Rudy Gobert

Northwest Notes: Reath, Hendricks, DiVincenzo, Wolves

December 5th, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The restrictions imposed by the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement and tax apron rules will likely inspire teams to get creative on the trade market this season, insider Jake Fischer writes for The Stein Line. Second-apron teams like Milwaukee and Phoenix are among those likely to scour the trade market for players whose contracts can be acquired using the minimum salary exception or by using an outgoing minimum-salary player for matching purposes.

Trail Blazers center Duop Reath is one such player who has come up in trade chatter across the league, Fischer writes. Reath is on a three-year contract, so he can’t be absorbed using the minimum salary exception, but because his cap hit is just $2.05MM, any team (regardless of its proximity to the aprons) could legally acquire him by sending out a veteran on a one-year, minimum-salary contract ($2.09MM).

“He’s really interesting,” one Western Conference executive said to Fischer.

Reath is firmly behind all of Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III and Donovan Clingan in Portland’s rotation. If none of those players are on the move, Reath could be gettable at or before the trade deadline after flashing in each of his first two seasons. Reath is also on the books for $2.2MM next season.

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Jazz second-year forward Taylor Hendricks suffered a freak injury in his third game of the season when he slipped on a wet spot on the court and fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle. He appeared in 40 games as a rookie, starting 23, but was poised for a larger role in his sophomore year and had started each of his first three games. “To feel like I’m going back to that where — I have to get ready for the next season again, and I was just getting ready for this season — it was kind of heartbreaking,” Hendricks said, per The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen. Hendricks will be out for the rest of the season and isn’t expected to be available for Summer League, according to Larsen, who says the goal is for the forward to be ready for the start of the 2025/26 season.
Donte DiVincenzo‘s mechanics haven’t been off to start the season — he merely seemed to be in a cold slump after shooting just 30.3% from deep in his first 13 games with the Timberwolves, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski writes. Since making five of his 10 three-point attempts against Phoenix on Nov. 17, DiVincenzo is connecting on 38.0% of his outside shots in the past eight games. The Wolves acquired DiVincenzo in the Towns trade but struggled in the early parts of the season following the move. Now, they’ve won three games in a row and the veteran wing has made seven of his 15 three-point attempts (46.7%) in that stretch.
The Timberwolves weren’t just slumping offensively in the early going, as Rudy Gobert and the overall defense was down too. The club has reemerged on that side of the ball amid its three-game win streak, Krawczynski observes in a separate story. Minnesota held the Lakers and Clippers to 80 points apiece in back-to-back games, with Gobert contributing five steals in the win over the Clippers. “This is what we’ve got to do,” head coach Chris Finch said. “We haven’t been doing that and we’re starting to figure it out and find a rhythm and understand how important defense is to us.”

Wolves Respond To Rudy Gobert-Julius Randle Dispute

November 23rd, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves were disappointed by Thursday’s loss at Toronto, but an in-game dispute involving their players was even more troubling, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

Tensions began to rise in the fourth quarter when Rudy Gobert posted up Scottie Barnes deep under the basket, but Julius Randle failed to throw him the ball to take advantage of the mismatch. According to Hine, Gobert was upset about not getting a chance to score and took too long to leave the lane, which resulted in a three-second violation.

On the next defensive possession, Gobert committed an unnecessary foul on Barnes, Anthony Edwards yelled at Gobert in frustration and a close game began to slip away as the Wolves lost focus.

The team had a “frank discussion” about the incident following the game, Hine adds, and both Gobert and Randle accepted responsibility while talking to the media before Saturday’s practice.

“Like I told the guys, as someone who really is big on leading by example, my reaction was a bad example,” Gobert admitted. “I let my emotions, my frustration get the best of me and that’s not who I am. I was sorry for that. I know these guys know me, know who I am, they know everything I do is for my teammates, everything I do is to win, so when I have one of those moments, we know that it’s just a moment.”

Hine points out that Gobert has been involved in other clashes with teammates since coming to Minnesota, most notably when he threw a punch at Kyle Anderson in the final game of the 2022/23 season. The team responded by suspending Gobert for the first game of the play-in tournament.

When Randle was acquired from New York last month, there were questions about whether he and Gobert could mesh their games together. Although Thursday’s incident might be interpreted as a red flag, Randle insists there’s no “beef” between them.

“Rudy’s been great. I’ve had no problem with Rudy,” Randle said. “He’s been great communicating. I feel like Rudy is a great teammate and he brings a lot to our team and we need Rudy. I’ve been to Rudy’s house, there is no beef or any animosity. It’s basketball. Things happen. Name a perfect family. I have never seen one. There’s always gonna be something. Things happen. You move forward with it. Me and Rudy are great. I’ve got no issue with him.”

Sources tell Hine that Edwards played a large role in Thursday’s post-game discussion. Randle didn’t disclose any details, but he said Edwards isn’t afraid to “speak his mind” and has earned that privilege by consistently being a positive leader.

The team needs to regain its “spirit,” according to coach Chris Finch, who viewed the openness at today’s media session as a step in that direction. The Wolves have stumbled out of the gate after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, and Finch believes too many players are being affected by their individual performances.

“I don’t think it’s a selfish thing in that regard,” he said. “… I think it’s more they’ve been a little disappointed and had a hard time hiding their emotions, and there’s a maturity and a toughness that comes with that. Mistakes are going to be made, people are going to miss you, coverages are going to be blown, shots are not going to go in, decisions might be right, might be wrong, it’s the reaction to all that stuff that you can control and we have to be better at.”

Northwest Notes: Clingan, Sharpe, Avdija, Gobert, Kessler

November 14th, 2024 at 10:51am CST by Dana Gauruder

With Robert Williams sitting out and Deandre Ayton sidelined by a finger injury, Trail Blazers lottery pick Donovan Clingan had his best outing of the season in a win over Minnesota on Wednesday. In 31 minutes, Clingan racked up 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks.

“I love defense,” Clingan told Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. “It brings energy to the team. That’s how you win ballgames.”

Shaedon Sharpe also had a big night with 33 points in 36 minutes. Coach Chauncey Billups was thrilled with Sharpe’s assertiveness.

“Shae is such a teammate and he doesn’t want to step on anybody’s toes and wants to just kind of fit in,” Billups said. “And I’m telling him, ‘No, you need to go.’ I’ve got to force him. But he’ll get used to it. He loves that we depend on him to do some of those things. The more that happens, the more he’ll get used to it.”

Sharpe will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Deni Avdija, who is now coming off the bench for the Trail Blazers, had a notable outing against Minnesota on Tuesday. He accumulated 17 points, four rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes. In Wednesday’s win, Avdija added seven points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. Billups believes Avdija is well suited for a bench role, according to Aaron Fentress of Oregonlive.com. “Deni is tough,” Billups said. “He plays with a lot of fire. And we need that. We got a lot of kind of easy-going chill guys out there, and his mentality, we need it.”
The Timberwolves have a 6-6 record after those back-to-back losses to Portland. Rudy Gobert told Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he blames himself for the latest defeats. “Those two games are mostly on me defensively,” Gobert said. “I need to set the tone for the team, and I haven’t done it these last two games.”
Jazz center Walker Kessler hasn’t played since Saturday and he’ll miss Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. The team is labeling the ailment as right hip bursitis. Kessler is averaging 9.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per contest.

Injury Notes: R. Williams, Curry, J. Brown, LaVine, Gobert

November 4th, 2024 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams has been listed as questionable to play in Monday’s game vs. New Orleans, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. It’s a signal that Williams, who has been on the shelf for nearly a full year, is on the verge of returning to action.

Acquired by Portland in the team’s Jrue Holiday trade with Boston last fall, Williams appeared in just six games during his first season as a Blazer before going down with season-ending knee surgery. He has been sidelined this fall by a hamstring strain and has yet to make his season debut.

Williams’ return will give Portland another option in a crowded frontcourt. Deandre Ayton (31.6 minutes per game) has seen most of the action at center so far this season, with rookie lottery pick Donovan Clingan (12.9 MPG) playing a modest role as his backup and Duop Reath (3.5 MPG) not part of the regular rotation.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Warriors guard Stephen Curry has been out for the past three games due to a left peroneal strain but is nearing a return. He has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s game vs. Washington, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. If Curry doesn’t play tonight, his next opportunity would come on Wednesday in a showdown with the defending champions in Boston.
Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown, who was born in raised in Marietta, GA, won’t be able to suit up for Monday’s contest in Atlanta, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive.com, who writes that Brown will miss a second straight game due to his left hip flexor. Brown indicated over the weekend that he would undergo another MRI on the injury after getting one a couple weeks ago.
Zach LaVine has yet to miss a game this season and has played at least 33 minutes in each of his six outings, but the Bulls guard isn’t fully healthy. After suffering a sprained AC joint last week, LaVine is listed as questionable for Monday’s game vs. Utah due to a right adductor strain, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is considered questionable to play in Monday’s matchup with Charlotte due to a left ankle sprain, according to the team (Twitter link).

Western Notes: Wolves, Blazers, Jazz, Spurs, Missi

October 27th, 2024 at 2:57pm CST by Rory Maher

It came against an injury-depleted Raptors team, but the Timberwolves‘ new starting lineup had some encouraging moments in Saturday’s wire-to-wire home victory, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

“It looks like it’s starting to come together,” head coach Chris Finch said. “Things that I can see that maybe we can lean into are starting to form a little bit. We got to keep doing it particularly when it matters most, but it was good for those guys.”

Minnesota got off to a sluggish start in its opening road loss to the Lakers, but the team is starting to figure out how to play around Julius Randle, who contributed 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes vs. Toronto. Center Rudy Gobert grew accustomed to playing alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, but Randle is less of a shooter and more of a driver.

“I try to be in a spot where I’m not in his way,” Gobert said of Randle. “Also he’s able to to find me if my man helps, or if someone collapses, find the shooter. …We gotta get a long way to go, but it’s fun. It’s fun to watch him work, and he’s a very good passer, too, so he’s gonna be able to find his teammates most of the time.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Trail Blazers gave up 140 points and were blown out in their opener, a 36-point home loss to Golden State. Although Portland blew a nine-point lead entering the fourth quarter on Friday and wound up losing a nail-biter to New Orleans, head coach Chauncey Billups was content with the team’s effort, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. “I thought we played good,” Billups said. “Obviously wished we’d come away with the win, but definitely, this is more who we are. We’re gonna compete, we’re gonna scrap. Defensively, I thought we did a pretty good job. It got away from us a few times. But I thought we played hard. I’m proud of our guys.”
The Blazers aren’t the only team to be throttled by Golden State this week. The Jazz only managed 86 points in a 41-point home loss to the Warriors on Friday. While Utah is expected to be among the worst teams in the league, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune questions whether the second unit featuring Cody Williams, Brice Sensabaugh, Jordan Clarkson and John Collins can play competitive minutes together, as they don’t seem to possess complementary skill sets.
Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) shares three takeaways from the Spurs‘ 109-106 victory over Houston on Saturday, including head coach Gregg Popovich using lottery pick Stephon Castle in crunch time. “I feel like just being out there late game is credit to my defense,” Castle said. “I feel like that’s when it’s needed most. So I was really just trying to lock in on that and then on the other end, just execute whatever Pop calls.”
Big man Yves Missi was viewed by scouts as a raw prospect entering the 2024 draft, but the Pelicans believed in his athleticism and “capacity for learning,” which is why they selected him 21st overall, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com (subscriber link). Missi has impressed through two games, averaging 10.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 2.5 BPG in 22.5 MPG. Clark details how the 20-year-old traveled from his native Cameroon to the U.S. as teenager to pursue his basketball dream.

Rudy Gobert Signs Three-Year Extension With Timberwolves

October 25th, 2024 at 3:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 25: Gobert’s extension with the Timberwolves is now official, the team announced today in a press release.

Gobert was permitted to sign the contract after the regular season began because it’s a veteran extension and he declined his 2025/26 player option as part of the agreement.

The deal begins at $35MM in 2025/26 and increases to $36.5MM in ’26/27, with a $38MM player option for ’27/28, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links), who adds that Gobert’s trade kicker is worth 7.5%.

OCTOBER 22: The Timberwolves and center Rudy Gobert have agreed to a three-year, $110MM contract extension, Shams Charania of ESPN tweets.

The move comes on the heels of Minnesota trading away Gobert’s frontcourt partner, Karl-Anthony Towns, this offseason at the start of Towns’ max extension, which created more long-term cap flexibility for the club.

Gobert, 32, is scheduled to make $43,827,587 this season on his current deal. He had a $46,655,173 option for the 2025/26 season, which he’ll decline and replace with a smaller number in order to lock in two additional years beyond that.

The new extension will include a player option for 2027/28, as well as a trade kicker, Charania adds (Twitter link).

Minnesota will get some cap relief with Gobert declining that 2025/26 option, giving the team more flexibility to make moves next offseason. Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the team’s other main frontcourt players, could become free agents if they decline their own ’25/26 player options next summer.

Gobert is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, having won the award for a fourth time this past spring. After a rocky first season with the organization following the blockbuster deal between Minnesota and Utah, Gobert settled in last season and played an integral role on a team which reached the Western Conference Finals.

Gobert is also one of the more durable players in the league by current standards. He hasn’t appeared in fewer than 66 regular season games since the 2018/19 season.

Last season, he made 76 starts and averaged 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per night. He also started 15 postseason games, averaging 12.1 PPG and 9.8 RPG.

The Wolves had a +8.0 net rating during the regular season when Gobert was on the court, compared to a +3.0 mark when he sat. During the playoffs, that gap increased to +9.8 in the center’s minutes and -6.3 when he on the bench.

Northwest Notes: Gobert, Reid, Braun, Jokic, Blazers

October 24th, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Rudy Gobert recognized that if he picked up his 2025/26 player option that would have been worth close to $47MM, it would have hindered the chances of the Timberwolves re-signing key pieces, including Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Julius Randle. That’s why, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, he sought after a “win-win” deal in re-signing for the three-year, $110MM deal that has an annual average value of $36.7MM.

“My next year contract was really high,” Gobert said. “So being able to allow the team to keep our guys, that was the win for the Timberwolves. But being able to keep me for a longer term was great for both of us.”

According to Krawczynski, Gobert recognizes he has a shot at a championship by sticking with the Timberwolves and continuing to build on the progress the team made last season en route to the Western Conference Finals. From the sound of it, he wasn’t interested in the idea of opting out of current contract and signing elsewhere to chase rings with another team.

The two sides were actually close to not agreeing to a deal, per Krawczynski, as Gobert sought a four-year contract that the Wolves weren’t comfortable offering. But Gobert, mindful of his appreciation for coach Chris Finch, his respect for teammate Anthony Edwards, and the fact that he wanted to help his teammates get paid, ultimately agreed to sign an extension just moments before opening night tipped off.

“It’s never been about money, but even more at this point in my career, it’s about being where I feel at home and where I can win championships,” Gobert said. “These guys, from players to coaches to organization embrace me and believed in me and gave me the opportunity to be the best version of myself on and off the court, and also make me grow.”

The Wolves’ situation serves as an example of how the NBA’s strict guidelines for apron teams are impacting decision making. The team already traded long-time franchise staple Karl-Anthony Towns to shed future salary, and Gobert’s decision to sacrifice short-term money showed he recognized the need for long-term security and a better chance to win and support his teammates in this newer era.

“For him to think about the next person, that’s dope,” Reid said. “That’s really unselfish. I know a lot of people wouldn’t do that, but he would. He’s showing it now. I’m happy that he’s thinking about me and this team. That means he wants to win.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Reid will continue to step more into the spotlight after a successful Sixth Man of the Year campaign last season. In an conversation with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, The longest-tenured Timberwolves player discussed the added responsibilities he’ll face with Towns out of the picture. “I’m super comfortable,” Reid said. “Me and KAT do a lot of similar things. With him being here and gone, it’s the same thing for me and the same mentality. I kind of view it as the same thing. More minutes. Same thing, though. Next man up. That’s my mentality.“
Christian Braun‘s young basketball career has been defined by winning. He claimed three straight state titles in high school, helped Kansas win an NCAA championship in his final collegiate season, then played a role on the Nuggets‘ title team in his NBA rookie season. That all led him to the point of potentially starting as Denver’s shooting guard this season, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. If Braun does start in the team’s Thursday opener, it will mark just his 11th career start.
Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic found himself often playing alongside the second unit in staggered lineups during the preseason. One of the most natural fits was a lineup that includes Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson and Dario Saric, Jokic is embracing the idea of mixing up the rotations a bit more this season, Durando writes in a separate story. “I think we should do that in a game, just to give teams (a) different look,” Jokic said. “I like it, just to play with somebody else. And why not?“
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was highly critical of his team after they lost by 35 points in the season opener to the Warriors, according to Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin. “I didn’t think one guy on our team played well in the game,” Billups said. “Man, it was crazy. It felt like we were two steps slow on everything. Defensively, offensively, we just waited to react to everything, and you can’t do that against a team like that. They beat us at every facet of the game. Every loose ball, they were the first team there. Getting down the floor after makes and after misses. Every single facet of the game, they beat us.“

Extension Notes: Giddey, Green, Gobert, Gordon

October 23rd, 2024 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

Noting that Bulls guard Josh Giddey was among the top rookie scale extension candidates who didn’t sign a new contract before Monday’s deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that the two sides didn’t seem to gain any real traction in their negotiations ahead of the regular season.

“From what I understand, there were never really any meaningful negotiations there, which was a surprise to me,” Windhorst said. “I thought the Bulls were going to be under some amount of pressure to get him done because they had traded Alex Caruso for him.”

Giddey will now be on track for restricted free agency in 2025, with the Bulls getting the opportunity to evaluate him for a year before deciding how significant an investment they want to make in their new point guard.

Meanwhile, Windhorst and his podcast guest Bobby Marks singled out the unusual extension that Jalen Green signed with the Rockets – which gave him a third-year player option and a 10% trade kicker – and suggested that the unique terms of the deal signal that Green could become a trade candidate before his contract expires.

“This is a contract that a lot of people in the league think was signed for the option to be traded,” Windhorst said, adding that the 10% trade kicker was the biggest one handed out in any of this week’s extensions. “I’m not saying the Rockets are definitely going to trade him. I’m just saying this contract was designed to allow him to be traded.”

Here are a few more notes on the contract extensions that were completed this week:

Discussing his new three-year, $110MM agreement with the Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert said he didn’t want to be too “greedy” in negotiations and that he wanted the team to maintain some spending flexibility after locking him up, according to Chris Hine of The Minneapolis Star Tribune. As part of the deal, Gobert declined a $46.7MM player option for 2025/26 and will replace it with a cap hit that comes in $10MM+ below that. “It’s about finding balance,” Gobert said. “Every year, every time I sign a contract I always try to leave a little bit for the team, be able to realize that I’m grateful being able to earn what I’m earning coming from where I come from.”
Aaron Gordon made a similar concession in his extension with the Nuggets, picking up a $22.84MM player option for 2025/26 as part of the deal and allowing the team to put off his 40% raise until ’26/27. Gordon, who said he was “ecstatic” to finalize a long-term deal with Denver, referred to the extension as a “win-win” for him and the team, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Playing alongside Joker (Nikola Jokic), Jamal (Murray), MPJ (Michael Porter Jr.), and being coached under Mike Malone, what more can you ask for?” Gordon said. “From the moment that I got here, Mike Malone has put me in a position to succeed and flourish. He’s put me in the right place, and he’s encouraged me to just be myself, and he’s coached me and allowed me to be myself. So to be coached under him is a great thing. And then just playing alongside these great players and continuing to build a friendship, a bond, a brotherhood, and a team, I’m really excited for it.”
John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the extensions signed this week and considers which teams made out the best and which clubs were smart to hold the line. Hollinger called the Rockets‘ five-year, $185MM deal with Alperen Sengun a “home run” for Houston and lauded the Pelicans for locking up Trey Murphy on a four-year, $112MM extension.

Wolves Notes: Gobert, Randle, Edwards, Minott, Finch

October 5th, 2024 at 5:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

After spending the past two seasons trying to adapt his game to fit with Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert suddenly has a new frontcourt partner after this week’s trade with the Knicks. In an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Gobert said he should be just as effective playing alongside Julius Randle.

“He’s a very smart player. He’s very versatile,” Gobert said. “I think that I’m going to be able to help him with my screening, with my spacing and my gravity and make his life even easier. I’ll try to get him as many easy baskets as he can get. He’s a guy that I know will make the right play. When the defense collapses, I know he’s good at kicking out. When the big helps, he’s good at finding his bigs. He’s a very smart player. We got a lot of games to get used to making mistakes and learn how to maximize him for us as a team.”

Gobert called Towns “a great friend” and credited him for being supportive after Gobert was acquired from Utah. They were able to take Minnesota to the conference finals for the first time in 20 years, even though Gobert admitted there were a lot of doubters along the way. He’s looking forward to competing for a title with the new-look Wolves, saying that Randle and Donte DiVincenzo are battle-tested veterans.

“To be able to win a championship, we have to be able to overcome adversity as a group,” Gobert said. “If the closeness is not there, when there’s adversity, then you’re going to break apart. We’ve been through a lot of adversity in the last two years as a group. I know Julius and Donte have been through adversity. They know what it is. They both have this type of maturity. They both are also guys that want to win. They understand that winning is not always pretty. So I’m excited about that.”

There’s more from Minnesota:

The Towns trade provides the Wolves with more financial flexibility and reduces the danger that Anthony Edwards might seek a trade in a few years due to a stagnant roster, observes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Hine believes the deal gives Minnesota a longer window to contend for a title, which is what Edwards will expect when he’s in the prime of his career.
Third-year forward Josh Minott was one of the stars of Friday’s preseason opener with 22 points and eight rebounds in a win over the Lakers. Minott tells Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic that following a disappointing Summer League performance, he has become more relaxed by not focusing on results, which has given him a better outlook. “In my 21 years on this planet — about to be 22 — this is probably the most confident I’ve ever felt in my jump shot,” Minott said. “I feel like anytime the ball leaves my hands from beyond the arc, it’s going in.” Wolves staff members have been raving about Minott’s shooting since last season’s playoffs, tweets John Hollinger of The Athletic.
Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune is concerned that the Wolves might have too much talent on their revamped roster to keep everyone happy. Coach Chris Finch traditionally uses a nine-man rotation, and he has nine veterans who were rotation members on their respective teams last season. That’s in addition to Minott, Luka Garza, Leonard Miller and first-round picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon.

Wolves Notes: Financial Future, Dillingham, Ingles, Gobert

September 16th, 2024 at 10:43am CST by Arthur Hill

There’s been unprecedented offseason excitement surrounding the Timberwolves after they reached the Western Conference Finals, but their time as title contenders could be limited, writes Jon Krawczynski of the Athletic. While ticket sales and sponsorships have reached an all-time high, there are financial realities on the horizon that threaten the team’s future.

Minnesota already has an expensive roster with Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards playing on max contracts, and Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Mike Conley all have lucrative deals as well. The Wolves are one of four teams operating above the second apron, which imposes significant financial penalties and severely restricts their ability to make roster moves.

Krawczynski points out that wealthier rivals like the Warriors and Clippers made roster decisions this summer to ease their financial burdens, even if those choices meant sacrificing talent. Both those teams have stable ownership situations, unlike the Wolves, who are the subject of a battle between Glen Taylor and the Marc Lore/Alex Rodriguez group that won’t be decided until after a November arbitration hearing.

Krawczynski also notes that Minnesota has rarely been a taxpaying team since Taylor took over as owner. He speculates that anything short of a championship season could result in a roster upheaval, speculating that rival teams already have their eyes on a potential breakup. Towns has long been involved in trade rumors, while Gobert is eligible for an extension with just one guaranteed year (plus a player option) left on his current deal, Reid holds a player option for the 2025/26 season, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will be seeking a raise next offseason following the final year of his current contract.

There’s more from Minnesota, all from Krawczynski:

The Wolves didn’t seek a veteran guard to back up Conley this summer because they have confidence in first-round picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon. They lost Kyle Anderson, Jordan McLaughlin and Monte Morris from last year’s roster, and Dillingham is the team’s only true point guard behind Conley. At Kentucky, Dillingham displayed a quick first step to get past defenders, and Krawczynski states that general manager Tim Connelly believes the young guard can create opportunities for his teammates.
Minnesota hopes Joe Ingles will replace the play-making from the wing it lost when Anderson left, Krawczynski adds. Ingles, who signed as a free agent, also provides much better shooting, although he’ll turn 37 in October.
Krawczynski notes that Gobert responded to offseason criticism last year by becoming a better fit in the Wolves’ offense and winning Defensive Player of the Year honors for the fourth time. The French big man may feel like he has something to prove again after his embarrassing lack of playing time during the Summer Olympics.

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