Timberwolves Sign Karl-Anthony Towns To Extension
SEPTEMBER 23: The Timberwolves have officially signed Towns to his new extension, the team announced today in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 22: Karl-Anthony Towns has decided to accept an extension from the Timberwolves, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The new deal could pay Towns as much as $190MM over the next five years based on current cap projections.
The latest news out of Minnesota may be further indication that Jimmy Butler is headed out of town soon. A report this week suggested that Towns, who clashed with the former Bulls star during his first year in Minnesota, was delaying a decision on an extension until Butler’s fate was decided.
News first broke in July that the Wolves were discussing an extension with Towns, and they have been waiting more than two months for the fourth-year center to accept their offer. His agent, Leon Rose of CAA Sports, contacted the club tonight with news of his decision, sources told Wojnarowski.
“On June 25, 2015, I was drafted to and committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Towns said in a prepared statement. “On September 22, 2018, I made a recommitment to the Wolves and have the same feelings of excitement that I felt back in 2015.
“I promise to the fans, my teammates and the organization to keep the vision of the man who drafted me, Flip Saunders, alive and treat his dream of winning with respect and dignity. To the fans from Day One and the Timberwolves fans, this is for you. Thank you for believing in me.”
Terms of the super-max contract enable Towns to earn 30% of the team’s salary cap by making an All-NBA team or by being named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year this season. The deal does not contain a player option, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).
If Towns doesn’t meet the super-max criteria, his new deal would start at 25% of the cap rather than 30%. In that scenario, the yearly cap hits for the Wolves project to be worth $27.25MM, $29.43MM, $31.61MM, $33.79MM and $35.97MM, for a total of $158.05MM. If Towns earns one of the honors noted above, the annual cap hits would increase to $32.7MM, $35.32MM, $37.93MM, $40.55MM, and $43.16MM ($189.66MM in total).
The new deal also establishes Towns as the cornerstone of the franchise for the foreseeable future. He quickly turned into one of the best young centers in the league after being drafted with the top pick in 2015. Towns hasn’t missed a game in his first three seasons and posted a 21.3/12.3/2.4 line last year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Jimmy Butler
It has been another busy day of Jimmy Butler rumors, with the latest whispers suggesting that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor wants to make a deal soon, and that the Cavaliers are among the teams with interest in the All-Star swingman.
We have a few more Butler-related items to pass along to finish off the weekend, so let’s dive in and round up the latest….
- Pat Riley and the Heat have been “as aggressive as any team” so far in pursuing a Butler trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who adds that Timberwolves ownership would still like to find a deal by early this week.
- Noting that the Heat have long been fans of Butler, Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald confirm that the club is “aggressively” pursuing a trade for the 29-year-old. While Miami would likely be willing to give up Justise Winslow in a Butler deal, it’s not clear if the team would open to including Josh Richardson or Bam Adebayo, per the Herald report. As Jackson tweets, the Heat also wouldn’t be going after Butler unless they believed they could lock him up long-term.
- The Timberwolves have told at least one interested team that they can get a good player back in a Butler deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Wolfson also hears that the Raptors are interested in Butler.
- Despite the Timberwolves‘ lack of leverage, they should be able to do pretty well in a trade, given the number of teams that view Butler as their potential difference-maker, opines Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune (via Twitter).
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Nets, Stevens, Raptors
With training camp kicking off this week, on-court expectations the Knicks aren’t particularly high for the upcoming season. As Marc Berman of the New York Post explains, the organization has shifted its focus to player development and building a strong culture for the 2018/19 campaign.
After years of misguided attempts to make the playoffs, team president Steve Mills is excited about what the team is building, laying the groundwork with the recent hirings of Scott Perry as GM and David Fizdale as head coach.
Berman points out that all summer the discussion throughout the organization has been about patience, process and not skipping steps, words and phrases you would expect to hear from a team that is finally focused on building a contender in a more efficient manner.
With Kristaps Porzingis expected to miss a good chunk of the season, Fizdale will have the opportunity to work and develop the young players on the team, including 2018 first round pick Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina, the talented defensive point guard.
The Knicks have their own 2019 first round draft pick and significant space under the salary cap to spend in free agency should they look to contend in the 2019/20 season. For now, the focus is on player development and instilling a successful culture behind the scenes in order to set the organization up for sustained success in the future.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson is focused on Brooklyn’s defense in the upcoming season, as he believes it’s the area the team can show the most improvement. Brian Lewis of the New York Post points out that such improvement will have to come organically, as the Nets didn’t add any standout defenders in the offseason despite the plethora of moves they made to improve their roster.
- Despite all of the offensive firepower and talent on the Celtics‘ roster, head coach Brad Stevens still has concerns heading into the upcoming campaign. As Steve Bulpett writes for The Boston Herald, Stevens wants to make sure the Celtics don’t simply go through the motions on the offensive end of the court as a result of their talent and depth.
- From their change in head coach to the addition of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors are preparing for a training camp and season like no other, says Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. All eyes will be on the Raps this season as they look to not only compete for a championship, but also work to convince Leonard to re-sign in the 2019 offseason.
Thunder Sign Four Players To Camp Roster
The Thunder have released their roster for training camp, and the list includes four new names beyond the players we already knew were under contract. According to the club (Twitter link via Brett Dawson), Abdul Gaddy, K.J. McDaniels, Richard Solomon, and Bryce Alford have also signed contracts.
Oklahoma City already had 14 players on guaranteed deals, plus two more on two-way pacts, so the four newly-added players almost certainly received non-guaranteed contracts for training camp. While it’s possible that one of those players could earn the team’s 15th roster spot for the regular season, the Thunder will likely carry just 14 players to start the year to avoid accruing additional tax penalties.
Of the four new additions, McDaniels has the only NBA experience, having appeared in 148 total regular season games for the Sixers, Rockets, and Nets from 2014 to 2017. The 25-year-old swingman averaged 5.3 PPG and 2.2 RPG in those games (14.1 MPG).
As for the others, Gaddy – a point guard – has played primarily in international league since going undrafted out of Washington in 2013. Former Cal big man Solomon – who has also played overseas – and ex-UCLA guard Alford have each spent time in past seasons with the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.
Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Nowitzki, Gentile
The Grizzlies will hold their annual media day on Monday and Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian is looking at six key questions that loom over the team’s upcoming campaign. Among them are how much Mike Conley and Marc Gasol can still contribute, what rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. can provide and how the rotation will play out in the backcourt and on the wing.
After a disappointing, injury-riddled 2017/18 season that saw the Grizzlies win just 22 games, the team added Jackson, Kyle Anderson and Garrett Temple (among others) in the offseason in hopes of returning to the playoffs. All of Memphis’ offseason additions point to a return to “grit and grind,” the style of play that brought the Grizzlies a lot of success over the past decade, including four playoff series victories.
Conley will play a deciding role in the team’s success. Back in 2016/17, he was a borderline All-Star averaging 20.5 points and 6.3 assists per game while knocking down over 40 percent of his 3-pointers. He’s on the wrong side of 30 and coming off a significant foot injury, but if Conley can produce at that level this season the Grizzlies will be competitive.
The same can also be said for Gasol, the 33-year-old center who looked disengaged throughout most of last season as the team shifted its focus on developing young players and maximizing its draft pick. With the addition of several veterans in the offseason and the return of his point guard, Gasol should bounce back and continue to be a force in the middle for the Grizzlies.
Despite all of their additions and a clean bill of health, it will be very tough for the Grizzlies to make it back to the postseason given the improvements that several teams in the Western Conference made, including Denver, Dallas, and the Lakers.
There’s more from the Southwest division:
- While Mavericks big man Dirk Nowitzki has made no clear indications that this upcoming season will be his last, Rick Carlisle told Dwain Price of Mavs.com (Twitter link) that he believes there’s a real chance Nowitzki will call it quits after this campaign. If Nowitzki does indeed retire after the 2018/19 season, he will join another future Hall-of-Famer in Dwyane Wade, who announced that this upcoming season will be his last.
- Speaking of Nowitzki, Carlisle also revealed that the 40-year-old will likely come off the bench, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). This would pave the way for Carlisle to start Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, Luka Doncic, Harrison Barnes and DeAndre Jordan, and would allow Nowitzki to be an offensive focal point for the Mavericks‘ bench units.
- With the Rockets starting training camp on Tuesday, the team released the roster of players participating in camp this season. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter) pointed out that Alessandro Gentile is not on that roster, despite previous expectations and wishes for him to join the team and try to make the jump to the NBA this season. Gentile, who was drafted in the second round of the 2014 draft, has been recovering from hand surgery and will likely have to wait another year in his attempt to make it to the NBA.
Anthony Davis Signs With Rich Paul Of Klutch Sports
Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis has signed with agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, the company announced on Sunday. Klutch Sports represents 20 NBA players, most notably LeBron James, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
As we noted earlier this month, Davis parted ways with longtime agent Thad Foucher and that Paul was the leading candidate to become his new representation. Davis, 25, has two years and $52MM left on his deal with the New Orleans in addition to a $29MM player option for the 2020/21 campaign. It will be key to watch how Davis’ new representation handles the five-year, $235MM max extension he will be eligible for next summer.
In 75 games last season, Davis averaged 28.1 PPG and 11.1 RPG, finishing third in NBA Most Valuable Player voting.
There have been waves of trade speculation surrounding Davis, who could eventually look to join a bigger-market organization if the Pelicans don’t move any closer toward title contention within the next year or two.
Atlantic Notes: Butler, Hayward, Fultz, VanVleet
While Jimmy Butler‘s three-team wish list of preferred trade destinations includes the Knicks, his interest in New York has been overstated, per USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt (Twitter link).
Zillgitt notes that Butler’s main goal is to compete sooner than later, and joining a Knicks team in rebuild mode does not accomplish that. Butler’s list also includes the Nets and Clippers, but more teams have since been reported as possible destinations. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Pistons, Rockets, Heat, Sixers and Trail Blazers also have interest. Also, the Cavaliers have entered the sweepstakes.
Knicks brass has been adamant that the organization will not deviate from its plan to not trade young players and draft picks. Acquiring Butler, a 29-year-old All-Star, would require both.
Check out more Atlantic Division notes:
- Celtics star Gordon Hayward is expected to sign a multi-year sneaker deal, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Hayward, who missed nearly all of last season after a freak ankle injury, Hayward has reportedly been pursued by several major companies, including Nike, New Balance and the Chinese company Anta.
- Sixers guard Markelle Fultz has worked hard on improving his jump shot and is ready to make an impact this season, writes Rich Hofmann of The Athletic (subscription required). “This summer was really just me working to get my mechanics back, my confidence back, my swagger back,” Fultz said.
- The Raptors signed Fred VanVleet quickly after free agency opened this summer, keeping a vital part of Toronto’s bench. Blake Murphy of The Athletic (subscription required) examines the process and VanVleet’s new contract.
Knicks, Joakim Noah Close To Buyout Agreement
2:17pm: The buyout between the Knicks and Noah is expected to be finalized either Monday or Tuesday, per Marc Berman of the New York Post.
9:12am: The Knicks are close to a waive and stretch agreement with veteran center Joakim Noah, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. No matter when the agreement is finalized, Noah will not report to training camp.
Several teams may have interest in signing Noah, notes Charania, who adds that he has put in a lot of work over the offseason (Twitter link).
Noah’s reputation has suffered greatly during his two years in New York. He was a recent All-Star and was considered a team leader when former Knicks president Phil Jackson gave him a four-year, $72MM contract in 2016.
Noah performed poorly during his first year with the team, posting a 5.0/8.8/2.2 line in 46 games, then fell apart completely last season. He opened the year under suspension for using a banned substance, then clashed with ex-coach Jeff Hornacek over playing time, resulting in a suspension in January that he never returned from. Noah appeared in just seven games throughout the season.
Noah still has two seasons and $37.8MM left on his contract. He is owed $18.53MM this year and $19.295MM in 2019/20, although both numbers could be reduced in a buyout agreement. The main focus for the Knicks is maximizing cap room for next summer, when they hope to be able to offer a maximum salary in free agency.
Cavaliers Latest Team Interested In Jimmy Butler
The Cavaliers are the latest team in the mix to acquire Timberwolves All-Star Jimmy Butler, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was seen speaking privately with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor at the NBA Board of Governors meeting on Friday, per Wojnarowski.
The Butler saga is expected to reach a conclusion soon as Taylor reportedly working to trade his disgruntled superstar as soon as possible. Wojnarowski’s earlier report listed the Nets, Pistons, Rockets, Clippers, Heat, Sixers and Trail Blazers as teams that have expressed interest.
For Cleveland, swinging a deal for the swingman would propel the team from a fringe contender to a likely postseason team in the Eastern Conference. Butler, 29, represents a solid replacement for the departed LeBron James, who left for the Lakers this summer.
However, acquiring Butler would be a challenge; the Cavaliers cannot trade Kevin Love for at least six months from the day he signed his extension this summer and the organization owes the Hawks a first-round pick, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
As Wojnarowski noted, the two franchise’s owners, Gilbert and Taylor, played roles in striking the Love for Andrew Wiggins deal in the summer of 2014. While a deal would require some creativity, there is a history between both sides of making major trades.
Weekly Mailbag: 9/17/18 – 9/23/18
We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
Besides Jimmy Butler, who is and who should be on the radar of the Brooklyn Nets? — D-Rock, via Twitter
The Nets haven’t been successful for a long time, so it was a bit of a surprise to see them included on the list of preferred destinations Butler submitted to the Timberwolves when he made his trade request. Brooklyn has less than $17MM committed right now for 2019/20, although that number could rise depending on what Allen Crabbe does with his $18.5MM player option and how the team handles D’Angelo Russell and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Regardless, the Nets will be in position to offer at least one max deal to an extremely talented free agent class available. It’s hard to say specifically who they will be looking at between now and next summer, but when the next Butler-style situation crops up with an unhappy star — and it’s been a frequent occurrence of late — Brooklyn will be in position to pounce.
Do you think the Spurs will be championship contenders this season with the addition of DeMar DeRozan? Kawhi Leonard hardly played last season and yet the Spurs played well.– Greg Dizon
Championship contender is a hard level to define in an era where the Warriors have dominated, but the Spurs should be better than casual fans probably expect. Leonard was a non-factor last season, playing in just nine games, but San Antonio still posted a 47-win season and finished just two games behind the third seed. DeRozan is a four-time All-Star who will help replace some of Leonard’s scoring punch. Jakob Poeltl, who was acquired in the same deal, with bring some youthful energy to a veteran front line, and the return of Marco Belinelli bolsters the outside shooting. The Spurs may not be in the mix for the NBA title, but they should remain a factor in the playoff race and could have home court advantage in a first-round series.
Why hasn’t anybody signed Jamal Crawford yet? Can’t someone use an explosive scorer off the bench? — Bobby M, via Twitter
There was a report at the start of the week that Crawford and the Celtics have “mutual interest,” but nothing has happened yet on that front. Boston may have a roster spot open after Jabari Bird‘s legal troubles, and Crawford could fill the team’s need for more 3-point shooting. The Sixers, Warriors and Lakers have also shown interest, Marc J. Spears of the Undefeated reported this week. Crawford is still getting paid by the Hawks as part of last year’s buyout, so he doesn’t have to be in a hurry to find a new team. Expect him to land a job with a contender before the season starts.