Anthony Edwards has become the breakout star for USA Basketball this summer. For the Timberwolves to take the next step, Edwards needs to be their unquestioned leader, Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune opines. While he has remained deferential to Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, Edwards will be the player the Timberwolves turn to when they need a basket or a lift this upcoming season.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The two-way contracts signed by Thunder big man Olivier Sarr and wing Lindy Waters both cover only the 2023/24 season, Hoops Rumors has learned. Sarr and Waters will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2024, assuming they finish the season on those deals.
- Moses Brown has a partial guarantee of $250K in the one-year contract he signed with the Trail Blazers this week, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. Brown’s guarantee increases to $500K if he’s on the opening night roster and would become fully guaranteed on the league-wide date in January. Brown’s contract is for the veteran’s minimum, so he’ll receive $2.165MM as a four-year veteran if he remains on the roster after the January deadline.
- Forward Peyton Watson‘s development will be a key component to the Nuggets’ season, Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com opines. Watson needs to emerge as a reliable reserve with the free agent loss of Jeff Green to the Rockets. Another potential factor for the second unit is two-way player Braxton Key, a defense-oriented wing that the organization believes could emerge as a reliable option.
Zeke Nnaji will be the player to replace Green. Braun will replace Brown and Watson will replace Braun. That’s the hope anyway.
Wind clearly didn’t watch too closely. Jeff was used as a small ball big. Watson is not there physically yet – he’s a skinny 6’8″, while Zeke is a great defender at around 6’10” and has been getting stronger since he first broke the rotation.
All Nuggets fans are hoping for is health, especially with Vlatko out for the year. The bench was looking good with Nnaji until he reinjured the shoulder.
Expect the team to give the rookies a chance to play their way into rotation roles but to not hesitate to make an in-season trade should the bench look shaky.
And with regard to Edwards and the Timberpuppies,
This is NEWS to WHO ??
Watson cannot do
What green did last year nor what
Key will do for the nuggets physically this year