the league that Miami will be 32-year-old’s ultimate destination.

The two sides both appear at this point to be using media leaks to exercise as much leverage as possible. The Blazers’ discussions with other teams can be viewed as an effort to extract as much value out of the Heat as possible, whereas Lillard’s insistence on being sent to Miami may make other suitors wary of surrendering their top assets to acquire him, knowing that he’d be dissatisfied with the outcome, as Jackson, Chiang, and Charania write.

Here’s more on Lillard:

In the #thisleague UNCUT podcast, Stein suggested that there’s a widespread belief around the NBA that Sixers guard James Harden will end up being traded to the Clippers. Haynes responded by noting that the Clippers have also been in touch with the Trail Blazers to inquire on Lillard, though he adds that L.A. seems unlikely to acquire Dame.
The Timberwolves, Pelicans, and Celtics are among the other teams who “reached out to see what it would take” to land Lillard, Haynes reports. A deal with Minnesota would have had to involve Karl-Anthony Towns, according to Haynes, who says that idea was “quickly eliminated.”
Haynes also spoke on the podcast about the timeline that led to Lillard’s Saturday trade request, explaining that after Portland landed the No. 3 overall pick in the draft lottery, the longtime Blazer was told the team would look into trading it for win-now help. However, GM Joe Cronin called him two days before the draft to let him know Portland would likely keep its pick. In Lillard’s meeting with the Blazers this past Monday, he expressed his feeling that “promises weren’t kept,” per Haynes, but vowed to give the team a little more time to see if it could upgrade the roster on the trade market when free agency opened. When that didn’t happen right away, Lillard submitted his trade request to ensure that teams interested in acquiring him – such as the Heat – didn’t make other moves in free agency that would preclude such a deal.
According to Haynes, Lillard first entertained the idea of requesting a trade out of Portland in 2021. One of the reasons he decided against it at the time was because the Blazers hired Chauncey Billups, whom Dame greatly respects, as their head coach that summer. As Haynes details, Lillard didn’t want to put Billups in a position like Stephen Silas in Houston — Harden and Russell Westbrook requested trades shortly after Silas was hired in 2020, which derailed the veteran assistant’s first head coaching opportunity.
In case you missed it, we passed along a couple notes on the Lillard sweepstakes in a trade rumors round-up earlier today.

Western Notes: Zion, Lakers, Dunleavy, Livingston, Towns, Reid

June 20th, 2023 at 10:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s unlikely that Zion Williamson will be dealt by the Pelicans before the draft, according to The Athletic’s William Guillory. While the Pelicans are enamored with G League guard Scoot Henderson, they have not included Williamson in any formal offer to the teams holding the second and third picks (Hornets, Trail Blazers).

However, there is a disconnect between Williamson and the Pelicans organization. Some of that tension, according to Guillory, is due to a frayed relationship between Williamson’s camp and Aaron Nelson, who has been in charge of the medical/training staff. Nelson won’t be leading the medical staff next season.

The Pelicans have recently tried to smooth things over with Williamson. He met with top exec David Griffin and team governor Gayle Benson last week at team headquarters and it apparently went well, Guillory writes.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Lakers hosted a pre-draft workout for six prospects on Tuesday, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. That group included Ben Sheppard (Belmont), Landers Nolley II (Cincinnati), Patrick Gardner (Marist), Omari Moore (San Jose State), Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite) and K.J. Williams (LSU).
Mike Dunleavy Jr. was one of the most unpopular players in Warriors’ history, so there’s naturally skepticism from fans about him becoming the top decision-maker in the organization, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes.
Shaun Livingston has left the Warriors’ organization, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Livingston spent the last three seasons in the front office as director of players affairs and engagement. He wants to spend more time with his family.
While Karl-Anthony Towns has been one of the prominent names on the rumor mill, the Timberwolves brass believes improved health from Towns and Rudy Gobert will solve some of the team’s offensive problems, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. Owners Glen Taylor, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez are on board with that approach. The owners are also hoping to re-sign backup big man Naz Reid, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Reid has been hanging around the team’s practice facility since the season ended, a positive sign that he’d like to stay with the club.

Blazers Rumors: No. 3 Pick, Lillard, Adebayo, George, Zion

June 20th, 2023 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Like his ESPN colleague Jonathan Givony, Brian Windhorst has been hearing that the Trail Blazers haven’t been enamored with the trade offers they’ve been getting for the No. 3 pick in this Thursday’s draft. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday (YouTube link), Windhorst discussed the situation in Portland and how it could affect star guard Damian Lillard.

“In discussions with teams in the last couple of days, the Blazers have started to maybe indicate that they won’t trade the No. 3 pick and that they may end up deciding to draft a player there, whether it be Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, because they aren’t necessarily in love with the options they’re getting offer for No. 3,” Windhorst said.

As Windhorst notes, Lillard has repeatedly expressed his loyalty to the Trail Blazers, but he has also spoken in recent months about not wanting to be part of a rebuild in Portland and his hope that the team can add impact veterans.

“I checked in on the Lillard side of things about whether or not there’d been a change of heart there and I was told unequivocally, ‘No,'” Windhorst said. “Dame does not want a youth movement. He wants to play with veterans. He wants the team to upgrade fast and immediately with veteran players that can help him now.”

There are other ways besides trading the No. 3 pick for the Blazers to add veteran talent this summer, Windhorst acknowledges, so if Portland keeps and uses its lottery pick on Thursday, that doesn’t necessarily mean Lillard will immediately make a trade request.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports makes this point too, writing in his latest story that the Blazers “view this entire offseason as their canvas” to upgrade their roster around Lillard and don’t necessarily feel it has to happen entirely during the draft. For now, it still appears that Dame’s preference is to remain in Portland and that the club hasn’t shown any willingness to discuss trading Lillard, says Fischer.

Here’s more on the Blazers:

Portland is preparing what the front office considers a “compelling” offer for Heat big man Bam Adebayo, a source tells Fischer. While that may be true, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Miami would accept such a deal, given that the Heat view Adebayo as a long-term cornerstone and want to acquire Lillard themselves rather than help the Blazers keep him. For what it’s worth, Fischer suggests that any Portland offer for Adebayo would almost certainly have to include Shaedon Sharpe in addition to the No. 3 pick and Anfernee Simons to even get Miami to think about it.
While Adebayo may not be attainable, he’s the sort of “premium” player the Trail Blazers are targeting in talks involving their lottery pick, Fischer writes, naming Clippers forward Paul George as another example of a player the team would like to land.
League sources tell Fischer that the Blazers don’t “truly covet” either of the Raptors forwards they’ve been linked to (Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby) in a deal for the No. 3 selection. Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns also aren’t considered legitimate targets, Fischer adds.
The Blazers and Pelicans have discussed Zion Williamson, per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, but New Orleans hasn’t made a formal offer involving Williamson and may want more than just the No. 3 pick for him, per Fischer.