Minnesota Timberwolves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Rumors: Bynum, Brown, Sessions, Gasol

May 22nd, 2012 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals last night, sending the Lakers to their second consecutive second-round exit. Despite the loss, Kobe Bryant vowed after the game that L.A. would be back in contention next season: "This is not one of those things like where the Bulls beat the Pistons and the Pistons disappeared forever."

Before the team returns to the court for the 2012/13 season, the Lakers will have a number of roster moves and decisions to make. Here's the latest on a few of the issues facing the club:

Andrew Bynum told reporters last night, including Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, that he's not sure what his future in Los Angeles holds. According to Bynum's agent David Lee, the ball is in the Lakers' court when it comes to talking about a contract extension for the young center.
Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com looks at eight questions facing the Lakers as the team prepares for the offseason. Within the piece, he suggests that coach Mike Brown won't be fired, and wonders whether Ramon Sessions will pick up his player option after a poor postseason.
Over the luxury-tax threshold and with only the 60th pick in the draft, the Lakers will have to make trades if they hope to improve their roster, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
Pau Gasol's time as a Laker will likely end soon, since he's their only logical trade chip, says Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets that he expects the Timberwolves to get involved in Gasol trade discussions again.
Gasol should be the first domino to fall, but the Lakers will be faced with other decisions too, writes McMenamin.
For his part, Gasol doesn't think the Lakers need to significantly overhaul the roster, as he tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Gasol, Bynum, and Bryant all suggested that a full training camp would've helped the Lakers, who were adjusting to Brown's system.

Offseason Outlook: Minnesota Timberwolves

May 15th, 2012 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

Guaranteed Contracts

Kevin Love ($12,922,250)
Darko Milicic ($5,228,000)
Nikola Pekovic ($4,837,200)
Derrick Williams ($4,809,840)
J.J. Barea ($4,493,500)
Wesley Johnson ($4,285,560)
Luke Ridnour ($4,000,000)
Ricky Rubio ($3,741,120)
Wayne Ellington ($2,083,042)
Malcolm Lee ($762,195)

Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Martell Webster ($5,712,000; partially guaranteed for $600K)
Brad Miller ($5,104,000; partially guaranteed for $848K)

Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Michael Beasley ($12,524,694)
Anthony Randolph ($7,278,078)
Anthony Tolliver ($2,665,000)

Draft Picks

1st Round (18th overall)
2nd Round (58th overall)

Cap Outlook

Guaranteed Salary: $48,610,707
Non-Guaranteed Salary, Cap Holds: $31,835,772
Total (not including draft picks): $80,446,479

On the surface, the Timberwolves' 26-40 record suggests the 2011/12 campaign wasn't an overwhelming success. However, there were many encouraging signs for T-Wolves fans to take away from the season. The .394 winning percentage was actually Minnesota's best since 2005/06, and prior to Ricky Rubio's season-ending injury, the team was playing even better basketball, on the verge of contending for a playoff spot.

Rubio and Kevin Love are locked up for at least another three years, so now it's a matter of finding a supporting cast to surround the Timberwolves' two young stars. Having traded their lottery pick away, the Wolves aren't in position to add another young star to their core, but with some potential cap space and trade assets, the team has a few options heading into the summer.

The T-Wolves have a pair of players coming off rookie contracts in Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph, and will need to submit qualifying offers of $8.17MM and $4.05MM, respectively, to make them restricted free agents. I have my doubts about the team re-signing either player, so perhaps those qualifying offers won't even be made, though that's just my speculation. Either way, the club's decisions on Beasley and Randolph are crucial — with the qualifying offers or cap holds on the books for those guys, Minnesota won't be in position to make use of cap space, and will be limited to the $5MM mid-level exception when pursuing free agents.

The pursuit of free agents will be important for the Wolves, since it seems like their best chance at acquiring a shooting guard, which has been the team's most glaring hole in recent years. This year's free agent class is strong, with Ray Allen, Nick Young, Jamal Crawford, Jason Terry, and Leandro Barbosa among the players expected to be unrestricted FAs. For a couple of those guys, the mid-level exception should be enough, but if the T-Wolves want to make a strong play for someone like Allen or Terry, they could renounce their free agents and gain about $8MM in cap room.

While free agency is one avenue the T-Wolves will explore, the draft won't necessarily be a lost cause. Though they don't have their own pick, the Wolves acquired Utah's first-rounder, which will be 18th overall. Given this year's deep draft class, there should be some fairly appealing shooting guards or small forwards available for the Wolves at that spot — perhaps Terrence Ross, Dion Waiters, Moe Harkless, or Quincy Miller.

If the T-Wolves feel like they're close enough to contention that they prefer to bring in veteran talent rather than continuing to develop young players, a trade could be the best route. Besides their first-round pick, the Wolves also have a couple trade chips in Luke Ridnour and last year's lottery pick, Derrick Williams. I expect the team to keep Ridnour around at least until Rubio proves he's 100% healthy, and Williams' value isn't at its peak at the moment. But both players are assets the Wolves could use to fill other holes on their roster, if they can find the right deal.

At first glance, the Timberwolves' guaranteed commitments for 2012/13 – 10 players and $48MM+ – suggest there won't be much roster turnover this offseason, but Minnesota is definitely in position to make a few moves. I'm guessing the club won't find a trade offer it likes for Williams, and will look to the free agent market for a backcourt upgrade. A scenario in which the team re-signs Beasley, signs Crawford using its mid-level exception, and drafts a prospect like Miller or Ross isn't out of the question, and would make the T-Wolves a team to watch in 2012/13.

Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.

Grizzlies, T-Wolves, Thunder Eyeing Alexey Shved

May 14th, 2012 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

CSKA Moscow, who blew a 19-point second half lead and lost the Euroleague final to Olympiakos this weekend, has at least one well-known player expected to sign in North America this summer, in Andrei Kirilenko. But Kirilenko isn't the only player CSKA is anticipating losing to the NBA. According to Jonathan Givony (via Twitter), Alexey Shved is drawing interest from NBA teams, including the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, and Thunder.

Shved, 23, was eligible for the NBA draft in 2010, but went undrafted and has played for CSKA Moscow ever since. 2011/12 was a breakout season for the 6'5" guard, who Givony says has developed into a "very complete" offensive player and an improved shooter (Twitter link).

Shved's asking price is $10MM for three years, according to Givony.

Wolves Owner Glen Taylor Looking For Successor

May 4th, 2012 at 5:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor wants to bring on a minority partner who could take over as principal owner of the team after a few years, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press reports (via ESPN.com). The 71-year-old Taylor, who prevented a move to New Orleans when he bought it in 1994, said any such partner must commit to keeping the team in Minnesota. State lawmakers are considering a plan for what the AP report calls a "massive" renovation of the Target Center, and approval could come next week.

"I could find somebody to buy the team. That's not my problem," Taylor said. "I have to find someone that's committed to here. It's always best if it would be a Minnesotan. I'm telling you I don't know that's the way it's going to work out. I haven't had a lot of Minnesotans step up."

Taylor, who hasn't spoken to any candidates yet, says the move is partially motivated by his age, and that it's also a consideration in his unwillingness for the team to go through another rebuilding stage. He's instructed team President David Kahn to be aggressive this summer in free agency.

Taylor is also chairman of the NBA's Board of Governors and played a key role in negotiating the current CBA during the lockout. The specter of Taylor and commissioner David Stern stepping down soon, as well as the turmoil within the player's association which threatens to oust executive director Billy Hunter, means the next CBA is likely to be negotiated by new leadership on both sides.

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Minnesota Timberwolves

Odds & Ends: Kahn, Howard, Parzenski, Kings

May 1st, 2012 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Celtics, 76ers, and Nuggets look to even up their respective series tonight before heading home, let's round up some odds and ends from around the league:

NBA commissioner David Stern doesn't believe Derrick Rose's torn ACL or other major injuries were caused by the condensed 2011/12 schedule, as he told Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio. ESPN Chicago has details and quotes.
Stephen Litel of HoopsWorld wonders if keeping David Kahn as the team's GM is the best idea for the Timberwolves. Minnesota exercised its option on Kahn for 2012/13 last week.
Magic GM Otis Smith will travel to the Los Angeles area to check in on Dwight Howard's recovery from back surgery, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
Polish seven-footer Jakub Parzenski declared for the draft prior to Sunday's early-entry deadline, tweets Jonathon Givony of DraftExpress.com. Parzenski is ranked just 20th among 1991-born international players by DraftExpress.
Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee outlines the latest developments, or lack thereof, in the "unhappy marriage" between the Kings and the city of Sacramento.

Wolves Notes: Love, Darko, Beasley, Randolph

April 28th, 2012 at 8:53am CST by Zachary Links

Timberwolves President David Kahn and coach Rick Adelman spoke with the press on Friday morning and Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune has the goods..

Kahn called Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio the team's "cornerstones" and hopes to see the two players retire as lifelong T'Wolves. Outside of that, Kahn promised to be aggressive this year and implied that major changes are on the horizon.
The Wolves will consider trading the 18th overall pick (from Utah) for a proven veteran but will also evaluate the players that could be available to them. What they won't do, however, is trade down repeatedly to acquire cash and future selections as they did with the 20th pick last year. "That would be a terrible thing to do, and I can assure you that never would we consider that," Kahn said.
Kahn declined to discuss the futures of Darko Milicic, Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, and Martell Webster. Beasley and Randolph will become unrestricted free agents if the team doesn't pick up their qualifying offers. Meanwhile, it's hard to imagine that they'll exercise Webster's $5.7MM option for next season and Milicic, owed $5MM next year, figures to be an amnesty clause candidate.
Kahn is in talks to bring some of the team's drafted European prospects to Minnesota in June so that Adelman and his staff can evaluate them. That would include forwards Nemanja Bjelica and Henk Norel and center Paulao Prestes. Without specifiying who, Kahn said one of those players might be ready for the NBA. Zgoda says it's likely Bjelica, though he is still probably too soft for the Association.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Blazers, Marshall, T-Wolves

April 26th, 2012 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Northwest Division won't be a major focus in tonight's games, with the Thunder off, the Jazz locked into the eighth seed, and the Timberwolves' and Trail Blazers' spots in the lottery set. Only tonight's Nuggets game in Minnesota will have an impact — a win would result in a first-round matchup against the Lakers, while a loss and a Mavericks win over Atlanta would see the Nuggets head to Oklahoma City.

As we prepare for the last night of the regular season, let's check in on the latest updates from the Northwest:

Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor spoke to the media Wednesday about a number of topics related to the team's season and direction going forward. Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune has the highlights in two parts.
ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link) examines the Blazers' needs heading into the draft, and explains why UNC's Kendall Marshall is the best fit for Portland.
Rick Adelman, like Kevin Love, hopes the Timberwolves are aggressive in pursuing roster upgrades this summer, writes Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. After saying he'll lobby management to make moves, Love adds that he'd like to have some input in personnel decisions.

Kevin Love Will Lobby For Offseason Moves

April 25th, 2012 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Love will be in line for a big raise next season when his new contract extension kicks in, but the Timberwolves should still have some flexibility to make roster moves. If the T-Wolves choose not to retain free agents like Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph or partially-guaranteed players like Martell Webster, the team could have nearly $10MM in cap room, and Love would like to see them take advantage of it.

"I think we just need to make some moves," Love told Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, adding that he will encourage management to be aggressive in acquiring veterans.

Minnesota's own first-round pick will head to New Orleans, but the team will have Utah's first-rounder, which figures to take up some cap room. Between the draft pick and cap holds, the team won't have a ton of space to pursue high-end free agents, and Zgoda believes that a trade may be more likely than a free agent signing for the Wolves, perhaps for a player like the Rockets' Kevin Martin. Still, coach Rick Adelman thinks Minnesota's young core could attract free agents.

"When you look at Kevin and you look at Ricky [Rubio] and the style that we're going to play, it's going to be good," Adelman said. "I think people will look at it. We have some pieces people would like to play with. I mean, this team was pretty good not long ago and let's face it, guys like to get paid. So if you can pay 'em and you have some people around? There are some positives here."

The Timberwolves recently exercised their 2012/13 option on GM David Kahn, so he'll be responsible for attempting to improve a roster that looked like a playoff contender this season, prior to Rubio's season-ending ACL injury.

Courtney Lee Wants To Return To Rockets

April 23rd, 2012 at 10:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

Courtney Lee will be a restricted free agent this summer, but he'd "love to stay" with the Rockets, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

“Houston is always going to be my first choice," Lee said. "It’s up to those guys, if I get an offer, whether they match it or if they just come out and give me an offer.”

The Rockets acquired the former first-round pick as part of a four-way trade before the 2010/11 season, and used the 6'5", 200-pound shooting guard primarily as a backup until starter Kevin Martin got hurt midway through this season. Lee has averaged 14.2 PPG in 25 games as a starter this year, well above his career mark of 10.0 PPG.

A few teams, including the Pacers, Bulls and Clippers, were reportedly interested in trading for Lee this season, but the Rockets' price was too high. Houston's qualifying offer on Lee is $3.22MM, but he figures to command significantly more than that. The Pacers, in particular, will have plenty of cap room if they are still interested in pursuing him, and other teams in need of a shooting guard, like the Timberwolves, could get involved. The Rockets will have tough decisions to make on Lee and fellow free agent Goran Dragic. Both entered the season as backup guards, but emerged as starters and played well in the second half of the season.

Timberwolves Exercise Option On David Kahn

April 23rd, 2012 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have exercised the 2012/13 option on David Kahn's contract, reports Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Owner Glen Taylor says he has already informed or is informing the team's general manager of the decision.

Kahn is in the final season of his three-year guarantee in Minnesota, but the club holds team options for next season and 2013/14. Each option is separate, so the T-Wolves could still decide to decline their final-year option, despite picking up next season's.

While Kahn has received some criticism for his moves in Minnesota, most recently during the Kevin Love extension negotiations, the emergence of Ricky Rubio had the team looking like a playoff contender before injuries derailed the season. Kahn won't have the Timberwolves' first-round draft pick this June, as it's ticketed for New Orleans. However, as our tentative draft order shows, Minnesota is in good position to acquire Utah's first-rounder, which is top-14 protected and currently projects as 16th or 17th overall.