2020 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

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per Shama:

Taylor is likely to weigh several factors in deciding who will buy the club, including a review of bidders who are ethnic minorities. The NBA office will welcome and perhaps push for such potential buyers, and that includes former Wolves superstar Kevin Garnett who is part of an interested group. Garnett, though, has expressed harsh criticism of Taylor in the past and it’s unknown how that might affect decisions by the soft-spoken Timberwolves owner.


Howl Wolves!!
 

Sid: Gersson Rosas proud of Wolves' response to difficult year


One thing that Rosas didn’t sugarcoat was the disappointment the team had in not being allowed to participate in the NBA bubble in Orlando. He said the league will make it right.

“I think the league recognizes our need to be able to have an extended runway as we work during the offseason and prepare for next season. I have been very vocal about it. [Owner] Glen [Taylor] has been very vocal about it. And the league has been receptive,” Rosas said. “The reality is the bubble was the first priority now we’re working, along with the other seven teams that are not in Orlando, we’re working together to get the safest, healthiest and most effective platform to get our guys back to training, working and playing.”

Rosas did say Commissioner Adam Silver and his staff deserve a lot of credit for how great the NBA product has been at Disney World and for creating a healthy work environment. The NBA has yet to have a player test positive for coronavirus there.

“Especially as you look at other sports, it’s powerful with everything that’s going on in sports now and some of the struggles of reality in terms of creating a platform where you can be healthy and you can do the things that are being able to be done in Orlando right now. It’s a major compliment to not only Adam and his team but the league,” Rosas said. “To see it not only work but to excel with where the game is at, the quality of play, health, the players, the quality of the product, that is something that is critical for the success of our future.”

www.startribune.com

Gersson Rosas proud of Wolves' response to difficult year

www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

Reusse: Left outside bubble, Ryan Saunders and Wolves do what they can on their own

How’s it been watching the first few weeks of basketball from 1,600 miles outside the bubble?

“Mainly, it has been a reminder that the West is really good,” Saunders said. “Phoenix went 8-0. San Antonio played great. Those teams didn’t make the final eight; plus, either Portland or Memphis is going to miss.”

Outside the bubble, news was made with Knicks hiring Thibodeau as head coach — getting him back on the job 19 months after being replaced by Saunders.

“I’m thrilled for Thibs,” Saunders said. “I was able to learn much from him on preparation and commitment. He’s a good man, and as a coach, he’s focused on the work.”

www.startribune.com

Left outside bubble, Ryan Saunders and Wolves do what they can on their own

A madeover roster didn't get much of a chance to play together before the season was shut down, and the Wolves weren't invited to Florida when it resumed.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 


STrib: Wolves in a familiar place: Hoping for lottery luck

That nearly annual ritual of being a Timberwolves fan — watching the lottery drawing to determine draft order — has proved to be a fruitless experience in all but one year, 2015, when the Wolves parlayed their league-worst record into the No. 1 pick and center Karl-Anthony Towns.

Like that year, the Wolves enter Thursday’s edition of the lottery with the best odds of securing the top pick, although Golden State and Cleveland have the same 14% chance of being No. 1 after the NBA recently flattened the odds to discourage tanking.

This year’s version of the lottery is being conducted virtually, and guard D’Angelo Russell is representing the Wolves. He has a lot of history to overcome. The Wolves have never moved up from their projected spot during a lottery drawing.

If they were to cash in and get the No. 1 pick again, this year is unlike last year when a franchise-altering prospect like Zion Williamson was available at the top.

There doesn’t seem to be a consensus No. 1 pick as there is in some years. Some may prefer point guard LaMelo Ball, the brother of New Orleans’ Lonzo Ball, who played in Australia instead of attending college.

www.startribune.com

Wolves in a familiar place: Hoping for lottery luck

The team has picked first only once in the NBA draft and has never moved up from its projected spot.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 


per STrib:

The Timberwolves and the seven other teams who didn’t qualify for the NBA bubble will be allowed to conduct voluntary group work at their team facilities in September and early October, the NBA and NBA Players Association announced Tuesday.

The workouts will take place from Sept. 14 to Oct. 6. The first part will take place Sept. 14-20 and involve voluntary individual workouts at team facilities and all players and staff will be tested daily for the coronavirus.

The second phase, from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6, will allow for group training in practices and intrasquad scrimmages with daily coronavirus testing continuing.

Each team must create its own “campuslike environment” in its home city and all players must remain on campus. Each team will also be allowed to invite five G-League affiliated players to participate in the workouts.

www.startribune.com

NBA will allow Wolves, seven other teams to do group work

Each team must create its own "campuslike environment" in its home city and all players must remain on campus. Each team will also be allowed to invite five G-League affiliated players to participate in the workouts.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

I see it's only scheduled for 30 minutes on ESPN so as much as I hate to put myself through it, I may just see how the Wolves fare in the draft lottery right now. I'll see if I can watch it on NBA TV instead of ESPN first.

No possible way they move up to the top 3, right? Maybe? Maybe the mere notion of Taylor selling the team is enough to start changing the team's fortunes
 


Holy shit! #1 pick!

And in one of the worst possible years to pick #1. Awesome. But it's better than a sharp stick in the eye
 



Will the Lavar Ball show come to the Twin Cities? Just what this dysfunctional franchise needs :rolleyes:
 


coolhandgopher said:
Will the Lavar Ball show come to the Twin Cities? Just what this dysfunctional franchise needs :rolleyes:
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Ugg...I want no part of the Ball show. Agreed that any sort of potential dysfunction is the last thing this franchise needs. It would seem he pairs well with Russell, as Ball is a subpar shooter and better distributor. Don’t know that you need to blow a first overall on that, however. I would vote to trade down, but who is going to give up anything in such a weak draft?
 

forever a gopher said:
Ugg...I want no part of the Ball show. Agreed that any sort of potential dysfunction is the last thing this franchise needs. It would seem he pairs well with Russell, as Ball is a subpar shooter and better distributor. Don’t know that you need to blow a first overall on that, however. I would vote to trade down, but who is going to give up anything in such a weak draft?
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No way old man Ball lets that happen. Zero chance. I'd be surprised if he wasn't making statements within the next 72 hours about how the "Brand" isn't a good fit for MSP or just simply that he/they don't want to go there.

The joy hasn't even dissipated yet and I'm already thinking, the odds that Golden State winds up with an infinitely more impactful player at #2 than the Wolves (especially with Curry sitting there on draft night) has to be through the roof, right?
 



Was just looking at a mock draft and yikes, what a year to win the lottery-ghosts of Anthony Bennett as the #1 pick seem to be rattling their chains. From what I read, the player I like best for the T-Wolves is the center from USC, seems like he can bring some much needed defense to the team. Edwards from Georgia could be interesting, but does this team need another high usage player?

Btw, off on a tangent, for fans who watch this team much closer than I-Jarret Culver, what is your take on him? Can he develop into something special or is he just another guy in this league?
 


coolhandgopher said:
Was just looking at a mock draft and yikes, what a year to win the lottery-ghosts of Anthony Bennett as the #1 pick seem to be rattling their chains. From what I read, the player I like best for the T-Wolves is the center from USC, seems like he can bring some much needed defense to the team. Edwards from Georgia could be interesting, but does this team need another high usage player?

Btw, off on a tangent, for fans who watch this team much closer than I-Jarret Culver, what is your take on him? Can he develop into something special or is he just another guy in this league?
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Id love the kid from USC.

Culver has the all around talent to be a nice back-up. If he learns to shoot. I absolutely hated the trade for him.
 

The hope should be that somebody loves Ball or Wiseman and they can trade the pick and filler for a proven guy.
 

Ogee Oglethorpe said:
I see it's only scheduled for 30 minutes on ESPN so as much as I hate to put myself through it, I may just see how the Wolves fare in the draft lottery right now. I'll see if I can watch it on NBA TV instead of ESPN first.

No possible way they move up to the top 3, right? Maybe? Maybe the mere notion of Taylor selling the team is enough to start changing the team's fortunes
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you called it
 

i think you go edwards or wiseman

in weak draft, im all about going for homerun
 

You guys would know better than I, but what screams out as the weakness of this team is defense and we already have two guys who demand the ball in their hands/getting their shots up, so I'm not sure where an Edwards or even Wiseman fit in. From the very very little I read about Wiseman, I'm not excited-sounds like lateral quickness is a big question mark.
 

If this is a "weak" draft, then I think Rosas has to at least explore options for a trade. Maybe bundle both 1st-round picks and a player or two to go after an established player from another team.

I know a lot of people have been floating the Devin Booker angle, but I just don't see Phoenix giving him up unless the Wolves agree to over-pay.

Based on the mock drafts I've looked at, there does not seem to be a lot of consensus over the best available players, and even players considered as possible #1 or #2 picks seem to have question marks or potential flaws in their game. So - if you can find a way to get an established player, go for it.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
If this is a "weak" draft, then I think Rosas has to at least explore options for a trade. Maybe bundle both 1st-round picks and a player or two to go after an established player from another team.

I know a lot of people have been floating the Devin Booker angle, but I just don't see Phoenix giving him up unless the Wolves agree to over-pay.

Based on the mock drafts I've looked at, there does not seem to be a lot of consensus over the best available players, and even players considered as possible #1 or #2 picks seem to have question marks or potential flaws in their game. So - if you can find a way to get an established player, go for it.
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It would be great, like Bradley Beal. But in the NBA, teams dont give up stars nilly willy. Usually there is an issue with the player. I would love to get a vet in his prime, but that probably means trading Beasley, who im a huge fan of
 

short ornery norwegian said:
If this is a "weak" draft, then I think Rosas has to at least explore options for a trade. Maybe bundle both 1st-round picks and a player or two to go after an established player from another team.

I know a lot of people have been floating the Devin Booker angle, but I just don't see Phoenix giving him up unless the Wolves agree to over-pay.

Based on the mock drafts I've looked at, there does not seem to be a lot of consensus over the best available players, and even players considered as possible #1 or #2 picks seem to have question marks or potential flaws in their game. So - if you can find a way to get an established player, go for it.
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I agree with you SON, and it would seem that this team could use a veteran, defensive minded leader not named Jimmy Butler. The trouble is, who wants to give up something of strong value for a draft pick with so many question marks? Tradiing for Booker would be something and Phoenix's owner is underrated in his awfulness, and a team of KAT, Booker, and Russell would be fun, I guess, but I would be awfully surprised to see that happen.

I'd like to see them trade down a couple picks, grab the USC big, and hopefully pick up a vet or future pick of value in the process.
 

Russel sucks and KAT has not proven to carry the team on both sides of the ball. Lets be honest here, you dont want to make a top pick, especially the #1 pick. Thats why im going anthony edwards, and if he ends up being better than Russell, so bit it. Edwards has good D potential too. But hes going to need the ball in his hands a ton to be effective, and Wolves already have that with russell
 

coolhandgopher said:
I agree with you SON, and it would seem that this team could use a veteran, defensive minded leader not named Jimmy Butler. The trouble is, who wants to give up something of strong value for a draft pick with so many question marks? Tradiing for Booker would be something and Phoenix's owner is underrated in his awfulness, and a team of KAT, Booker, and Russell would be fun, I guess, but I would be awfully surprised to see that happen.

I'd like to see them trade down a couple picks, grab the USC big, and hopefully pick up a vet or future pick of value in the process.
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This. I wanted wolves to get 4 or 5 so they could reasonably take USC big.

I saw one suggestion (not a rumor) that had wolves trading pick to Charlotte's #3, and wolves would get their first next yr. Its going to be tough to get a pick next year given its expected to be super stacked, and of course the wolves traded theirs in the horrible wiggins trade
 

short ornery norwegian said:
If this is a "weak" draft, then I think Rosas has to at least explore options for a trade. Maybe bundle both 1st-round picks and a player or two to go after an established player from another team.

I know a lot of people have been floating the Devin Booker angle, but I just don't see Phoenix giving him up unless the Wolves agree to over-pay.

Based on the mock drafts I've looked at, there does not seem to be a lot of consensus over the best available players, and even players considered as possible #1 or #2 picks seem to have question marks or potential flaws in their game. So - if you can find a way to get an established player, go for it.
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Zero chance we get Booker. They are going to want at least three #1's and more. He's staying in Phoenix after how well they did in the bubble. In my opinion of course.
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
It would be great, like Bradley Beal. But in the NBA, teams dont give up stars nilly willy. Usually there is an issue with the player. I would love to get a vet in his prime, but that probably means trading Beasley, who im a huge fan of
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I don't think we can sign Beasley and add him to a trade with other players/pic's. Anyone know for sure?
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
This. I wanted wolves to get 4 or 5 so they could reasonably take USC big.

I saw one suggestion (not a rumor) that had wolves trading pick to Charlotte's #3, and wolves would get their first next yr. Its going to be tough to get a pick next year given its expected to be super stacked, and of course the wolves traded theirs in the horrible wiggins trade
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I'd do that in a second. I'd even add more to make it happen. The #10 pick in 2021 might be better than #3 in this draft.
 


Part of me wants to see LaMelo Ball play for the Wolves. Maybe we trade down to pick #3 and get another high pick next year.
 

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