Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Timberwolves Rumors

Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Redick, Magic

January 19th, 2013 at 7:24pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Ric Bucher of CSN Bay Area (Sulia link) hears that the trade rumor involving Rudy Gay to the Suns in exchange for Jared Dudley and Michael Beasley was leaked in order to facilitate more offers from around the league. In terms of the Grizzlies dealing Gay for luxury-tax purposes, Bucher notes that the Wizards and Warriors only have trade pieces that would relieve Memphis of the super luxury tax in two years, but not after this season. You can find more of tonight's miscellaneous notes from the Association here:

  • David Baumann of Bright House Sports Network tweets that the Celtics covet J.J. Redick as a possible trade target before February's trade deadline. 
  • Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel provides a primer of what the Magic front office has to think about heading into next month's deadline. He thinks that GM Rob Hennigan might want to deal for more young players and draft picks while shedding salary, adding that Redick, Glen Davis, Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, and Josh McRoberts are among the team's most tradeable assets. Lastly, Robbins thinks that Orlando is unlikely to part with Nikola Vucevic and that the team has almost no interest in dealing for Rudy Gay. 
  • Noting that Chris Johnson had been a member of Timberwolves' training camp before the season, Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press says that his familiarity with the team provided an advantage during the team's search for help at center. 
  • The recent struggles of Nuggets swingman Andre Iguodala prompted him to admit after today's practice that he's "probably behind the curve" and has had trouble finding his comfort level this season (Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post reports).  
  • HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy (Sulia link) anticipates a quiet trade deadline for the NBA considering a busy offseason that saw 31 deals involving 96 players. 
  • Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld looks at Jeff Teague, one of four players who are guaranteed to remain in Atlanta beyond this season, as a viable long-term investment for the Hawks. 
Repost Share Send via email

Wolves Sign Chris Johnson

January 19th, 2013 at 5:11pm CST by Zachary Links

5:11pm: Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press reports that Johnson was signed to his 10-day contract before the team's shootaround this morning. He also mentions that with the NBA's permission to exceed the 15-man roster limit due to their injury situation, Minnesota's official roster number is now at 16. 

10:10am: The Timberwolves are set to sign Chris Johnson to a 10-day contract, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter).  The move means that Minnesota will be passing on Jerome Jordan, who they were also considering.

Johnson, 27, signed with the T'Wolves over the summer on a non-guaranteed deal but did not make their roster.  The center hooked on with the D-League's Santa Cruz Warriors in December and put up 10.9 PPG and 6.1 RPG in roughly 26 minutes per contest.  

Minnesota gained the ability to sign another player to a 10-day contract when they were awarded an injury exception yesterday.  The T'Wolves also signed Mickael Gelabale to a 10-day deal this week.

Repost Share Send via email

Timberwolves Sign Mickael Gelabale

January 19th, 2013 at 10:30am CST by Sean Highkin

SATURDAY, 10:30am: The T'Wolves formally announced the signing.

FRIDAY, 8:25am: The T'Wolves have signed Gelabale to a 10-day contract, his agent confirmed to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). If he plays well, Gelabale will earn another 10-day contract from the Wolves, according to Charania. The Frenchman will take Lazar Hayward's roster spot, after Hayward's 10-day deal expired last night.

THURSDAY, 8:11pm: The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to sign French swingman Mickael Gelabale, the team announced Thursday. It is unclear what the terms of the contract are, or whether it will be a 10-day contract or a deal for the rest of the season.

Gelabale played in 109 games between 2006 and 2008 for the Seattle Supersonics and has played overseas subsequently. His signing helps to shore up depth for the Timberwolves, who have battled various injuries all season.

Repost Share Send via email

Odds & Ends: Union, Gay, Magic, West, Adelman

January 18th, 2013 at 11:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's been quite an evening in the NBA, as a third of the nine games on the docket went to overtime. It was also a rare night when both the Wizards and Bobcats recorded wins. As we wait to find out more about trade candidates and the Suns coaching situation tomorrow, here's the rest of the news from around the Association.

  • A day after the release of a report detailing abuses of power by players union executive director Billy Hunter, Nets star Deron Williams called for changes from "top to bottom" in the organization, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.  
  • HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler says the Magic aren't interested in Rudy Gay, but wouldn't be surprised to see the team get involved in a trade that sends Gay elsewhere. Orlando's $17.8MM trade exception allows Orlando to get involved as a middleman, as Kyler points out (All Twitter links).  
  • In a piece that looks back on the Magic's in-season trades from years past, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel argues that Nikola Vucevic has become the team's No. 1 trade chip and urges the front office to hold on to him.
  • David West won't let his impending free agency distract him from his work with the Pacers, as HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy documents via Sulia.
  • Wolves coach Rick Adelman won't be returning to the team anytime soon as he continues to tend to his ailing wife, GM David Kahn told reporters, including Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Assistant coach Terry Porter will continue to lead the team in Adelman's stead.
Repost Share Send via email

NBA Grants Timberwolves Injury Exception

January 18th, 2013 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has granted the Timberwolves an injury exemption due to all the players currently sidelined for the team, according to the Wolves' official Twitter account. The exception will allow the T-Wolves to sign a player to a 10-day contract.

This injury exception shouldn't be confused with the standard disabled player exception, which the NBA can grant to replace a player who suffers a season-ending injury. This injury exception allows Minnesota to carry a 16th player on its roster, as Larry Coon explains in his CBA FAQ:

Teams can temporarily have four players on their Inactive List (bringing their roster size to 16) with league approval in the event of a hardship. A hardship can be deemed to occur when the team has four players who are sick or injured and have missed at least three games, and will continue to be unable to play.

Nikola Pekovic and Alexey Shved are the latest Minnesota players to go down, having both suffered injuries on Thursday. Pekovic is expected to miss 7-10 days with a thigh contusion, while Shved's sprained ankle will be re-evaluated tomorrow. The pair joins Kevin Love, Chase Budinger, Brandon Roy, and Malcolm Lee as Timberwolves currently recovering from injuries.

The Timberwolves have signed Mickael Gelabale to a 10-day contract, a move that's expected to be announced today or tomorrow. While Gelabale will be the team's 15th man, the exception will allow the Wolves to add one more player on a 10-day deal, if they so choose.

Repost Share Send via email

Wolves Rumors: Williams, Gay, Roy, Cunningham

January 18th, 2013 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported yesterday that the Timberwolves are "heavily" shopping Derrick Williams, 2011's second overall pick. In his latest Scoops column, Wolfson shares a few more details on the T-Wolves' trade talks, plus a handful more Wolves-related notes. Let's dive in and round up the highlights….

  • Within the last week, president David Kahn has transitioned from merely taking phone calls to making them himself. According to Wolfson, Kahn was "aggressively" working the phones this week and was making some progress on a trade. Such a deal would likely involve Williams, and would net Minnesota a big, rather than a wing.
  • The T-Wolves don't have interest in Portland's J.J. Hickson or Atlanta's Josh Smith.
  • Minnesota is still weighing whether it makes sense to pursue Rudy Gay. If the Wolves were to make an offer for Gay, it would likely have to include a third team, and would involve Nikola Pekovic.
  • Brandon Roy's contract may be included in a trade at the deadline for salary purposes.
  • The Lakers recently inquired on Dante Cunningham, but Cunningham's affordable salary makes the Wolves reluctant to part with him.
  • According to Wolfson, interest in buying the T-Wolves is "as high as ever." Former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, who confirmed yesterday he has interest in buying another NBA franchise, is said to be kicking the tires on the Wolves.
  • There's no word yet on whether Andrei Kirilenko is leaning one way or the other on his $10.22MM player option for 2013/14.
  • Minnesota didn't apply for a disabled player exception for Malcolm Lee. As Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors wrote on Monday, such an exception wouldn't have provided much flexibility for the club.
  • According to Wolfson, there's some speculation that the Wolves would like to take over basketball operations of their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The Skyforce are currently affiliated with the Heat, Magic, and Sixers, as well as the Wolves.
  • While it's been presumed for some time that Minnesota would be among the clubs interested in Greg Oden, the team hasn't done due diligence on him so far, like some others have.
Repost Share Send via email

Odds & Ends: Roy, Jones, Nene, PEDs

January 17th, 2013 at 10:51pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Friday evening:

Repost Share Send via email

Timberwolves Shopping Derrick Williams

January 17th, 2013 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Derrick Williams is seeing a little more playing time recently, averaging 24.7 minutes per game over the Timberwolves' last five contests after seeing 17.4 MPG up until that point. Kevin Love's recent hand injury has contributed to Williams' increased minutes, but the team also may be trying to showcase the former second overall pick for a potential trade. According to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter), Williams is being "shopped heavily" by the T-Wolves.

Since being drafted one spot behind Kyrie Irving in 2011, Williams has struggled to fulfill his potential with the Timberwolves. Wolfson notes (via Twitter) that the team doesn't view Williams as an ideal fit in coach Rick Adelman's system, and is considering its short-term and long-term options in shopping the 21-year-old. With Love out, the Wolves are looking to acquire a big in any deal for Williams, according to Wolfson (via Twitter), though he's not sure about specific names.

This is hardly the first time we've heard about Williams' availability. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio wrote last Monday that he'd be surprised if the Arizona product was still in Minnesota after the trade deadline. On the same day, Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined Williams' trade candidacy, speculating about some potential fits for the second-year forward.

Although there's no guarantee that the Wolves will move Williams or anyone else by February 21st, Wolfson tweets that the team appears to be "trying hard" to make a move, and that it looks like something will happen in the next few weeks.

Repost Share Send via email

Kyler’s Latest: Kings, Gasol, Magic, Bucks, Jazz

January 15th, 2013 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

Steve Kyler's latest piece for HoopsWorld is packed full of updates on players who could be on the move before this season's trade deadline. Kyler covers plenty of ground in his column, so let's dive right in and round up the highlights….

  • The Kings' uncertain ownership situation may result in a quiet trade deadline in Sacramento. While the situation could change between now and February 21st, Kyler says that for now the team appears "frozen in terms of making deals."
  • Kyler suggests it's possible the Grizzlies will explore ways of getting below the luxury tax line that don't involve trading a big contract like Rudy Gay's.
  • The Lakers aren't engaged in any trade talks involving Pau Gasol, and may not seriously explore a Gasol deal unless they fall out of the playoff hunt by the deadline.
  • While J.J. Redick is drawing plenty of interest, rival teams have also called the Magic about Arron Afflalo and Jameer Nelson. If Orlando makes a move, the club would like to include Glen Davis or Hedo Turkoglu to shed some long-term salary.
  • Pointing to Andrew Bogut as an example of an injured player who was dealt last season, Kyler warns not to rule out Anderson Varejao as a trade candidate.
  • The Bucks are much more inclined to move players like Beno Udrih, Drew Gooden, and Samuel Dalembert than Monta Ellis or Brandon Jennings, but those secondary pieces aren't drawing much interest.
  • Al Jefferson seems more likely than Paul Millsap to re-sign with the Jazz this summer, though clubs have been in touch with the Jazz about both players.
  • The Spurs "will be dealing" DeJuan Blair before the deadline, according to Kyler.
  • Derrick Williams appears unlikely to be moved by the Timberwolves while Kevin Love remains sidelined with his broken hand.
  • Several teams have been calling the Suns to inquire on Marcin Gortat. The Rockets are one team believed to have interest.
Repost Share Send via email

Western Rumors: Mavs, Barea, Gelabale, Kings

January 14th, 2013 at 11:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Western Conference appears to be the stronger than the East once again this season, and the Heat's struggles on their Western road trip further drive home that point. Miami lost again tonight, to the Jazz, and face another stiff test Wednesday against the Warriors. We rounded up news from a couple Pacific Division teams earlier tonight, and we'll do the same for the rest of the Western Conference here.

Repost Share Send via email
Load More Posts