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Kevin Garnett Admits Interest In Buying Wolves

By | at November 14, 2014 10:41 am

Kevin Garnett is in rarefied air as one of just four players ever to have a 20-year NBA playing career, but he’d also like to join an even more exclusive club of players who’ve taken control of NBA franchises. Garnett told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he wants to buy the Timberwolves, whom current owner Glen Taylor has said he’d eventually like to sell. It’s the first public admission of the desire from the 38-year-old, though the idea has been the subject of chatter around Minnesota for a while, notes Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).

“I want to buy the Timberwolves. Put a group together and perhaps some day try to buy the team. That’s what I want,” Garnett said.

Garnett, 38, would have to retire as a player first, and he said before this season that he won’t rule out continuing his career into 2015/16. His contract with the Nets expires at season’s end, but he wouldn’t comment when Spears asked whether he’d like to play for the Wolves or for former coach Doc Rivers and the Clippers next season. Still, Garnett said to Spears that the Wolves are his target for ownership based on his ties to the franchise, for which he played his first 12 NBA seasons, and the presence of Flip Saunders, who is the team’s coach and president of basketball operations and also holds a minority ownership share.

NBA salaries have given Garnett more than $315MM over the course of his career, according to Basketball-Reference, though that doesn’t include the $12MM coming his way this season or any income he’s earned through endorsements. Forbes.com affixed a $430MM valutation to the franchise this spring, and that number has no doubt escalated after the $550MM sale of the Bucks and Steve Ballmer’s $2 billion purchase of the Clippers. Still, Garnett acknowledged that he would team with other investors, though it’s unknown whether he’d be willing to take a back seat to another partner who’d want to become the controlling owner.

Taylor has said he’s looking for someone to purchase a minority stake in the team who could eventually take over the majority interest from him, though he’s been resolute that any new owner commit to keeping the team in Minnesota, as Spears notes.

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Mikhail Prokhorov On Nets Sale, Spending, Pierce

By | at November 3, 2014 8:28 pm

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov spoke to reporters on Monday before Brooklyn’s matchup versus Oklahoma City, touching on a number of topics ranging from the most recent offseason to the future ownership of the Nets franchise. We’ll round up the highlights from the outspoken billionaire owner below (all links lead to Twitter):

  • Rumors have indicated Prokhorov is interested in selling his majority stake of the Nets, but he insisted he wasn’t open to the idea of giving up control of the organization, reports Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Despite his insistence, Prokhorov still said “it’s not bad to listen” to offers for the team, notes Bontemps.
  • Rather than holding an angry disposition toward Jason Kidd, who pushed for a job with the Bucks in June, Prokhorov says he’s more interested in “getting even” with his team’s former head coach, passes along Andy Vasquez of The Record.
  • The Nets lost a reported $144MM last season after spending an exorbitant amount of money on the luxury tax, but Prokhorov didn’t seem fazed by the total, observe Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman and Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “It’s no big deal,” said Prokhorov in reference to his team’s 2013/14 deficit. “I’m ready to spend. We need success now but we also need to be building for the future.“
  • Prokhorov doesn’t regret the acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, despite the latter’s departure in free agency this summer, as Vasquez relays. The reason the Nets decided to let Pierce walk, according to Prokhorov, was because the team wanted its young players to get more time on the floor, notes Mannix.
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Eastern Notes: Garnett, Butler, Pistons

By | at November 2, 2014 1:45 pm

Retirement talks have surrounded Kevin Garnett over the past few seasons but he is still motivated to remain a key contributor for the Nets, writes Paul Flannery of SB Nation.  “I feel good about this year like I did last year,” Garnett said. “But obviously, I have a little bit of edge to me this year, I’ll say that. I didn’t like the way I ended last year or even started last year. I am a very motivated person, very real with myself, watch a lot of film on myself, and I look to be a little different this year.” Based on his skill set, Garnett could easily find employment in a league scarce in big man talent, but based on his personality, it’s hard to see him accept a vagabond journeyman’s life in the NBA, Flannery notes.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Jimmy Butler knows for a fact that he will remain with the Bulls after his free agency this summer, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “People say I’m chasing money when that’s not it — yeah, get your mic closer — that’s not it, because I’m going to be in Chicago,’’ Butler said. “I’m not worried about it. I say that with a smile on my face because I know that for a fact. We’ll resume [negotiations] in July.’’
  • Pistons owner Tom Gores is heavily involved in the direction the team is heading, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. ““Tom’’s involved in every decision we make,”” coach Stan Van Gundy said. ““We communicate daily. Tom’’s a great leader and really understands people.” “Gores’ involvement may be a reason why Van Gundy hasn’t shipped out players from the old regime such as Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith, although that is just my speculation.
  •  Tony Wroten has been inconsistent early in the season for the Sixers but coach Brett Brown still has faith in the guard, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s just a matter of continuing to coach him and put him on the floor, because he has to stay on the floor if he’s going to do better,” Brown said.
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Eastern Notes: George, West, Heat, Garnett

By | at October 1, 2014 10:59 am

The Pacers and Heat have met the last two years for the Eastern Conference title, but chances are they’re not going to do so again this coming spring. The Nets, too, seem to have taken a step back, though there’s still a distinct possibility that all three will make the playoffs. We’ll touch on three Eastern mainstays amid our look around the conference:

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Atlantic Notes: Bogans, Garnett, Grant, ‘Melo

By | at September 29, 2014 10:07 pm

There’s no guarantee that Keith Bogans will play a game for the Sixers this season, as Philly GM Sam Hinkie suggested to reporters, including Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link), that the Sixers might choose to waive Bogans’ recently acquired non-guaranteed contract rather than keep him around to mentor the club’s young talent. There’s more on the Sixers below amid tonight’s look at the Atlantic:

  • The contract that Jerami Grant signed with the Sixers is a multi-year pact, according to the RealGM transactions log. Financial terms still haven’t been disclosed, but Grant is likely in line to receive the minimum salary.
  • Kevin Garnett admitted that while he considered retirement two summers ago, the idea of hanging it up didn’t cross his mind this offseason, as Robert Windrem of Nets Daily passes along. Garnett will enter his second campaign with the Nets, and his 20th season in the NBA.
  • Although Carmelo Anthony admits that he would have had a better shot to win a title this season if he had signed with another team, he says that leaving the Knicks would have left a bad taste in his mouth, notes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. “From a basketball standpoint it probably would’ve been maybe the greatest thing to do, but for me personally I wouldn’t have felt right with myself,” ‘Melo said, “knowing that I wanted to come here, I kind of forced my way here to New York and I have some unfinished business to take care of.”
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Eastern Notes: Garnett, Vogel, Heat, Walker

By | at September 26, 2014 10:59 am

Kevin Garnett finally dismissed all doubt that he would return for the coming season, telling reporters that while he considered retirement, he’s once more decided to put it off, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). A report in June indicated that Garnett would be back with the Nets, but Garnett hadn’t spoken publicly about his plans. Retirement could be a ways off, as the 38-year-old said he won’t rule out playing beyond this season, the final year of his contract, as Bondy also relays (via Twitter). Still, Garnett’s comments gave Tim Bontemps of the New York Post the sense that he’s planning to hang it up next summer (Twitter link). There’s more from the player once known as The Kid as we detail the latest from the Eastern Conference:

  • Garnett was in touch with Paul Pierce as the Wizards signee went through free agency and called his departure for Washington “bittersweet,” as Bontemps chronicles (Twitter links). KG said he was in the dark during former coach Jason Kidd‘s exit from the Nets, however, as Andy Vasquez of The Record tweets.
  • Frank Vogel is entering the final year of his contract to coach the Pacers, but he tells Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports that he’d like to remain in the job “forever.” President of basketball operations Larry Bird has suggested that the team is open to negotiating an extension with Vogel before this season begins, as Agness points out.
  • The Heat never made offers to veterans Andray Blatche, Ramon Sessions, Jordan Crawford, Wayne Ellington and others, team president Pat Riley and GM Andy Elisburg say, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Winderman surmises that the frustration that many veterans stuck at the end of the Heat’s bench expressed last year made the team wary of adding too many players with expectations of playing time.
  • The Hornets are just beginning extension talks with Kemba Walker, but GM Rich Cho indicated to reporters Thursday that he’s pleased with the point guard’s growing maturity, as Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders points out.
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And-Ones: McGuire, Heat, Garnett

By | at September 16, 2014 9:26 pm

Here is what’s going on around the league on Tuesday night:

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

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And-Ones: Rubio, Ayon, Garnett, Karasev

By | at September 14, 2014 10:07 pm

Wolves guard Ricky Rubio told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports that he never tried to talk Kevin Love out of asking for a trade.  “If he wanted to leave, there’s no reason to talk to him about it,” Rubio said. “I really liked playing with him, but I’ll play with the players who want to be there. Kevin wants to win. That’s normal. He’s been there six years without the playoffs. I understand. If I was in the same situation – being one of the best players in the league – and not being able to be in the playoffs, I’d have a lot of frustration, too.”  When asked about his own future, Rubio said that he is “loyal” and wants to give back to the organization.  The guard can be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..

  • The Spurs continue to eye center Gustavo Ayon, tweets Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net. Ayon is reportedly on his way to play for Spain’s Real Madrid, but no deal with the team can become official until he comes up with the equivalent of about $376K to pay off Spanish rival FC Barcelona, which holds his European rights, according to Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via HoopsHype).
  • There has been some retirement speculation surrounding Kevin Garnett but the veteran has been one of “about ten” players who have already been working out at the Nets‘ East Rutherford, New Jersey practice facility, team insiders tell Robert Windrem of Nets Daily.
  • Anthony Puccio of Nets Daily ran down the best pickups made by the Nets this offseason.  Trade acquisitions Sergey Karasev and Jarrett Jack make the list as well as 2011 first-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic.  Bogdanovic, 25, may be an NBA rookie but he comes with seven seasons of international experience and should be ready to hit the ground running.
  • According to his Pistons preview, Adi Joseph of USA TODAY has the franchise improving their win total slightly, but still missing the playoffs.
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Lionel Hollins On The Nets

By | at August 31, 2014 9:00 am

Lionel Hollins returns to the sidelines this season, replacing Jason Kidd as the head coach of the Nets. In an interview with reporters, Hollins addressed a number of subjects, and Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com has some of the highlights.

  • Hollins still hasn’t spoken with Kevin Garnett, who hasn’t committed to returning for another season yet. In regards to Garnett, Hollins said, “He’s such a heckuva competitor. He’s very focused and intense, and you like that about a player that brings it every night, and you know what you’re going to get from that player. That’s huge. Just his level of competitiveness and his willingness to do whatever it takes to win.”
  • When asked about Paul Pierce‘s departure via free agency, Hollins said, “Players retire, players get traded, players leave in free agency. You take what you have and you work with them.”
  • When discussing rookie guard Bojan Bogdonovic, Hollins said, “I think he’s got great size, he’s also got great speed and quickness. He can shoot the ball, but also put the ball on the floor. He can post up. I’m looking for players. Players that have multiple skills and are not just one-dimensional.”
  • Asked if he would use Brook Lopez similar to how Marc Gasol was utilized in Memphis, Hollins said, “I’m gonna utilize Brook in a way that fits Brook. Like I said, he’s a very talented kid, skilled kid, and he’ll be a very talented piece of what we’re trying to do offensively, but I want him to be a big part of what we’re trying to do defensively as well.”
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Trade Retrospective: Kevin Garnett To Celtics

By | at August 10, 2014 11:00 am

The trade that will send Kevin Love to the Cavaliers for Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and a future first round draft choice cannot be made official for another two weeks. That is when the 30-day required time period from when Wiggins inked his deal expires.

In light of the Timberwolves deciding to part with their franchise player, I’ve been taking a look back at past blockbuster deals to see how each team involved fared after these trades. So far I’ve looked at the deal that sent Dwight Howard from the Magic to the Lakers, and the trade that saw Deron Williams go from the Jazz to the Nets. Neither of those trades has worked out especially well for any of the franchises involved.

The next one I’ll be revisiting is the 2007 trade that saw the Wolves ship Kevin Garnett to the Celtics. Let’s start by looking at the players and assets that changed hands.

  1. The Celtics received Garnett.
  2. The Timberwolves received Ryan Gomes; Gerald Green; Al Jefferson; Theo Ratliff; Sebastian Telfair; the Celtics 2009 first-rounder (used to select Wayne Ellington at No. 28); the return of the Wolves’ 2009 first-round pick that was sent to Celtics as part of the Ricky Davis—Wally Szczerbiak trade (used to select Jonny Flynn at No. 6); and cash considerations.

I’ll begin with the Celtics’ end of the deal, which worked out as well as anyone in Boston could have hoped. The Celtics record the year prior to the trade was 24-58, and the franchise had not been to the playoffs since the 2004/05 season. In Garnett’s first year in Boston, he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, and helped the franchise capture their first NBA title in 22 years. During Garnett’s six seasons in Boston, the franchise’s cumulative record was 314-161.

Garnett’s season averages were:

  1. 2007/08=18.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 3.4 APG. His slash line was .539/.000/.801.
  2. 2008/09=15.8 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG. His slash line was .531/.250/.841.
  3. 2009/10=14.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 2.7 APG. His slash line was .521/.200/.837.
  4. 2010/11=14.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 2.4 APG. His slash line was .528/.200/.862.
  5. 2011/12=15.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 2.9 APG. His slash line was .503/.333/.857.
  6. 2012/13=14.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 2.3 APG. His slash line was .496/.125/.786.

Garnett was the heart and soul of the Celtics during his tenure, and I don’t think anyone can make an argument that the trade wasn’t an enormous success for the franchise. His time with Boston came to an end in June of 2013 when Garnett was traded to the Nets.

That deal saw the Nets receive Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry. The Celtics in return received Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans, and 2014 (James Young), 2016, and 2018 first-round picks. The Celtics also have the ability to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn in 2017.

From the Timberwolves’ perspective, this deal hasn’t worked out very well for the franchise, and just might be a harbinger of things to come once Love finally dons a Cleveland jersey. The franchise’s record since the trade has been a dismal 135-341, with zero playoff appearances.

One telling fact about how poorly the trade worked out for Minnesota, is that not one of the original players or draftees are still with the team. Let’s take a look at what each player provided the Wolves and where they ended up.

Ryan Gomes spent three seasons in Minnesota, where he was primarily a starter. His season averages were:

  1. 2007/08=12.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.8 APG. His slash line was .457/.330/.830.
  2. 2008/09=13.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.6 APG. His slash line was .431/.372/.807.
  3. 2009/10=10.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.6 APG. His slash line was .447/.372/.825.

In June of 2010, Gomes was traded to the Trail Blazers along with the draft rights to Luke Babbitt for Martell Webster. Gomes was subsequently waived by Portland. In his two seasons in Minnesota, Webster averaged 8.3 PPG and 3.4 RPG.

Theo Ratliff didn’t provide much for the Wolves, appearing in only ten games during the 2007/08 season, averaging 6.3 PPG and 3.9 RPG. Ratliff was waived in February of 2008 and then finished that season with the Pistons.

The Wolves used the 2009 first rounder they acquired from Boston to select Wayne Ellington with the No. 28 pick. Ellington never developed into the scoring threat the team had hoped he’d become. His season averages with Minnesota were:

  1. 2009/10=6.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.0 APG. His slash line was .424/.395/.871.
  2. 2010/11=6.6 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 1.2 APG. His slash line was .403/.397/.792.
  3. 2011/12=6.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 0.6 APG. His slash line was .404/.324/.800.

Ellington’s time in Minnesota came to an end when he was dealt to the Grizzlies for Dante Cunningham, in July of 2012. In two seasons with the Wolves, Cunningham has averaged 7.5 PPG.

Sebastian Telfair had his two best seasons as a pro while with the Wolves. Telfair had entered the NBA out of high school, and never realized his potential. He was one of the pieces Minnesota had hoped would energize the franchise, but poor shooting and on-court decision-making have always hampered his game. Telfair then became a part of the revolving door of point guards the Wolves have either drafted or traded for since the Garnett deal. Telfair’s season averages in Minnesota were:

  1. 2007/08=9.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 5.9 APG. His slash line was .401/.281/.743.
  2. 2008/09=9.8 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 4.6 APG. His slash line was .383/.346/.819.

The Wolves re-signed Telfair to a three-year, $7.5MM deal after the 2007/08 season, but then Minnesota selected both Jonny Flynn and Ricky Rubio in the 2009 NBA Draft, thus making Telfair expendable. He was dealt along with Craig Smith and Mark Madsen to the Clippers, in return Minnesota received Quentin Richardson. A few weeks later, Richardson was dealt to the Heat for Mark Blount. Blount never played a game for Minnesota, and was waived the following March.

The selection of Jonny Flynn with the No. 6 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft was a head-scratcher for many. Not because of Flynn’s talent level, but because the Wolves had just selected Ricky Rubio with the No. 5 pick. The franchise knew there was a better than average chance that it would be a few seasons before Rubio would make the jump from international competition to the NBA, but when selecting that high, redundancies can severely hinder a franchise.

At the risk of making Timberwolves fans even more upset, look at who they passed on to select Flynn. Available at the time were Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Brandon Jennings, and Darren Collison. All have had better career numbers than Flynn.

Here’s what Flynn provided during his two seasons in Minnesota:

  1. 2009/10=13.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 4.4 APG. His shooting numbers were .417/.358/.826.
  2. 2010/11=5.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG, and 3.4 APG. His slash line was .365/.310/.762.

Flynn’s tenure came to an end with a trade during the 2011 NBA Draft. This transaction is a bit complicated to break down since it set off a number of subsequent deals. Here’s the chain of events that resulted:

  1. Flynn was traded to the Rockets along with the rights to Donatas Motiejunas for Brad Miller; the rights to No. 23 pick Nikola Mirotic; a second-rounder (No. 38); and a 2013 first round pick (Andre Roberson). The Rockets would later buy back the No.38 pick from the Wolves. And whom did they select with that pick? Chandler Parsons. Ouch!
  2. The Wolves then dealt the rights to Mirotic to the Bulls for the rights to No. 28 pick Norris Cole and the No. 43 pick in the draft (Malcolm Lee).
  3. Then Minnesota dealt Cole to the Heat for the No. 31 pick (Bojan Bogdanovic); a future second-rounder; and cash.
  4. Bogdanovic was later traded to the Nets for a 2013 second-rounder (Lorenzo Brown) and cash.

Gerald Green was another player who entered the league right out of high school. He has always had amazing athletic ability, but hasn’t been able to translate that into the production expected of him, with the exception of the 2013/14 campaign he spent with the Suns.

Green found himself buried on the bench behind numerous players, and only appeared in 29 games for the Wolves during the 2007/08 season, averaging 5.1 PPG on 33.1% shooting. He asked for a trade via his agent, which the Wolves granted.

On February 21, 2008, Green was dealt to the Rockets for Kirk Snyder; a 2010 second-rounder (used to select Paulao Prestes); and cash. Prestes never played in the NBA, and Snyder spent one season in Minnesota, averaging 8.4 PPG and 4.2 RPG. That was Snyder’s last year in the NBA, and he’s been playing overseas since then.

Lastly, I come to Al Jefferson, who was the most productive player that Minnesota acquired. Jefferson passed up the chance to test out restricted free agency, and in November 2007, he inked a five-year, $65MM extension with the Wolves. While it didn’t translate into wins, Jefferson did provide the franchise with some excellent numbers.

  1. 2007/08=21.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, and 1.5 BPG. His slash line was .500/.000/.721.
  2. 2008/09=23.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 1.7 BPG. His slash line was .497/.000/.738.
  3. 2009/10=17.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 1.3 BPG. His slash line was .498/.000/.680.

It could be argued that based on pure stats, Jefferson almost made up for Garnett’s departure offensively. But on the defensive, intangibles, and leadership fronts, it wasn’t possible to recoup what “The Big Ticket” provided.

Jefferson’s tenure in Minnesota came to an end on July 13, 2010, when he was dealt to the Jazz for Kosta Koufos; a 2011 first rounder (used to select Motiejunas) and a 2012 first round pick. The 2012 first-rounder was subsequently traded to the Rockets for Chase Budinger and the rights to Lior Eliyahu, and Houston used the pick to select Terrence Jones. Eliyahu has never played in the league, and in two seasons with Minnesota, Budinger has averaged 8.0 PPG.

That was a whole lot of player movement to track. I think it illustrates quite well the dangers involved with trading away a franchise player, and it’s a situation the Wolves are facing yet again with Love.

The biggest difference this time out for Minnesota is in what they are getting in return. The biggest piece they acquired for Garnett was Jefferson, who while productive, has never been thought of as an anchor-type player who can carry a franchise to a title. While it may be a bittersweet consolation to the franchise’s fans, I think the Love trade has the potential to work out slightly better.

Wiggins has superstar potential, and Bennett looked much improved in Summer League play. If both players can reach their ceilings in the next few seasons, and if they do in fact obtain Thaddeus Young from the Sixers, then there is a chance the Wolves can break their run of missing the playoffs. Cleveland, though, might follow Boston’s lead and use the trade to capture an NBA title. Time will certainly tell.

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