Julius Randle

Scotto’s Latest: Porzingis, Celtics, Reid, NAW, Magic, Kings

Executives around the NBA generally view Kristaps Porzingis as the Celtics‘ top trade candidate this offseason as the team looks to reduce its salary, says Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Porzingis has played a limited role during Boston’s last two playoff runs due to health issues and will be on an expiring $30.7MM contract in 2025/26.

However, the general consensus is that the Celtics won’t be looking to trade just one highly paid player.

“Boston needs to get off two big salaries at least, or they’ll have massive tax implications,” one NBA executive told HoopsHype. (Jayson) Tatum‘s injury lets them use next year as a gap year to audition other players or young guys.”

While Derrick White has drawn consistent interest from teams across the league, per Scotto, the Celtics have always rebuffed those inquiries in the past and would presumably be more inclined to shop Jrue Holiday if they move off one of their veteran guards.

Reserve wing Sam Hauser is also considered a trade candidate by rival NBA executives, according to Scotto, who notes that 2024 first-rounder Baylor Scheierman is viewed by talent evaluators as a player who could take on Hauser’s role sooner or later.

Here’s more from Scotto:

  • Re-signing Naz Reid is considered a top priority for the Timberwolves, but executives around the NBA believe Minnesota is unlikely to retain Reid, Julius Randle, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who are all eligible for free agency this offseason.
  • The Magic, who were recently identified as a possible suitor for Alexander-Walker, made a play for the Timberwolves guard at February’s trade deadline, according to Scotto, who says many executives are projecting the 26-year-old to receive the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception or something close to it.
  • Rival executives are monitoring the Kings‘ veteran trio of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, and believe the team will explore trading one or more of those players either this offseason or by the 2026 trade deadline, Scotto writes. It might take a trade request for Sacramento to seriously consider dealing Sabonis, and LaVine’s maximum-salary contract figures to be difficult to move. That leaves DeRozan and perhaps center Jonas Valanciunas, who will be on a pseudo-expiring $10.4MM contract, as the Kings’ top potential trade candidates.
  • In case you missed it, we also passed along reporting from Scotto on a potential point guard target for the Kings, along with a handful of Clippers-related rumors.

Wolves’ Tim Connelly On Minnesota: ‘It Feels Like Home’

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly reportedly has an opt-out clause in his contract this offseason, but it sounds like he intends to stay in Minnesota.

It feels like home. … I think you guys are stuck with me,” Connelly told media members today, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The news doesn’t come as a surprise. Multiple reporters — including Brian Windhorst, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Michael Scotto, and Krawczynski — have indicated that signing Connelly to a new contract was a priority and the team was optimistic an agreement would be reached. Connelly is said to have a good working relationship with new majority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who are expected to be approved by the league’s Board of Governors later this month.

Connelly was rumored to be a top target of the Hawks in their search for a new head of basketball operations and was also linked to the Nuggets’ vacancy. Connelly ran Denver’s front office from 2013-22, putting its championship core together, though he technically missed out on that title by leaving a year early.

The 49-year-old has pulled off some blockbuster trades since he was hired by the Timberwolves in 2022, acquiring Rudy Gobert from Utah later that year and sending Karl-Anthony Towns to New York last October in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop (who was later waived) and a first-round pick.

The Wolves have made the playoffs each of the past three seasons with Connelly as the head of basketball operations, including — most recently — back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Here are a few more highlights from Connelly’s press conference:

  • Randle, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker could all be free agents this summer — Randle and Reid hold players options for 2025/26, while Alexander-Walker is unrestricted. Connelly says the team is “cautiously optimistic” it will be able to bring back all three rotation players, as Krawczynski relays (via Twitter). We’re very appreciative of what the market might look like,” Connelly said. “We’re pretty cautiously optimistic we’re in a good place with all of the guys. Most importantly, they want to be here.”
  • Connelly praised head coach Chris Finch for the “great” job he has done over the past couple years, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. It’s not easy what we’ve tasked him with the last couple of years (multiple major trades),” Connelly said. “… It’s a testament to his intelligence, his ability to be creative and to coach any group we put in front of him.”
  • Connelly was also complimentary of Finch’s coaching staff for its adaptability and player development skills, according to Krawczynski (Twitter link). Someone is going to smartly hire (assistant) Micah Nori as a head coach soon.”
  • Connelly thinks Anthony Edwards will have a “challenging” offseason in front of him as the Wolves attempt to take the next step, but he’s confident in the star guard’s two-way ability (Twitter video link via Scotto) “The sky is the limit,” Connelly said of Edwards. “We think he’s going to be one of the best players of all time, and we think he’s on that track.”

Timberwolves Notes: Randle, Reid, Durant

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle has emerged as perhaps the most intriguing potential free agent of the 2025 offseason, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

After trading five-time All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns to New York in exchange for a package headlined by Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves made the Western Conference Finals for a second straight season, with Randle playing a major role in the team’s first- and second-round series wins over the Lakers and Warriors.

Bringing in Randle and DiVincenzo added play-making around incumbent All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards while giving the Timberwolves significantly more financial flexibility to try to re-sign free agent wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker and potential free agent Naz Reid this summer.

Sources tell Fischer that the Timberwolves viewed Randle as a better fit than Towns next to Edwards due to the veteran forward’s ability to score downhill and pass from the post.

As Fischer writes, it took the Timberwolves a year to fully integrate Rudy Gobert following their 2022 deal for the Frenchman, so they may be optimistic about Randle’s potential to get even more comfortable and continue meshing with Edwards in year two. However, Randle – who has a $30.9MM player option for 2025/26 – could also function as a potential salary-matching piece if Minnesota opts to renew its trade-deadline pursuit of Kevin Durant.

There’s more from Minnesota:

  • Reid is expected to decline his $15.1MM player option and hit unrestricted free agency, according to Fischer. Although far more teams are projected to have major cap space next summer as opposed to 2025, Reid could earn some long-term security on a new deal now. He had a solid run during the 2024/25 regular season, but was a bit inconsistent during the playoffs.
  • According to Fischer, the Timberwolves reached out to at least one Eastern Conference squad in an effort to get help acquiring Durant from the Suns before the trade deadline. Minnesota’s interest in the 15-time All-Star was said to be significant. The 2014 MVP may no longer be quite the defender he was during his Oklahoma City/Golden State prime, but he remains one of the best scorers in the game today, even at the relatively advanced age of 36. After Phoenix finished outside of the playoff mix with a 36-46 record, it seems quite possible a Durant trade could be on the table again this summer.
  • In case you missed it, Orlando is viewed as a candidate to get involved in the bidding for Alexander-Walker this summer.

Wolves Rumors: Durant, Ownership, Connelly, FAs, Conley

The Timberwolves and Suns both operated above the second tax apron during the 2024/25 season, which means it would have been extremely difficult for the two teams to construct a trade that sent Kevin Durant to Minnesota at the February deadline. Still, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast that the Wolves made a real effort to land the star forward four months ago (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM).

“It became clear to me in talking to the parties involved just how serious the Wolves were about trying to trade for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline,” Windhorst said.

Windhorst goes on to acknowledge that the pre-deadline Wolves weren’t playing as well as they eventually performed down the stretch and in the first two rounds of the playoffs, so their level of interest in Durant may not be the same this offseason as it was at the time. And even with some money coming off their books this offseason, a deal for a player earning $54.7MM would be tricky to pull off.

Still, Windhorst notes that president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has a history of taking big swings on the trade market, making the Wolves a potential team to watch if Durant is on the trade block.

“I’m not arguing that Durant’s going to end up in Minnesota,” Windhorst said. “I’m just saying, if you look at Tim Connelly, he made the big (Rudy) Gobert trade. He made the big Julius Randle and (Donte) DiVincenzo trade. He’s shown the propensity to make big deals.”

The Timberwolves plan to be aggressive in building their roster around Anthony Edwards this offseason, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who writes that the new ownership group led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez has put together a “deep-pocketed group” of partners and would be comfortable continuing to pay luxury tax penalties going forward.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

  • The NBA’s Board of Governors is expected to vote to formally approve the Lore/Rodriguez ownership group sometime in late June, sources tell Krawczynski. The new owners plan to more aggressively invest in the business side of the franchise, Krawczynski continues, which includes making plans for a new arena.
  • Two team sources reiterated to The Athletic that there’s optimism about the Wolves’ ability to work out a new contract with Connelly, who has an opt-out clause in his current deal this offseason. According to Krawczynski, while Lore and Rodriguez are involved in major roster decisions, they trust Connelly to make the moves he believes are necessary. Connelly’s easy-going personality has “helped relax what could often be a nervous, downtrodden basketball operations department,” Krawczynski adds.
  • With Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker all potentially reaching free agency this summer (Randle and Reid hold player options), Krawczynski believes the likeliest outcome is that two of those three players will remain in Minnesota, with one of them departing.
  • Mike Conley spoke after the Wolves’ Game 5 loss on Wednesday as if he plans to return for his 19th season, but he’ll likely take on a reduced workload, so it’s crucial that the Wolves find another productive point guard, either in-house (ie. Rob Dillingham) or by bringing in a veteran, says Krawczynski. “I think my role is one that I’ve been willing to do anything,” Conley said. “Just play any amount of minutes, start, come off the bench. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. Whatever is best for the team.”

Timberwolves Notes: Offseason, Game 5, Conley, Edwards, Free Agents

Fresh off reaching their second consecutive Western Conference Finals, the now-eliminated Timberwolves have some interesting questions to answer this summer. Mark Deeks of HoopsHype and Bobby Marks of ESPN explore several of those questions in their respective offseason previews for the team.

Deeks notes that, provided big men Julius Randle and Naz Reid both pick up their player options, the Timberwolves will have seven players drawing eight-figure salaries. Deeks believes that all of the current players under contract are earning solid deals relative to their on-court value. That said, he posits that a trade is likely if Randle picks up his option.

While Deeks notes that Reid could be signed to a contract extension following the draft, he seems likely to earn more if he declines his option and hits free agency.

Marks observes that a limited free agent market could compel both players to opt in to their deals, and notes that almost half of the NBA’s teams could have major cap room in 2026.

According to Marks, the growth of rookie wing Terrence Shannon Jr. might make another Minnesota free agent, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, expendable. With 16 clubs projected to have the ability to offer Alexander-Walker the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception, his future in Minnesota looks more tenuous.

There’s more out of Minnesota:

  • The 30-point blowout loss to Oklahoma City that ended the Timberwolves’ season could obscure what was otherwise an exciting 2024/25 run, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “Once that buzzer sounds and you’re just able to feel everything, it hurts,” Randle said. “It hurts. So, really, that’s where I’m at right now. It’s almost like a grieving stage of the season and it hurts, really. But we’ll be back.” After trading five-time All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns to New York for a package headlined by Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves’ ability to return to the West Finals was in doubt. However, Randle shined in the first two rounds of the playoffs, averaging 23.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 5.9 APG and submitting a strong defensive effort. The bloom came off the rose against the Thunder, when the 6’9″ vet averaged 17.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 3.0 APG. Center Rudy Gobert‘s offensive limitations were also exposed against the Thunder throughout the series. He was limited to just two points in 19 minutes of action during Game 5.
  • Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, 37 and in his 18th season, has been eliminated in three conference finals over the course of his career. The former All-Star conceded that missing out on his first-ever NBA Finals appearance yet again was painful, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “When I was walking off the floor I was thinking, ‘Not again,’” Conley told Spears. “I know how hard it is. It hurts a lot. I wanted it so bad. I wanted it for these guys.”
  • After a disappointing Game 5 performance, three-time All-NBA Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards expressed confidence that he would return to a big postseason stage soon, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I’m 23,” Edwards said. “I get to do it a whole bunch of times. I’m hurt more so for Mike. I came up short for Mike. We tried last year, we couldn’t get it. We tried again this year. We’ll try again next year.”
  • Timberwolves stars Randle, Reid and Alexander-Walker all discussed their potential impending free agencies following their official elimination, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Reid suggested that he would likely decline his option and hit unrestricted free agency, looking for a long-term deal either with the Timberwolves or another team. “I think the work has been put in,” Reid said. “Obviously, I’ve got a long way to go with being only 25, but for sure. I think that’s what the future looks like for me.” Although Reid considers himself a starting-level player, he is apparently open to remaining a reserve in Minnesota. Randle and Alexander-Walker claimed to not have though much about their offseason decisions yet.

Wolves Notes: Game 5, Conley, Edwards, Randle, Defense

The Timberwolves understand what’s at stake as they prepare for tonight’s Game 5 in Oklahoma City, writes Cassidy Hettesheimer of The Star Tribune (subscription required). Minnesota narrowly missed a chance to tie the series on Monday, which means three straight wins will now be necessary to reach the NBA Finals. Two of those will have to come at the Paycom Center, where the Thunder won by 26 and 15 points to open the series.

“We’re just trying to get another home game and trying to play in front of our home crowd again,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “Everybody has counted us out all year. We’ve been through a lot. We’re together as a locker room. We don’t care what the media is going to say.”

This is the second straight year the Wolves have reached the Western Conference Finals, and Hettesheimer notes that they were expected to be in a better position this time. Last year, Minnesota was exhausted after coming off a seven-game series with Denver and lost to Dallas in five games. This time, the Nuggets took OKC to seven games while the Wolves had time to rest after a five-game series with Golden State. Despite that, Minnesota is back in the same position, staring at a 3-1 deficit.

Jaden McDaniels believes the key to Game 5 will be getting off to a fast start and not letting the Thunder build up momentum in front of their fans.

“At home, they start super well, so we’ve just got to [slow] their little run at the beginning,” he said. “We’ve got to play tougher, playing stronger and just hold them to one shot.”

There’s more on the Wolves:

  • Veteran guard Mike Conley is counting on Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle to bounce back after subpar performances in Game 4, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). OKC’s swarming defense held Edwards to 16 points on 5-of- 13 shooting and Randle to five points on a 1-of-7 night. “We need our best guys to be our best guys,” Conley said.
  • Randle seems to have found a home in Minnesota, which is the fourth stop in his 11-year career, McMenamin observes in a full story. He notes that the surprise trade that sent Randle to the Wolves in October reunited him with head coach Chris Finch, who was an assistant in New Orleans earlier in Randle’s career, and he has bonded with president of basketball operations Tim Connelly over their shared love of cuisine. Randle’s comfort level could become important this summer, as he holds a $30.1MM player option and may be interested in a long-term contract.
  • The most disappointing part of Minnesota’s performance in the two conference finals has been the failure of its vaunted defense, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. The Wolves weren’t able to control Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving last year, and the Thunder are averaging 115.3 points through the first four games of this series.

Northwest Notes: Edwards, Randle, Jazz Draft, Trail Blazers Workouts

Anthony Edwards scored just 16 points in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday. However, the Timberwolves superstar believes he played the game the way it’s supposed to be played.

“I don’t look at it like I struggled, or (Julius Randle) struggled,” Edwards said. “They just, they had a good game plan, making us get off the ball. Especially for me, man. They were super in the gaps, I made the right play all night.”

Edwards only attempted 13 shots and made just one three-pointer.

“It’s an urge that I want to get the ball in the rim, put it up there,” Edwards said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “But you don’t want to take bad shots and get your team out of rhythm. So I was just playing the game the right way, man.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • Randle took just seven shots and made only one. He was disappointed in himself that he wasn’t more assertive, he told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I’ve got to figure out a way to get myself in position to be more aggressive, rather than just standing, spectating or trying to crash the glass,” he said. “Or I can just find other little things to do.”
  • The Jazz possess the No. 5 and 21 picks in the first round and pair of second-rounders in next month’s draft. Multiple league sources indicated to the Deseret News’ Sarah Todd that the front office is willing to hear offers and make deals on any of those draft picks. However, considering it’s been over a decade since Utah had a top-five selection, Todd believes it’s likely that the Jazz will retain the No. 5 pick.
  • Zach Hicks (Penn State), Chris Manon (Vanderbilt), Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M), Caleb Love (Arizona), Zack Austin (Pittsburgh) and Money Williams (Montana) worked out for the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report tweets. That group is comprised of players trying to earn second-round consideration.

Timberwolves Notes: Randle, Edwards, McDaniels, Shannon

Julius Randle has been a magnet for criticism during his career, especially when he played in New York. The Timberwolves big man told Yahoo Sports’ Vince Goodwill that he tries to turn it into a positive.

“I’ve always used that as motivation, proving people wrong and stuff like that,” Randle said. “But it became more about proving myself right. That’s been the biggest adjustment and change in my mindset. Not that you don’t see it, pay attention to it. But it’s more about me than anyone else. I mean, I think that’s kind of been the maturity of my approach. I feel like the weight of the world’s off my shoulders because I’m just playing, having fun.”

Donte DiVincenzo, who was traded to Minnesota along with Randle, is impressed with how his teammate handles the negativity.

“To see him carry the load, night in and night out, everybody knows how much stuff he deals with, everybody knows how much flak he [catches], and he doesn’t let it faze him, he doesn’t let it bother him,” DiVincenzo said.

We have more on the Timberwolves:

  • Anthony Edwards‘ positivity during the team flight prior to Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals went a long way toward getting the team to push past its 0-2 series deficit, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Edwards lifted the spirits of numerous teammates who were lamenting over the road defeats. “He always comes in a good mood and he’s always ready to go. He was one of the most positive voices after Game 2,” coach Chris Finch said. “The leadership that [Edwards] has shown this season is up by leaps and bounds. It’s just another example of it.”
  • Jaden McDaniels fouled out of Game 1 and committed five fouls in Game 2. He only picked up two fouls in Game 3, as he did a better job of avoiding them while trying to help contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Kept my hands out of his shooting motion, or just kept my hands off him at all. … He’ll use his arms to tangle in yours and my arms are so long, it’s like they be getting caught places I don’t even want them to be,” McDaniels said, per Chris Hine of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
  • Finch confirmed during his pregame press conference on Monday that rookie Terrence Shannon Jr., who scored 15 points in Game 3, would have a role in Game 4, Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore tweets. “I think there’s opportunity for him to have a spot in the rotation right now,” Finch said.

Thunder/Wolves Notes: SGA, Nuggets Series, Randle, Edwards

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made sure to let his teammates know that his 2025 Most Valuable Player award belonged to them as much as it did him, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman writes.. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged over 30 points per game for the third year in a row en route to his first career MVP as the Thunder went 68-14 this season.

You guys are really like my brothers, and I really mean that,” Gilgeous-Alexander said to his teammates. “And without you guys, none of this would be possible, and I want you guys to know this award is your award, too.

Gilgeous-Alexander lost last year’s MVP race in a landslide, but bested Denver’s Nikola Jokic this time around.

All the moments I got cut, traded, slighted, overlooked, I had nights where I thought I wasn’t good at basketball, had nights where I thought I was the best player in the world before I was,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

We have more from the Thunder/Wolves playoff series:

  • The Thunder are back to their dominant ways after a challenging second-round series against the Nuggets, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes. Neither of their first two games against Minnesota have been particularly close. “Our resolve in that series is what got sharpened,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “We had our backs against the wall and had to respond multiple times.
  • Julius Randle has been one of the major drivers for the Timberwolves‘ Western Conference Finals push, but he had his first tough game of the postseason in Game 2 against the Thunder, scoring just six points and making only two of his 11 field goal attempts. As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes, Randle’s poor showing came at the worst time for the Wolves, who now face a 0-2 deficit. “We know what type of defense they are,” Randle said. “They’re going to swarm you. So I’ve got to get myself into actions, setting screens, on the move. I think I was just like standing and spectating a little too much today.
  • Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards refused to speak to reporters after Game 2 after he was fined $50K for dropping an f-bomb during his media session after Game 1, per Krawczynski (Twitter link).

Northwest Notes: SGA, Randle, Wolves, Blazers

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander always thought he was capable of becoming “a really good player,” the Thunder guard admitted on Wednesday that he didn’t view himself as a potential MVP until several years into his NBA career, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. He first earned MVP votes in 2023, when he finished fifth, then was the runner-up to Nikola Jokic a year ago before flipping spots with the Nuggets star this spring and winning the award for the first time.

“I dreamt about (winning MVP) as a kid, but as a kid, it’s a fake dream,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “As the days go on and you realize that you get closer to your dream, it’s hard to not freak out. It’s hard to not be a six-year-old kid again. I think that’s what’s allowed me to achieve it.”

Because he earned All-NBA honors in 2023 and 2024, Gilgeous-Alexander was already eligible to sign a four-year, super-max extension this offseason. That deal, which would begin in 2027/28, would be worth a projected $293.4MM based on annual 10% salary cap increases.

As a result of being named Most Valuable Player this season, Gilgeous-Alexander now has the option of waiting until the 2026 offseason and signing a five-year super-max deal at that time, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweeted on Wednesday. That contract would look the same through the first four seasons but would include a fifth year worth a whopping $86.45MM, bringing the total value of the projected extension to nearly $380MM.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • After averaging 27.0 points and 7.8 assists per game on 55.7% shooting in the Timberwolves‘ four wins vs. Golden State, Julius Randle had another big scoring night in Game 1 vs. Oklahoma City with a team-high 28 points. But his 13 field goal attempts were well below his postseason average and he was held to one assist while committing five turnovers. He also had just eight of his points in the second half as the Thunder pulled away with the game. “That’s on me, I got to get him the ball,” head coach Chris Finch said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I got to get him more involved to start the second half.”
  • While Randle and Anthony Edwards combined for 46 points on 14-of-27 shooting on Tuesday, the rest of the Timberwolves scored just 42 points and made 15-of-57 field goals (26.3%). Zach Kram of ESPN.com examines the challenges a strong Minnesota offense faces against the league’s best defense in this series, while Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes that the Wolves need more out of a second unit led by Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo. That duo combined to make just 4-of-25 shots in Game 1, including 3-of-19 three-pointers.
  • In a Substack article, Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report attempts to answer five questions related to the Trail Blazers‘ sale, including how long it will take, how much they’re worth, and how the process might affect the on-court product. Most importantly, Highkin writes, while it’s technically possible that a new owner could look to relocate the franchise, that’s a highly unlikely outcome — and one that the sellers don’t want.
  • The Trail Blazers‘ sale won’t affect Moda Center renovations that are already underway, including an upgraded videoboard, but additional major arena projects will likely be on hold until the sale is complete, says Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.