Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Andrew Wiggins Wins Rookie Of The Year

April 30th, 2015 at 2:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

Andrew Wiggins has won this year’s Rookie of the Year award, receiving 110 of the 130 first-place votes, the NBA announced. It’s no surprise to see the No. 1 overall pick from last year’s draft come away with the honor, especially since Jabari Parker, the second overall pick, suffered a season-ending ACL tear in December and Joel Embiid missed all of 2014/15 after breaking his foot over the summer. Nikola Mirotic finished a distant second, garnering 14 first-place votes. Nerlens Noel and fourth-place finisher Elfrid Payton were the only others to receive first-place votes.

The Cavs originally drafted and signed Wiggins before dealing him to the Timberwolves in August as part of the Kevin Love trade. The small forward who spent one year in college at Kansas had an expansive role on a rebuilding Minnesota squad this year, taking 13.9 shots per game and averaging 16.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 36.2 minutes a night.

Wiggins racked up 604 points in the voting system in which first-place votes are worth five points, second-place votes tally three points, and third-place votes are one point. Mirotic was well back, with 335 points. Only seven rookies garnered any votes at all. Wiggins, Payton, fifth-place finisher Marcus Smart and Jusuf Nurkic, who finished sixth, were the only first-round picks from 2014 among those seven. Noel sat out last season after having gone sixth overall in 2013, and Mirotic is a draft-and-stash selection from 2011. Jordan Clarkson, the seventh-place finisher, was the 46th overall pick last year. To see the selections from each media member who voted, click here.

Chase Budinger Opts In With Wolves

April 29th, 2015 at 7:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

7:43pm: Kevin Bradbury, Budinger’s agent, said that the decision was made quickly regarding the forward’s player option in order to give both sides “flexibility” while Minnesota makes the decision on whether or not it will keep Budinger, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays (Twitter links). The agent also said that Budinger’s late-season play proved he is 100% healthy and can play to the level he did prior to his injury, Zgoda adds.

WEDNESDAY, 5:19pm: Budinger has indeed exercised his player option for 2015/16, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports.

TUESDAY, 5:20pm: Small forward Chase Budinger intends to opt in and remain with the Timberwolves for the 2015/16 season, a source close to the player told Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the 26-year-old would choose to remain in Minnesota for another go around, since the value of his option is likely more than he would command as an unrestricted free agent, though that is merely my speculation. Budinger has a player option worth $5MM for next season.

Minnesota currently has $51,065,800 in guaranteed salary already committed for the 2015/16 campaign, as well as $947,276 in non-guaranteed salary for Lorenzo Brown on its books. Budinger remaining with the team will remove some flexibility for coach/executive Flip Saunders, though Minnesota isn’t likely to be a big player in free agency this offseason, so the impact isn’t too severe. The team had previously expressed a willingness to trade Budinger, and reportedly tried to move him prior to this year’s trade deadline.

Budinger’s production in Minnesota never quite lived up to the three-year, $16MM contract he inked with the team back in 2013. He has been hampered by injuries and appeared in just 23, 41, and 67 games during his stint in the Twin Cities. During the 2014/15 campaign Budinger notched averages of 6.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 19.2 minutes per contest. The forward’s career numbers are 8.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. His career slash line is .429/.358/.810.

Draft Notes: Okafor, Harrison, Tokoto

April 29th, 2015 at 4:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Duke freshman center Jahlil Okafor has signed with agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management, Darren Heitner of the Sports Agent Blog reports (Twitter link). Okafor, 19, is a projected top three pick in June’s draft. Both Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress rank the big man as the No. 2 overall prospect behind Kentucky freshman Karl-Anthony Towns.

Here’s more news regarding June’s NBA Draft:

Duffy has also signed on to represent Kansas freshman Kelly Oubre, Cameron Chung of the Sports Agent Blog reports. Oubre is the No. 12 overall prospect according to both Ford and Givony. You can check out our full prospect profile for Oubre here.
Senior shooting guard D’Angelo Harrison has signed with agent Bernie Lee of Lee Basketball Services, Lee announced via Twitter. The 21-year-old out of St. John’s University isn’t projected to be taken in June, with ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) ranking him as the No. 104 overall prospect.
Projected second-rounder J.P. Tokoto has signed with agent Steve McCaskill of Relativity Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). DraftExpress ranks the junior out of North Carolina as the No. 42 overall prospect, while ESPN.com slots him at No. 47.
In a chat with readers, Ford shares his thoughts on whom the Wolves, Knicks, Lakers and Magic rank as their top five draft prospects.

Northwest Notes: Brooks, Jazz, Wolves

April 24th, 2015 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey says that the team has a number of options to consider this offseason as the franchise looks to take its next step toward the playoffs, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News relays. The different scenarios that the team has come up with include trying to attract a big name free agent to add to its young core; continue building with youth through the draft; or potentially trading its first round pick this year as part of a package to acquire a veteran player, Genessy notes. “We’ll come up with something that is sound,” Lindsey said. “If sound means be bold, then we’ll do that. The Miller family is fully committed to that. … The neat thing is we have a full set of alternatives.”

Here’s more happenings from the Northwest Division:

For their part, many of the Jazz‘s players would be happy to have the same roster as this season return for 2015/16, Genessy adds. “I think the group is really excited. It’s super young. I think we’re really just scratching the surface of what can happen,” forward Joe Ingles said. “The future’s there. The guys work hard. The coaches probably work even harder behind the scenes. Everyone’s excited.” Of course, Ingles may be a touch biased in his desire for the roster to remain intact, since he is eligible to become a restricted free agent this offseason if Utah tenders him a qualifying offer worth $1,045,059.
Scott Brooks‘ tenure with the Thunder had far more positives than negatives, and the organization owes much of its identity to its former coach, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman writes. Brooks was also great at developing young talent, something the former head coach didn’t get enough credit for, Carlson adds.
Wolves executive/coach Flip Saunders said that Minnesota is going to prioritize improving its outside shooting this offseason, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes. Saunders acknowledged that any upgrade to the team’s outside game may have to come from developing its own players, since today’s college game is long on athleticism and short on shooters, and that often those who are the best three-point shooters lack the athleticism to play in the NBA, Zgoda relays.

And-Ones: Porzingis, Bjelica, Stevens

April 22nd, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Projected 2015 lottery pick Kristaps Porzingis indicated that he withdrew from last year’s draft because he felt he wasn’t yet ready to compete in the NBA, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype relays. “As soon as I declared for the draft, I knew that I wanted I to stay one more year in Spain to get better,” Porzingis said. “Now looking back I think we made the right decision. I had a bad start of the season – individually and as a team. I could have played much better, but I think I have improved my consistency and I have picked it up since the bad start of the season. This season has been tough, but I want to say thanks to coach [Scott] Roth for the work he did with me in Seville. I have a lot of respect for him as a coach and I wish him the best.” The seven-footer also indicated that he no longer had doubts regarding entering the NBA, Sierra adds.

Here’s more from around the league:

According to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter links), two assistant coaches who will be in play this offseason for available head coaching vacancies are the Pacers‘ Dan Burke, and the Hawks‘ Kenny Atkinson.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens has his team ahead of schedule in its rebuilding process, which is a testament to his abilities as a leader, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. Stevens stressing unselfishness and creating opportunities for teammates appeals to Boston’s players, Zillgitt adds. “All these guys are in the NBA for a reason, and they’re really, really good at something,” Stevens said. “If you can separate yourself at being one of the best at the things you do well, then you always have a spot where people are going to value you. It just makes sense to a be a superstar in your role.”
Former NBA GM and current coach of the Turkish club Eskişehir Basket Brad Greenberg has high praise for Wolves‘ draft-and-stash pick Nemanja Bjelica, David Pick of Basketball Insiders writes. While Greenberg believes Bjelica is ready to play in the NBA, he’s not sure if the big man will head to the U.S. to play in the near future, Pick adds. “Can Bjelica be on an NBA team? Sure. Will he? I don’t know,” Greenberg said. “Like all high-level Euroleague players who make a lot of money overseas, it has to be a situation that makes sense financially, and where he gets an opportunity to play. Europeans don’t want to give up something that is comfortable, good and financially rewarding for a ‘what if?’ situation. Bjelica is talented enough to be in an NBA gym and not look out of place. That’s for sure.”

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Zeller, Gordon

April 22nd, 2015 at 8:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Veteran guard Ben Gordon became the odd man out in the Magic‘s rotation once James Borrego took over as the team’s interim coach, Ken Hornack of FOX Sports Florida writes. Borrego preferred to see what the backcourt pairing of Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton could accomplish, which left Gordon on the outside looking in, Hornack notes. Gordon’s $4.5MM salary for 2015/16 is non-guaranteed. In 56 games this season Gordon averaged 6.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per contest.

Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Hornets big man Cody Zeller had successful surgery today to repair damage to his right shoulder, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports (Twitter link). The 22-year-old appeared in 62 contests for Charlotte this season, averaging 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game. Zeller is expected to resume basketball activities in three months.
Grant Hill‘s presence as part of the Hawks‘ new ownership group could aid GM Danny Ferry in retaining his position within the organization, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post opines (Twitter link). Ferry and Hill have ties through Duke University, which both men attended, Bontemps notes.
Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press tweeted that Hill’s involvement with the Ressler group should provide a good indicator of how Kevin Garnett could function as part of the Wolves’ ownership when he retires. Garnett has acknowledged an interest in buying the Wolves at some point, and owner Glen Taylor said that his return as a player enhanced his chances of becoming a part-owner.
Heat rookie point guard Shabazz Napier showed promise during his rookie season, but needs to be a more consistent player moving forward, Surya Fernandez of FOX Sports Florida writes in his profile of the player.

Fallout From Firing Of Scott Brooks

April 22nd, 2015 at 5:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Thunder GM Sam Presti was adamant that Scott Brooks wasn’t paying the price for the team’s injury riddled campaign, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com writes. “It is very important to state that this decision is not a reflection of this past season,” Presti said, “but rather an assessment of what we feel is necessary at this point in time in order to continually evolve, progress and sustain. We determined that, in order to stimulate progress and put ourselves in the best position next season and as we looked to the future, a transition of this kind was necessary for the program.”

Here’s more chatter regarding Brooks’ dismissal:

Brooks doesn’t appear to be on the Timberwolves’ radar to replace Flip Saunders, which would allow Saunders to concentrate on his front office duties, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune tweets. The agreement that Saunders, who also serves as president of basketball operations, made to coach the team is open-ended in terms of length. But team owner Glen Taylor has indicated that his team would be healthier in the long run if it signed a top-notch coach and Saunders was strictly an executive.
Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press concurs with Zgoda’s assessment, tweeting that Brooks isn’t likely to be the one to get Saunders to leave behind his bench duties in Minnesota.
The Thunder have been trying to get Kevin Ollie to leave UConn for over a year, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv writes. Despite loving his job and being loyal to the school, if Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook want Ollie there as coach to make a run at a title, he wouldn’t be able to pass it up, a league source told Zagoria.
The wording in the Thunder’s press release regarding Brooks’ dismissal read like the franchise was attempting to justify firing the coach to itself, Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press tweets.
The firing of Brooks has placed the onus to retain Durant when he hits free agency squarely on Presti, Ben Golliver of SI.com writes. By parting ways with Brooks, the GM is trying to show Durant that he is proactive, and that he is willing to be as aggressive regarding the coaching staff as he is in pulling the trigger on trades, Golliver adds.
Former Kings coach Michael Malone is a darkhorse candidate to take over as coach of the Thunder, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes. While the Oklahoman scribe isn’t sure if OKC has interest in Malone, he does opine that Malone’s skill with coaching younger players would make him an excellent fit for the Thunder.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Freeland, Wolves

April 20th, 2015 at 4:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

There’s only one Northwest Division team in the playoffs, but it’s been a newsy day around the division, with the Thunder’s apparent interest in UConn coach Kevin Ollie as a possible replacement for Scott Brooks perhaps the most significant story. Concerns in the Blazers locker room about whether LaMarcus Aldridge will re-sign loom over Portland, while another team already has a coaching vacancy, and we’ll pass along the latest from Denver and other Northwest locales here:

The Nuggets would prefer a coaching veteran to fill their vacancy, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes within a larger look at the offseason ahead in Denver. Ty Lawson is probably staying put, Deveney adds, and the same can be said for Jusuf Nurkic, whom the Nuggets regard as a steal a season after he was the 16th overall pick.
British-born Joel Freeland hasn’t played a large role for the Blazers in the three years since he came over from playing in Spain, but as his contract nears an end, he would prefer to remain in the NBA and with the Blazers, as he told Chema de Lucas of Gigantes Del Basket (translation via Mark Woods of MVP247.com). Portland can match offers for Freeland in free agency this summer, but that only applies to offers from other NBA teams, not overseas clubs, and the Blazers would first have to tender a qualifying offer of nearly $3.767MM.
Flip Saunders said today that the Wolves will have a strong prospect regardless of whom they draft with their first-round pick, which could fall between No. 1 and No. 4, but Michael Rand of the Star Tribune figures the coach/exec must hope he can land a big man. Rand argues that’s because of the injury history of Nikola Pekovic, who’s under contract through 2017/18. Top two prospects Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor are big men and the players widely projected to go next are guards Emmanuel Mudiay and D’Angelo Russell. Saunders said he’ll draft the best available talent rather than for position.

Flip Saunders On Coaching, Rebuilding, Draft

April 20th, 2015 at 3:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

Flip Saunders gave no indication that he’s planning on stepping away from his Timberwolves coaching duties, as Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press notes from Saunders’ comments today at his end-of-season press conference (Twitter link). The agreement that Saunders, who also serves as president of basketball operations, made to coach the team is open-ended in terms of length, but Saunders said today that he’ll continue to coach as long as it furthers player development and his vision for where the team will be two years from now, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. We’ll round up more of the best of Saunders’ remarks here:

Saunders entered the season with designs on a team that would compete for a postseason berth this year, but he made it clear today that sort of roster is not his ultimate goal, as Krawczynski relays (Twitter link). “I don’t want to get to the playoffs,” Saunders said. “I want to build a team that can win in the playoffs.”
The team will go with the best player available rather than positional need with its first-round pick, Zgoda notes (on Twitter). Minnesota’s pick will fall within the top four, as the lottery odds show.
It’s unlikely the team keeps both its second-round picks, at Nos. 31 and 36, Saunders said, according to John Meyer of Canis Hoopus (Twitter link). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities suggested earlier that there was a strong chance the team would either trade one of the picks or use one of them on a draft-and-stash prospect (Twitter link).
The Wolves will prioritize adding strength, better defense and three-point shooting over the offseason, Saunders said, as Krawczynski tweets.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Brewer, Garnett

April 19th, 2015 at 10:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Sources close to the Nuggets say money won’t be an obstacle in the search for a new coach, reports Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. He speculated that veterans like Mike D’Antoni and Alvin Gentry could be had at an annual salary of $3MM to $4MM, as the chance to coach again would be more important than haggling over a contract. If they want Billy Donovan, the Nuggets would have to top his $3.7MM salary at the University of Florida and handle his $500K buyout. GM Tim Connelly has stated that he would like to fill the coaching vacancy before the June 25th draft.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Rockets’ Corey Brewer credits the Wolves for their help in finding him a new home, reports Brett Pollakoff of Pro Basketball Talk. Brewer, who has become an important reserve in Houston, said coach and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders helped him find his way to a playoff team with the December trade to Houston. “We looked at the trade options,” Brewer said of Saunders, “he gave me permission to talk to teams, and it worked out perfectly.” Brewer said the Rockets and Cavaliers were his top choices.
Saunders is hoping to keep Kevin Garnett in Minnesota, according to Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. A sore knee has limited Garnett’s playing time since he was traded to the Wolves in February, but Saunders said the free-agent-to-be is working hard behind the scenes. “He is doing things right now to get ready to play [next season],” Saunders said.
After having the best week of his NBA career with the Jazz, Bryce Cotton is returning to the life of a fringe NBA player, writes Brad Rock of The Deseret News. Cotton had a 21-point game Monday against Dallas and scored 14 Wednesday against Houston, but because his contract isn’t guaranteed for next season, he’s looking forward to the summer leagues and a chance to keep proving himself.