Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Thompson, Warriors

December 7th, 2014 at 4:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports learned that Kings star DeMarcus Cousins has been out for the last five games with a case of viral meningitis. Cousins continues to recover but he’ll be out for at least another seven to 10 days. More from the Pacific Division..

The L.A. D-Fenders announced (via Twitter) that Jordan Clarkson has been recalled by the Lakers in time for tonight’s tilt against the Pelicans. Clarkson’s weekend stint with the D-Fenders was his third of the season.
Over the summer, Mychal Thompson said he’d have to talk his son Klay Thompson “down off the ledge” if a rumored deal sending him to the Timberwolves came to fruition. Earlier today, the younger Thompson said that his dad was kind of overstating things. “He exaggerates things. I’m sure you guys know that,” the Warriors star said, according to Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter).
Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob made some interesting comments about ex-coach Mark Jackson last week but he took the time to publicly apologize for them today, as Leung writes. Lacob believes that Jackson will “succeed again in this business.”

Northwest Notes: Jackson, Nuggets, LaVine

December 7th, 2014 at 11:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder’s Reggie Jackson will be a restricted free agent next summer, but he tells Marc Narducci of HoopsHype that he is trying not to look ahead. “My faith in God is that I try not to think about tomorrow and all I try to do is focus on today,” Jackson said. “Do as much today as possible. Tomorrow there is no guarantee so I am not worried about it.” Jackson, who figures to be highly sought after on the free agent market, said he enjoys playing with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Thunder recalled Mitch McGary from the D-League, the team announced in a press release. McGary is averaging 16.3 points and 8.0 rebounds in four games with the Oklahoma City Blue.
The Nuggets are playing much better after their 1-6 start, but they need more improvement before they can think about the playoffs, opines Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Dempsey estimates it might take 50 wins to ensure a playoff spot in the Western Conference, something that could be out of reach for the 9-10 Nuggets.
Denver’s depth isn’t all positive, according to Adi Joseph of USA Today. With 12 players all in their primes and with a history of being starters, Nuggets coach Brian Shaw faces difficult decisions regarding playing time. “It’s not a bad thing to have a deep team, but sometimes it kind of leaves things up in the air for players,” said Kenneth Faried. “You really don’t have time to feel the game out. You got to get going right away or someone else will take your place.”
Learning through mistakes is part of life for any NBA rookie, including the Timberwolves‘ Zach LaVine, writes Kent Youngblood of The Star-Tribune, LaVine had a crucial defensive lapse Friday that allowed the Rockets’ Nick Johnson to score a game-winning layup. “You gain a lot of experience about what not to do down the stretch,” LaVine said. “It was a tough one, that loss. But we have to keep battling.”

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Durant, Thunder

November 29th, 2014 at 5:08pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Nuggets seemingly on the upswing, the Wolves have become the team most likely to shake things up through multiple trades this season, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) writes. If Wolves president Flip Saunders acknowledges his preseason hope of competing for a playoff spot is no longer realistic, Minnesota could look to trade Thaddeus Young, Corey Brewer, or Kevin Martin, once he returns from his wrist injury, Pelton opines.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

Many teams around the league are rooting for the Thunder to miss out on the playoffs this season, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. Similar to how many believed that the odds of LeBron James leaving the Heat as a free agent last summer would increase if Miami fell to the Spurs in the NBA Finals, the widely-held belief around the league now is that the odds of Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City will spike if he doesn’t win a title [or two] in the next two seasons, notes Amick.
Knicks head coach Derek Fisher credits Scott Brooks and the Thunder‘s coaching staff for preparing him for the jump from player to coach, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman writes. “They were just very open to relationships with the players, being in close contact and engaged with their players,” Fisher said. “It really opened my eyes as to how impactful coaches can be in this league. For a long time, coaching wasn’t really something that people thought professional players really needed.”
Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders runs down a number of potential trade candidates in the Western Conference, including Kenneth Faried, JaVale McGee, and Danilo Gallinari of the Nuggets, the Clippers’ Reggie Bullock and Matt Barnes, and Jordan Hill and Steve Nash of the Lakers.

Wolves Sign Jeff Adrien

November 29th, 2014 at 3:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

3:33pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

2:36pm: The Timberwolves have signed free agent forward Jeff Adrien, Shams Charania of RealGM reports. Minnesota is inking Adrien using a hardship exception, notes Charania. It had previously been reported that Minnesota president Flip Saunders was considering filing for the hardship exception, and if Adrien is being brought on board, then it’s likely the team has received approval from the league to temporarily add a 16th player to its roster. Terms of the deal were not released, but it is most likely a minimum-salary arrangement.

Minnesota has lost the services of Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic, and Ronny Turiaf to injuries. Martin is out six to eight weeks after having wrist surgery, and Rubio isn’t likely to return until January at the earliest after injuring his ankle. Both Pekovic and Turiaf will both be reevaluated next week.

The 28-year-old Adrien has appeared in 136 career games, averaging 4.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest. He was in training camp with the Rockets this year prior to being waived, after appearing in 25 games for the Hornets last season.

Western Notes: Wolves, Carter, Harrington

November 28th, 2014 at 8:52pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Wolves president Flip Saunders said the team is still considering filing for a hardship exception which would allow Minnesota to temporarily add a 16th player to their roster, Andy Greder of The St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. The franchise has lost the services of Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic, and Ronny Turiaf to injuries. Martin is out six to eight weeks after having wrist surgery, and Rubio isn’t likely to return until January at the earliest after injuring his ankle. Both Pekovic and Turiaf will both be reevaluated next week, Greder adds in a separate tweet.

Here’s more from out west:

After meeting with head coach Dave Joerger and his staff during the free agent signing period this summer, Vince Carter knew playing with the Grizzlies was the right choice, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com writes. “I like playing with guys who want to win,” Carter said. “At this point in my career, that’s what it’s about. I met with the coaching staff and ownership and you can just see the direction they were trying to go in – just winning – and I felt like I can bring a presence on and off the court and that’s what I’m looking for. I know this was a great opportunity for both sides and it worked out.”
Carter was also asked if the Blazers reached out to him during the summer, and he replied, “I never really heard from them. They’re established, man. They are going to be fine. I don’t think they needed my services.”
Despite reports that the Rockets are interested in signing Al Harrington, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets that Harrington isn’t likely to end up in Houston. Harrington had recently left his Chinese team because of apparent interest from NBA clubs

Western Notes: Lakers, Price, Martin, D-League

November 25th, 2014 at 12:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers are in contact with the NBA about “roster possibilities” in the wake of Xavier Henry‘s season-ending torn Achilles, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The team will probably apply for a Disabled Player Exception for Henry, according to fellow Times scribe Eric Pincus (Twitter link). That’s even though the $541K exception would only be useful to acquire a player making a prorated salary. Here’s more on the Lakers and a few of their Western Conference foes:

There’s a strong possibility that the Lakers will cut Ronnie Price to bolster their injury-hit roster, as David Pick of Eurobasket.com hears (Twitter links). Price’s minimum salary is partially guaranteed for about $329K, and that guarantee jumps to more than $658K if he remains under contract through December 15th.
The Timberwolves confirmed today that Kevin Martin had surgery to repair his fractured right wrist that they expect will keep him out about six to eight weeks (Twitter link), echoing an earlier report of that timeframe. The Wolves have considered applying for a 16th roster spot, and if the league grants it, the team would most likely add a post player, as Flip Saunders said Monday to reporters, including Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
Dahntay Jones is set to sign with the D-League, reports Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. The 10-year NBA veteran spent the preseason with the Jazz, who cut him before opening night. No D-League team holds the rights to Jones, so the D-League waiver system will determine the identity of his new team, Pilato notes.
Tyler Ennis is in a tough position in a deep Suns backcourt, but this year’s 18th overall pick doesn’t mind the stigma of his recent four-day D-League assignment, as he told reporters, including Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. “A lot of people look at it as a bad thing, D-League, and think it’s something horrible, but it’s not like we’re stuck down there for the year,” Ennis said. “They let us know they want to see us play and see us stay in shape and we thought it was a good thing as far as us going down and playing well. I think I was able to show that I should be on this [NBA] level.”

And-Ones: Martin, Mavs, Ledo, Ennis

November 24th, 2014 at 10:05pm CST by Charlie Adams

Kevin Martin will undergo surgery tomorrow after breaking his wrist during a 37-point performance against the Knicks last week, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (on Twitter). The operation will knock the sharp shooting guard out for six to eight weeks, according to Wolfson, further depleting a Wolves‘ team that’s struggled to stay healthy this season. While Minnesota plans for Martin’s forthcoming absence, we’ll round up the latest from around the NBA..

The Mavs have been impressed with the recent work put in by Ricky Ledo, tweets Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. Ledo, a second-year guard, was recalled from his two game D-League assignment earlier today after averaging 12.5 points per night for the Texas Legends.
Tyler Ennis is working to find out how he fits on the Suns’ guard-heavy roster, as Lori Ewing of the Candian Press examines. Despite struggling to find consistent minutes in Phoenix, the coaches have been high on the court vision and play-making abilities demonstrated by the rookie guard, Ewing notes.
Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders provides a rundown of trade candidates in the Eastern Conference. Taylor opines that the Hornets’ slow start to the season might mean they try to acquire a veteran talent by shipping out a young piece like Noah Vonleh or P.J. Hairston.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Anderson, Ledo

November 24th, 2014 at 12:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

Anthony Davis is way out in front in the MVP race, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News sees it. There’s certainly a compelling argument to be made, as Davis is averaging 26.3 points, 11.4 rebounds and a league-high 3.5 blocks so far this season. The Brow will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the summer to come, and surely the Pelicans will jump at the chance to secure him for the long term. Here’s more from around the Southwest Division.

Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal takes a Grizzlies-centric look at the market for small forwards who can become free agents in 2015. Memphis passed on a deal that would have sent Jerryd Bayless to the Suns for Gerald Green, one of those 2015 free agents, and the Grizzlies have had interest in the past in Dorell Wright, another player on an expiring deal, Herrington writes. The Grizzlies have had internal discussions about whether Thaddeus Young is more of a small forward or a power forward, though coach Dave Joerger told Herrington recently that Young is probably best suited as a four, as Herrington adds in his subscription-only piece.
The Spurs have recalled Kyle Anderson from the D-League, the team announced. Anderson, the 30th overall pick in this year’s NBA draft, put up 18 points and 11 rebounds on Sunday, the same day that San Antonio sent him down.
Mavs guard Ricky Ledo is back from his D-League assignment, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Ledo averaged 12.5 points and shot 42.9% from three-point range during his two-game D-League stint.
The Grizzlies have hired Glynn Cyprien as a basketball operations assistant and a scout, the team announced. Cyprien has spent much of his career as a high-level college assistant coach, most recently at Texas A&M.

And-Ones: Oden, McCants, Giddens, Anderson

November 23rd, 2014 at 12:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Greg Oden attended the Cavaliers game Saturday, but has no immediate plans for an NBA comeback, tweets Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Oden, the first player selected in the 2007 NBA draft, said he has other priorities. “I have to deal with other stuff first,” he said. “Life stuff.” Oden allegedly punched his ex-girlfriend in the face during a recent fight and was charged with felony battery, misdemeanor domestic battery and misdemeanor battery resulting in serious bodily injury.

Other players were on the move this weekend:

Free agent Rashad McCants will continue his career in Lebanon, notes Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. McCants, a college star at North Carolina, played four years in the NBA with the Timberwolves and Kings. He has not been in the league since the 2008/09 season. He played last season in Brazil.
J.R. Giddens, a first-round pick by the Celtics in the 2008 NBA draft, has landed a free agent deal in Argentina, tweets David Pick of Basketball Insiders and Eurobasket. Giddens spent two seasons in the NBA with the Celtics and Knicks. He has also played in Poland, Greece, Italy and Puerto Rico.
The Spurs announced that rookie Kyle Anderson has been assigned to the Austin Spurs of the D-League. A first-round pick out of UCLA in this year’s draft, Anderson has seen limited playing time in San Antonio, averaging 1.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in six games.

Western Notes: Howard, Saunders, Thunder

November 23rd, 2014 at 10:19am CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets’ Dwight Howard is out indefinitely after undergoing platelet-rich plasma therapy on his strained right knee, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Coach Kevin McHale said there is no timetable for the center to return after going through the PRP therapy that Kobe Bryant experimented with in 2013. “It feels a lot better,” Howard said after the treatment. “I had to get a shot in it to clear some of the stuff out of it. I’m trying to do whatever I can to get back on the floor.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

The Wolves’ Flip Saunders has been putting in late hours trying to find a replacement for the injured Kevin Martin, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. Martin is out indefinitely after breaking his right wrist Wednesday, adding to an injury list that already includes Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic and Ronny Turiaf. Saunders, who serves as team president and coach, has been talking to agents and looking at D-League prospects for potential roster help.
The injury news is better in Oklahoma City, where Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook participated in practice Saturday, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. The Thunder stars were limited to a few non-contact drills, but coach Scott Brooks was encouraged. “They looked good,” Brooks said. “They’ve been with the group the whole time, but (Saturday) was the first day they’ve actually participated in some of the drills.” Durant, the league’s reigning MVP, had surgery on his right foot. Westbrook has a surgically repaired right hand. Both are scheduled to have their medical progress evaluated this week.
Kobe Bryant’s refusal to demand a trade from the Lakers undermines his public image as a cut-throat competitor, opines Shaun Powell of NBA.com. Powell notes that the woeful Lakers were in a similar situation a decade ago, and Bryant responded by threatening to sign with the Clippers if the talent around him didn’t improve. This time, Powell says, Bryant “agreed to serve as the conductor” on a train wreck in exchange for a two-year, $48MM contract extension that runs through next season.