2018 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

Donate To GopherHole
Seauville said:
All in jest my friend. Sports are just sports.

But man would I love to see the national narrative be completely wrong and see them both re-sign. I love pro basketball when your team is relevant.
Click to expand...

So you haven't loved pro basketball in 15 years?
 

bottlebass said:
So you haven't loved pro basketball in 15 years?
Click to expand...

Lived in the bay area before moving here, so I've had a built-in excuse to be a Warriors band-wagoner lol. 2004-2011 were pretty bleak basketball years though.
 


Seauville said:
Lived in the Bay Area before moving here, so I've had a built-in excuse to be a Warriors band-wagoner lol. 2004-2011 were pretty bleak basketball years though.
Click to expand...

Members of my family lived out there for many years. We did too for awhile. First team ever followed as a kid were the Warriors. From that Championship in '75 thru the Joe Barry "Cares", Sleepy Floyd years. Loved the "Run TMC" seasons, but that was pretty short-lived. Then it was a long, long time until they became relevant again.
 

Iceland12 said:
Members of my family lived out there for many years. We did too for awhile. First team ever followed as a kid were the Warriors. From that Championship in '75 thru the Joe Barry "Cares", Sleepy Floyd years. Loved the "Run TMC" seasons, but that was pretty short-lived. Then it was a long, long time until they became relevant again.
Click to expand...

Yeah people that look at the Warriors right now don't realize how putrid they were for so long. Literally was given a free upgrade to the 4th row (from the upper deck) once at a Warriors vs (a considerably pre-LeBron) Cavs game just because the guy couldn't be bothered to stick around the whole game lol.
 


RandBall: Timberwolves bringing back classic 'tree' uniforms this season

Welcome to the Thursday edition of The Cooler, where everything from the 1990s is suddenly back in style. Let’s get to it:

*The Timberwolves made big changes to their uniforms last season, but they perhaps made an even more notable move this year: they are bringing back the vintage Kevin Garnett-era “tree” uniforms this season for select games. They’ll make their debut on Halloween against the Jazz, and the Wolves will wear them four other times.

Now: When I did my rankings of past Wolves jerseys last season, the tree design was my least favorite of the four. But I also understand the powerful tug of nostalgia. Before last season, the Wolves had never made the playoffs wearing any other jersey except the trees.

If the Wolves REALLY want to do folks a solid, they will bring back the original franchise jerseys. This is, after all, their 30th season in existence. Maybe next year?

http://www.startribune.com/timberwolves-bringing-back-classic-tree-uniforms-this-season/492091391/

Howl Wolves!!
 

RandBall: Another year like last season? That would be worst outcome for Wolves

This is the time of year to be optimistic, but it is also true that 365 days a year there is a need to be practical. So let’s break the Wolves season into three possible outcomes:

*They win, say, 55 games, get a top-four seed in the Western Conference and win a playoff series — and they look energized in doing so. Butler, who can sign an extension with the Wolves for more money than any other team can give him next offseason, is convinced by the combination of cash and belief in the future that he should make Minnesota his long-term home.

*They play at a pace pretty similar to last year’s and are on a trajectory to win around 45 games and grab one of the last playoff spots in the West, where they almost surely will lose again in the first round.

*Everything falls apart, the energy is bad and by the midpoint of the season it’s clear that this train is going nowhere good.

Outcome one is clearly the best-case scenario of the three. And for reasons Thibodeau outlined — the starters were actually quite good last year, and a rebuilt bench this year could help significantly — it’s plausible this happens.

But of the other two outcomes, I would argue that the worst is the middle ground. On a recent podcast, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski crystallizes the reason:

“Jimmy Butler in Minnesota. Who knows how it starts out this season there,” Wojnarowski said. “But they may have to look at doing something with him. If they don’t have a commitment with him do they have to look at doing something with him by the trade deadline? Do they risk losing him for nothing?”

If the Wolves fall apart early, the decision is easy: Deal Butler and try to get as much back as possible from a team convinced that it would have an inside track on re-signing him.

If the Wolves are hanging around the No. 7 or 8 seed in February, the decision is complicated: Keep pushing and hope for a strong finish and playoff run that sways Butler? Or risk a quick one-and-done (or missing the playoffs altogether) and possibly losing Butler for nothing?

Last year, it was important to break the 13-season playoff drought. The Wolves won 47 games, which was an achievement. That exact same season this year, though, would be the worst-case scenario.

http://www.startribune.com/another-...-would-be-worst-outcome-for-wolves/491893241/

Howl Wolves!!
 

Lakers reach agreement on buyout with Luol Deng - ESPN

"Veteran forward Luol Deng and the Los Angeles Lakers have reached an agreement on a buyout, league sources told ESPN.

Los Angeles was projecting to have $25 million in salary-cap space for the 2019-20 season. That number will increase to the $36 million to $38 million range once the Deng buyout is completed, giving the Lakers room for another max-contract player next summer.

Deng will enter free agency and command interest from several contenders, sources said.

Both sides have been working diligently in the past few days to come to terms on a split that worked for both parties.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24544880/luol-deng-los-angeles-lakers-reach-agreement-buyout
 
Last edited:

Iceland12 said:
"Veteran forward Luol Deng and the Los Angeles Lakers have reached an agreement on a buyout, league sources told ESPN.

Los Angeles was projecting to have $25 million in salary-cap space for the 2019-20 season. That number will increase to the $36 million to $38 million range once the Deng buyout is completed, giving the Lakers room for another max-contract player next summer.

Deng will enter free agency and command interest from several contenders, sources said.

Both sides have been working diligently in the past few days to come to terms on a split that worked for both parties.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24544880/luol-deng-los-angeles-lakers-reach-agreement-buyout
Click to expand...

I fully expect Deng to be signed on Tuesday by Thibs.
 




tikited said:
I fully expect Deng to be signed on Tuesday by Thibs.
Click to expand...

Shams Charania
‏
Verified account

@ShamsCharania @ShamsCharania:

Sources: Free agent Luol Deng will meet with the Minnesota Timberwolves within the next week as sides discuss potential deal.
 

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Howl Wolves!!
 

BleedGopher said:
<iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" data-tweet-id="1037094871797063681" title="Twitter Tweet" style="position: static; visibility: visible; display: block; width: 500px; height: 487.5625px; padding: 0px; border: none; max-width: 100%; min-width: 220px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"></iframe>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Howl Wolves!!
Click to expand...

I like Brewer and Afflalo better than Deng.

<iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets/widget_iframe.32d6c6b4cb1ed84df04e7f9705a90c47.html?origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forums.gopherhole.com&settingsEndpoint=https%3A%2F%2Fsyndication.twitter.com%2Fsettings" title="Twitter settings iframe" style="display: none;"></iframe><iframe id="rufous-sandbox" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="Twitter analytics iframe" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; display: none; width: 0px; height: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none;"></iframe>
 




per Sid:

Taylor talks to Butler

There were reports all summer that Timberwolves forward Jimmy Butler is unhappy with either Andrew Wiggins or Karl-Anthony Towns or the franchise in general.

Team owner Glen Taylor was asked if he thinks Butler has an issue with the direction of the team.

“Oh, I do not think that. I asked Jimmy and he said he did not say anything so I do not put much stock into that,” said Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune. “When I asked him I said did he have any problems? And he said, ‘No.’ That is what he told me.”

When it comes to Towns and a potential five-year maximum extension, which remains the Wolves’ No. 1 priority before the season starts, Taylor said that is still being worked out.

“I think we need to just get together and get it done,” Taylor said. “The last time I checked it was going good, but we want it to go better.”

Taylor said he and coach Tom Thibodeau are getting along great, speaking multiple times a week, and he is excited about the free agents the team is bringing in for workouts this week.

The players the Wolves are rumored to be targeting are former Wolves draft pick Corey Brewer, Nick Young, Arron Afflalo and Luol Deng.

“Yes, we are, and we will probably get that done in the next couple of weeks,” Taylor said. “I mean the people we are all talking to are veteran-type of guys that will come off the bench.”

Taylor said he believes the Wolves are on the right path heading into the season. “I feel good,” he said. “I think we should be very competitive in a very tough league.”

http://www.startribune.com/nfl-s-ne...a-concern-to-vikings-rick-spielman/492778571/

Go Gophers!!
 

Shams Charania
‏
Verified account
@ShamsCharania

Free agent Luol Deng has reached agreement on a one-year, $2.4M deal with Minnesota, pending physical, per league sources.
 

Iceland12 said:
Shams Charania
‏
Verified account
@ShamsCharania

Free agent Luol Deng has reached agreement on a one-year, $2.4M deal with Minnesota, pending physical, per league sources.
Click to expand...

BOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
 


Unregistered User said:
By signing him to the minimum, they still have a bi-annual exception for close to $7MM for two years.

Not a fan of the signing, but it does allow them some flexibility.
Click to expand...

By signing him at all, they are paying an over-the-hill stiff to sit on the bench (hopefully) and get paid to do nothing or to take minutes away from better/younger players (likely).
 

dpodoll68 said:
By signing him at all, they are paying an over-the-hill stiff to sit on the bench (hopefully) and get paid to do nothing or to take minutes away from better/younger players (likely).
Click to expand...

Thibs being Thibs.
 

Make the 2014 Chicago Bulls Great Again!
 

per Sid:

Former Bulls succeed

There has been a lot of skepticism around Timber*wolves coach Tom Thibodeau because of his decisions to reunite a number of his former Chicago Bulls players here in Minnesota, with Luol Deng now joining Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose.

But so far, the former Bulls that have come here have settled into successful roles and more or less showed that Thibodeau was right in his decision to bring them to Minnesota.

With Deng singing a one-year, $2.4 million deal, there is little risk to the contract for the two-time All-Star.

Butler, of course was one of the best players in the NBA last season and made the All-NBA third team.

Gibson’s 12.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game both marked the second-highest totals of his eight-year career.

And Rose was great in the Wolves’ first playoff appearance in 13 years as he averaged 14.2 points and 2.6 assists while shooting 70 percent from three-point range and 50.9 percent from the floor against the Rockets.

Future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade wrote on Twitter this week that while he doesn’t know Thibodeau closely, he is now a bigger fan of him, “and it’s because of his loyalty. I love that he believes in his guys. The game is played more than one way.”

As long as Thibodeau’s former players continue to earn their minutes, it’s hard to doubt his decisionmaking.

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-...-more-opportunity-to-prove-himself/493101281/

Howl Wolves!!
 

BleedGopher said:
per Sid:

Former Bulls succeed

There has been a lot of skepticism around Timber*wolves coach Tom Thibodeau because of his decisions to reunite a number of his former Chicago Bulls players here in Minnesota, with Luol Deng now joining Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose.

But so far, the former Bulls that have come here have settled into successful roles and more or less showed that Thibodeau was right in his decision to bring them to Minnesota.

With Deng singing a one-year, $2.4 million deal, there is little risk to the contract for the two-time All-Star.

Butler, of course was one of the best players in the NBA last season and made the All-NBA third team.

Gibson’s 12.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game both marked the second-highest totals of his eight-year career.

And Rose was great in the Wolves’ first playoff appearance in 13 years as he averaged 14.2 points and 2.6 assists while shooting 70 percent from three-point range and 50.9 percent from the floor against the Rockets.

Future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade wrote on Twitter this week that while he doesn’t know Thibodeau closely, he is now a bigger fan of him, “and it’s because of his loyalty. I love that he believes in his guys. The game is played more than one way.”

As long as Thibodeau’s former players continue to earn their minutes, it’s hard to doubt his decisionmaking.

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-...-more-opportunity-to-prove-himself/493101281/

Howl Wolves!!
Click to expand...

Sign Wade! Let's keep it going.
 

per Pat: James Nunnally had many distant whistlestops before arrival with Timberwolves

Houston was interested, but Nunnally has wound up with a team much more in need of a shooter than those three-point hoarders: the Timberwolves, the team that made fewer threes than any NBA team last season.

Asked about Nunnally, basketball boss Tom Thibodeau said: “He was the best shooter in the Euro League. And he has a good basketball IQ.”

Late last season, Thibodeau developed a fondness for a three-guard offense off the bench: Derrick Rose, Tyus Jones and Jamal Crawford. The Wolves now need to fill the Crawford spot, and with someone to make threes at a higher rate than Jamal’s 33.1 percent last winter.

“I can play a spot like that,” Nunnally said. “I can make threes, but I also make the right reads and play defense. I don’t just chuck it. I play an all-around game.”

Music to Thibs’ ears right there, if accurate.

http://www.startribune.com/james-nu...s-before-arrival-with-timberwolves/493357911/

Howl Wolves!!
 

ESPN: Jimmy Butler, Tom Thibodeau to talk state of Timberwolves, sources say

A meeting set between Minnesota Timberwolves four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and president of basketball operations/coach Tom Thibodeau is expected to set the tone for Butler's final season under contract -- and his impending free agency in July, league sources told ESPN on Saturday.

Just days before the start of training camp in Minneapolis, Butler and his agent, Bernie Lee, are planning to meet with Thibodeau on Monday in Minneapolis for what's expected to be a serious conversation on the franchise's fragile state, sources said.

"Whatever needs to be communicated ... will be," one league source briefed on the meeting told ESPN.

The Athletic first reported the scheduling of the meeting.

The Thibodeau-Butler relationship has been largely strong since the Bulls drafted Butler in 2011, but Butler's partnership with young star Karl-Anthony Towns has been strained and remains an obstacle to the 2018-19 team's success --- and perhaps the ability to sign Butler to a new contract next summer, league sources said.

Minnesota can offer Butler a five-year, $189.7 million max contract -- with a max deal elsewhere worth four years, $140.6 million.

The Timberwolves are negotiating a rookie extension with Towns that could be completed before the start of the season. Rival executives believe that Butler could come available on the market by the February trade deadline if Minnesota fears that it will lose him for nothing in July free agency.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...et-tone-2018-19-minnesota-timberwolves-season

Howl Wolves!!
 

STrib: Wolves center Justin Patton has another fractured foot

After two surgeries on his left foot cost him two summer-league and one training camp experiences, Timberwolves center Justin Patton now has broken his right foot in pre-draft workouts.

Patton will undergo surgery to repair that right foot in the coming days, a source with knowledge of the injury said.

Training camp begins Sept. 25.

The 16th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Patton fractured his left foot in the days after the draft and surgery on that foot kept him out of the team’s Las Vegas summer-league action and all of training camp.

He played 38 games for the Timberwolves’ Iowa team in the G League and impressed with his mobility and passing skills and four minutes in the NBA late in the season.

Patton underwent another surgery in New York in April that the team, in a statement, said was done to “encourage further healing” of the broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot suffered the summer before.

A 7-foot center who played at Creighton, Patton tweeted then, “I’ve been knocked down so many times, this getting up thing done got easy.”

On Friday, Iowa Wolves coach Scott Roth, who coached Patton there last season, said before Patton’s broken right foot was publicly known, “He just has a lot of mental toughness things he’ll have to conquer over these next few months. Sitting out two years is very difficult mentally to go through, let alone physically. It’s not easy for a kid that’s usually out playing. It’s tough. He has a tough road ahead of him. It’s not going to be easy. I just hope he’s healthy-healthy and you can see what we can do with him.”

http://www.startribune.com/wolves-center-justin-patton-has-another-fractured-foot/493395891/

Howl Wolves!!
 

BleedGopher said:
ESPN: Jimmy Butler, Tom Thibodeau to talk state of Timberwolves, sources say

A meeting set between Minnesota Timberwolves four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and president of basketball operations/coach Tom Thibodeau is expected to set the tone for Butler's final season under contract -- and his impending free agency in July, league sources told ESPN on Saturday.

Just days before the start of training camp in Minneapolis, Butler and his agent, Bernie Lee, are planning to meet with Thibodeau on Monday in Minneapolis for what's expected to be a serious conversation on the franchise's fragile state, sources said.

"Whatever needs to be communicated ... will be," one league source briefed on the meeting told ESPN.

The Athletic first reported the scheduling of the meeting.

The Thibodeau-Butler relationship has been largely strong since the Bulls drafted Butler in 2011, but Butler's partnership with young star Karl-Anthony Towns has been strained and remains an obstacle to the 2018-19 team's success --- and perhaps the ability to sign Butler to a new contract next summer, league sources said.

Minnesota can offer Butler a five-year, $189.7 million max contract -- with a max deal elsewhere worth four years, $140.6 million.

The Timberwolves are negotiating a rookie extension with Towns that could be completed before the start of the season. Rival executives believe that Butler could come available on the market by the February trade deadline if Minnesota fears that it will lose him for nothing in July free agency.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...et-tone-2018-19-minnesota-timberwolves-season

Howl Wolves!!
Click to expand...

This will not go well. Taylor is one of the dumbest team owners. Thibs is the last person on the planet that should be trusted to talk to a player about their feelings. Jimmy has a history of not getting along with some teammates. This will not go well at all.
 

tikited said:
This will not go well. Taylor is one of the dumbest team owners. Thibs is the last person on the planet that should be trusted to talk to a player about their feelings. Jimmy has a history of not getting along with some teammates. This will not go well at all.
Click to expand...

Thibs needs to tell Butlers biatch ass shut up and play. Butler doesn’t have the stripes to be demanding anything if the choice is Butler (Felicia) or Kat that’s super easy.

https://youtu.be/bT90D0GKZRM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Sportsfan24 said:
Thibs needs to tell Butlers biatch ass shut up and play. Butler doesn’t have the stripes to be demanding anything if the choice is Butler (Felicia) or Kat that’s super easy.

https://youtu.be/bT90D0GKZRM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

They should trade Butler yesterday. He's a very good basketball player and a great media player, which is why the media rates him as a top ten player. He's a top thirty player and not worth all of the trouble he will cause this year. If KAT doesn't want him, he needs to go.
 

Derek James: Can Thibodeau separate his roles to correctly resolve the Butler situation?

Can Thibodeau separate his roles to resolve the situation?
When the Wolves meet with Butler on Monday, they need to meet their star player as the president of basketball operations and the general manager. This can’t be the coach, president of basketball operations, and the general manager. Why? Because this is a significant conflict of interest and the outcome needs to suit the best interests of the franchise going forward.

Thibodeau’s close relationship could be a tremendous benefit to the team in more stable times. But given the tumultuous nature of the last six months or so, Thibodeau needs to be able to sever himself from the job of basketball coach for that meeting.

Because if Towns is unhappy and uncertain if he wants to remain a Timberwolf long term, he can be gone after 2020 by taking the qualifying offer and becoming an unrestricted free agent after next season. It’s never happened before but the fact that this extension has taken so long and Towns wanting to meet with the team before signing anything is concerning.

Choosing 30-year old Butler over the 23-year old rising star center would be a mistake that could set the franchise back years.

We’ve seen this conflict of interest play out already. Tyus Jones was having a solid season before Derrick Rose was signed and took a good amount of his minutes. This led to Jones going to the team to clarify his role and future with the franchise. And after drafting guard Josh Okogie, Thibodeau signed Luol Deng, muddying up Okogie’s path to the court. Why should this time be any different?

An unenviable situation
The Timberwolves have painted themselves into an unenviable corner that casts a shadow over what should be a promising season. Instead of talking about building on last season’s postseason run, we’re asking if the team is on the verge of implosion. That’s not where you hope to be for what was an up-and-coming franchise just a year ago.

It can still be fixed but hard decisions need to be made. Thibodeau needs to be able to separate his roles in an effort to act in the best interest of the team if Butler wishes to leave. Overall, Glen Taylor needs to ask himself if Thibodeau is the best person to operate and coach his basketball team regardless of the outcome. These are not easy decisions because Taylor highly values personal relationships and Thibodeau highly values his with Butler.

Yet, life is full of difficult decisions. What’s clear is that these pieces aren’t fitting and not just on the basketball court. Things should not be as difficult as they have been. By the time Tuesday morning rolls around, we’ll have a better idea of what needs to be done to ease the tension that has surrounded this team.

https://fansided.com/2018/09/17/thibodeau-separate-roles-resolve-butler-situation/

Howl Wolves!!
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom