Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Is Embiid Or Wiggins The Better Investment?

October 12th, 2017 at 8:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Two 2014 first-round picks signed five-year, maximum salary contract extensions within the last few days, beating the October 16 deadline for rookie scale extensions. While both players are, of course, significantly valued by their respective teams, Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins have had very different NBA careers so far.

Embiid’s injury problems have been well chronicled, to the point that they’re hardly worth revisiting, but the upshot is that those health issues have limited him to just 31 games in three NBA seasons. Even when he did see the court, the Sixers center was on a minutes restriction, averaging about 25 minutes per contest.

However, in his 786 career minutes, Embiid has looked like a generational talent, combining an ability to rebound and protect the rim (7.8 RPG, 2.5 BPG) with a knack for scoring both in the post and from beyond the arc (.367 3PT%).

Wiggins, on the other hand, has been incredibly durable during his first three NBA seasons, missing just one of 246 possible games. He has also steadily increased his scoring numbers each season, pouring in a career-high 23.6 PPG in 2016/17.

Those scoring totals are more reliant on volume than efficiency though, and Wiggins’ ability to put the ball in the basket hasn’t been complemented by many other on-court contributions — his defense has been shaky, he doesn’t get many rebounds or assists, and his three-point shot, despite improving last season, remains somewhat unreliable.

Both the Sixers and Timberwolves locked up their respective youngsters because of their potential. In Embiid’s case, it’s his potential to stay healthy. For Wiggins, it’s his potential to develop into a more well-rounded, complete player.

Philadelphia’s agreement with Embiid includes some language that protects the Sixers in the event that the former third overall pick continues to battle injuries in problematic areas, like his feet and back. But in that scenario, the Sixers would have to waive Embiid outright, and they’d still be on the hook for significant guaranteed money — approximately $84MM if they waive him one year into the deal, $98MM if they waive him after two years, and so on.

Wiggins’ contract, meanwhile, doesn’t include that sort of protection. It’s a straight five-year deal with no options.

Given those parameters, which contract would you feel more comfortable with for the next half-decade? Do you have more confidence in Wiggins to develop his game and make good on the Timberwolves’ investment in him, or would you rather be in the Sixers’ spot with Embiid, rolling the dice on his ability to stay healthy and to become one of the league’s premier bigs?

Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

Which investment would you feel better about?

Andrew Wiggins (Timberwolves) 56.93% (990 votes)

Joel Embiid (Sixers) 43.07% (749 votes)

Total Votes: 1,739

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Timberwolves Sign Andrew Wiggins To Extension

October 11th, 2017 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have officially signed fourth-year wing Andrew Wiggins to a rookie scale extension, the team confirmed today in a press release. Although the club’s announcement didn’t mention the terms of the agreement, previous reports have indicated that Wiggins will get a five-year, maximum salary contract with no player option. The deal projects to be worth about $146.5MM, based on the latest cap estimates for 2018/19.

“We’re very excited that Andrew has decided to commit his future to the Timberwolves,” head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau said in a statement. “We feel strongly that he is just scratching the surface of the player he will become. Andrew is among the elite young talents in our league and the sky is the limit for him.”

Today’s announcement ends a saga that had unexpectedly dragged out for the last couple months. Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor publicly stated during the summer that he was willing to put a five-year, maximum salary offer on the table for Wiggins if he could meet with the former No. 1 overall pick face to face first. Taylor wanted a verbal commitment from Wiggins that he was committed to both the Wolves and to improving his game.

Although Taylor and Wiggins had that meeting, an agreement was delayed further when the 22-year-old filed paperwork to part ways with agent Bill Duffy, who had negotiated the deal. Having put the extension together, Duffy will still receive a cut of Wiggins’ new contract, but the timing of the change was unusual. It postponed the completion of the deal while Wiggins secured new representation, and ultimately the Wolves forward didn’t finalize the agreement until five days before the October 16 deadline.

Now that it’s official, Wiggins will be locked up through the 2022/23 season, with his new five-year pact going into effect next July. Currently, the NBA is projecting a $101MM salary cap for 2018/19, which would result in a starting salary of $25.25MM for Wiggins. His deal would increase by 8% annually from there.

For the Timberwolves, it’s a significant investment in Wiggins, who has developed into one of the NBA’s most dangerous scorers, but struggled on the defensive side of the ball last season, and doesn’t contribute much in other statistical categories. Wiggins increased his three-point percentage to 35.6% in 2016/17, which was easily a career high, but averaged a modest 4.0 RPG and 2.3 APG. He’ll be counted on to continue to develop further under the tutelage of offseason addition Jimmy Butler.

Taking into account Wiggins’ projected salary and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ team option, the Timberwolves now have nearly $108MM in guaranteed salary on their books for 2018/19. That figure doesn’t include various player or team options for Jamal Crawford, Shabazz Muhammad, and Tyus Jones.

Wiggins is the fourth player eligible for a rookie scale extension to agree to terms on a new deal. Joel Embiid (Sixers), Gary Harris (Nuggets), and T.J. Warren (Suns) also reached agreements with their respective teams.

Remaining extension candidates such as Rodney Hood, Marcus Smart, Jusuf Nurkic, Clint Capela, and Jabari Parker will have until the end of the day on Monday to sign deals of their own — otherwise they’ll be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Thibodeau's Timberwolves Are Similar To His Bulls Teams

October 11th, 2017 at 8:38am CST by marksuleymanov

Paul George loves the excitement in Oklahoma City, especially with the reigning Most Valuable Player, Russell Westbrook, and 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony on the same team. Chris Mannix of The Vertical writes that George is optimistic and has found a comfort zone with the Thunder. Yet, the ex-Pacer simultaneously wants head coach Billy Donovan to put him in uncomfortable situations as a challenge.

A Los Angeles native, George has been rumored to join his hometown Lakers for a while. There were rumblings all offseason that George’s goal is to end up home in California — whether it was this season or when he hits free agency next summer. However, George tells Mannix that L.A. isn’t on his mind as he focuses on succeeding with the Thunder.

“I’m committed here, we’re all committed,” George said. “We want this to happen and we want this to work really well. Once we get on the court, it’s been like magic. We understand one another, we have a feel for one another, we know each other’s games so well. We want to make the most out of it, to be in the best position to succeed.”

George and the Thunder may be in a position where they have a one-year window before he departs for his home team. But he has made it clear he wants to win before he makes any long-term decisions.

Below you can check out other news around the Northwest Division:

Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic will miss the team’s Wednesday game against Phoenix due to a concussion, and may end up sitting out the rest of the preseason, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. Nurkic is eligible for an extension up until October 16, so by the time he takes the floor next for Portland, he may have a new deal in hand or be preparing to play out a contract year.
ESPN’s Micah Adams writes that the Nuggets‘ blueprint to build a championship contending team is eerily similar to how the Warriors went from Western Conference contender to budding dynasty.
Veteran Jameer Nelson is back in the competition for the Nuggets‘ starting point guard job after battling a toe injury, Gina Mizell of The Denver Post writes.
Timberwolves‘ head coach Tom Thibodeau has a roster with several players he coached in Chicago with the Bulls, which has made for a comfortable environment, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes.

Wolves Have Dangled Aldrich, Second-Round Pick

October 9th, 2017 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have dangled Cole Aldrich‘s contract and a second-round pick in search of veteran help, sources tell Lowe. We heard reports of Aldrich’s availability back in July, and nothing came of it, but the Wolves still project to have an open roster spot or two, so it’s possible the team will revisit this scenario at some point.

[SOURCE LINK]

The Timberwolves have dangled Cole Aldrich‘s contract and a second-round pick in search of veteran help, sources tell Lowe. We heard reports of Aldrich’s availability back in July, and nothing came of it, but the Wolves still project to have an open roster spot or two, so it’s possible the team will revisit this scenario at some point.

Andrew Wiggins Plans To ‘Eventually’ Sign Extension

October 7th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the October 16 deadline barely a week away, it’s not clear why Timberwolves star Andrew Wiggins hasn’t signed a five-year, $148MM extension, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.

Minnesota made the offer two months ago in hopes of securing the former No. 1 pick for the long term. Wiggins mysteriously fired agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports two weeks later when the deal appeared to be complete and has yet to finalize the extension.

“I’m just taking it day by day, you know?” Wiggins said today. “There’s no rush to do it, yet. I’ve still got some time before the day before that first game.”

There appears to be no concern that Wiggins is pondering a future somewhere else, as he has said Minnesota is “definitely where I want to be.” The Timberwolves made serious upgrades to their roster over the offseason and are expected to compete for a playoff spot in the West for the first time since Wiggins joined the team.

Wiggins and the Wolves will wrap up a trip to China with a game against the Warriors on Sunday, and it sounds like he will wait until he returns home before addressing the extension.

“I’m just going to take it day by day,” he said. “There’s no rush to do it. We’re going through preseason and I’m all the way here in China.”

Taj Gibson Working On Outside Shot For Wolves

October 4th, 2017 at 4:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Outside shooting is one potential area of concern for the Timberwolves heading into the 2017/18 season, as many of the team’s major offseason additions, including Jimmy Butler, aren’t exactly marksmen from three-point range. However, as Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune outlines, the Wolves may end up getting some shooting from an unlikely source, with Taj Gibson – who has made four career three-pointers – working to extend his range.

“He worked on it all summer,” said head coach Tom Thibodeau after Gibson made a pair of threes in the Timberwolves’ preseason opener. “He always had a pretty good corner jump shot from 17 feet. He has stretched it out. As long as he works on it and he’s comfortable shooting it, I’m good with it.”

Thibodeau went out and signed the former Bull this offseason because he valued Gibson’s selflessness and toughness, but if the veteran big man can develop a reliable outside shot, it would give the Timberwolves a much-needed boost.

NBA GMs: Wolves Had One Of Best Offseasons

October 4th, 2017 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

NBA general managers loved the Thunder‘s acquisition of Paul George. George received 59% of the vote for which offseason addition would make the biggest impact, easily beating out Jimmy Butler (17%), Chris Paul (10%), and Kyrie Irving (7%). Additionally, Oklahoma City was chosen as the team that made the best offseason moves, with 43% of the vote. The Celtics (25%), Timberwolves (14%), and Rockets (11%) were runners-up.
The Timberwolves (69%) were the runaway choice for most improved team, beating out the Sixers (17%) and a handful of other clubs. Of course, it’s worth noting that Minnesota was also the GMs’ pick for that question a year ago.

[SOURCE LINK]

2017 Offseason In Review: Minnesota Timberwolves

October 2nd, 2017 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Signings:

Jeff Teague: Three years, $57MM. Third-year player option.
Taj Gibson: Two years, $28MM.
Jamal Crawford: Two years, $8.872MM. Second-year player option.
Shabazz Muhammad: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year player option.
Aaron Brooks: One year, minimum salary.
Anthony Brown: Two-way contract. One year, $50K guaranteed.

Camp invitees:

Marcus Georges-Hunt: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed.
Amile Jefferson: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.
Melo Trimble: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10.

Trades:

Acquired Jimmy Butler and the draft rights to Justin Patton (No. 16 pick) from the Bulls in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the draft rights to Lauri Markkanen (No. 7 pick).
Acquired the Thunder’s 2018 first-round pick (top-14 protected) from the Jazz in exchange for Ricky Rubio.

Draft picks:

1-16: Justin Patton — Signed to rookie contract.

Departing players:

Omri Casspi
Kris Dunn
Jordan Hill
Zach LaVine
Adreian Payne
Nikola Pekovic (waived; medical retirement)
Ricky Rubio
Brandon Rush

Other offseason news:

Expected to finalize rookie scale extension with Andrew Wiggins.
Bought Iowa Energy, renamed the G League team as the Iowa Wolves.

Salary cap situation:

Used up all cap room and room exception. Over the cap, carrying approximately $104MM in guaranteed salaries. Only minimum salary exception available.

Check out the Minnesota Timberwolves’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

Heading into June’s draft, it looked like the Timberwolves were on track to add another young prospect – perhaps Malik Monk or Lauri Markkanen – to a core that already featured Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kris Dunn, and Zach LaVine. Throw in a free agent addition or two, and that young group would have had a chance to make the leap into the top eight in the West, earning the Wolves their first playoff berth since 2004.

Head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau had other ideas though, signaling that he wasn’t satisfied with simply taking another incremental step forward. Instead of playing it safe on draft day, the Wolves flipped Dunn, LaVine, and the team’s No. 7 pick to the Bulls for old friend Jimmy Butler.

Once free agency got underway, Thibs and the front office added another familiar face from his Bulls days by signing Taj Gibson, and filled out the backcourt with a couple more veterans, signing Jeff Teague and Jamal Crawford.

When the dust settled, the Timberwolves still looked like a team capable of making strides based on the development of former top picks Wiggins and Towns, but the veteran additions – headlined by Butler – had significantly increased the ceiling for the club. Suddenly, Minnesota looked ready not just to end the franchise’s postseason drought, but to potentially grab a top-five seed in a competitive Western Conference.

Key offseason losses:

The fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft, Dunn garnered significant interest a year ago, with the Bulls among the clubs that looked to acquire him on draft night. After a poor rookie season, it seemed safe to assume that Dunn’s value would have been somewhat diminished, but Chicago was still willing to make him and LaVine the centerpieces of a trade involving an All-NBA forward in Butler.

While Dunn has the potential to develop into an above-average NBA point guard and LaVine enjoyed a breakout season in 2016/17 before tearing his ACL, losing the duo shouldn’t have a huge impact on Minnesota’s on-court performance in the short term. Dunn’s .377/.288/.610 shooting percentage made him a liability, and LaVine only appeared in 47 games last season.

The bigger immediate loss for the Timberwolves will be Ricky Rubio, the former fifth overall pick who enjoyed his best season in 2016/17. Few point guards in the NBA can match the playmaking abilities of the Spaniard, who averaged 16.0 PPG and 10.5 APG after the All-Star break last season, but moving on from Rubio and Dunn will allow Minnesota to upgrade its shooting at the point guard spot — Rubio’s modest .402 FG% last season was a career best.

The Wolves also said goodbye to another long-tenured veteran over the offseason, waiving Nikola Pekovic and clearing his salary from their cap due to medical retirement. Pekovic hadn’t played in an NBA game since January 2016, so his departure essentially just opened up a roster spot and some cap room for the Wolves, but it wasn’t that long ago that he was a standout center for the franchise (17.5 PPG in 2013/14).

Key offseason additions:

While I didn’t hate the Butler deal for the Bulls as intensely as many NBA fans and observers did, it was certainly a coup for the Timberwolves. To land one of the 20 best players in the NBA, Minnesota only needed to move down nine spots in the draft and part with a struggling second-year point guard and a 2018 RFA-to-be recovering from a torn ACL.

It will be interesting to see whether Butler and Wiggins – who have similar games and aren’t exactly deadly outside shooters – can comfortably co-exist in the same lineup, but they’re both so talented that I have little doubt Thibodeau and company will find a way to make it work.

Teague and Crawford should be solid fits as well, providing the team with some solid – if not spectacular – three-point shooting. While Teague doesn’t have Rubio’s passing ability, he has also never been the sort of point guard who needs to take 15 or 20 shots per game, meaning he should have no problem getting Wiggins, Butler, and Towns involved in the offense. Crawford is less inclined to get everyone else looks, but if he plays with the second unit, that shouldn’t be a huge priority — with that group, he’ll be relied upon to score.

The signing of Gibson was one Wolves move that I questioned. His toughness and rebounding ability should pay off at times throughout the season, and he’ll have Thibodeau’s trust out of the gate, but $14MM per year is a significant price for an aging power forward without an outside shot. Patrick Patterson‘s three-year, $16MM+ deal with Oklahoma City might’ve been a better fit for the Wolves, giving them a more versatile power forward and freeing up some money to dedicate to a wing or a backup point guard.

Without that extra cap flexibility, the Wolves went bargain hunting for a wing and a point guard, and were able to lock up Shabazz Muhammad and Aaron Brooks, another former Bull. Minnesota certainly could’ve done worse for the minimum salary, but Muhammad isn’t a particularly well-rounded player, and Brooks has seen his role dwindle over the last few years.

Outlook for 2017/18:

Although I expect the Timberwolves to end their postseason drought in 2017/18, I think the club will ultimately fight for a spot in the back half of the West’s top eight, rather than seriously vying for a top-five seed.

Minnesota landed a star when the team traded for Butler, but jettisoning Rubio in order to sign Teague looks like a marginal upgrade at best. And while Butler and Crawford should be net positives, their best days are likely behind them. The Timberwolves’ ability to make major strides this season may ultimately come down to Butler’s contributions and improvements from Wiggins and Towns.

It’s easy to forget now, but there were NBA experts who expected the Wolves to rack up 45 or 50 wins a year ago based on the upside of Wiggins and Towns. With the focus on Butler and the newcomers this year, those former No. 1 picks are under a little less pressure to carry the team. However, if the Wolves aim to win 45 or 50 games this season, Wiggins and Towns will have to have a major hand in it.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pelicans Re-Sign Dante Cunningham

September 25th, 2017 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 25: The Pelicans have officially re-signed Cunningham, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 19: Free agent forward Dante Cunningham has made a decision on where he’ll play in 2017/18, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports that Cunningham has agreed to re-sign with the Pelicans.

According to Charania, Cunningham will get a one-year, $2.3MM deal from New Orleans. The minimum salary for a player with Cunningham’s NBA experience is $2,106,470, so if his salary exceeds that, the Pelicans would have to use a different exception — they also wouldn’t get any help from the NBA to cover the full amount, like they would for a one-year, minimum salary deal.

Either way, Cunningham is set to return to the franchise with which he spent the last three seasons. In 2016/17, the 30-year-old forward averaged 6.6 PPG and 4.2 RPG in a rotation role for New Orleans, and also added a reliable three-point shot to his arsenal — Cunningham’s 1.1 3PG and .392 3PT% were both career highs by a wide margin.

While it looked initially like Cunningham’s improved outside shot might make him a more coveted target on the free agent market, he didn’t draw as much interest as expected. A handful of teams – including the Timberwolves, Bucks, and Raptors, per Charania – were said to be in the running for him, but his new 2017/18 salary will be worth less than the $3.1MM player option he turned down in June.

Still, the Pelicans are likely happy to get Cunningham back at a reduced rate, particularly with Solomon Hill expected to miss a significant portion of the 2017/18 season with a torn hamstring. While New Orleans has an All-NBA caliber duo up front in Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, the club doesn’t have a ton of depth at forward and could use more shooting help. Cunningham’s ability to play at both forward spots and his improved three-point shot should be valuable.

Once they finalize their reported agreements with Cunningham and Martell Webster, the Pelicans will have 19 players under contract. Cunningham’s deal would represent the club’s 14th fully guaranteed salary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Northwest Notes: Anthony, Wolves, Nurkic, Nuggets

September 24th, 2017 at 2:51pm CST by marksuleymanov

Agreeing on a trade to acquire Carmelo Anthony on Saturday took the Thunder roster from formidable to elite. Joining the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, Russell Westbrook, and fellow offseason acquisition, Paul George, gives Anthony the winning culture he craved in New York the last four seasons. Despite the upgrade, the Thunder are still far from the Western Conference’s best team, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.

Several rival executives explained to Kerber that the defending champion Warriors are still the best team in the West. While the Thunder can give Golden State a challenge, and possibly fend up the Spurs and Rockets for second place, one scout said the underwhelming package the Knicks received for Anthony is also alarming.

“Are the Thunder a better team than they were yesterday? Yes. Are the Knicks a worse team than they were yesterday? Yes. The fact they got a second-round pick says they really wanted Carmelo gone. And they needed another center? Unless they’re going to buy [Joakim] Noah out. Kanter is a horrible defender,” the scout said to Kerber.

The Warriors have been to the last three NBA Finals, winning two of them. Factoring in a roster that has two-time MVP Stephen Curry, one-time MVP Kevin Durant, and stalwarts Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, the Thunder will have a lot of work to do before claiming dominance over the West.

Below you can read additional news around the Northwest Division:

With the addition of Anthony, the Timberwolves may be one of the team’s most impacted by the deal, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. Minnesota revamped its roster, acquiring Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford and others to join Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins; but a revamped Thunder team may have surpassed the Wolves as a Western Conference favorite.
In a Q&A with the Star Tribune, 2017 first-round pick Justin Patton talks about his foot injury, his time at Creighton, and expectations for 2017/18.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe rates the Blazers’ Jusuf Nurkić as one of the most intriguing players heading into next season. NBA.com’s Casey Holdahl provides further analysis on the 23-year-old.
NBA.com’s Christopher Dempsey writes that the 2017/18 season will have a lot of expectations for the Nuggets.