Karl-Anthony Towns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wolves Notes: Trades, KAT, Culver

January 16th, 2020 at 5:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said trading away Jeff Teague gave the team added flexibility, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic relays (Twitter link).

“We want to be positioned where we can take advantage of opportunities that present themselves where you can acquire a high-level player and give a team savings if they need it,” the executive said.

Minnesota traded Teague and Treveon Graham to Atlanta for wing Allen Crabbe earlier today. Here’s more from Minnesota:

The Wolves are confident they’re on the same page with their superstar Karl-Anthony Towns, as Rosas tells Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “We have an ownership group and a leadership group here that’s given us every resource to be successful,” Rosas said. “We’ve been aggressive at every step of the way during my short tenure here, whether it’s the draft or free agency, to bring in high-level talent. There’s going to be challenges along that path, but I’m extremely confident we’re on the same page and there’s full commitment from every level here to make this successful.”
In the same piece, Rosas added that the team is happy with No. 6 overall pick Jarrett Culver‘s progress. “What he’s doing in a semi-point guard role this year, for a guy at his age, with his skill set, is very exciting. History shows you that guys will improve their shooting,” Rosas said. “…We’re very excited about what he means for this organization now and in the future.”
Former Suns general manager Ryan McDonough has been in Minnesota, visiting with the Wolves’ coaching staff and front office, Krawcynski tweets. The scribe adds that the late Flip Saunders had a history of meeting with coaches who were currently out of the league.

Injury Updates: Holiday, Zion, George, Towns

January 13th, 2020 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Reinforcements are on the way soon for the Pelicans, who have been without their most talented backcourt player (Jrue Holiday) for the last four games and their most talented frontcourt player (Zion Williamson) for the entire season.

According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link), Holiday isn’t expected to play on Monday night in Detroit, but Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry sounded optimistic that the veteran guard will be ready to go on Thursday against Utah.

Meanwhile, Williamson – who was playing 3-on-3 after shootaround this morning with Holiday and Pelicans staffers – is inching closer to making his NBA debut. According to veteran NBA writer Mitch Lawrence (Twitter link), there’s a chance that could happen as early as Thursday, depending on how practice goes this week for Zion.

As we wait for an update from New Orleans on the season’s most-anticipated debut, let’s round up a few more injury-related items…

Paul George, who has missed the Clippers‘ last two games due to a hamstring injury, is expected to be re-evaluated early this week, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. George aggravated the left hamstring issue in a practice last Wednesday.
Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns won’t be back to action on Monday night, but it sounds like that’s more a result of an illness than his knee injury, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. A return appears imminent for Towns, who hasn’t played since December 13.
After being sidelined for nearly a month with a broken finger, Celtics center Vincent Poirier is available to play on Monday night, tweets Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com.

Northwest Notes: Towns, Thunder, Nuggets

January 9th, 2020 at 8:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders indicated during Thursday’s shootaround that Karl-Anthony Towns could be back in the lineup tonight, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune relays. However, Saunders said during warmups that Towns’ return will be postponed by at least one more game since the club wants to make sure he’s fully ready (Twitter link via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic).

Towns, who is dealing with a left knee injury, hasn’t suited up for the Timberwolves since December 13 after putting up some of the league’s best numbers in his first 23 games. While Minnesota initially struggled without its star, the team has won four of its last seven contests to remain in the playoff hunt.

With the 16-20 Spurs holding the No. 8 seed, the 14-22 Timberwolves are just two games back, and will look to make a push once Towns returns. Based on Saunders’ comments, it sounds like there’s a decent chance that could happen on Saturday in Houston.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

The July trade that sent Russell Westbrook to Houston for Chris Paul was interpreted at the time at the latest signal that the Thunder were entering rebuild mode. Instead, the blockbuster deal has been a bonanza for an Oklahoma City team that comfortably holds a playoff spot, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
After being drafted by the Nuggets in 2014, Nikola Jokic spent one more year overseas before joining Denver for the 2015/16 season. Using that example as a launching point, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the Nuggets’ approach to the “draft-and-stash,” noting that the club views it as more of a “draft-and-nurture” process.
In his latest mailbag for Nuggets.com, former Hoops Rumors writer Eric Spyropoulos explores the Nuggets’ wing rotation and the latest on rookie center Bol Bol.

Stein’s Latest: KAT, Paul, Zion, Predictions

December 31st, 2019 at 6:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

Reports surfaced this week that the Knicks and Warriors are among the teams monitoring Karl-Anthony Towns‘ situation in Minnesota, but the Timberwolves have no interest in trading their star center, Marc Stein of The New York Times writes in this week’s newsletter. Stein adds that team officials have told him repeatedly that they are building “everything” around Towns, and a trade is the last thing the organization is considering.

The Wolves have tumbled into 12th place in the West after a 10-8 start, and Towns’ injury is part of the reason for the slide. He is in the first season of a five-year, $190MM extension and there’s a new front office team in place run by Gersson Rosas, so there’s no hurry to make major changes.

Executives around the league expect Rosas to be active around the trade deadline, but that’s mostly because of his background with the traditionally aggressive Rockets. Stein notes that teams continue to express interest in acquiring swingman Robert Covington.

There’s more from Stein’s latest piece:

Stein has been skeptical that the Russell Westbrook–James Harden pairing could work, but states that the Rockets were forced to make a move because their relationship with Chris Paul was “irretrievably broken” after last season’s playoff ouster. Westbrook was one of the few available options whose contract matched up well with Paul’s.
Stein predicts the Pelicans will give serious consideration to keeping Zion Williamson sidelined for the entire season if he’s not healthy enough to return in January. There have been encouraging signs that he might be ready to suit up soon, and New Orleans would like to see how he fits alongside Jrue Holiday and Brandon Ingram before making long-term decisions on both players. However, Stein states that if Williamson goes another month without playing, the safest option may be to skip his entire first season and make sure he’s ready for training camp.
Among other 2020 predictions, Stein expects the Pacers‘ Malcolm Brogdon and the Nets‘ Spencer Dinwiddie to be first-time All-Stars, the Bucks to fall short of 70 wins, the NBA Board of Governors to approve an in-season tournament as well as a play-in tourney for the final two playoff spots in each conference and Gregg Popovich to retire after coaching the U.S. Olympic team.

Warriors Among Teams Keeping Eye On Towns

December 30th, 2019 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Less than a week after one report indicated the Knicks are monitoring Karl-Anthony Towns‘ situation in Minnesota in the hopes of eventually making a play for the Timberwolves star, Ethan Strauss of The Athletic writes that the Warriors are doing the same.

According to Strauss, Towns’ situation was a popular topic of conversation among team executives at this month’s G League Showcase, with some of those execs believing that the 24-year-old is unhappy in Minnesota.

Towns has been better than ever this season, averaging a career-best 26.5 PPG to go along with 11.7 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.3 BPG, and a .514/.418/.796 shooting line. However, the Timberwolves have slumped after a strong start and currently have an 11-20 record, good for 13th in the Western Conference.

Despite the Wolves’ struggles, the franchise is extremely unlikely to consider trading Towns anytime soon, as Darren Wolfson of SKOR North tweets. The big man is in the first season of a five-year, maximum-salary contract and can’t reach the open market until 2024.

Even if Towns expresses dissatisfaction with his circumstances, the Wolves are more likely to make moves to improve their roster around him than to send him elsewhere. So while the Knicks, Warriors, and the rest of NBA will continue to keep an eye on Minnesota, Wolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas figures to remain focused on acquiring upgrades that can make a Towns-led squad a contender.

Knicks Monitoring Karl-Anthony Towns’ Situation

December 25th, 2019 at 6:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Yes, we’ve heard this before: the Knicks are planning to make a big splash by trading for or signing a star. In the latest edition of this Groundhog-Day-like news cycle (it’s Christmas so perhaps, we should use 12 Dates of Christmas as a reference), New York continues to have hopes of using its cap flexibility and assets to turn itself into a contender.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that the Knicks’ current “dream scenario” is to trade for a disgruntled superstarm and the franchise is expected to monitor Karl-Anthony Towns‘ situation. Towns, who signed a five-year, $190MM extension prior to the 2018/19 season, is from Metuchen, New Jersey, and the team has hopes that he would be open to playing for the Knicks should the Wolves ever consider trading him.

Berman writes that Bradley Beal remains on the Knicks’ radar. However, a source tells Hoops Rumors that the Wizards still aren’t entertaining trade offers for the shooting guard, who is ineligible to be moved until the 2020 offseason anyway.

New York has the assets to put together a pretty compelling package for any star that becomes available. In addition to their own picks, the Knicks have two future firsts from the Mavericks as well as several young prospects. The franchise could have more long-term assets if it makes future-looking trades at the deadline, such as moving Marcus Morris.

Trading for a star appears to be the Knicks’ best chance at landing a one and with the Timberwolves dwelling in the cellar of the Western Conference, it’s fair to wonder whether Towns and Minnesota would each welcome a deal. Still, any deal for Towns appears to be far away, as the Wolves have given every indication that they are not open to trading their franchise center.

Northwest Notes: Ingles, Towns, Nuggets, Jones, Conley

November 7th, 2019 at 10:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz forward Joe Ingles has sought advice from San Antonio’s Patty Miles and New Orleans’ J.J. Redick as he adjusts to a sixth-man role, Aaron Falk of the team’s website reports. “It’s been a few years since I’ve come off the bench,” Ingles said. “I’m just figuring out different ways, what they do, their routines. If there’s anything I can steal or use to help our team win games, I’m going to do it.” Ingles is off to a slow start in his new role, averaging 7.6 PPG and 3.4 APG with a .400 FG%.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns has no regrets about his scrap with Joel Embiid that resulted in a two-game suspension, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. “Listen I’m going to defend myself. I ain’t going to take nothing,” he said. “That’s a very … talented player. I just had to defend myself in that situation.”
The Nuggets are getting an average of 36.7 points from their bench, putting them in the middle of the pack in the league, but forward Will Barton says they’re way better than that, Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post relays. “We’ve got the best bench in the league when we’re clicking on all cylinders,” Barton said.
Tyus Jones was grateful he had the chance to play for his hometown team, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune relays. Jones grew up in Minnesota and played four seasons for the Timberwolves. He signed a three-year offer sheet with the Grizzlies this offseason and Minnesota declined to match it. “Last year it was like, ‘Man, I might not get this chance again to play for my hometown team.’ … It was just a cool experience, something I’m grateful for because not everyone gets to do something like that. It’s pretty unique and pretty cool,” the point guard said.
Mike Conley is going through a bigger adjustment than anticipated, as the Jazz guard told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “It’s kind of a little bit out of my routine because I’ve had to watch more film on us than I can on the other teams because I’m still learning. … I’ve got a big guy now (in Rudy Gobert) who can go get it. I can throw pocket passes, but it’s a little different. We’ve got lob threats and shooters around. You’re just trying to figure out where guys like to come off screens, and which hand, and then just remembering the terminology,” he said. Conley, who was traded by the Grizzlies over the summer, is making a combined $67MM this season and next season.

And-Ones: Timberwolves, Durant, Buycks, Draft

November 3rd, 2019 at 9:43pm CST by JD Shaw

The Timberwolves are fuming over how the NBA handled the discipline for Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns, which stems from a mid-game scuffle between the two superstars last week, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

Minnesota has expressed disapproval of the league’s decision to suspend both Embiid and Towns two games for multiple reasons, as noted by Krawczynski.

Firstly, team officials believe Embiid was the instigator of the scuffle, leading to Towns’ involvement. The franchise also touched on Embiid’s decision to leave the game with a bang upon his ejection, shadow-boxing and firing up the Philadelphia crowd while Towns exited the floor quietly.

And the last issue, one discussed heavily by fans across the league, relates to the league’s decision not to penalize Ben Simmons for his involvement in the altercation. Simmons was seen with his arms wrapped around the neck of Towns, causing many to believe he was attempting a rear-naked choke. The league ultimately viewed Simmons as a peacemaker.

“While we are disappointed in the league’s decision, we understand the magnitude of this unfortunate incident,” Wolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said, according to Krawczynski. “The NBA is highly competitive and last night was a reflection of that. We support Karl and will move forward together as a group.”

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The shaky starts from both the Nets and Warriors show Kevin Durant‘s tremendous on-court value even more, as detailed by Frank Isola of The Athletic. Golden State lost Durant in free agency this summer, with the 10-time All-Star choosing to take his talents to Brooklyn on a multi-year deal. Durant is expected to miss the rest of the 2019/20 season as he rehabs from a torn Achilles’ tendon, with the Nets currently struggling at 2-4.
Free agent guard Dwight Buycks has agreed to a new deal with the Shenzhen Leopards in China, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Buycks averaged 20.5 points with the team last season.
Jonathon Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN.com discuss the early contenders for the 2020 NBA Draft, including which prospects have the best chances of being selected in the lottery. ESPN revealed its early mock draft for the event last week, with 7-foot-1 center James Wiseman currently projected as the No. 1 overall pick.

NBA Suspends Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns Two Games Each

October 31st, 2019 at 5:17pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The punishment for the scuffle between Karl-Anthony Towns and Joel Embiid has been handed down by the league. Each player will miss the next two games, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The two big men wrestled one another to the ground on Wednesday and were each ejected from the contest. The jabs didn’t stop there, as the star big men exchanged insults via social media later that night. Charania adds that the duo’s suspension was for their on-court altercation and “their continued escalation following the incident.”

Ben Simmons, who held Towns down on the ground as other players pulled Embiid away, will not be suspended for the incident, despite the Wolves pushing back against the notion that he acted as a peacemaker.

Embiid will lose roughly $379K as a result of the conflict while Towns will lose roughly $376K, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). The 76ers will play Portland and Phoenix over their next two games while Minnesota faces Washington and Milwaukee.

Wolves Dispute Simmons As ‘Peacemaker’ In Brawl

October 31st, 2019 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

While Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns were the instigators of Wednesday’s brawl between the Sixers and Timberwolves, they weren’t the only players who jumped in the fray. Ben Simmons was among the players who ended up on the ground with Towns during the fracas, with referees ruling that Simmons was acting as a “peacemaker.” According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Wolves are pushing back on that ruling.

As Wojnarowski details, the Timberwolves are arguing that Simmons had Towns in a “dangerous choke hold” as he pinned him to the floor. Minnesota’s front office was in touch with NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe, sources tell Wojnarowski, and presumably the Wolves would like to see Simmons receive some sort of discipline as a result of the altercation.

According to Michael Lee of The Athletic (Twitter link), people on the Wolves’ side may have been even more upset with Simmons’ actions than Embiid’s, and questioned why he was allowed to stay in the game.

For their part, the Sixers were “adamant” in supporting the referees’ conclusion that Simmons was a peacemaker, per Woj. The 76ers have also been in contact with VanDeWeghe and the league office, telling the NBA that they believe Towns was the aggressor in the fight.

The NBA will review the tape and interview participants and witnesses beginning today as it determines the appropriate punishment for those involved in the brawl, says Wojnarowski. Neither team plays until Saturday, so the league has some time to mull its decisions.

As we detailed in our earlier story on the incident, Embiid and Towns brought the fight to social media after the game, though it’s not clear whether the league will take those tweets and Instagram posts into account when considering discipline.