The Timberwolves have traded away their picks in this month’s draft but they’re still preparing as if they’ll wind up participating, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. They’re co-hosting pre-draft workouts this weekend with the Jazz.
“Just because we don’t have a pick on whatever day today is doesn’t mean we’re not going to have a pick on draft night,” team president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said. “The worst thing you can do is be caught unprepared and we’re fortunate we have players on our roster that are valued by other teams. We have opportunities to jump in the draft at very strategic levels and that’s a testament to our players, the value they have around the league.”
We have more on the Timberwolves:
- Rumors surfaced late last month that the team would explore a trade with the Sixers for Ben Simmons. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic explores how Simmons might fit in and what it would take to bring him to Minnesota. The Timberwolves could match up salaries by including Ricky Rubio and Malik Beasley in a deal, but it’s likely Philadelphia would ask for D’Angelo Russell and/or future first-rounders, Krawczynski notes.
- Robby Sikka has resigned from his position as the Wolves’ VP of basketball operations and wellness, Krawczynski writes in a separate story. Rosas hired Sikka two years ago to improve the team’s ability to stay healthy, revamp its player nutrition program and work with head athletic trainer Gregg Farnam to oversee the rehabilitation of injuries.
- Forward Juan Hernangomez, who had been preparing to represent Spain in the Olympics, dislocated his left shoulder during an exhibition game and will miss the Tokyo games. Get the details here.
It’ll be a 2-team race at the bottom of the West with them and OKC, catching Orlando will be tough.
Catching Orlando will be easy for your rockets
T-wolves will have a better record than the Rockets. Actually a better record than a few teams and will probably be a bubble team by the end of the year.
If Wolves don’t make playoffs next two years, GM Rosas career ends
He has to trade away all future picks, 3 Firsts
No matter what he does or what the Timberpuppies do Rosas is gone when A-Rod gets control. For Rosas it’s not about the Timberpuppies, it’s about positioning himself for his next job.
Rubio, Beasley and 2 top-3 protected Firsts
to the Third team
Wolves get Simmons
Third team Kings sent Fox to 76ers
Kings get Wolves Two Firsts and Beasley Rubio
This is to help Wolves GM to keep his job
That’s horrible for the Kings
Why do ppl keep acting like the Kings would trade Fox! Their not going to, for anything!
Even the Kings wouldn’t make that deal.
Sure you don’t want the Wolves to send a million dollars too?? NO way the Wolves do that , or the Kings do that.
Beasley and Rubio for Fox :-)
Vlade Divac style but Monte McNair is good GM.
Why accept protected firsts? Why not just say, unprotected picks or no deal?
“The Process” turned into “The Failure”
Gotten further than the Celtics got with all the Nets picks so far…..
Tatum Brown Smart Pritchard GWilliams RWilliams Langford Nesmith all combined make 1 all nba team appearance and 2 all defensive team appearances
Ben has 2 all defensive teams and 1 all nba team himself
Individually, yes,Simmons and Embiid might of had more success, but it’s a team sport and Boston has had more playoff success than philly during Simmons and embiids careers. All those years of tanking got them an all nba talent that cant stay healthy and another that cant shoot. Not exactly what you would call successful
Honestly, if you don’t win the NBA title, your season is a failure. Celtics have been a failure since the Big 3 and the Sixers since Moses and Dr J. That’s just facts. Any NBA player that tells you otherwise is lying and full of it. And winning one in your prime is the goal, winning one as a latched-on is a last resort. Not playing a real role and being there for the ride isn’t the way you want to win.
Bet you Nash and Giannis would trade those MVPs for titles. Because they’d have gotten those individual accolades if they had won and been the finals MVPs.
That is the most ridiculous notion ever. If you’re not first, you’re last. Teams can be successful without winning a title. You cannot convince me that the Hawks did not have a successful season based on their history. Or the Jazz. Or the Bucks and Suns for that matter. You shouldn’t throw away the outcome of an 82 (72) game season based on the results of a 7 game series.
Only one out of 30 teams will win a title any given year. Why would anyone bother competing when the odds say there is a 97% chance of failure? If you have 30 kids in a classroom take a test, you don’t give a passing grade to just the highest score and fail the other 29. Just ridiculous man.
Im w Hiflew on this one 100% –
** Original post was a trash statement
***Both Bos and Philly have been good recently, are good now, and probably will be good in the future ……. Where’s the Beef?
Andy Reid took the Eagles to nine playoff runs, six division titles, five NFC championship games, and one SB loss. Pretty sure he’s happier in KC having won a SB.
Sports are the ultimate 1st or last. The only losers we reference in sports are when something unprecedented happens.. Bills 4x SB losses. LBJ consecutive finals appearances. Pats ruined perfect season.
Hawks were good with Al Milsap Teague and Korver too…. And it resulted in a nothing burger and they blew it all up and retooled.
Agree with Philly. Sometimes you can be happy with a season which doesn’t end in a ring. Such as Atlanta this season I’d call that a success and same with the Jazz. However that’s more of overachieving the expectations everyone has of you.
However for the most part he’s right. If your happy with good teams never getting a ring your settling for less. Look at the the OKC thunder they had Russ Harden KD and didn’t do a thing. Look at the Rockets with Harden and other multiple stars, nothing to show for it. Getting close to the top doesn’t mean anything. No body remembers who was second in MVP votes it’s all about being the winner and if your not the winner your just going to be forgotten.
They should’ve kept Lavine tbh. Jimmy didn’t last more than a year and half. Zach is way better than D’Lo.
I think they should trade Beasly for Bagley and use him as 4 or back up 5 cuz Towns is always hurt.
MB3 is always hurt too. Beasley is an idiot off the court, but he can score.
Towns played 82 games each his first 3 seasons, missed 7 the next season, about 35 two years ago and 2 last year. Other than the half season he missed 2 years ago dude has been pretty durable.
Derozen (s&t)+Murray+Walker for
Ben Simmons
I’d probably do that. Depends on how much DeRozan is getting tho. If its like 4/80M you can do that and guarantee and send back George Hill.
But if it’s like 30M a year that’s equal to Ben and they have no way to match 20M for Murray and Walker.
They can match 40M easily. Not 50M. And the move hard caps them I believe.
Can’t sign and trade a player and then attach other players to the deal I believe
Bwa bwa unless the timbers begin the conversation with Edwards. Big Ben isn’t headed to reunite with his bud Kat.
I would rather have Edwards than Simmons. In the end Simmons will end up going nowhere. 76ers need to instead get Simmons in the gym to improve his shoot instead of enjoying the night life and dating models.
I shoot better lefty than Ben. Not kidding either. I injured my right shoulder but play ball 4-5x a week, and started shooting lefty. His form is horrendous. I see better form from 7-8 year olds that I’ve reffed.
Wolves have players that are valued by other teams? Other than Towns and Edwards, who would bring back more than a 2nd round pick, if that? DiLo and Beasley carry negative value. Their other 1st rounders (other than maybe McDaniel) are guys on RSC’s who’ve shown little to nothing. Nobody is going to want those guys in lieu of a picking a guy this year. The only things of value (besides Towns and Edwards) that they can trade to get a 1st rounder this year are their own future 1st round picks.