2018 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

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tikited said:
Love and Towns would be the worst defensive duo in the league I'm afraid. I'd rather do a trade with Miami or Brooklyn and get pieces that fill needs. I envision a Tyus trade coming now that it is obvious that Thibs is going to oversign for Rose. Maybe Wiggins and Jones will get us more than Wiggins on his own.
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Great point about Love and Towns playing together. I would love to get Tristin and move Towns to his natural position (PF). I like Justin Patton, I think him and Towns could be a good fit with Towns moving to PF.


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Sportsfan24 said:
Great point about Love and Towns playing together. I would love to get Tristin and move Towns to his natural position (PF). I like Justin Patton, I think him and Towns could be a good fit with Towns moving to PF.


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Towns at PF seems like the way they might have to go if Belly leaves (he will). Especially if they keep Gorgi and Patton.
 

To trade or not to trade Wiggins.

I don't want to trade him.

However, if you can make a decent trade for him, do you do it or hope he fulfills his potential? If you keep him, and he doesn't take that step, and teams lose faith he can get better, will then he be un tradeable? Tough call
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
To trade or not to trade Wiggins.

I don't want to trade him.

However, if you can make a decent trade for him, do you do it or hope he fulfills his potential? If you keep him, and he doesn't take that step, and teams lose faith he can get better, will then he be un tradeable? Tough call
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I can’t trade him as long as Thibs is the coach. Thibs claim to fame was that of a defensive coach. I was late to the game (everyone else had already realized this) but Thibs lack of offensive imagination (Iso ball) and the teams bad defense was frightening. Thibs shouldn’t be allowed to dismantle any more of this team.

Wiggins lack of offensive growth may be directly attributed to his coach. I would hate to see him blossom under a different coach.


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Sportsfan24 said:
I can’t trade him as long as Thibs is the coach. Thibs claim to fame was that of a defensive coach. I was late to the game (everyone else had already realized this) but Thibs lack of offensive imagination (Iso ball) and the teams bad defense was frightening. Thibs shouldn’t be allowed to dismantle any more of this team.

Wiggins lack of offensive growth may be directly attributed to his coach. I would hate to see him blossom under a different coach.


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I agree 100%. I'd love to see Wiggs with Stevens or Pop
 


JimmyJamesMD said:
I agree 100%. I'd love to see Wiggs with Stevens or Pop
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Either Stevens or Pop would have to place defensive stoppers around Wiggins. Wiggins is a wimpy version of Carmelo Anthony.
 

MennoSota said:
Either Stevens or Pop would have to place defensive stoppers around Wiggins. Wiggins is a wimpy version of Carmelo Anthony.
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I think Wiggins is a little better than average defensively and could be great with the right coaching
 


MennoSota said:
He has never shown it and Thibs is a defensive coach. Cut bait.
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He has showed it on occasion, he nearly always shows it against Toronto and Cleveland, that's what's so damn frustrating.
 



JimmyJamesMD said:
I agree 100%. I'd love to see Wiggs with Stevens or Pop
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Be fine seeing him with Pop. If Kawhi Leonard came this way for him. Just think that Leonard is angling to head out to California.
 

Toronto Fires Dwayne Casey

Gotta be "you can't fire all the players" move, but can't think they will be able to find a better coach. Liked the job he did here. IMHO at least he was hamstrung by the Wolves Upper management.

"Casey guided the best run in Raptors history. After a couple losing seasons to begin his tenure, Toronto has won at least 48 games and made the playoffs each of the last five years – including a franchise-best 59 wins this season.

But the Raptors underwhelmed in the playoffs annually – including this year, which they tried so hard to make different.

Toronto implemented a “culture reset,” overhauling the offense and empowering the bench. Everything was designed to improve the teams postseason fortunes.

The result: Getting swept by LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the second round, same as last year.

Ujiri said he won’t blow up this team – nor could he easily. Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas and Serge Ibaka have hefty salaries guaranteed for the next couple years. Keeping this core intact guarantees a high floor.

Firing Casey could raise the ceiling.

Casey is a good coach, and I don’t think he was Toronto’s problem. But maybe he was. He did himself no favors this postseason. At this point, it might be worthwhile to try someone else. Changing coaches is far easier than changing players.

This will be Ujiri’s first coaching search. He inherited George Karl with the Nuggets and Casey in Toronto. That Casey made it this long with an executive who didn’t hire him is somewhat surprising, though Casey’s run wasn’t without multiple potential firings previously.

The Raptors have a few strong internal candidates – assistants Nick Nurse and Rex Kalamian and minor-league coach Jerry Stackhouse. Toronto also has a strong veteran roster that could attract top available outside coaches.

Casey was already named Coach of the Year by his peers. He could win the more prestigious Coach of the Year award, as voted by media. He would’ve had my vote if I had one.

The NBA won’t announce the winner until its June 25 award show. By that time, Casey might even be working for another team. Whether he’s employed elsewhere or unemployed, this sets up an awkward moment if he walks across the stage to accept an award for the quality work he did with the Raptors..."

https://nba.nbcsports.com/2018/05/11/report-raptors-fire-dwane-casey/
 

ESPN: The four best Raptors trades we'd like to see

Wiggins comes home
Raptors get: Guard/forward Andrew Wiggins

Wolves get: DeRozan

Jeremias Engelmann: The Raptors' problem is obvious: While the team performs quite well in the regular season -- resulting in three top-three seeds in a row -- Toronto has enormous difficulty carrying that success over to the postseason.

The common denominator is DeRozan turning into a shell of himself. Not once did he record a positive playoff box plus minus (BPM), with this year taking the cake at minus-4.1 BPM. For a star player earning more than $25 million each season, that is inexcusable.

From the Raptors' standpoint, replacing DeRozan with a slightly inferior version of himself in Wiggins might lead to fewer regular-season wins, but they get a player who is unlikely to have as big of a drop-off come playoff time. Also, with Wiggins not quite fulfilling his potential in Minnesota, what better team could the Toronto native play for than one that has its entire young bench play way above draft expectations?

After signing Wiggins to a big extension last offseason -- meaning this deal couldn't be completed until after July 6 -- the Timberwolves expected more of a leap from the former No. 1 pick. While most of his numbers improved slightly, he's still miles away from what a max player should be contributing.

In DeRozan the Wolves would get a superior player on a shorter contract, one whose propensity to drive should fit perfectly with Karl-Anthony Towns' ability to shoot from outside. I also deem it unlikely that DeRozan's playoff woes continue in this extreme fashion once he changes teams. It should help that the Wolves already have a true go-to guy in Jimmy Butler, so the pressure on DeRozan won't be quite as intense.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23445260/four-toronto-raptors-trades-see-demar-derozan-more-nba

Howl Wolves!!
 

BleedGopher said:
ESPN: The four best Raptors trades we'd like to see

Wiggins comes home
Raptors get: Guard/forward Andrew Wiggins

Wolves get: DeRozan

Jeremias Engelmann: The Raptors' problem is obvious: While the team performs quite well in the regular season -- resulting in three top-three seeds in a row -- Toronto has enormous difficulty carrying that success over to the postseason.

The common denominator is DeRozan turning into a shell of himself. Not once did he record a positive playoff box plus minus (BPM), with this year taking the cake at minus-4.1 BPM. For a star player earning more than $25 million each season, that is inexcusable.

From the Raptors' standpoint, replacing DeRozan with a slightly inferior version of himself in Wiggins might lead to fewer regular-season wins, but they get a player who is unlikely to have as big of a drop-off come playoff time. Also, with Wiggins not quite fulfilling his potential in Minnesota, what better team could the Toronto native play for than one that has its entire young bench play way above draft expectations?

After signing Wiggins to a big extension last offseason -- meaning this deal couldn't be completed until after July 6 -- the Timberwolves expected more of a leap from the former No. 1 pick. While most of his numbers improved slightly, he's still miles away from what a max player should be contributing.

In DeRozan the Wolves would get a superior player on a shorter contract, one whose propensity to drive should fit perfectly with Karl-Anthony Towns' ability to shoot from outside. I also deem it unlikely that DeRozan's playoff woes continue in this extreme fashion once he changes teams. It should help that the Wolves already have a true go-to guy in Jimmy Butler, so the pressure on DeRozan won't be quite as intense.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23445260/four-toronto-raptors-trades-see-demar-derozan-more-nba

Howl Wolves!!
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How about JT/Wiggins for Lowry and DD? KL and DD appear not to like pressure. They would go from option A and B to option C and D with Butler and KT
 







Considering Kawhi Leonard Trade, Lakers Can Learn From Wolves Experience With Butler

Things are uneasy in the Timberwolves’ world right now. Butler had another All-Star season but their young core did not thrive especially down the stretch. After the Timberwolves were eliminated, Butler, who has one more year on his contract, said he could envision returning to the Chicago Bulls after next season.

Wiggins seemed disgruntled all season with his diminished role and there is speculation he could be traded this offseason, which would have been unimaginable before now.

Long term, are the Timberwolves better off with Butler or might it have been preferable to keep Dunn, who took a big leap this past season? Or Levine, who was still recovering from a knee injury the year before but played well when he finally returned.

And Markkanen, who was one of the NBA’s top rookies. With Butler possibly leaving as a free agent, what went from a young organization on the rise a year ago is today a franchise that is on edge.

What does any of this this have to do with the Los Angeles Lakers? The front office will face another decision this summer. The team has been linked to Southern California native Kawhi Leonard, whose days with the San Antonio Spurs might end soon.

When his team was losing in the playoffs, Leonard was elsewhere, instead of sitting on the bench supporting his teammates.

Furthermoreno, the Lakers have been constantly linked in free agency to Paul George, who is practically Butler’s clone as an NBA player with similar statistics and skills on both ends of the court.

Should the Lakers’ front office be concerned at all by the Timberwolves experience this season, inserting Butler into a young core which in the end did not work as well as many expected?

If nothing else, it should cause the Lakers to think carefully before leaping to trade for Leonard. The Timberwolves were able to get Butler without parting with their two best young players.

The Lakers won’t get that lucky, as a trade for Leonard will likely cost both Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, and the Spurs will also want the team’s first-round draft pick this year.

Leonard was injured during the playoffs in 2017 and has reportedly not yet recovered. The extent and seriousness of the injury has been shrouded in mystery as is his current medical condition. This has to be a red flag.

So, too, does the fact that the Spurs are arguably the best run organization in the NBA, and for there to be such a huge disconnect with Leonard is very unusual. The Lakers should be at least mildly concerned.

Then there is the fact that Leonard can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. If the Lakers were to lose him a year from now on top of trading Ingram and Kuzma, it would be a disaster for the franchise.

A Lakers team with a healthy Leonard, but without Ingram, Kuzma and this year’s draft pick, could possibly make the playoffs next season assuming Julius Randle is re-signed. But there is no reason to believe they would do any better than the Timberwolves just did and they could easily do worse.

The situation with George is different because he can be added without parting with any young players, although his joining the team may put Randle in greater jeopardy. Instead of re-signing Randle to a long-term deal, the front office might prefer to retain the cap flexibility to sign another max free agent in 2019.

There is also the question of whether George is worth $30 million a season against the team’s salary cap for four years. Is he really that good? His five-point, 2-for-16 shooting in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s decisive loss to the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs wasn’t a banner night.

The Lakers have spent five years getting to the point where they have assembled a young group of players who to a man show great promise. The front office should not be in a rush to trade any of them.

http://www.lakersnation.com/kawhi-l...berwolves-jimmy-butler-free-agent/2018/05/11/
 

This is just one of many posts by Wolves fans/media over the last few days that describe a very, very negative vibe over at Wolves offices.

https://twitter.com/Phantele_/status/995108443605356545

There are others about Thibs banning talking to Jim Peterson. Another about Thibs throwing a computer moniter, etc. Doesn't sound like a team that just made the playoffs for the first time in 13/14 seasons.

Just cut ties now and hire Casey.
 

tikited said:
This is just one of many posts by Wolves fans/media over the last few days that describe a very, very negative vibe over at Wolves offices.

https://twitter.com/Phantele_/status/995108443605356545

There are others about Thibs banning talking to Jim Peterson. Another about Thibs throwing a computer moniter, etc. Doesn't sound like a team that just made the playoffs for the first time in 13/14 seasons.

Just cut ties now and hire Casey.
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Glen is not eating the money. Glen has been so supportive of Wolves hoops, but hes made so many bad decisions.
 

Iceland12 said:
Things are uneasy in the Timberwolves’ world right now. Butler had another All-Star season but their young core did not thrive especially down the stretch. After the Timberwolves were eliminated, Butler, who has one more year on his contract, said he could envision returning to the Chicago Bulls after next season.

Wiggins seemed disgruntled all season with his diminished role and there is speculation he could be traded this offseason, which would have been unimaginable before now.

Long term, are the Timberwolves better off with Butler or might it have been preferable to keep Dunn, who took a big leap this past season? Or Levine, who was still recovering from a knee injury the year before but played well when he finally returned.

And Markkanen, who was one of the NBA’s top rookies. With Butler possibly leaving as a free agent, what went from a young organization on the rise a year ago is today a franchise that is on edge.

What does any of this this have to do with the Los Angeles Lakers? The front office will face another decision this summer. The team has been linked to Southern California native Kawhi Leonard, whose days with the San Antonio Spurs might end soon.

When his team was losing in the playoffs, Leonard was elsewhere, instead of sitting on the bench supporting his teammates.

Furthermoreno, the Lakers have been constantly linked in free agency to Paul George, who is practically Butler’s clone as an NBA player with similar statistics and skills on both ends of the court.

Should the Lakers’ front office be concerned at all by the Timberwolves experience this season, inserting Butler into a young core which in the end did not work as well as many expected?

If nothing else, it should cause the Lakers to think carefully before leaping to trade for Leonard. The Timberwolves were able to get Butler without parting with their two best young players.

The Lakers won’t get that lucky, as a trade for Leonard will likely cost both Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, and the Spurs will also want the team’s first-round draft pick this year.

Leonard was injured during the playoffs in 2017 and has reportedly not yet recovered. The extent and seriousness of the injury has been shrouded in mystery as is his current medical condition. This has to be a red flag.

So, too, does the fact that the Spurs are arguably the best run organization in the NBA, and for there to be such a huge disconnect with Leonard is very unusual. The Lakers should be at least mildly concerned.

Then there is the fact that Leonard can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. If the Lakers were to lose him a year from now on top of trading Ingram and Kuzma, it would be a disaster for the franchise.

A Lakers team with a healthy Leonard, but without Ingram, Kuzma and this year’s draft pick, could possibly make the playoffs next season assuming Julius Randle is re-signed. But there is no reason to believe they would do any better than the Timberwolves just did and they could easily do worse.

The situation with George is different because he can be added without parting with any young players, although his joining the team may put Randle in greater jeopardy. Instead of re-signing Randle to a long-term deal, the front office might prefer to retain the cap flexibility to sign another max free agent in 2019.

There is also the question of whether George is worth $30 million a season against the team’s salary cap for four years. Is he really that good? His five-point, 2-for-16 shooting in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s decisive loss to the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs wasn’t a banner night.

The Lakers have spent five years getting to the point where they have assembled a young group of players who to a man show great promise. The front office should not be in a rush to trade any of them.

http://www.lakersnation.com/kawhi-l...berwolves-jimmy-butler-free-agent/2018/05/11/
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As much crap as I gave Ricky Rubio, I’m on record for saying keep that team together one more year. We would have been better off (just as good) with LaVine, Dunn and Markkanen. Tyus with more minutes would have been a close match to what we got out of Teague. Thibs is not worth the defensive efforts we have gotten and the offense is horrific. Assuming Casey would come back after what Taylor allowed Mchale to do to him the first time he was coach.


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Mock draft has us taking Gary Trent Jr.

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

Howl Wolves!!
 

And so it begins...

Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves Reportedly 'Not in a Good Place Internally'

Karl-Anthony Towns' relationship with the Minnesota Timberwolves has reportedly grown icy.

Appearing on Friday's episode of The Lowe Post, ESPN.com's Zach Lowe said Towns and the Timberwolves are "not in a good place internally."

ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst, who joined Lowe for a lengthy conversation, later posited it would not be unheard of if Towns' name eventually surfaced in trade discussions.

"I don't think Anthony Davis is going anywhere any time soon," Windhorst said. "But Karl Towns...now that might be a different story."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ves-reportedly-not-in-a-good-place-internally

Howl Wolves!!
 

Zach LaVine chimes in:

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

Howl Wolves!!
 

Devin Booker chimes in:

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

Howl Wolves!!
 

BleedGopher said:
And so it begins...

Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves Reportedly 'Not in a Good Place Internally'

Karl-Anthony Towns' relationship with the Minnesota Timberwolves has reportedly grown icy.

Appearing on Friday's episode of The Lowe Post, ESPN.com's Zach Lowe said Towns and the Timberwolves are "not in a good place internally."

ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst, who joined Lowe for a lengthy conversation, later posited it would not be unheard of if Towns' name eventually surfaced in trade discussions.

"I don't think Anthony Davis is going anywhere any time soon," Windhorst said. "But Karl Towns...now that might be a different story."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ves-reportedly-not-in-a-good-place-internally

Howl Wolves!!
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Taylor needs to do something now! Thibs is destroying this franchise with his personality more than his decisions, which have been questionable.
 


BleedGopher said:
per Shooter:

It looks like the Timberwolves, with the No. 20 pick in next month’s draft and in need of shooters, will be interviewing Duke’s 6-4 Grayson Allen.

Gary Trent Jr., the 6-6 ex-Apple Valley star from Duke, had a 33.5-inch standing vertical jump at last week’s NBA combine in Chicago.

https://www.twincities.com/2018/05/19/walters-ron-gardenhire-to-get-warm-welcome-from-twins/

Go Gophers!!
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On the Dan Patrick Show last week, they were talking about how Johnny Flynn impressed everybody with his vertical jump...
 

RandBall: Trade Karl-Anthony Towns? Let's talk this through

*This is the point where I usually shake my finger and say, “Guys, this is how lame rumors get started. Nothing is going to happen.” Towns has very little leverage, and the Wolves can offer him way more in a contract extension this summer than any other team will be able to offer. Emerging stars coming off rookie deals don’t turn down these big extensions. Just doesn’t happen. And the Wolves would be crazy to trade Towns. He was an All-Star last season, and anything good you can imagine happening in the next five years involves him.

*All of that is true. But at the risk of sounding like Stephen A. Smith … HOWEVER: While the notion of a Towns trade is highly improbable and almost laughable, the idea that he and the organization are not in a good place internally is not so laughable. Someone, maybe multiple someones, have seemingly indicated that’s the case to the extent that Lowe felt comfortable saying it on a podcast.

We don’t know where he got his information or how close the source was to Towns. And it doesn’t mean that if there is damage it can’t be fixed. But Towns does play for a demanding coach, and he did have his franchise role at least diverted into a 1 and 1-A status with the arrival of Jimmy Butler. It’s plausible he’s not happy.

We also shouldn’t just laugh off the fact that LaVine and Booker jumped into the fray on Twitter. Those are former teammates — guys who presumably know Towns well. If this is some sort of orchestrated thing — how millionaires in their young 20s execute a power play — it’s worth noting.

*Towns himself could have shut all of this down, but he’s been silent — including on Twitter and Instagram. He’s intelligent and self-aware. He knows this is being talked about. Maybe he’s not acknowledging it because acknowledging something validates it and he doesn’t think it’s worth his time. Or maybe he doesn’t mind this type of info being floated out there.

*At the end of the day, there seems to be some smoke here — but not as much as you might think given the Internet wildfire that occurred over the weekend. The best way to leave it is this: What already was shaping up to be an interesting and important offseason for the Wolves is now a little more interesting and important.

http://www.startribune.com/trade-karl-anthony-towns-lets-talk-this-through/483207341/

Howl Wolves!!
 


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