Free Agent Rumors: Beasley, Hernangomez, Green, Noel
Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports reported on Thursday (via Twitter) that the Timberwolves have made RFA wing Malik Beasley available in sign-and-trade discussions, with the Knicks among several interested teams.
However, a pair of Minnesota-area reporters have disputed that the Wolves are looking to move Beasley. A source tells Chris Hine of The Star Tribune that Beasley isn’t on the trade block and Minnesota wants to re-sign him, while Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) hears from a source that there have been “no conversations” about moving the 23-year-old.
As Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News points out (via Twitter), the Timberwolves’ front office is extremely active and aggressive, and it’s probably safe to assume Beasley isn’t entirely off limits. But it also doesn’t sound like Minnesota is actively shopping him either.
Here are a few more rumors on free agents in advance of the new league year:
- The Timberwolves are planning to re-sign restricted free agent forward Juan Hernangomez, Hine writes for The Star Tribune. Even if a rival team makes an aggressive offer sheet for Hernangomez, Minnesota should have the means to match it.
- Within a story on the Rockets‘ free agent options, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle says the club is expected to try to bring back forward Jeff Green, who played well for the club down the stretch last season.
- Sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that there’s a “real chance” of a potential reunion between the Sixers and free agent center Nerlens Noel. Noel spent the first two-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career in Philadelphia before being traded to Dallas in 2017.
Free Agency Notes: Heat, Gibson, Beasley, Millsap
Heat president Pat Riley provided a major hint on his free agency plans during his post-draft availability on Wednesday night, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, who tweets that Riley said he hopes to “run this thing back.”
The Heat can essentially go one of two directions this weekend. One direction is renouncing most of their own free agents and opening up cap room to pursue outside FAs. The other is remaining over the cap and making an effort to bring back several of their own free agents, starting with Jae Crowder and Goran Dragic. It sounds like Riley is prepared to take the latter path.
Here’s more on free agency:
- Although the Knicks waived Taj Gibson and turned down Bobby Portis‘ option, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) hears that the team still has some mutual interest with both players, who could return on more modest salaries. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News suggests (via Twitter) that the Suns, Clippers, and Warriors are among the other clubs to watch for Gibson.
- Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said today during an appearance on The Chad Hartman Show in Minnesota that drafting Anthony Edwards doesn’t mean the team doesn’t plan to re-sign Malik Beasley. “We hope that relationship (with Beasley) continues,” Rosas said (Twitter link via Dane Moore of News Talk 830 WCCO). Wolfson (via Twitter) thinks that the Wolves and Beasley could work out a two-year deal.
- Paul Millsap plans to weigh his options at the start of free agency and see what kind of market develops before making a decision, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post. No deal is imminent yet for Millsap, who is expected to receive interest from the Nuggets and Trail Blazers, among others.
- Suns GM James Jones said on Wednesday night that his front office will be looking for “Suns fits” in free agency, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes. “I feel really good about our ability to build on the rest of our roster,” Jones said.
Timberwolves Extend Qualifying Offer To Malik Beasley
Malik Beasley has received a qualifying offer from the Timberwolves, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The $3,895,424 offer means Beasley will be a restricted free agent and Minnesota can match any offer he receives.
Beasley was extremely effective in 14 games with the Wolves after being acquired from Denver in a four-team trade in February. He moved into the starting lineup and averaged 20.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 42.6% from beyond the arc.
While Beasley figures to be in line for a huge payday, some teams may be reluctant to pursue him because of his recent legal troubles. Beasley faces felony charges of fifth-degree drug possession and threats of violence after being arrested in September and recently had his parental rights challenged.
Northwest Notes: Beasley, Trent, Thunder, Nuggets, Jazz
Already facing two felony charges as a result of a late-September incident in Minnesota, Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley is now having his parental rights challenged by Hennepin County officials, according to Paul Walsh of The Star Tribune.
A petition filed in District Court by the Hennepin County’s Human Servies and Public Health departments alleges that Beasley was caught on video surveillance pointing a rifle “in the general direction” of his 19-month-old son on the same day he allegedly pointed the rifle at a family outside his home. Officials want to put Beasley’s son under court-ordered protection. For now, he remains in the custody of his parents – Beasley and wife Montana Yao – as a judge weighs the petition’s allegations.
A restricted free agent this offseason, Beasley had been poised for a lucrative new contract after finishing the season strong in Minnesota. It’s unclear what sort of effect his legal troubles will have on the Timberwolves’ enthusiasm for a new deal.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Gary Trent Jr. will become extension-eligible this offseason, and Jason Quick of The Athletic explains why the Trail Blazers will probably consider locking him up in the coming weeks or months rather than risk the possibility of a sizeable offer sheet in 2021 when Trent can become a restricted free agent.
- Erik Horne of The Athletic checked in on the NBA’s only remaining head coaching search, examining which candidates might still be in play for the Thunder and what factors the team is considering. As we relayed earlier today, Will Weaver is reportedly in Oklahoma City and seems likely to be interviewing for the job.
- Former Arizona shooting guard Josh Green recently worked out for the Jazz, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic (via Twitter). Utah holds the No. 23 pick in the 2020 draft.
- The Nuggets could use a shooting guard and there’s no shortage of them in this year’s draft, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, who mentions Green, Tyrese Maxey, Leandro Bolmaro, and Desmond Bane as some options for the Nuggets if they’re still available at No. 22.
Malik Beasley Faces Two Felony Charges
Timberwolves swingman Malik Beasley faces a pair of felony charges related to his late-September arrest, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who tweets that Beasley is being charged with fifth-degree drug possession and threats of violence.
As Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News relays, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office issued a press release detailing the charges against Beasley and providing more details about the September 26 incident. According to the release, a family alleged that Beasley pointed an assault rifle at them when they were on the road outside his home:
“They stated they were on a Parade of Homes tour with their 13-year-old, when they pulled up to the roped-off residence, assumed it was closed, and decided to look for another home to view, the complaint says. The victims at the time were on the shoulder of the road in front of the roped-off house.
“The complaint continues, saying that the victims heard a tapping on the (vehicle’s) window and saw Beasley pointing the firearm at them, telling them to get off his property. The victims got back onto the road and saw Beasley pointing the rifle at them as they drove off.”
After obtaining a search warrant for Beasley’s home, officers found three firearms – including one matching the description of the assault rifle – and more than 835 grams of marijuana, according to the statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Paul Walsh of The Star Tribune provided some additional details on the charges and allegations against Beasley.
“We are cooperating with the law enforcement investigation and will carefully review the discovery and charges in the coming days,” Beasley’s lawyers, Steve Haney and Ryan Pacyga, said in a joint statement, per Charania.
Beasley, who was traded from Denver to Minnesota at the February trade deadline, finished strong, averaging a career-best 20.7 PPG and shooting 42.6% on three-pointers in 14 games with the Timberwolves. He’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason and the team has suggested it plans to re-sign him, as executive VP Sachin Gupta reiterated on Wednesday.
“Essentially we’re not going to be a real big player in terms of cap room,” Gupta said when asked about the team’s cap situation, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “But we do have plenty of room below the tax. We’ve got our own free agents with Malik and Juancho (Hernangomez) so with the Bird rights we’ll be able to re-sign those guys, and now with a No. 1 pick, that’s a bigger salary slot than maybe we would’ve expected prior to the lottery. … But we still feel good about having plenty of room below the tax to bring those guys back and also add in free agency as well.”
Timberwolves Notes: Chemistry, Beasley, Rosas, Saunders
Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders believes the team built chemistry and relationships during their mini-camp, according to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
“Our No. 1 goal within this week was to compete,” Saunders said. “Because it’s been a really long time since they’ve been able to do that in more of a structured setting. Then we also wanted to connect with this group. While you’re connecting, you also want to be able to build relationships. We talked about it where the team that is the most connected … will get a jump start on next season whenever next season starts.”
We have more on the Timberwolves:
- Team president Gersson Rosas offered support for restricted free agent Malik Beasley, who was recently arrested for narcotics possession and possession of a stolen gun, Hine writes in a separate story. Rosas has said he wants to re-sign Beasley, who was acquired from the Nuggets in February. “He’s family. We’re going to support him,” Rosas said. “We’re going to do the best that we can. But he’s got some things he’s got to take care of. The legal process has some things that have to be processed and we’ll go from there, but we’re a family and we work through things together.”
- Rosas has formed a strong bond with Saunders because they share the same vision for the franchise, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “When you have a big-picture perspective and you understand that you’re trying to reset a program, you have to have that perspective in place. I’ve talked about it and I’m fortunate I have a head coach that values the same thing,” Rosas said. “We don’t want sacrifices for the sake of incremental wins. That does nothing for us in the long term.”
- What are the biggest questions surrounding the team this offseason? We took a closer look in our Offseason Preview.
Malik Beasley Released From Jail Following Arrest
2:09pm: Beasley has been released from jail with no official charges pending, attorney Steve Haney told The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
12:00pm: Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley was arrested Saturday night on charges of marijuana possession and receiving and concealing stolen weapons, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. He is being held without bail in the Hennepin County Jail until he sees a judge, which could take another 24 hours, according to The Athletic’s sources.
“At the time of the incident, multiple individuals were present at the residence,” said Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney. “The allegations against Malik will be defended vigorously.”
Beasley will be a restricted free agent this offseason, and re-signing him is expected to be a priority for the Wolves. He was impressive in 14 games after being acquired in a four-team deal in February, averaging a career-best 20.7 PPG and shooting 42.6% on 3-pointers.
Beasley is attending a three-week mini-camp at the team’s practice facility. He took part in individual workouts during the first week, but not the five-on-five group sessions that followed.
The Timberwolves issued a brief statement on the arrest that read, “We are aware of the situation involving Malik Beasley and are in the process of gathering information at this time.”
Timberwolves Notes: Beasley, Hernangomez, Towns, Gupta
Even though he’ll be a restricted free agent when the offseason arrives, Malik Beasley opted to attend the Timberwolves‘ in-market camp, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Beaskey may be risking an injury that could affect his value, but he wanted to get back on the court after six months away from organized basketball, and his decision was noticed by management.
“I’m smiling and giggling,” said president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas. “Coach (Ryan Saunders) can speak to it, that’s what I love about our group. We’ve got workers. Coach and I were sitting in a meeting before this, and Beasley calls to say how much he wants to play and be here throughout it.”
Beasley, 23, is positioned for a nice raise after making an impact in 14 games since being acquired from Denver at the trade deadline. He became a starter in Minnesota and averaged 20.7 PPG while shooting 42.6% from 3-point range. The Wolves have interest in re-signing him, and his appearance seems to be an expression of loyalty.
There’s more from camp, all courtesy of Krawczynski:
- The only notable player missing is restricted free agent Juan Hernangomez, who is filming a movie with Adam Sandler. Krawczynski notes that the acting commitment was made before the NBA finalized plans for the teams that didn’t go to Orlando.
- Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell have emerged as leaders during camp and are trying to set an example for their teammates. “D’Angelo worked out this morning at 7 a.m. Karl’s been the 6 a.m. guy in the gym,” Saunders said. “It’s good to get out there. Even though you can only do it with one player, one coach, it’s been nice for me to be able to get not hands-on, but hands-on at a safe social distance and focus on things that we feel these guys need to work on and know they need to work on to take not just their games to the next level, but take this team to the next level.” Rosas said Towns has fully recovered from a wrist injury that sidelined him for a month before the hiatus.
- Executive vice president Sachin Gupta will remain with Minnesota after being one of the finalists for the Kings’ GM job. Gupta seemed to be the favorite earlier this week and the Wolves were preparing for him to leave, but Sacramento opted for Monte McNair instead.
Wolves Plan To Re-Sign Beasley, Hernangomez
Re-signing Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez will be a priority for the Timberwolves during the offseason, president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas told Dane Moore of WCCO Radio in Minneapolis (Twitter link). Both players are headed for free agency after being acquired in a four-team deal in February.
“We want those guys to be Timberwolves for a long, long time,” Rosas said. “Hopefully, for the rest of their careers.”
After occupying a bench role in Denver, Beasley moved into the starting lineup when he arrived in Minnesota and was putting up the best numbers of his career before the hiatus. The 23-year-old guard averaged 20.7 PPG in 14 games with the Wolves while shooting career highs from the field (47.2%) and 3-point range (42.6%). The team will need to extend a $3.9MM qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent.
Hernangomez, 24, also became a starter upon moving to Minnesota and averaged 12.9 PPG and 7.3 RPG in 14 games. The fourth-year power forward will be an RFA if the Wolves make a $4.6MM qualifying offer.
In the same interview, Rosas indicated that Minnesota plans to be aggressive again this offseason, similar to last summer when the team traded up to get Jarrett Culver on draft night, then pursued D’Angelo Russell in free agency (Twitter link). Rosas points out that the Wolves could have three picks in the top 33, which he called potentially “the most draft capital” of anyone (Twitter link).
Northwest Notes: Z. Collins, Conley, Beasley
Trail Blazers big man Zach Collins, who underwent shoulder surgery in November, is one of many injured NBA players whose return timelines has been complicated by the league’s hiatus. A report in January indicated that Collins was still on track to make it back in March, but he didn’t suit up before the league suspended its season on March 11.
Without the ability to participate in full-contact practices and scrimmages, Collins in a bit of a holding pattern as he nears the final stage of his rehab process. Still, as Chris Burkhardt of NBC Sports Northwest writes, Collins’ comments during a conversation with Trail Blazers Courtside strike an optimistic tone when it comes to a potential return this summer.
“I definitely think I am on the right track,” said the Trail Blazers’ big man. “Right now it’s tough because the last part of my development was playing and we can’t play right now. I’m just trying to simulate that as much as I can right now without going through contact with other players. It feels really good. Like I said before, I haven’t really had any setbacks in my rehab. From day one it’s all been pretty smooth, it’s just a long process. But it feels great. I’m really happy with where I’m at.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- Although his first season with the Jazz has been a little up and down on the court, Mike Conley said in a Twitter Q&A on Tuesday that the transition to Utah itself has been as smooth as he could have hoped. “Salt Lake has been unbelievable to me,” Conley said, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “My family loves it. Obviously some of the best fans in the world. Truly a different experience for us, I think being in the mountains and altitude has been an adjustment. But, everywhere you go everyone is a diehard Jazz fan and truly care about you and your family.”
- With restricted free agency looming for Malik Beasley, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic examines the swingman’s value, openly wondering if Beasley’s impressive play in 14 games with the Timberwolves will be enough to earn him a contract in the range of four years and $60MM+.
- Before today, our most recent collection of Northwest notes was posted on Monday night. You can found that round-up right here.