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Year-Round News & Updates on the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have renounced the rights to forwards Anthony Randolph and Anthony Tolliver.
Both players--especially Tolliver--are drawing interest from a number of teams looking for an 'inexpensive' backup and versatile forwards. Randolph has met with the Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks and Tolliver has the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers all registering interest. Although the Wolves have renounced the rights to both players, David Kahn has said that doesn't mean that they won't be back with the team next season. I'd assume Tolliver would be back before Randolph, would...but you never know. That's all for now, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES!
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It's been known for a few months now that Martell Webster and Brad Miller wouldn't be back with the team.
Martell's salary for this season would've been $5.7million, however his contract had a small buyout of around $600,000. That's exactly what the Timberwolves did and now Webster is an unrestricted free agent. As you probably know, Brad Miller retired at the end of last season. He did have a salary of over $5million for this season, however (like Martell) he (also) has a small buyout ($800,000). The Timberwolves decided to trade Miller to the New Orleans Hornets. They sent him along with two future second-round picks and in return received a future conditional second-round pick. The reason Minnesota traded Miller AND the picks was so that they didn't have to spend $800,000 to buyout Miller's contract. There's absolutely no doubt that the Timberwolves are nowhere near done shaping next season's roster... They have Ricky Rubio, Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea and most likely Alexey Shved at the point guard. Brandon Roy, Malcolm Lee and Wayne Ellington at shooting guard (there is a rumor Minnesota is talking trade with Memphis and Ellington's name has surfaced in those talks). Chase Budinger and Wesley Johnson at small forward. Kevin Love and Derrick Williams at power forward. And Nikola Pekovic at center. The Timberwolves do have ten players under contract (Roy and Shved haven't been signed yet). There's no doubt that Minnesota will be looking to sign up a backup center (Jordan Hill or Greg Stiemsma, likely). And possibly another wing (maybe Portland won't match the Batum offer). Lastly, I'd like to apologize. I worked a 10 hour shift yesterday, got home and just passed out. I do my best to get the news out to you in a timely manner. Nonetheless, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! Team USA didn't have much trouble Thursday night as they absolutely thrashed the Dominican Republic 113-59 in an exhibition game, in Las Vegas.
Timberwolves All-Star forward Kevin Love finished with 11pts, 5reb (2 o-rebs, 3 d-rebs), 2ast, 2stls, 1blk, 1fl, 4-7 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-3 FT in 19:11 bench minutes. Kevin Durant was the high scorer for the US, he finished with 24pts, 10reb and 2ast in 22:20 off the bench. Andre Iguodala played 20:26 off the bench and finished with 18pts, 3reb and 2stls. The first five minutes of the game were close, however, after that, it was brutal. There were a lot of three-balls going down (13-33 on the night) as the Team USA-ers seemed to enjoy the shorter international three-point line (1.5 ft. shorter than in the NBA). Anthony Davis has yet to play a game in the NBA, but he just finished his first Olympic game for Team USA and it's sounding as though it won't be his last. According to multiple sources, Blake Griffin has a torn meniscus in his left knee and will not return to Team USA, leaving him out for the next 8+ weeks. With Kevin Love and Tyson Chandler being the only other two (TRUE) big men on the roster, adding Anthony Davis (over Eric Gordon or Rudy Gay--the other two alternates) makes sense. Davis played just under 10 minutes and finished with 9pts & 1reb. The Dominican Republic had two NBA players on the roster: Hawks center Al Horford (7pts, 6reb, 3ast, 1-12 FG) and Kings swingman Francisco Garcia (1reb, 1ast in 8:55 min). However, they both clearly struggled (as did the entire DR team). Their leading scorer? Elipidio Fortuna, who ended the night with 10pts, 3-4 FG in 21:24 minutes off the bench. Here's the final box score from tonight's game: Team USA 113, Dominican Republic 59. That's all for now, thanks for reading HOWL and GO TEAM USA (and WOLVES)! As reported on HOWL yesterday, the Minnesota Timberwolves will be holding a mini camp these next few days to determine the team they'll be bringing to the Las Vegas Summer League. The current 'roster' sits at 21 players, which will be narrowed down to 11-12 to compete in the Summer League games. Minnesota's first summer league game will be July 16th vs. the Clippers (that one tips at 9pmCT). Player development coaches Shawn Respert and David Adelman will be coaching the team. Here's a full rundown of the players attending mini camp...
Notable names? Derrick Williams, Malcolm Lee and Wesley Johnson. Those are the three Timberwolves players that are currently under contract. Wes is going into his third NBA year and D-Will and Lee were both rookies last year. Robbie Hummel was Minnesota's lone draft pick this summer (58th overall). Lior Eliyahu (his draft rights were) acquired in the Chase Budinger trade that sent the 18th pick to Houston. Paulo Prestes was a draft pick in 2010 (45th overall) by Minnesota who has yet to make his U.S. debut.
That's all for now, thanks for reading HOWL, stay tuned for the final roster these next couple days and GO WOLVES! The Minnesota Timberwolves have reportedly come to agreement with Russian guard Alexey Shved on a multi-year contract. Shved visited the Target Center today, it wasn't just for an interview, but instead to sign a reported 3-year deal, worth rougly $9million (reports say). Shved is a 23-year-old, who played last season with CSKA Moscow and averaged 11.6ppg, 3.3apg and 3.0rpg in Euroleague play last year. Alexey is listed at 6'6" and 190lbs. and although it's rumored he can play three positions (point guard, shooting guard, small forward) most reports list him as a point guard. Which means he'll add to the glut at the 1: Ricky Rubio, Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea and Malcolm Lee. You've got to think either Ridnour or Barea could be on the move via trade (though no reports or rumors have stated that, thus far). Alexey isn't expected to play in the Las Vegas Summer League because of Russian Olympic commitments. The announcement could be delayed while the Timberwolves continue to try and facilitate a sign-and-trade deal that would land them Blazers' forward Nicolas Batum. Here's what DraftExpress said about him in the 2010 pre-draft report, drawing comparisons to current Phoenix Sun Goran Dragic... "His style of play is very similar to the way Goran Dragic played for Phoenix this season. Shved is an even better passer, though. He instinctively makes smart, simple passes within the flow of the offense, but he can also wow you at times with his imagination and his ability to thread the needle and find the open man diving to the rim for an easy basket.." I'd expect him to see the majority of his playing time, backing up free agent acquisition Brandon Roy (assuming he's the TWolves' starting shooting guard, next year). That's all for now, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! Kevin Love sat down with Yahoo's Marc J. Spears, shortly after it was confirmed that he had made the 12-man Team USA roster that will compete in London, this summer.
With all the incredible talent on Team USA and Mr. Love being the NBA's best power forward, it would come as a shock to most that he's the only member of Team USA that has never played a single postseason game! However, if you're a Timberwolves fan...that isn't exactly breaking news! It appears that with all these talented and playoff-tested players, Kevin Love has begun to show a bit of his frustration with the Timberwolves. "It's tough seeing all these guys that are young and older who have all played in the playoffs. When they start talking about that, I have nothing to talk about. If I don’t make the playoffs next year I don’t know what will happen." That sounds promising...huh? Kevin Love did sign an extension this past year that was for 4-years and $62million, with the fourth year being a player option (giving him the ability to opt out and become an UFA). "I would say it's coming down to it for sure [next season]. It's no secret I was willing to commit to Minnesota for five years. I'm very happy with my contract. I'd love to be in Minnesota. But like anybody else, I want to win." Acquiring Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger is a step in the right direction and Love has made it known he enjoys playing with Rubio & Pek, but this season we need to see the payoff! Nabbing Nicolas Batum would almost guarantee a playoff appearance (in my opinion) for the Wolves who haven't been there since 2004! A starting lineup of Rubio, Roy, Batum, Love and Pekovic...you can't tell me they wouldn't compete for a playoff spot, next season! Their second unit? (as it stands right now) Ridnour, J.J., Budinger, Williams, Stiemsma (I add Greg in there because if the Wolves get Batum he'll be the next free agent they pursue). The only thing missing would seem to be a true backup shooting guard that can provide insurance and minutes with Roy's questionable knee health. I could go on and on, but I think there's a VERY good chance that this is the year Minnesota FINALLY turns the corner. The pieces seem to be falling in and they just have to see how they all fit together and start bringing back some hope to the Target Center. (Although, to be fair the Minnesota Lynx have done that these past two seasons!). Stay tuned to HOWL for all your TWolves news and updates, thanks for reading and GO WOLVES! Portland Trailblazers general manager Neil Olshey is no longer making any promises when it comes to restricted free agent Nicolas Batum.
Just a few short days ago, Olshey was adamant that the Blazers would match any offer that Batum would receive and wasn't interested in any sign-and-trade scenarios, that would take Nic out of a Blazers uniform. Today, things have changed... The Blazers had made an offer to Indiana Pacers restricted free agent Roy Hibbert for roughly 4-years $58million, in hopes that Indy would balk at the max offer. Today, news broke that the Pacers would match the offer to keep Hibbert in Indiana. My initial reaction to that news? "Great...just great." Believing that, since Portland had missed out on Hibbert, there was zero-chance that they'd let Batum go too. However, I now see it from another angle... The Blazers now have LaMarcus Aldridge, and... Exactly. Portland won't be contending for a playoff spot for at least another year or two, what's the sense in matching the offer to Batum to pay him $11-$12million annually to win 30-some games, next year. Olshey had this to say, today: "We've all heard things. I had a conversation with his agent, I had a conversation with David Kahn from the Minnesota Timberwolves. That will remain private. Like I said, what you will see at the end of this is that I believe what we did is in the best interest of the organization today and in the future." Free Agency will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11:01pmCT. That's the date when the moratorium period ends and all these agreements that have been made this past week, can become confirmed. That's when the TWolves will sign Batum to that 4-year $45million offer (that becomes $50million w/incentives). Once he signs, the Blazers will have three days (or until July 14th) to either match the offer to keep him in Portland OR (hopefully) Minnesota and Portland could work out a sign-and-trade. Batum's agent: Bouna N'Diaye says that Batum doesn't want to return to Portland and has asked the Blazers not to match the offer, to allow him to join the Timberwolves and Rubio/K-Love/Pek. Everything will become a bit more clear in these next few days (maybe even by tomorrow night). Stay tuned to HOWL (and to me on Twitter @donnycersado27) for all the TWolves news & updates! Until then, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! A few days ago, we brought you a post, stating that Kevin Love had been named to the Team USA roster. Today, it became official. The two-time All-Star is only one of the three TRUE big men on the roster (along with forward Blake Griffin & center Tyson Chandler). There was a short 'training camp' these past couple days where the roster was finalized. With nine spots 'set in stone' already, they had to finalize the last three roster spots with six players competing, for them. The initial nine players that were guaranteed included: Miami's LeBron James, L.A. Lakers' Kobe Bryant, New York's Carmelo Anthony & Tyson Chandler, L.A. Clippers' Chris Paul, Brooklyn's Deron Williams and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook. The final three spots came down to: Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala, Oklahoma City's James Harden, New Orleans' Eric Gordon & Anthony Davis, L.A. Clippers' Blake Griffin and Memphis' Rudy Gay. Andre Iguodala, James Harden & Blake Griffin were named to the final roster. The Olympic Games begin on July 27th and will end on August 12th. The TWolves' Kevin Love said in an interview on NBATV that he'll likely spend most of his time manning the center position. The main reason? LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala can all play the 'four', too. If Love can get the PT, he'll lead the team in rebounds and should have plenty of opportunities for the 'long ball' and lot of 'pick and pop' situations. Team USA looks very strong and extremely versatile! It should be an interesting couple weeks in London. That's all for now, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! Former Portland Trailblazers Brandon Roy has agreed to a 2-year $10million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Roy will officially sign with the Wolves on July 11th when the NBA's moratorium ends. At just 26 years old Brandon Roy was forced to retire from the NBA, prior to last season, due to the 'absence' of cartilage in his knees. Now, a year later, Roy is on the comeback trail and he'll be doing it with the team that drafted him in 2006 (before they traded him to the Blazers for the rights to Randy Foye...because of concerns about his knees). The Minnesota Timberwolves were just one of the team's interested in Roy. Among them: the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Word is, Roy narrowed his choices down to the Wolves and the Warriors, before choosing Minnesota. The Timberwolves were turned on to Brandon Roy, thanks to former Portland (current Minnesota assistant) coach Bill Bayno, who has a great relationship with Roy (from his time in Portland). One of Minnesota's glaring weaknesses was a shooting guard as well as some veteran leadership. Brandon Roy would seem to fit both of those requisites. During his last season with the Blazers, Roy averaged 12.2 points, 2.7 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 47 games. Brandon has played in the NBA for five years and has career averages of 19 points, 4.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds. Add Rookie of the Year honors in 2007, a three-time All-Star (2008, 2009, 2010), All-NBA 2nd Team (2009), All-NBA 3rd Team (2010) and All-Rookie 1st Team (2007). I think it's fair to say, we're not getting the three-time All-Star, but I'm guessing (possibly hoping) we got a contributor. That's all for now, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! The Portland Trailblazers hope they've made themselves clear following a meeting, Thursday with restricted free agent Nicolas Batum.
General Manager Neil Olshey, Director of College Scouting Chad Buchanan and salary cap specialist Joe Cronin met with Batum and his agent Bouna N'Diaye this afternoon to discuss his future. They told him that they have every intention to keep him in a Blazer uniform--that they'll have no interest in a sign-and-trade with another interested team and they'll be matching any offer he receives. (The Oregonian was the first to report). "We told Nic, it is in his best interest to resign with us," said new Blazers GM Neil Olshey. Of course, there's been no verbal agreement between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Batum and now their likley won't be one. The Wolves could of course call Portland's bluff and make him a really rich offer...then again, they could end up paying Batum $15million a year for the next four! The Trailblazers are the only team that can offer Nicolas a five-year contract, while all other teams can only make a four-year offer. Kahn had the majority of his 'eggs' in the 'Batum Basket' and now it's clear he'll have to move ahead with the dredded plan B. What's Kahn's Plan B? God only knows! However, David Kahn did speak with Willie Green's agent today and will do the same with Greg Stiemsma's on Friday. I pray that Minnesota's 2012 offseason moves consist of trading for Chase Budinger and signing Willie Green & Greg Stiemsma. Needless, to say, I'm very intrigued with what David Kahn will do next...wait and see, I suppose. Until then, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES! |
Cody AndersonA TWolves fan, bringing you the daily updates. News Archives
August 2017
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