2020 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

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Neither does anybody else.

From ESPN this morning:

Minnesota Timberwolves don't see clear choice for No. 1 NBA draft pick

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas is confident that the front office will identify that player by Nov. 18.

"The analysis is fair. There's no guy that has separated himself from the pack from public or external view, but I'm very confident that as we go through this process, the talent will rise to the top and we'll be confident about identifying one guy as the best guy, the best talented player with the most upside and most ability for our organization," Rosas said during Wednesday's Zoom availability..

"For us, we typically study the draft from one to whatever number we feel like is a draftable player," Rosas said. "And we'll evaluate those guys for trade scenarios, trade back, trade out, for undrafted free-agent opportunities, for minor league opportunities, so we really beat up the draft board as much as can all the way up until the draft.

"But I do, now, at the stage that we're at, about a month out, we have formulated a lot of opinions, but you want to challenge those as much as you can hear as you go all the way up to draft night, but our staff has done an unbelievable job."..

www.espn.com

Wolves don't see clear choice for No. 1 pick

A month away from the NBA draft, the Timberwolves do not see a clear-cut choice for the No. 1 pick.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 









Re: the Gobert/Jazz deal, I'd be all over that if I was the TWolves. Those of you who are able to watch the NBA more than I would be able to assess this better, but the way that improves the defense of this team would be night and day, I imagine. And as Jimmy James states, the difference between #1 and 23 might not be much-no surefire superstars at the top and the lack of evaluation available as in previous years.

But before I allow myself to get excited, I just don't see how this happens from the Jazz' perspective, unless the supposed beef between Gobert and Donovan Mitchell over Gobert's casual handling of COVID-19 is true (I have to think it has blown over by now). Does Edwards or Ball make sense with Mitchell on your team? Is James Wiseman better than Gobert (or will he be in the window of time playing with Mitchell)? They're a strong team, they need more to be true contenders, but I don't see how going younger, particular in this draft, makes any sense.
 



coolhandgopher said:
Re: the Gobert/Jazz deal, I'd be all over that if I was the TWolves. Those of you who are able to watch the NBA more than I would be able to assess this better, but the way that improves the defense of this team would be night and day, I imagine. And as Jimmy James states, the difference between #1 and 23 might not be much-no surefire superstars at the top and the lack of evaluation available as in previous years.

But before I allow myself to get excited, I just don't see how this happens from the Jazz' perspective, unless the supposed beef between Gobert and Donovan Mitchell over Gobert's casual handling of COVID-19 is true (I have to think it has blown over by now). Does Edwards or Ball make sense with Mitchell on your team? Is James Wiseman better than Gobert (or will he be in the window of time playing with Mitchell)? They're a strong team, they need more to be true contenders, but I don't see how going younger, particular in this draft, makes any sense.
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It's a Zach Lowe /bill Simmons pipe dream. Utah doesnt do it unless they want to rebuild, which isn't how that franchise is run. But fun to consider.

The draft itself has so many one and dones, that some players picked in the 20s are bound to be some of the best players in the draft
 

The Sporting News on Tuesday:

www.sportingnews.com

2020 NBA Mock Draft: Will Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball go No. 1?

Want to learn more about the top prospects and other potential first-rounders in the 2020 NBA Draft? Look no further than our Mock Draft that provides insight to where players might land, what their strengths and weaknesses are and a couple NBA comparisons for each individual.
www.sportingnews.com www.sportingnews.com

1. Minnesota Timberwolves – Anthony Edwards, Georgia

Position: Guard

Age: 19

Plays like: Donovan Mitchell, Victor Oladipo

Edwards is an explosive guard with the body of a 6-foot-5 NFL running back, punishing defenders when he attacks the basket. He has a tight handle with the ability to create his own shot off the bounce and should thrive as a shotmaker, even at the NBA level. He can finish in a variety of ways and is confident enough with the ball in his hands to play the 1 or the 2, but his playmaking could use some polishing. His effort on the defensive end leaves much to be desired at times, but he has the physical attributes to become a solid defender in the league.
 

CBS Sports two hours ago:

www.cbssports.com

2020 NBA Mock Draft: LaMelo Ball moves up to No. 1 selection by Timberwolves in first two-round mock

Our first full 60-pick projections of the year with under 30 days to go until the draft
www.cbssports.com www.cbssports.com


LaMelo Ball PG
USA • 6'6" / 180 LBS
PROJECTED TEAM
Minnesota		PROSPECT RNK
1st		POSITION RNK
1st

There's not a consensus No. 1 player in this class nor is there a surefire perfect fit for Minnesota, alongside D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns, available to them at No. 1. Going with the prospect with the biggest star potential in LaMelo Ball allows them to bet on talent and hope that his potential meshes with their roster and timeline.
 

NBA Draft.net on the 19th has the Wolves taking Edwards 1st, Precious Achiuwa a 6-9 PF from Memphis at 13 and Elijah Hughes a 6-6 SG from Syracuse.

NBA Mock Draft - NBADraft.net

Specializing in drafts with top players on the NBA horizon, player profiles, scouting reports, rankings and prospective international recruits.
www.nbadraft.net
 





Iceland12 said:
Who's your pick to become a star out of this draft?
Click to expand...

I think that will be Wiseman, but unfortunately the Wolves won't draft him as long as they have Towns.

Obi Toppin is #2 for me, and there has been more steam there lately. He fits their offense perfectly.

I don't mind Ball either, but I like the first two better.

Edwards is a 6'5" SG, who can't shoot, and doesn't win. Yuck.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
I think that will be Wiseman, but unfortunately the Wolves won't draft him as long as they have Towns.

Obi Toppin is #2 for me, and there has been more steam there lately. He fits their offense perfectly.

I don't mind Ball either, but I like the first two better.

Edwards is a 6'5" SG, who can't shoot, and doesn't win. Yuck.
Click to expand...

I'd be okay with Edwards. He took a lot of bad shots as the only option in college.

But Wiseman is getting underrated, significantly
 

Since nobody at the top of this draft stands out, predictions are all over the place. The only one that is even semi-consistent is the Warriors taking Wiseman with the 2nd pick. Oddly enough, with all the talk about how the Wolves are desperately trying and failing to trade the first pick, a bunch of previews are saying the Warriors will try, and succeed to trade the second pick.

The Mountain West and Pacific Coast states aren't the only places producing a lot of smoke. ;)
 

The Athletic: What’s the No. 1 pick worth? As draft night nears, Wolves are trying to find out


The Timberwolves have made it clear across the league that they are open to the idea of trading the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s NBA Draft. But it is one thing to be open to the idea and another thing entirely to put a value on that pick to facilitate discussions.

In the longest period of draft preparation in league history, the Wolves have had the time to delve into in-depth scouting of the prospects, blunt evaluation of their own roster and an examination of how those two elements intersect in their plans to move forward. President of basketball operations Gersson Rosas and his staff, like the front offices of the 29 other franchises, have been conducting exercises inside team headquarters to try to determine the market for the No. 1 pick and the rest of their assets.

In a conference call this week, Rosas outlined the Wolves’ process for value setting. He said that most teams go through some sort of exercise that includes looking at each player on the team’s roster and trying to determine where that player would be selected in an average draft. That helps executives place a tangible value on the player as they explore trades with other teams that may include draft picks or other compensation and also give an idea of where each player stands on the organization’s hierarchy of importance.

“There’s some science and perspective behind that just to get a better feel,” Rosas said. “It’s not 100 percent accurate by any means, but it gives you a good perspective as you look at your roster, as you look at your body of talent on your team and you look at how you value not only the picks that you have currently, but the picks around the league. How you look at future picks that could come in trades or how you look at moving up or moving back in trade conversations.”

Hypothetically speaking, if the Wolves were looking to trade out of No. 1 to pick up a player, or players, who are more established in the league, chances are they would also attach at least one of their own players in the transaction to make the deal work from a financial standpoint. Rosas, executive vice president Sachin Gupta and the rest of the staff have been conducting exhaustive meetings to put some definitive values on each of their players, which aids in the decision-making process. That becomes crucial because, in a deadline-driven league, some of the best offers likely will not come until the day of the draft on Nov. 18, and perhaps even as late as when the Wolves are on the clock. A clear and agreed-upon value system allows the Wolves, and any other team, to make decisions in quick windows of time because much of the debates on the players have been had already.

That extends to the draft picks as currency as well. The Wolves have the first, 17th and 33rd picks in this draft, and No. 1 isn’t the only one that is potentially available. The Wolves have a roster that is not rich in highly tradeable assets. James Johnson’s expiring contract is attractive because it can help the financial end and players like Josh Okogie and Jarrett Culver could attract suitors if they are made available. Jake Layman has a very affordable contract, but none of the mentioned players carry enough weight alone to kick down the doors of an opposing front office in search of good, young talent to join Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell. That is where the draft picks come in.

“You can go one of two ways,” Rosas said. “You can evaluate (the picks) based on players (to trade for) or you can evaluate them based on picks (to make).”

theathletic.com

NBA Draft: Wolves trying to establish value for No. 1 pick

The Wolves have said they're open to dealing the top pick in next month's draft. How much they can get in return is the unknown piece.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

- The NBA and its players union are continuing negotiations on when to start the 2020-21 season, with one scenario focusing on a start date in late December that includes Christmas games and an abbreviated schedule that would allow players to compete in the delayed Tokyo Olympics.

- People with knowledge of the negotiations who requested anonymity said Friday that one scenario popular with owners would be to start the season on or before Christmas Day with a 72-game season that would conclude in time for players to travel to Tokyo for the Summer Games.

- “My best guess is that … that season won’t start until ’21,” Silver said of next season on Sept. 23. “We said a week ago or so that the earliest we would start is Christmas of this year.”

The date most often mentioned for the start of the new season is around the Martin Luther King Day weekend in January, according to multiple people

- One proposal would set up five bubbles around the country with six teams in each bubble. There hasn’t been any discussion about specific locations.

www.latimes.com

NBA takes aim at next season starting before Christmas

The NBA and its players union are in talks about the 2020-21 season start, which includes a proposal to begin around Christmas and another with bubble sites.
www.latimes.com www.latimes.com
 

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA is proposing several changes to next season that include a 72-game regular season, a play-in tournament and the likelihood of no All-Star Game or All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, sources said. The league is considering a two-week break at the midway point of the season, sources said.

The NBA shared these plans in a call with the league's board of governors on Friday afternoon, and the league plans to move quickly to complete negotiations with the National Basketball Players Association to implement the plan, sources said.

The reduction in regular-season games -- which would help accommodate a play-in tournament format for both conferences -- allows the NBA to finish the season before the Summer Olympics in Japan.

A pre-Christmas start also allows the NBA's television partners -- ESPN and Turner -- to further realize the value of broadcast partnerships.

As the coronavirus continues to rage across the country, the NBA strongly prefers to stay out of a bubble format and continues discussing travel and game schedules that would keep teams in a marketplace longer and playing multiple games, similar to Major League Baseball series, sources said.

Two-thirds of the league's local jurisdictions aren't currently allowing for public gatherings of more than 500 people, and ominous public health projections for the trajectory of the virus' spread have limited the league's hope of safely returning fans to arenas in the next few months, sources said...

www.espn.com

Sources: NBA eyes pre-Xmas start, 72 games

Amid the pandemic, the NBA is proposing several changes to next season that includes a 72-game regular season, a play-in tournament and the likelihood of no All-Star Game in Indianapolis, sources said.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 

The 3rd one is the one Jimmy James mentioned earlier in the thread.


Three Types of Wolves Trades

None of the deals they suggested should be treated as news — they weren’t reported via sources but rather conjured up as deals that might make sense.

*A somewhat “boring” deal with an eye toward the future: Simmons suggested that the Wolves could swap picks with the Warriors (who have the No. 2 pick), and that in exchange for that move they could get Golden State to change the protection on the 2021 first-round pick Minnesota owes as part of the Andrew Wiggins/D’Angelo Russell swap..

*A move that adds a good player while still keeping a high pick: An example floated on the podcast was the Wolves trade James Johnson’s expiring contract and the No. 1 pick to Charlotte for Terry Rozier and the No. 3 pick...

*A move to try to compete in 2020-21: Ready for a big swing? Simmons gave this one a spin: The Wolves trade Johnson, Jake Layman and the No. 1 overall pick to Utah for Rudy Gobert and the No. 23 pick.

www.startribune.com

Three types of Wolves trades illustrate value of No. 1 pick

It's officially speculation season in the NBA, with the finals wrapped up and the condensed offseason primed to deliver the draft in a few weeks, as well as free agency and a number of trades.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
 

Iceland12 said:
The 3rd one is the one Jimmy James mentioned earlier in the thread.


Three Types of Wolves Trades

None of the deals they suggested should be treated as news — they weren’t reported via sources but rather conjured up as deals that might make sense.

*A somewhat “boring” deal with an eye toward the future: Simmons suggested that the Wolves could swap picks with the Warriors (who have the No. 2 pick), and that in exchange for that move they could get Golden State to change the protection on the 2021 first-round pick Minnesota owes as part of the Andrew Wiggins/D’Angelo Russell swap..

*A move that adds a good player while still keeping a high pick: An example floated on the podcast was the Wolves trade James Johnson’s expiring contract and the No. 1 pick to Charlotte for Terry Rozier and the No. 3 pick...

*A move to try to compete in 2020-21: Ready for a big swing? Simmons gave this one a spin: The Wolves trade Johnson, Jake Layman and the No. 1 overall pick to Utah for Rudy Gobert and the No. 23 pick.

www.startribune.com

Three types of Wolves trades illustrate value of No. 1 pick

It's officially speculation season in the NBA, with the finals wrapped up and the condensed offseason primed to deliver the draft in a few weeks, as well as free agency and a number of trades.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com
Click to expand...
The 3rd one is never, ever, ever going to happen.

The 2nd one is interesting. Rozier has gotten hammered for his recent play, but his stat's are pretty solid.

I would do the 1st one if the protection went from 1-3 to 1-10. The Wolves are going to suck again and we would almost be certain to keep the pick. Why would Golden State do it is the question?
 

tikited said:
The 3rd one is never, ever, ever going to happen.

The 2nd one is interesting. Rozier has gotten hammered for his recent play, but his stat's are pretty solid.

I would do the 1st one if the protection went from 1-3 to 1-10. The Wolves are going to suck again and we would almost be certain to keep the pick. Why would Golden State do it is the question?
Click to expand...

Personally don't think any of them could/will happen. Here's what Rand said about them:

Nevertheless: I thought three trades they constructed involving the Timberwolves were interesting because they illustrate three realistic trade types for the Wolves. That is to say: they are illustrative of directions the Wolves could go while holding a significant asset in the No. 1 overall pick even in a year where there isn’t a sure-fire star at the top of the draft.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
I think that will be Wiseman, but unfortunately the Wolves won't draft him as long as they have Towns.

Obi Toppin is #2 for me, and there has been more steam there lately. He fits their offense perfectly.

I don't mind Ball either, but I like the first two better.

Edwards is a 6'5" SG, who can't shoot, and doesn't win. Yuck.
Click to expand...
Edwards strikes me as a guy who will average 18ppg in the NBA, but plays no defense and doesn’t make those around him better. It wouldn’t surprise me if he gets traded around the league and plays for 3 teams in his first 5 years (deangelo Russell, anybody?). His stats and pedigree of being a top pick will keep him making good money in the league, but will fail to accomplish anything.

I’ve been in the Wiseman boat from the get-go. If there are no clear cut #1’s, get the best athlete. He’s a long, athletic rim defender. Karl can shoot enough to play PF. Besides, would it surprise anybody if he’s not here for whatever reason in 3 years? The only thing that concerns me is the reports of effort. If you can do your research and determine that’s not an issue, I’d take him.
 



I'm struggling with all the Wiseman love here. He seems like he's a defensive anchor which is something we can find later or even via free agency. I'm hoping we can trade back. I want a 3 and D wing like Vassell or Nesmith. I'd love to see if they could add some assets for next years draft.
 

manderson1984 said:
I'm struggling with all the Wiseman love here. He seems like he's a defensive anchor which is something we can find later or even via free agency. I'm hoping we can trade back. I want a 3 and D wing like Vassell or Nesmith. I'd love to see if they could add some assets for next years draft.
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Situational I think. Wiseman would fit well on the Warriors, but not so much here. As for the others? There is certainly no clearcut choice for the 1st pick. Looking at all the Draft Projections there's not a lot of difference in the top 8-10 either. They all have pluses and minuses. Just as much of a chance to be average to above average to a bust.

That's the "sad" part of the Wolves getting the 1st pick this year. They can't say "Damn! We can get THAT guy!" Which also means that nobody is going give them much for that 1st pick, because they can probably aim farther down, offer less and still get the guy they want.

What they don't need is Rosas succumbing to the "Timberwolves GM Disease". That is trying to prove what a genius they are by trading for, or ignoring a better player to find some hidden gem.

What they did to end-up with Culver last year gives me pause.
 

Iceland12 said:
Situational I think. Wiseman would fit well on the Warriors, but not so much here. As for the others? There is certainly no clearcut choice for the 1st pick. Looking at all the Draft Projections there's not a lot of difference in the top 8-10 either. They all have pluses and minuses. Just as much of a chance to be average to above average to a bust.

That's the "sad" part of the Wolves getting the 1st pick this year. They can't say "Damn! We can get THAT guy!" Which also means that nobody is going give them much for that 1st pick, because they can probably aim farther down, offer less and still get the guy they want.

What they don't need is Rosas succumbing to the "Timberwolves GM Disease". That is trying to prove what a genius they are by trading for, or ignoring a better player to find some hidden gem.

What they did to end-up with Culver last year gives me pause.
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Good points. I fully agree on the situational with Wiseman. GS has a solid culture that will help a lot of guys thrive. Also for sure a terrible year to get the first pick or even a top 3 pick. I do think there is quite a bit of depth however, which makes me hope we can trade back and acquire assets I'm not done with Culver yet, I do think the trade up was plenty worth it and we didn't give up that much. I do think it was with the intent to get Garland though and it fell through which happens. I love this front offices views on analytics so I'm hoping it pays off in the long run. We will see.
 

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