All Things 2023 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

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This is the wolves summer league schedule. They will be playing wendell Moore Jr, Minott, and their first second round pick.
 




They should be able to get something for Prince. He has a good contract. He is a decent player. He plays a position that almost every team can use.

Let JMac walk.
Resign NAW.
Add a cheap/decent backup PG.
 



Rumors are DDV and Bruce Brown are targets for Connelly with all or part of the MLE. DDV does very little for me but Brown would be a major coup, albeit highly unlikely.
 

Slim Tubby said:
Rumors are DDV and Bruce Brown are targets for Connelly with all or part of the MLE. DDV does very little for me but Brown would be a major coup, albeit highly unlikely.
Click to expand...

Heard that too. Read that Charlotte and Dallas may be interested in Brown also. Wonder if anybody truly knows.
 

Chip: Timberwolves likely have to trade Karl-Anthony Towns — or another key player — by next year

Towns, Gobert, Edwards, McDaniels — all on big-money deals. How is that going to work financially within salary cap confines while also constructing the rest of the roster? The luxury tax threshold for next season is projected to be $165 million. Even if the cap rises another 10% the following season, the problems still exist.

The only way the math works is if ownership swallows hard and absorbs a steep financial hit with the luxury tax, which becomes only palatable if a team is selling out its arena every night and legitimately contending for a championship. The new CBA will impose harsher penalties for teams that spend into the luxury tax.

Towns took a weird victory lap on a recent podcast self-congratulating the Wolves for surviving the play-in tournament before getting ousted in the first round. Call it a hunch, but Wolves owners will need far more convincing than that before they're willing to accept luxury tax ramifications to keep the current core intact.

Team officials have expressed a desire publicly to run it back with the same roster after injuries disrupted last season. Basketball boss Tim Connelly staked the organization's future on his Gobert gamble and he'd like to get a full accounting of the Towns-Gobert experiment before pivoting to a different blueprint.

Connelly has time to push the decision until next summer, but the situation only becomes more challenging the longer he waits.

Trading one of the big men remains the most logical answer to their financial crunch. Gobert's value on the market would be minuscule, which makes KAT the more attractive trade candidate. He would command the greatest return, even coming off an injury-marred season.

Towns is entering Year 9 in the NBA. His strengths and weaknesses are no secret around the league. Plus, trading him before his supermax deal kicks in would give the team more flexibility.

Connelly would be wise to explore that option. Edwards should be the focal point of every organizational decision now. Build the best team possible around him as he continues to grow and mature into a superstar.

Reid's signing provides a safety net if the team moves Towns. Reid's rapid improvement has elevated his role and value, and his salary in 2024-25 will be $38 million less than Towns'.

The organization has reached yet another inflection point. The Gobert trade was done with the intent of being an immediate contender. Even if the Wolves avoid their usual self-sabotaging ways and emerge as a true threat in the West, the luxury tax is a tough sell to those paying the bills, especially for more than a season or two.

The Wolves will have too many top-dollar contracts on the books soon. Removing one of them is the most feasible solution.

www.startribune.com

Timberwolves likely have to trade Karl-Anthony Towns — or another key player — by next year

The contract numbers simply don't add up for the 2024-25 season to allow the Timberwolves to keep everyone on the current roster. And the longer they wait, the more challenging the situation becomes.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!
 




Jon K: Trades, targets and Taurean Prince: What I’m hearing about Wolves free agency

The Wolves waived Prince on Wednesday to avoid guaranteeing his $7.4 million salary for next season. But league sources told The Athletic the team remains open to the idea of bringing Prince back, depending on how the market shakes out when it opens for business on Friday. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the Timberwolves were not publicly commenting on their plans for free agency.

When the opening bell rings on Friday evening, anything can happen. And while the move may have felt personal to Prince, a proud veteran who helped Minnesota to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2004, it was strictly business for the Timberwolves, a team trying to gain as much flexibility as possible to supplement their roster. The Wolves know there are more moves they need to make to keep up in the Western Conference, and the decision on Prince was designed to give them as much freedom as possible to make that happen.

Improving their outside shooting and adding another point guard are two of the team’s biggest goals heading into free agency, and there are several candidates on the market that could address those needs. Theoretically, Prince could still be a part of that.

Prince played an important role with the Wolves over the last two seasons, hitting open 3-pointers when the ball found him, giving coach Chris Finch a versatile defender who could guard multiple positions and solidifying himself as one of the team’s veteran voices in the locker room. He averaged 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and shot 38 percent from 3 last season. He only played 54 games, primarily because of a shoulder injury, and he was sorely missed when he was out. The Wolves went 7-13 during a 20-game stretch he missed from late November to mid-December.

The arrangement was mutually beneficial. When Prince was acquired from Cleveland in a trade for Ricky Rubio in 2021, he was coming off of an injury plagued season that had made the deal appear solely like a cost-saving move for the Wolves. After shooting poorly to start his first season in Minnesota, he found a groove in the second half of the year and displayed the hustle, efficiency and disruption that teams crave.

Biggest priorities​

  • Anthony Edwards: After two straight strong performances in the playoffs, Edwards has solidified himself as a rising star and the centerpiece of the Wolves going forward. He recently announced that he is now being represented by WME Sports, and all signs point to a maximum contract extension very soon after the market opens. “I think every decision we make going forward is going to be with Ant paramount,” Connelly said at the end of the season.
  • Jaden McDaniels: The small forward is also up for a contract extension of his rookie deal and figures to get a significant offer. It is not quite as clear what McDaniels will be offered. He is one of the very best two-way players under 25 years old in the league, a remarkable defender with a growing offensive game. His name was a popular topic for other teams during the draft, but the Wolves resisted trade offers because they view him as part of their core going forward. McDaniels is also represented by WME, which took Suns center Deandre Ayton to restricted free agency when the offer they received was not to their liking, so it will be interesting to see just how high the Wolves offer goes. “I think the minute we can talk we’ll be very aggressive,” Connelly said about both young players. “Those guys are fantastic. I meet with those guys a lot, Jaden and Ant together, because I know that they’re going to be tied to the hip and they’re going to be as important to this team as anybody else is obviously.”
  • Nickeil Alexander-Walker: He was considered by some a throw-in when the Wolves traded D’Angelo Russell and acquired Mike Conley in February. But NAW became a critical part of the Timberwolves rotation and defended Jamal Murray as well as any player in the playoffs. He can play both guard spots, which gives Finch some flexibility with lineups. If he can become a more consistent 3-point shooter, he could be a real weapon off the bench. The Wolves have not announced the exercising of Alexander-Walker’s qualifying offer. If they do exercise it and NAW signs it, he would be on the books for more than $7 million next season. But not tendering him would do nothing to dim their desire to keep him. It would just be a way of trying to keep the first-year salary below that QO number. Alexander-Walker is a prime target for them.

Outside targets​

There are several interesting possibilities on the open market for the Wolves, who want to add a point guard to take some of the work load off of Conley, who will turn 36 before the season begins. With Prince hanging out there, the Wolves could also really use another 3-point shooter on a team that was in the middle of the pack in 3-point attempts (15th), makes (14th) and percentage (13th) last season.

In random order and not comprehensive:

  • Eric Gordon: News broke late Wednesday night that the Los Angeles Clippers were waiving Gordon to save money. He would be an ideal fit as a bench scorer if he would accept the midlevel exception. Gordon shot 42 percent after coming to Los Angeles in a trade with Houston.
    Likelihood of a deal: Slim. There should be a line out the door for his services.
  • Bruce Brown: What a playoff run with Denver for the hard-nosed defender and timely shotmaker. Brown stepped out of Kevin Durant’s shadow in Brooklyn and was a major reason for the Nuggets winning a title. He can play both guard spots and would help the Wolves in so many areas. But every team in the league will be lining up to pay him.
    Likelihood of a deal: Don’t see it.
  • Dennis Schröder: The Wolves need a backup point guard, and Schroder filled that very role with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. He often outplayed D’Angelo Russell in the playoffs, leading to more minutes in big spots for him. He’s an aggressive defender and attacker with an edge.
    Likelihood of a deal: Doubtful, but never say never.
  • Jevon Carter: A tough, tough guard who quietly shot 42 percent from 3-point land for the Milwaukee Bucks last season. Carter started 39 games for one of the best teams in the league. His edge and playoff experience would serve this team well.
    Likelihood of a deal: This feels doable. Carter made a modest $3.9 million last season and will likely be looking for a bigger raise than Milwaukee can give him.
  • Max Strus: His shooting prowess helped the Miami Heat in their surprising run to the NBA Finals. The Wolves registered interest in him at the trade deadline last year. Strus is also a hard-playing defender. Some of that Heat culture may come in handy for this Timberwolves team.
    Likelihood of a deal: Certainly possible if another team doesn’t blow him out of the water with a huge offer.
  • Donte DiVincenzo: A lot to like here. A good shooter (39.7 percent from 3 for the Warriors last season) who can handle it, get out in transition and defend a little bit. The Wolves were hot on him in the draft in 2018 when he went three spots ahead of them and thought they were close to a contract with him last summer before he chose Golden State.
    Likelihood of a deal: Certainly possible, but I don’t think it’s probable.
  • Troy Brown Jr.: At 6-6, 215 pounds, Brown has good size for a wing. He shot 38 percent for the Lakers last season but played sparingly in the Western Conference finals. Wouldn’t have to break the bank for him.
    Likelihood of a deal: Might depend on how badly the Lakers want him back.
  • Josh Richardson: Only played 24 games for New Orleans, but at his best he is a solid wing defender and a good shooter from 3. Does he still have that in him? Would come full circle because his name was involved in trade talks when Jimmy Butler was orchestrating his way out of town.
    Likelihood of a deal: The market will likely be less competitive for him than for Brown or DiVincenzo, which presumably would make a deal easier.
theathletic.com

What I'm hearing about Wolves free agency: Trades, transactions and Taurean Prince

Waiving Prince was strictly business for the Timberwolves, a team trying to gain as much flexibility as possible to supplement their roster.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

Draft grades a week later per The Athletic:

Minnesota Timberwolves​

• Acquired Leonard Miller (33rd) for a 2026 Utah second-rounder and 2028 Minnesota second-rounder
• Selected Jaylen Clark (53rd)

The Wolves traded their first-rounder to Utah within the Rudy Gobert deal. Gobert is still good, and, even if the deal was an egregious overpay, that pick was just a fraction of what the Wolves gave up to acquire him. The deal included essentially five first-round picks (including Walker Kessler), a pick swap and Jarred Vanderbilt. I docked the Wolves one-third of a letter grade for this deal being in that trade but didn’t overcompensate for it.

As you’ll see, the grade is still going to be quite positive anyway. The Wolves traded into the top of the second round and got Miller, a player to whom I gave a lottery grade pre-draft. Miller was certainly a polarizing prospect for evaluators. Some loved him; other didn’t get it. I am firmly in the camp of being an enormous fan and think he has real upside long term. The 19-year-old Canadian was incredibly productive this year, especially by the end of the season. Beyond that, he does stuff you can’t really teach. He’s a big ballhandler who hits the glass and can really attack and cover ground quickly with long strides. However, he can also decelerate and change direction with the ball in his hands. His athleticism is a rare blend. It’s not traditionally explosive, but it’s shifty. He’s an elite finisher with incredible touch around the basket — the touch that kind of gives you long-term hope that an elite shooting coach can fix it. There’s some passing ability and defensive upside here, too. It’s all just in the form of an entirely unshaped diamond who may never reach its full form because he’s starting from such a deficit in terms of experience.

If you put time in — something the Wolves undoubtedly will do under Tim Connelly and that sharp front office — Miller is going to give you something valuable. I feel extremely confident in this, even if it takes a year or two to happen. He’s also going to a coaching staff led by Chris Finch, who will allow him to be who he is. He’ll be able to grab and go on the break and push tempo. He’ll be able to attack and make plays within the scheme. This is one of my favorite picks of the draft. If it wasn’t for Whitmore falling to No. 20, this would be my steal of the draft. It’s a home run for Minnesota.

The team also selected Clark at No. 53. He was one of the best defensive players in all of college basketball last season but unfortunately suffered an Achilles injury late in the season, and it’s unclear if he will be able to play at all this season. Still, it was a good bet to make, as Clark’s defense is game-changing on perimeter players.

Grade: B+

theathletic.com

Sam Vecenie's NBA Draft grades: What I liked and didn't like for all 30 teams

With the draft dust now settled, let's dive deep on every team's selections, processes, potential fits and more.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

Howl Wolves!!
 

Pretty classless on the part of the Timberwolves front office. How tough would a phone call have been?

"However, a week ago, Chris Paul discovered he was being traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Washington Wizards from his son. Granted he was only in Washington for a layover, until Golden State scooped him up, it demonstrates the ease with which teams dispose of players when they’ve extracted everything they can from them. In the long run, Prince (and Paul)will take it in stride, but it shouldn’t be that hard to exhibit basic levels of decency to players who put their bodies on the line through training camp, the regular season, and playoffs."

deadspin.com

Deadspin | Taurean Prince finds out about own free agency from Woj tweet

Deadspin | Taurean Prince finds out about own free agency from Woj tweet
deadspin.com deadspin.com
 



Iceland12 said:
Pretty classless on the part of the Timberwolves front office. How tough would a phone call have been?

"However, a week ago, Chris Paul discovered he was being traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Washington Wizards from his son. Granted he was only in Washington for a layover, until Golden State scooped him up, it demonstrates the ease with which teams dispose of players when they’ve extracted everything they can from them. In the long run, Prince (and Paul)will take it in stride, but it shouldn’t be that hard to exhibit basic levels of decency to players who put their bodies on the line through training camp, the regular season, and playoffs."

deadspin.com

Deadspin | Taurean Prince finds out about own free agency from Woj tweet

Deadspin | Taurean Prince finds out about own free agency from Woj tweet
deadspin.com deadspin.com
Click to expand...
It's the little things on both sides of the ledger that people remember. Connelly is supposed to have great people skills. A phone call thanking Prince and wishing him the best takes two minutes. Not getting the call is something people remember for a lifetime, regardless how much money they make. Life is funny. Tim may want something from Taurean down the line...
 

Iceland12 said:
Pretty classless on the part of the Timberwolves front office. How tough would a phone call have been?

"However, a week ago, Chris Paul discovered he was being traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Washington Wizards from his son. Granted he was only in Washington for a layover, until Golden State scooped him up, it demonstrates the ease with which teams dispose of players when they’ve extracted everything they can from them. In the long run, Prince (and Paul)will take it in stride, but it shouldn’t be that hard to exhibit basic levels of decency to players who put their bodies on the line through training camp, the regular season, and playoffs."

deadspin.com

Deadspin | Taurean Prince finds out about own free agency from Woj tweet

Deadspin | Taurean Prince finds out about own free agency from Woj tweet
deadspin.com deadspin.com
Click to expand...
This seems like fake news to me. Prince stopped following the wolves on Instagram 2 days before he was released
 


Iceland12 said:
Pretty classless on the part of the Timberwolves front office. How tough would a phone call have been?

"However, a week ago, Chris Paul discovered he was being traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Washington Wizards from his son. Granted he was only in Washington for a layover, until Golden State scooped him up, it demonstrates the ease with which teams dispose of players when they’ve extracted everything they can from them. In the long run, Prince (and Paul)will take it in stride, but it shouldn’t be that hard to exhibit basic levels of decency to players who put their bodies on the line through training camp, the regular season, and playoffs."

deadspin.com

Deadspin | Taurean Prince finds out about own free agency from Woj tweet

Deadspin | Taurean Prince finds out about own free agency from Woj tweet
deadspin.com deadspin.com
Click to expand...

Its situations like this and CP3 where it becomes really hard to blame players who demand trades. They gotta look out for themselves when teams continually make it clear they will dispose of you the moment its convenient.

Obviously theres players like Kyrie and Harden who demand a trade every 5 minutes, they dont apply as much.
 



BleedGopher said:
Big Nasty joins the Wolves:


Howl Wolves!!
Click to expand...
God, I loved that team. This will seem foreign to the younger folks, but a long time ago, if you liked a sports team that wasn't local, it was sometimes difficult to find gear for that team. If a team was very popular, you had a chance to find something at a sports fan apparel store in a mall (those big buildings where old people walk in the morning), or maybe you'd get lucky and find one in the JC Penneys. I went to several stores with no luck, but finally was able to score an Arkansas Razorbacks hat when I spied one while looking through a copy of a friend's Eastbay catalog during study hall.
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
God, I loved that team. This will seem foreign to the younger folks, but a long time ago, if you liked a sports team that wasn't local, it was sometimes difficult to find gear for that team. If a team was very popular, you had a chance to find something at a sports fan apparel store in a mall (those big buildings where old people walk in the morning), or maybe you'd get lucky and find one in the JC Penneys. I went to several stores with no luck, but finally was able to score an Arkansas Razorbacks hat when I spied one while looking through a copy of a friend's Eastbay catalog during study hall.
Click to expand...

Eastbay catalog…I devoured that thing every time it came in the mail. They discontinued it just over a year ago.

Howl Wolves!!
 




Well that was quick and by all the NBA Experts, unforeseen. Hate the Lakers, but hope Prince has a good year.

 




I don't know much about the guys they signed yesterday. It appears the team still lacks top end 3 pt. shooting and the front office hasn't shored up the point guard position.

KAT can't be traded until 7/7. I saw Portland signed Jeremi Grant to a big deal. I'm wondering if a KAT/Scoot Henderson plus Simons and filler deal could be in the works. That gives Portland a Dame/KAT/Grant trio to work with. Just a crazy thought.
 

jamiche said:
I don't know much about the guys they signed yesterday. It appears the team still lacks top end 3 pt. shooting and the front office hasn't shored up the point guard position.

KAT can't be traded until 7/7. I saw Portland signed Jeremi Grant to a big deal. I'm wondering if a KAT/Scoot Henderson plus Simons and filler deal could be in the works. That gives Portland a Dame/KAT/Grant trio to work with. Just a crazy thought.
Click to expand...
Trying to be objective here. But if I were Portland, I would do this for sure. Don't forget about Sharpe who is really starting to take off. That's a good, balanced team.

Unfortunately for your theory wolves signed guys i dont think they would have if trade was in the works. I think KAT trade not happening in offseason
 

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