Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wolves Still Intend To Re-Sign Nikola Pekovic

May 11th, 2013 at 8:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

Last week, the Wolves changed the man in charge of their basketball operations, replacing David Kahn with Flip Saunders, but that hasn't altered their plans with Nikola Pekovic. The Wolves still "have every intention" of re-signing the restricted free agent this summer, tweets Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Wolves have appeared likely to bring back the 27-year-old center since March. That stance may have more to do with owner Glen Taylor, who last month expressed his desire to keep Pekovic around, than Kahn.

Taylor, in spite of his affinity for Pekovic, reportedly won't go as high as a $12MM salary to re-sign him. When I profiled the Montenegro native's free agent stock in March, I speculated that the Wolves might be engaging in gamesmanship regarding that figure. I think Pekovic seems likely to command offers in the $12MM range, so perhaps they're floating that number to entice other teams to make an offer of about that much, with plans of matching it. Otherwise, rival suitors might feel as though they'd have to offer the max — around $15MM — to scare off the Wolves. That's just my speculation, of course. Either way, committing $15MM a year to Pekovic would put a serious crimp in the Wolves' flexibility going forward, with Ricky Rubio eligible for an extension next summer.

Pekovic averaged 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per game for the Wolves this season, all career highs. His 20.2 PER displays his efficiency on offense, though he's never averaged as much as a block per game on the other end of the floor. According to NBA.com, the Wolves gave up 102.9 points per 100 possessions as a whole this season, and 104.0 when Pekovic was on the floor, illustrating his defensive shortcomings. Still, teams routinely overpay for size, and it's not inconceivable that someone would decide to give him the max. Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com recently speculated that the Mavs could target Pekovic if the Wolves prioritize their pursuit of O.J. Mayo over their own free agent.

Western Notes: Garcia, Madsen, Conroy, Hornacek

May 11th, 2013 at 7:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

In a twist, the Western Conference playoff game preceded the Eastern Conference tilt on today's schedule. The Grizzlies beat the Thunder to claim a 2-1 series lead, while the Knicks and Pacers are under way in Indiana. The Eastern matchup prompted rare non-Sunday coverage from ABC, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of intriguing storylines out west, where the latest Kings developments are threatening to steal the show. Here's more from the conference that won this year's All-Star Game:

Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com suggests (via Twitter) that Francisco Garcia could be an offseason target for the Lakers. The Rockets currently hold a $6.4MM option on Garcia, but Houston is extremely unlikely to exercise it, so the 31-year-old appears ticketed for unrestricted free agency.
The next head coach of the Lakers' D-League affiliate could be a familiar face for Lakers fans. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that Mark Madsen is finalizing an agreement to become the D-Fenders' new coach.
Will Conroy, a close friend of Brandon Roy, began the season on Minnesota's playing roster, but he finished the season as a Timberwolves scout. Flip Saunders fired Conroy and another scout with ties to Roy this week, notes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. The Wolves waived Roy on Friday.
The only way the Jazz can hold on to assistant coach Jeff Hornacek, a candidate for head coaching jobs elsewhere, would be to replace Tyrone Corbin with him, and that's not going to happen, writes Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Lawrence On Grizzlies, Hollins, Paul, Saunders

May 11th, 2013 at 2:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News doesn't hide his distaste for advanced metrics in his latest dispatch, and he thinks the Nets should wait to hire a new coach until the Grizzlies make their decision on Lionel Hollins official. If Memphis management determines Hollins, whose contract is up at season's end, doesn't fit with the team's new emphasis on statistics, the Nets should pounce on the coaching free agent, Lawrence writes. Given that Hollins said yesterday that the Grizzlies want him back, however, I'd be surprised if he's changing addresses this summer. Here's more from Lawrence on the Grizzlies and the rest of the NBA:

Chris Paul prefers to re-sign with the Clippers this summer, but he wants them to hire an African American as coach, Lawrence hears, suggesting Nate McMillan for the job that Vinny Del Negro still holds.
If Rick Adelman steps down as Timberwolves coach, newly installed president of basketball operations Flip Saunders would come down to the bench to replace him.
Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer probably won't be taking another team's head coaching job this summer because San Antonio has already anointed him as Gregg Popovich's successor, according to Lawrence. When Tim Duncan retires, Popovich will, too, leaving the coaching duties to Budenholzer.
There are members of the Grizzlies organization who still aren't sold on the Rudy Gay deal, and they believe the team would have more easily overcome the Clippers in the first round if Gay were still in Memphis.

Timberwolves Release Brandon Roy

May 10th, 2013 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

3:00pm: The Timberwolves have officially released Roy, according to the team (Twitter link).

2:15pm: The Timberwolves are finalizing the release of Brandon Roy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. While the move isn't official yet, an announcement from the team is expected soon, according to Wojnarowski.

Roy signed a two-year deal with the T-Wolves last summer, but the second year of that deal became nonguaranteed when his knee problems resurfaced, meaning Minnesota won't be on the hook for the 28-year-old's $5.33MM salary for next season.

Roy's return to the NBA following his 2011 retirement was a disappointing one, as injuries limited him to just five games for the Wolves, in which he scored a total of 29 points. It's not clear yet if Roy will officially announce his retirement for the second time or whether he'll attempt to continue his playing career, but it's hard to imagine him playing in the NBA again.

Even if Roy does retire, he'll continue to receive pay checks from the Trail Blazers for a little longer yet. Because he was amnestied by Portland, Roy will receive the full amount of his five-year, $82MM contract, which runs through the 2014/15 season.

Mavs Notes: Mayo, Pekovic, Free Agency

May 10th, 2013 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

As we noted this morning, reports out of Minnesota are suggesting O.J. Mayo will be a top target for the Timberwolves in free agency this summer. Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com explores that story from the Mavericks' perspective, wondering how the Wolves' interest in Mayo could affect Dallas. As MacMahon notes, the Mavs would like to re-sign Mayo, but are unlikely to engage in any bidding wars for him. MacMahon suggests that if the Wolves prioritize Mayo over Nikola Pekovic, it could open up the door for the Mavs to make a run at Pekovic. Here's more out of Dallas:

Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson made an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas this week, and addressed a number of topics of note, and the Dallas Morning News transcribed some of Nelson's more interesting quotes in a pair of articles.
Asked about the selling points the Mavs will use in talking to free agents this summer, Nelson pointed to Dallas' warm weather, the absence of state taxes, and the presence of an elite owner (Mark Cuban) and head coach (Rick Carlisle).
If the Mavericks had to choose between acquiring an elite point guard and an elite center, Nelson suggests the team would lean toward the point guard. "I don’t think there is any question if you look at some of the challenges we had last year, point guards are very unique, and it’s really hard to find those guys," Nelson said. "That’s why we pulled out all the stops to try to get Deron Williams to come back home. Obviously, he opted to stay in New York. I don’t think there is any position as important as point guard regardless of what level you’re playing on."

Timberwolves To Target O.J. Mayo

May 10th, 2013 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

With Flip Saunders assuming control of the Timberwolves' basketball operations, the team's coming offseason figures to play out a little differently than past summers under GM David Kahn. Nonetheless, it sounds as if Saunders will be targeting at least one player that Kahn pursued in the past. Dan Barreiro of KFAN in Minneapolis tweets that he expects the T-Wolves to "go hard" after O.J. Mayo this summer.

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities follows up on Barreiro's tweet, confirming his report and noting (via Twitter) that he has heard from multiple people that Saunders likes Mayo. Wolfson adds (via Twitter) that the Wolves figure to have plenty of other players on their wish list and that creating the necessary cap space for the free agent guard may be tricky, but that Mayo has been cited by multiple sources as a likely target for Minnesota.

Assuming Brandon Roy's and Greg Stiemsma's contracts for 2013/14 are fully non-guaranteed, the Wolves only have about $36MM in guaranteed salary on their books for next season. That would seem to give them plenty of room to make a run at Mayo, who I predicted would earn more than the mid-level. However, that total doesn't include Andrei Kirilenko's $10.22MM player option, and it also assumes the team won't bring back restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic. If Kirilenko opts in and Pekovic returns on a $10-12MM salary, the Wolves won't have much room left to make Mayo a lucrative offer.

A sign-and-trade deal with the Mavericks is also a possibility if Minnesota doesn't have the necessary cap space to sign Mayo outright. But taking on salary in a Mayo trade could compromise Dallas' other plans in free agency, so I'd expect the Mavs to be reluctant to work out a Mayo deal unless they were presented an offer they couldn't refuse.

It's also worth mentioning that, since Mayo has a $4.2MM player option for next season, he could still decide to exercise that option before June 30th, avoiding free agency. The 25-year-old is considered extremely likely to opt out and become a free agent though.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Thunder, Rubio, Blazers

May 8th, 2013 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

It's been a disappointing postseason so far for the Northwest, one of two NBA divisions to only send a pair of teams to the playoffs. One of those teams, the Nuggets, was upset in the first round, while the other, the Thunder, lost its second-best player to a season-ending knee injury. Oklahoma City is still alive, but after last night's loss, the Thunder will head to Memphis needing to win a game at the FedExForum to recapture the upper hand in the series. As we look forward to that series continuing, let's round up a few items from out of the Northwest….

Given Utah's "Core Four" and its cap flexibility, GM Dennis Lindsey believes there are plenty of teams who'd love to "trade spots" with the Jazz this summer, as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News writes.
Despite how well Nate Robinson is playing for the Bulls these days, the Thunder shouldn't regret negotiating a buyout with him prior to the 2011/12 season, according to Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman.
Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link) hears from sources that Ricky Rubio's family was disappointed with the ouster of former Timberwolves GM David Kahn, since Kahn was the one who rolled the dice on drafting Rubio knowing he couldn't come stateside right away. While nothing may come of it, it's still a situation worth watching, says Bucher.
In his latest mailbag at Blazer's Edge, Dave Deckard fields questions on Meyers Leonard, trade possibilities, and more Trail Blazers topics.
The Nuggets and the NBA announced earlier this morning that George Karl has been named 2012/13's Coach of the Year.

Odds & Ends: Celtics, Wolves, Blazers, Hunter

May 3rd, 2013 at 11:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics made quite an attempt at a comeback, both in the series and in tonight's Game Six, but ultimately the Knicks polished off Boston this evening to set up a second-round date with the Pacers. The loss left some in Boston's locker room wondering about their futures as they spoke with reporters. Coach Doc Rivers isn't entirely sure he'll want to come back for next season, but he anticipates he'll opt to return to the bench when he makes up his mind this summer. Rivers isn't certain Kevin Garnett will come back, either, though that decision is up to KG. For his part, Garnett says he's not ready to make up his mind, but suggests the team's decision on whether to keep Paul Pierce will have heavy influence.

Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com rounds up more comments from the C's as they begin their offseason, and as they ponder their next moves, here's what's happening elsewhere across the NBA:

Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune examines Glen Taylor's decision to abandon the idea of selling the Wolves, and points out the owner's cryptic remarks about his plan to keep the team in Minnesota.
Sources tell Henry Abbott of ESPN.com that the Trail Blazers paid the Wolves $1.5MM to settle their dispute over Martell Webster, and Abbott explains how the outcome can be considered a coup for ousted Wolves GM David Kahn.
Lindsey Hunter isn't assured of remaining the coach of the Suns, but if he's bounced, he shouldn't count on a soft landing with the Pistons, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
On the eve of Game Seven against the Nets, Sam Smith of Bulls.com answers reader questions about Derrick Rose and the Bulls' offseason plans.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders if soon-to-be free agent Kirk Hinrich's postseason performance has made him too expensive for the Bulls to re-sign.

Wolves Rumors: Saunders, Ownership, Pekovic

May 3rd, 2013 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to taking over as the Timberwolves' president of basketball ops, Flip Saunders will invest about $8MM into the team, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. We heard earlier today that owner Glen Taylor is no longer interested in selling the franchise, but instead figures to try to buy out minority owners' stakes, or find local buyers for those shares. Wolfson has a few more T-Wolves updates in his latest piece, so let's dive in and check them out….

When he was fielding calls about possibly selling the franchise, Taylor was approached by Chris Hansen's Seattle group, former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, St. Louis businessman Dr. Richard Chaifetz, and a group headed by former coach Mike Dunleavy Sr. However, none of those potential suitors had interest in keeping the team in Minnesota long-term, says Wolfson.
Rick Adelman appears very likely to return as the Wolves' head coach in 2013/14, but if Saunders hires a new coach down the road, Michigan State's Tom Izzo and Rockets assistant J.B. Bickerstaff figure to be among the candidates, sources inform Wolfson.
Nikola Pekovic's camp isn't upset with David Kahn's dismissal, but it will be Taylor who ultimately makes the final call on how high the Wolves are willing to go on a new deal for the restricted free agent.
Wolfson also questions the validity of a number of the comments Kahn made after being let go, suggesting there may be some revisionist history at work.
According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link), Taylor had a list of eight candidates to call about replacing Kahn, including Phil Jackson, but ultimately hired Saunders before even getting to his list.

Timberwolves Hire Flip Saunders As President

May 3rd, 2013 at 11:12am CST by Michael Pina

FRIDAY, 11:12am: The Wolves made it official today, introducing Saunders to the media at a press conference. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweeted a number of highlights from Saunders and Taylor, so we'll round those up here:

Saunders' contract with the Wolves is for five years with additional options beyond that. The commitment is a "big one," according to Taylor.
Taylor is now interested in buying out limited partners' shares of the franchise rather than considering selling his own majority stake in the team.
As of now, Saunders expects head coach Rick Adelman to be back on Minnesota's bench next season.
Saunders was noncommital when asked if his own coaching career is over.

THURSDAY, 7:16pm: Former Timberwolves and Pistons head coach Flip Saunders has officially signed a multi-year deal to become president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves, according to a tweet from ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst. Saunders will also have an ownership stake in the team.

Minnesota's owner, Glen Taylor, has also opted not to sell the team, and has taken it off the market. Earlier today it was announced that the Timberwolves would decline the option on former general manager David Khan.