2019 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

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per Shooter:

DON’T PRINT THAT

Gersson Rosas, the Timberwolves’ new basketball chief, inherited Andrew Wiggins and his average annual salary of $36.9 million. The deal doesn’t end until 2023.

Rosas has watched the unemotional Wiggins for some time, since he was a VP with the Houston Rockets.

“I was fortunate to see him very early in his career at the Hoop Summit — I was a big fan when he was very young, and I think he’s got a lot of upside,” Rosas said last week. “For how we want to play, his ability as an athlete, as a skilled player, it’s very important to us.

“How we’re going to play is to put him in a position to be more successful. Big athlete, versatile, skilled. I remember him as a good defender. We’re going to get him back to that stage. He’s got to enjoy playing again, and that’s the No. 1 goal for us, for him to have fun and enjoy and be a big part of what we’re doing here.”

How’s that going to happen?

“Through the process, through meetings, coaches, through our style, through our culture, and that’s what we’re building on a day-to-day basis,” Rosas said. “To be fair, he’s a good guy who wants to do things the right way. Maturation takes time — you know, I was in Houston and Hakeem Olajuwon won a championship at (age) 33. James Harden wins an MVP at 29.

“We want it today, but the reality is that it doesn’t happen today — it takes time, and you’ve got to be patient for that process.”

https://www.twincities.com/2019/05/...wner-jim-pohlad-excited-with-a-grain-of-salt/

Howl Wolves!!
 

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Howl Wolves!!
 

per Kyle:

Gupta, a graduate from MIT, is most well-known as the man responsible for developing the NBA Trade Machine on ESPN.com! Yes, THIS NBA TRADE MACHINE!

Maybe it’s the coffee speaking but it’s becoming more and more evident that the Minnesota Timberwolves are rapidly becoming a... well-run organization? As far as I can tell, “Executive VP of Basketball Operations” was not a position that had existed for the Wolves prior to Rosas’s arrival, which supports the reports that Glen Taylor is willing to spend money to improve the franchise off the court as well as on it. Gupta will now essentially become Rosas’s #2, which suggests to me that Scott Layden is getting the “Milton from Office Space” treatment — getting pushed to a smaller and smaller desk in the hopes that he eventually just disappears.

Again, it’s early out on the West Coast, so you’ll have to forgive me, but this hire is a massive “W” for the franchise. While Rosas will continue to receive some push back for his hire of Ryan Saunders, there is no doubt that this man has the strategy (and connections) necessary to bring the Wolves out of the sewers of the Western Conference.

Wake up and smell the Rosas!

https://www.canishoopus.com/2019/5/...-as-vp-of-basketball-operations-nba-offseason

Howl Wolves!!
 


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Howl Wolves!!
 


CBS Mock Draft:

11. TIMBERWOLVES
Cam Reddish | Duke | Fr | SF | 6-8 | 208

Reddish entered Duke as a projected top-three pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He's not that anymore, though — largely because the 6-8 wing only shot 35.6% from the field, and 33.3% from 3-point range, as a freshman. So, yeah, he looks like a good shooter. But why do his shots so rarely go in? Some have compared Reddish to Rudy Gay. He's built similarly to Jayson Tatum. But, truth is, he's not that type of athlete. Beyond that, there are major questions about Reddish's motor — and he was wildly inconsistent, and sometimes invisible, at Duke. Was that simply the byproduct of being in the shadows of Williamson and Barrett? Or is it a troubling sign? That's what NBA franchises have to figure out — preferably before spending a lottery pick on him.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...looks-like-a-good-fit-for-the-knicks-at-no-3/

Howl Wolves!!
 

BleedGopher said:
CBS Mock Draft:

11. TIMBERWOLVES
Cam Reddish | Duke | Fr | SF | 6-8 | 208

Reddish entered Duke as a projected top-three pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He's not that anymore, though — largely because the 6-8 wing only shot 35.6% from the field, and 33.3% from 3-point range, as a freshman. So, yeah, he looks like a good shooter. But why do his shots so rarely go in? Some have compared Reddish to Rudy Gay. He's built similarly to Jayson Tatum. But, truth is, he's not that type of athlete. Beyond that, there are major questions about Reddish's motor — and he was wildly inconsistent, and sometimes invisible, at Duke. Was that simply the byproduct of being in the shadows of Williamson and Barrett? Or is it a troubling sign? That's what NBA franchises have to figure out — preferably before spending a lottery pick on him.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...looks-like-a-good-fit-for-the-knicks-at-no-3/

Howl Wolves!!
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Effing yuck. 100 times, yuck.
 

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Howl Wolves!!
 

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Howl Wolves!!
 



per Shama:

Rosas has personnel work to do starting with the June 20 NBA Draft where, other than center, the Wolves can benefit from selecting potential contributors in the first and second rounds. Rosas is known for his analytics background and maybe that experience will help him identify undervalued talent when the Wolves draft at No. 11 and No. 43 in the first and second rounds respectively.

Rosas’ expected aggressive style may result in draft night trades that could see his club changing positions in the selection process. Also, trades involving existing NBA players seem more than a possibility as the weeks progress from summer toward fall. It’s certainly plausible the club wants to move mediocre veterans Jeff Teague and Gorgui Dieng, who are among the more expensive players on the payroll.

After Towns, the Wolves have the most contract money tied up in 24-year-old Andrew Wiggins who was the first player chosen in the 2014 NBA Draft. Wiggins has been mostly disappointing during his Wolves career but the trade market might be too limited and club officials still too intrigued by his potential for Minnesota to give up on him this summer.

A smart move by coaches could be to give Wiggins a long look in training camp and early in the season at shooting guard. He has often been a small forward in his Wolves career but at 6-foot-8 and with superb athleticism, he might effectively exploit smaller defenders at shooting guard. The NBA mantra is take advantage of individual mismatches and the Wolves could be sitting on an opportunity with Wiggins who also needs to become more aggressive on the floor.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Howl Wolves!!
 

STrib: Wolves add another assistant coach: Pablo Prigioni

A day after the Wolves hired their defensive coordinator, they hired their offensive coordinator.

The Wolves are adding Pablo Prigioni as an assistant on Ryan Saunders' staff, sources told the Star Tribune. Prigioni was previously a Brooklyn assistant coach and his hiring comes a day after the team hired David Vanterpool away from Portland to be associate head coach. ESPN first reported Prigioni's hire.

A source said Prigioni will be the "offensive coordinator" that President Gersson Rosas outlined last month when discussing the staff he would like to have under Saunders.

"Ryan's going to be the leader of the program," Rosas said last month. "And he's going to have input in every area. So for me, we're going to get the best offensive coordinator. We're going to get the best defensive coordinator. We're going to get the best player development coordinator. They're going to execute our vision together. And Ryan will manage that program as a whole."

Prigioni, 42, and Rosas have ties dating back to Prigioni's playing days. He played one season in Houston in 2015. Prigioni took a long road to make it to the NBA. After playing for several years in Spain, Prigioni made his NBA debut with the Knicks when he was 35. At the time, it made him the oldest rookie in the NBA in 40 years, the New York Times reported.

He played parts of four seasons in the NBA before returning to Spain for one more season in 2016-17 and then joining the Nets staff. The Rockets acquired him in a trade with the Knicks in February 2015 before trading him that offseason to the Nuggets. The Rockets signed him again in the summer of 2016 but waived him in late October of that year.

Prigioni played a role in the development of Nets guard D'Angelo Russell, a restricted free agent the Wolves may have interest in this offseason, according to a report from the Athletic. Russell made his first All-Star appearance this season.

http://www.startribune.com/wolves-add-another-assistant-coach-pablo-prigioni/510974252/

Howl Wolves!!
 





CBS chimes in:

Sekou Doumbouya PF
FRANCE • 6'9" / 209 LBS
PROJECTED TEAM
Minnesota
PROSPECT RNK
9th
POSITION RNK
2nd
Your most coveted international prospect of 2019. With a green-room invite and the buzz about him growing louder, Doumboyua seems a lottery lock at this point. The forward from France is young (18) and although he's spent all his time overseas, he's no secret to every front office at this point. His ceiling is No. 8 and floor No. 15. Given his age, it's quite possible that even if he goes 11th, the pick is traded by Minnesota.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...pear-to-be-set-but-trades-could-create-chaos/

Howl Wolves!!
 

BleedGopher said:
CBS chimes in:

Sekou Doumbouya PF
FRANCE • 6'9" / 209 LBS
PROJECTED TEAM
Minnesota
PROSPECT RNK
9th
POSITION RNK
2nd
Your most coveted international prospect of 2019. With a green-room invite and the buzz about him growing louder, Doumboyua seems a lottery lock at this point. The forward from France is young (18) and although he's spent all his time overseas, he's no secret to every front office at this point. His ceiling is No. 8 and floor No. 15. Given his age, it's quite possible that even if he goes 11th, the pick is traded by Minnesota.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...pear-to-be-set-but-trades-could-create-chaos/

Howl Wolves!!
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No way we get him. I hope we do though.
 

Long article in The Athletic today about Wiggins, "now or never", etc. Not a lot of NEW information, but not a bad article.

https://theathletic.com/1033467/2019/06/18/its-now-or-never-for-andrew-wiggins-in-minnesota/

A lot of focus by the front office on keeping most of the team "in the market", in the MSP area over the summer, particularly Wiggins. Sounds like last year nobody stuck around at all.

At the end of the day, sure, some of the changes in the staff (some with close ties to Wiggins) and the overall atmosphere of the organization could translate into an improved Wiggins but it's awfully hard to hold out hope for anything significant changing.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Long article in The Athletic today about Wiggins, "now or never", etc. Not a lot of NEW information, but not a bad article.

https://theathletic.com/1033467/2019/06/18/its-now-or-never-for-andrew-wiggins-in-minnesota/

A lot of focus by the front office on keeping most of the team "in the market", in the MSP area over the summer, particularly Wiggins. Sounds like last year nobody stuck around at all.

At the end of the day, sure, some of the changes in the staff (some with close ties to Wiggins) and the overall atmosphere of the organization could translate into an improved Wiggins but it's awfully hard to hold out hope for anything significant changing.
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Rumor floating that the Heat are interested in Wiggins for Waiters and James Johnson.
It gets you out of the last two years of Wiggins' deal, but you're stuck with those two for the next two seasons.
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
Rumor floating that the Heat are interested in Wiggins for Waiters and James Johnson.
It gets you out of the last two years of Wiggins' deal, but you're stuck with those two for the next two seasons.
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I don't know much about Johnson but I'd rather have Wigs for ten years at his money than Waiters for two years. No thanks.
 

STrib: Gersson Rosas' plan for Timberwolves starts to take shape

Gersson Rosas’ desk in his office at the Timberwolves practice facility is bare-boned, his workspace still much like a new employee’s who has been too busy to add any personal touches.

Sitting atop frosted glass is only a computer with two monitors and a lonely looking keyboard. Rosas said he needs to make some upgrades to the décor, adding, “I need some pictures of my wife and kids,” before joking they might not remember what he looks like.

This is perhaps the most important time in Rosas’ brief tenure as the new president of basketball operations, for there are many basketball operations to execute over the next few weeks — without much spare time to go shopping for office furniture.

There’s Thursday’s draft, where the Wolves have the No. 11 pick. Shortly after that is the beginning of free agency, and upon its conclusion fans should have a good idea for how Rosas is going to shape the Wolves’ future. He’s already made significant additions to personnel in the front office and has helped mold the assistant coaching staff with Ryan Saunders. Now comes the most intriguing part: Molding the roster.

In an interview with the Star Tribune recently, the former Rockets executive vice president spelled out philosophies on how he wants to run the Wolves. More than once, one of Rosas’ favorite phrases “questioning the norm” came up. That includes more than looking at numbers and figuring out ways to maneuver around the salary cap. It means everything the Wolves do, from players wellness, to travel, nutrition, scouting, analytics and health. All of these are competitive fronts in the NBA, and the Wolves can exploit each area when it comes to getting an edge.

“Our approach on a day by day basis is we have to maximize every resource,” Rosas said. “That’s a lot similar to what we did in Houston. You’ve got to be creative with everything we have whether it’s assets or resources or a structure in place, and where can we gain a competitive advantage. … The mandate of having a world-class organization demands a thoroughness, a diligence, creativity, a strategy that other organizations don’t have. That’s what we’re trying to build here.”

http://www.startribune.com/gersson-rosas-plan-for-timberwolves-starts-to-take-shape/511439712/

Howl Wolves!!
 

jamiche said:
I don't know much about Johnson but I'd rather have Wigs for ten years at his money than Waiters for two years. No thanks.
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I'd still do it. Wiggins will never be worth even half of his salary.
 


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gophersfan said:
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Sweet. I'd love to come out of this draft with De'Andre Hunter, but it sounds like Atlanta moved up to get him. Either of Culver or Garland would be a nice consolation prize.
 

Not a big fan of Culver. He's basically an Okogie clone. Would have rather had White.
 


CBS Draft Grade:

6. Phoenix Suns: SG Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech

The Timberwolves were the ones to select Culver after an unofficial trade with the Suns. They probably could have went after the high-speed playmaker of Coby White, but Culver is probably the safest pick to make at this point. His ceiling may not match White's or others', but he's going to be solid. Grade: B

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...pick-by-pick-evaluations-for-every-selection/

Howl Wolves!!
 

Rumor has it that we were counting on Garland being there and were then trying to trade the 6 for something else. Not sure I believe that. I'm guessing they wanted Garland but would have been ok with Culver. I don't know how I feel yet.

Crazy draft so far. Sekou not going till 15th surprised me. Clarke going 21 is crazy. Little and Bol still on the board.
 

as others have said, the NBA draft has a really weird feel to it, because they don't announce the trades up front, putting teams in a position where they are basically drafting players for other teams.

I really wish they would just change the rules and run it like the NFL - come out, announce "we have a trade," and tell everyone up front which team the player is going to. that ends the charade of putting on a hat from a team they'll never play for.
 

Really like the pick.

He's never going to be a star, but Culver instantly makes us a better defensive team which we desperately need. Happy we didn't go with White. Would much rather roll with Teague for one more year and find a long-term PG solution other than take a chance on White.
 

bizzle22 said:
Really like the pick.

He's never going to be a star, but Culver instantly makes us a better defensive team which we desperately need. Happy we didn't go with White. Would much rather roll with Teague for one more year and find a long-term PG solution other than take a chance on White.
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The team needs a star. They have to hit a homerun, and they have to do it soon or they might as well just trade KAT and start over. Again.
 

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