All Things 2024 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

[jamiche]

We beat the Rockets last night 93-83. Now 3-1.

Miller had a DD w/21 points & 11 boards. His three point shot is not pretty.

Minot and Rob D. Had 15 points each. I’ve watched the three wins and this by far and away the best Minot has looked. Rob was 6-21, so he’s still figuring it out.

Shannon only played seven minutes (first quarter) due to a toe issue.

Gabe got some nice minutes and looked like he belonged, he had 5, including a buzzer beating 3 to close out the first quarter. Hope he finds a good overseas home.

Timberwolves 93-83 Rockets (Jul 18, 2024) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Houston Rockets Nba-summer-las-vegas game from July 18, 2024 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

I've caught a few minutes of each game and Rob looks really smooth. The problem is that he's slight. Like really slight. The old cliche about the NBA standing for "No Boys Allowed" is going to apply to him until he gains 20 lbs.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

watched all or at least parts of the 4 summer league games. my highly unofficial ranking of players in terms of whether they can legitimately help the Wolves next season

1. TJ Shannon - best all-round player, should be part of 2nd unit
2. Dillingham -- 3-pt shooter off the bench (try to hide him on defense)
3. Jaylen Clark -- good defender (can't shoot)
----------
after that
Minott - good hops and energy, can't shoot from the outside
Miller - decent rebounder, erratic outside shot
Nix -- strong, decent ballhandler, can't shoot.
Edwards - needs to get a lot stronger, but some potential

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I've caught a few minutes of each game and Rob looks really smooth. The problem is that he's slight. Like really slight. The old cliche about the NBA standing for "No Boys Allowed" is going to apply to him until he gains 20 lbs.

I’m not sure what your specific point is

Everyone can see he has a slight build, including the FO/coaches of the team who drafted him.

I am simply “reporting” what the staff has said while being interviewed during the games he’s played in, that he’s the backup PG for the upcoming season.

You may not like that he’s going to be the backup PG, which is fine. I have confidence in the staff which had the number one ranked defense in figuring out how to make it work.

All the commentators have raved about him, his attitude and work ethic; when Rob called Mike after being drafted, his first questions were regarding D - he gets it.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

watched all or at least parts of the 4 summer league games. my highly unofficial ranking of players in terms of whether they can legitimately help the Wolves next season

1. TJ Shannon - best all-round player, should be part of 2nd unit
2. Dillingham -- 3-pt shooter off the bench (try to hide him on defense)
3. Jaylen Clark -- good defender (can't shoot)
----------
after that
Minott - good hops and energy, can't shoot from the outside
Miller - decent rebounder, erratic outside shot
Nix -- strong, decent ballhandler, can't shoot.
Edwards - needs to get a lot stronger, but some potential

Miller shouldn't pop out to the 3 line so much. I know that's what they teach not but I bet he would be more consistent in the mid range

 

[jamiche]

I’m not sure what your specific point is

Everyone can see he has a slight build, including the FO/coaches of the team who drafted him.

I am simply “reporting” what the staff has said while being interviewed during the games he’s played in, that he’s the backup PG for the upcoming season.

You may not like that he’s going to be the backup PG, which is fine. I have confidence in the staff which had the number one ranked defense in figuring out how to make it work.

All the commentators have raved about him, his attitude and work ethic; when Rob called Mike after being drafted, his first questions were regarding D - he gets it.

I think my point is pretty clear. It's not about talent or attitude at this point, Rob doesn't appear to be big enough and strong enough to be a plus player for 18 minutes a game over an 82 game season this year. That's exactly the role they have assigned to him. The picture will likely look different in his third year when he's maybe 6'2" and probably 185lbs.

Connelly has made some really excellent moves, some good moves, some iffy moves and some lousy moves. He's not infallible.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I think my point is pretty clear. It's not about talent or attitude at this point, Rob doesn't appear to be big enough and strong enough to be a plus player for 18 minutes a game over an 82 game season this year.

Fun assumption - thanks for clarifying.

Maybe your track record regarding Wolves personnel isn’t quite as stellar as you imagine, ?

That's exactly the role they have assigned to him. The picture will likely look different in his third year when he's maybe 6'2" and probably 185lbs.

No one, including you, knows how well he will or won’t play, at this juncture. I’m an optimist by nature, so I’ll stay in the lane of positivity, until proven otherwise -that’s my lane.

Connelly has made some really excellent moves, some good moves, some iffy moves and some lousy moves. He's not infallible.

I never said he was infallible - your words, not mine bro.

We’re coming off the best season in 20 seasons via a roster constructed by them; for me anyway, they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt. The best predictor of future results, is past outcomes, in my experience.

I’m grateful that McLaughlin won’t be getting any more minutes and we don’t have someone like Bradley Beal on our roster either - two wins in my book

 

[Slim Tubby]

Fun assumption - thanks for clarifying.

Maybe your track record regarding Wolves personnel isn’t quite as stellar as you imagine, ?



No one, including you, knows how well he will or won’t play, at this juncture. I’m an optimist by nature, so I’ll stay in the lane of positivity, until proven otherwise -that’s my lane.

I never said he was infallible - your words, not mine bro.

We’re coming off the best season in 20 seasons via a roster constructed by them; for me anyway, they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt. The best predictor of future results, is past outcomes, in my experience.

I’m grateful that McLaughlin won’t be getting any more minutes and we don’t have someone like Bradley Beal on our roster either - two wins in my book

There aren't many 19 year olds physically or mentally ready for 20 minutes a night in the NBA. Luckily, Dilly has two (2) All Stars, the DPOY and the 6MOY to help him acclimate.

Dilly's shooting % in college was great when he had open looks and he'll have plenty of those in this offense. And when is the last time Conley was seen in the paint with our defensive schemes and switching assignments?

He might only get 10-15 minutes/game this year but he will make them valuable. I couldn't be happier with our Draft class.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

There aren't many 19 year olds physically or mentally ready for 20 minutes a night in the NBA. Luckily, Dilly has two (2) All Stars, the DPOY and the 6MOY to help him acclimate.

Dilly's shooting % in college was great when he had open looks and he'll have plenty of those in this offense. And when is the last time Conley was seen in the paint with our defensive schemes and switching assignments?

He might only get 10-15 minutes/game this year but he will make them valuable. I couldn't be happier with our Draft class.

Amen.

FWIW, all the analysts in the games i’ve watched feel the same way as most of us

 

[jamiche]

Fun assumption - thanks for clarifying.

Maybe your track record regarding Wolves personnel isn’t quite as stellar as you imagine, ?



No one, including you, knows how well he will or won’t play, at this juncture. I’m an optimist by nature, so I’ll stay in the lane of positivity, until proven otherwise -that’s my lane.

I never said he was infallible - your words, not mine bro.

We’re coming off the best season in 20 seasons via a roster constructed by them; for me anyway, they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt. The best predictor of future results, is past outcomes, in my experience.

I’m grateful that McLaughlin won’t be getting any more minutes and we don’t have someone like Bradley Beal on our roster either - two wins in my book

I think TSJ looks like a steal and he’s ready to go. Rob will be good in the long run, the talent is there. However, the way the roster is currently constructed they need him to produce on both ends every night for 15-18 minutes. I don’t think he’s physically strong enough yet to hold up over a full season.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

I think TSJ looks like a steal and he’s ready to go. Rob will be good in the long run, the talent is there. However, the way the roster is currently constructed they need him to produce on both ends every night for 15-18 minutes. I don’t think he’s physically strong enough yet to hold up over a full season.

Why would they need Rob to play 15-18 minutes per night? The Wolves had an 8 man rotation last season and only Kyle isn't returning. They now have Dillingham, Shannon Jr, and Ingles to replace those minutes.

You also make way too much about size being an issue. There are many good, wirey PGs and other players throughout the league. Conley is 36 and only weighs 175 lbs.

 

[swede2]

Why would they need Rob to play 15-18 minutes per night? The Wolves had an 8 man rotation last season and only Kyle isn't returning. They now have Dillingham, Shannon Jr, and Ingles to replace those minutes.

You also make way too much about size being an issue. There are many good, wirey PGs and other players throughout the league. Conley is 36 and only weighs 175 lbs.

The whole "player X will need to put on weight/muscle" thing is an uncontrollable reaction when it comes to NBA players, like patting a bag of potting soil at Menards, or clicking tongues at the grill.

 

[jamiche]

Why would they need Rob to play 15-18 minutes per night? The Wolves had an 8 man rotation last season and only Kyle isn't returning. They now have Dillingham, Shannon Jr, and Ingles to replace those minutes.

You also make way too much about size being an issue. There are many good, wirey PGs and other players throughout the league. Conley is 36 and only weighs 175 lbs.

They specifically need to replace the Morris/J-Mac minutes and TSJ and Ingles aren't 1's. NAW isn't really a pg either. Having 37 year old Mike Conley play 76 games again isn't part of the 24-25 master plan.

On 6/29 Connelly said that they didn't take Rob this high to "sit on him." He went on to say that they made an aggressive move because they see him as an important part of the team (paraphrasing). IMHO, typically players taken this high are slotted in as rotation players on most teams and starters on crappy teams. They didn't take him to be a towel waiver.

How many high impact current 165lbs NBA pg's can you name?

 

[short ornery norwegian]

as we saw this season, Ant is now - in many situations - the de facto PG - or at least he is handling the ball and initiating the offense. so when Conley is not on the court, they do not have to have Dillingham on the court at those times. some times, Ant will run the offense with Conley on the bench.

and yes, some times Dillingham will come in to play a few minutes at PG.

but I think the Wolves coaches are smart enough to understand Dillingham's strengths and weaknesses and devise a scheme that will make the best use of his abilities while protecting against his shortcomings.

it's not like the coaches are going to go "he can't play in this situation, but he has to get X # of minutes, so we'll put him out there knowing he can't handle it." that would be like the Vikings coaches saying "McCarthy is not ready to play, but we drafted him early, so he has to play whether he's ready or not."

early in the season, I'll bet that Dillingham is playing less than 10 minutes a game. as the season goes on, and he earns more playing time, those minutes will go up. if he doesn't earn more playing time, the minutes will not go up.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

as we saw this season, Ant is now - in many situations - the de facto PG - or at least he is handling the ball and initiating the offense. so when Conley is not on the court, they do not have to have Dillingham on the court at those times. some times, Ant will run the offense with Conley on the bench.

and yes, some times Dillingham will come in to play a few minutes at PG.

but I think the Wolves coaches are smart enough to understand Dillingham's strengths and weaknesses and devise a scheme that will make the best use of his abilities while protecting against his shortcomings.

it's not like the coaches are going to go "he can't play in this situation, but he has to get X # of minutes, so we'll put him out there knowing he can't handle it." that would be like the Vikings coaches saying "McCarthy is not ready to play, but we drafted him early, so he has to play whether he's ready or not."

early in the season, I'll bet that Dillingham is playing less than 10 minutes a game. as the season goes on, and he earns more playing time, those minutes will go up. if he doesn't earn more playing time, the minutes will not go up.

as we saw this season, Ant is now - in many situations - the de facto PG - or at least he is handling the ball and initiating the offense. so when Conley is not on the court, they do not have to have Dillingham on the court at those times. some times, Ant will run the offense with Conley on the bench.

and yes, some times Dillingham will come in to play a few minutes at PG.

but I think the Wolves coaches are smart enough to understand Dillingham's strengths and weaknesses and devise a scheme that will make the best use of his abilities while protecting against his shortcomings.

it's not like the coaches are going to go "he can't play in this situation, but he has to get X # of minutes, so we'll put him out there knowing he can't handle it." that would be like the Vikings coaches saying "McCarthy is not ready to play, but we drafted him early, so he has to play whether he's ready or not."

early in the season, I'll bet that Dillingham is playing less than 10 minutes a game. as the season goes on, and he earns more playing time, those minutes will go up. if he doesn't earn more playing time, the minutes will not go up.

 

[kg21]

T-wolves had a 5th game today.

Dillingham had 25 points and 12 assists. And of course, I didn't know they played and missed it of course.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

shoot - I knew they didn't make the championship round, but I never checked to see if there was a consolation round. which, obviously, there was.

Wolves 115, Orlando 100

Dillingham 25 pts (11-18 fga/3-7 3-pt att), 12 assists
Miller 20 pts, 8 reb
Minott 19 pts
Wieskamp 13 pts
Edwards 11 pts

(TJ Shannon did not play)

and that is it for the Vegas Summer league - except for the Championship game Monday.

 

[kg21]

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

They specifically need to replace the Morris/J-Mac minutes and TSJ and Ingles aren't 1's. NAW isn't really a pg either. Having 37 year old Mike Conley play 76 games again isn't part of the 24-25 master plan.

On 6/29 Connelly said that they didn't take Rob this high to "sit on him." He went on to say that they made an aggressive move because they see him as an important part of the team (paraphrasing). IMHO, typically players taken this high are slotted in as rotation players on most teams and starters on crappy teams. They didn't take him to be a towel waiver.

How many high impact current 165lbs NBA pg's can you name?

So you're worried about replacing the guys who played sparingly in the regular season, and didn't play in the playoffs?

You're also being too literal with positions. Ant will continue to grow as the primary ball handler and initiator of the offense, just like SGA, Murray, etc have in their careers. You can either put a true PG next to him, or a bigger wing. Conley, Ant, and NAW can and have played either position. I believe TSJ will be able to as well. Dillingham can grow into the 8th/9th role as the season progresses.

Size isn't the issue with him, it's his age. He'll gain 10-20 lbs naturally over the next few years. Trae Young is 164 lbs, Ja Morant/Conlely 175 lbs, and how many people said Chet was too skinny to contribute? Rob played at Kentucky and excelled against the highest competition as a true freshman. He'll be just fine size wise.

 

[Slim Tubby]

T-wolves had a 5th game today.

Dillingham had 25 points and 12 assists. And of course, I didn't know they played and missed it of course.

They sometimes show replays on NBA TV. Dilly was really good...probably should've had 20 assists if he had bigs that could catch the ball.

I'll say this...when Wieskamp has an open look, he flat out drills them and barely touches net. His form is nearly flawless.

 

[jamiche]

So you're worried about replacing the guys who played sparingly in the regular season, and didn't play in the playoffs?

You're also being too literal with positions. Ant will continue to grow as the primary ball handler and initiator of the offense, just like SGA, Murray, etc have in their careers. You can either put a true PG next to him, or a bigger wing. Conley, Ant, and NAW can and have played either position. I believe TSJ will be able to as well. Dillingham can grow into the 8th/9th role as the season progresses.

Size isn't the issue with him, it's his age. He'll gain 10-20 lbs naturally over the next few years. Trae Young is 164 lbs, Ja Morant/Conlely 175 lbs, and how many people said Chet was too skinny to contribute? Rob played at Kentucky and excelled against the highest competition as a true freshman. He'll be just fine size wise.

Nope. Not worried about replacing those guys. Wondering if Rob has the bulk to handle the minutes he's going to be given.

Young is the exception to the rule, and that's only on offense. He gets sliced and diced on defense, which is at least partially due to his size.

It's great that Ant and NAW are "initiators" (means they bring the ball up the court and make a pass) but they aren't distributors. Part of the reason that the wolves offense was mediocre was there were only two real distributors: Conley and SloMo. Ant, KAT and Reid were sticky. It looks like Rob can move the ball. That's another reason his minutes are important, especially with SloMo gone.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Nope. Not worried about replacing those guys. Wondering if Rob has the bulk to handle the minutes he's going to be given.

Young is the exception to the rule, and that's only on offense. He gets sliced and diced on defense, which is at least partially due to his size.

It's great that Ant and NAW are "initiators" (means they bring the ball up the court and make a pass) but they aren't distributors. Part of the reason that the wolves offense was mediocre was there were only two real distributors: Conley and SloMo. Ant, KAT and Reid were sticky. It looks like Rob can move the ball. That's another reason his minutes are important, especially with SloMo gone.

Ant's not a distributor? He led the team in assists during the playoffs and was 2nd during the regular season.

 

[jamiche]

Ant's not a distributor? He led the team in assists during the playoffs and was 2nd during the regular season.

I would hope so. He had a usage rate of 32.2%

The rotation players with the three highest usage rates were Ant, KAT and Reid.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

I would hope so. He had a usage rate of 32.2%

The rotation players with the three highest usage rates were Ant, KAT and Reid.

We're not talking about usage rate, we're talking about Ant being a distributor, and he's one of the best ones the Wolves have.

Whether you want to admit it or not, Ant is the Wolves primary PG for large stretches of the game, and he continues to grow into that role.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

They sometimes show replays on NBA TV. Dilly was really good...probably should've had 20 assists if he had bigs that could catch the ball.

Tech Tip -

UTube TV allows you to select your team, select record and viola, it records all your team’s games which appear on UTube TV and it’s stored in the

Science, ain’t it grand

I'll say this...when Wieskamp has an open look, he flat out drills them and barely touches net. His form is nearly flawless.

 

[jamiche]

We're not talking about usage rate, we're talking about Ant being a distributor, and he's one of the best ones the Wolves have.

Whether you want to admit it or not, Ant is the Wolves primary PG for large stretches of the game, and he continues to grow into that role.

You don't understand usage rate and how the numbers show that one of Ant's few weaknesses is that he impedes ball movement. The eye test shows that as well. Considering how much defenses focus on him, if he was a good distributor his assist rate would be much higher. The ball sticks to him.

The strength of Dillingham's summer league experience was his floor game. The wolves will need that.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

You don't understand usage rate and how the numbers show that one of Ant's few weaknesses is that he impedes ball movement. The eye test shows that as well. Considering how much defenses focus on him, if he was a good distributor his assist rate would be much higher. The ball sticks to him.

The strength of Dillingham's summer league experience was his floor game. The wolves will need that.

I do understand usage rate. It also doesn't mean he's not a good distributor. He became a significantly better passer this season, especially passing out of tough situations, but he still has room for improvement. This is why I said he's growing into the PG position.

There are 4 players with a higher usage rate than Ant - Luka, Giannis, SGA, and Brunson. So are they not good distributors either? 3 of them are PGs, and all of them average more assists per game, with Luka averaging nearly 10, and he's #1 in usage. There are also 3 more PGs just below Ant rounding out the top 10 including Steph, Fox, and Cunningham.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

You don't understand usage rate and how the numbers show that one of Ant's few weaknesses is that he impedes ball movement. The eye test shows that as well. Considering how much defenses focus on him, if he was a good distributor his assist rate would be much higher. The ball sticks to him.

The strength of Dillingham's summer league experience was his floor game. The wolves will need that.

I posit that Kendrick Perkins/Big Perk knows more about NBA hoops than any of us; remember, he called us to beat the Nugs annd even doubled down after the Game 5 L, in addition to being a player with a ring and NBA analyst.

Just caught the end of NBA Today and he released his Top 5 summer league standouts (Jared McCain was 5, so Rob was ranked higher than two other first round PGs)

 

[BleedGopher]

Per Shama:

Coach Confident about Wolves Paying Luxury Tax​

The controlling ownership of the Timberwolves is in dispute, but head coach Chris Finch told Sports Headliners he’s optimistic about the organization’s willingness to pay the NBA luxury tax to retain core players and add talent.

“I am extremely confident everyone (among key players) is back. We’re very fortunate to have our top seven players under contract,” Finch said. ‘We’re coming off a great season. We have strong team identity —which we’re looking forward to being able to add to, not detract from.”

That was evidenced on NBA Draft night last month when the Wolves acquired the No. 8 overall selection in the first round from the Spurs by giving up future draft picks. Minnesota used the lottery pick to take Kentucky point guard Rob Dillingham. The higher selection increased the franchise’s expected luxury tax by millions of dollars, with Sportrac.com now reporting the luxury tax amount for next season at $105.6 million.

The luxury tax will, of course, be on top of reportedly at least $196 million for next season in committed salaries. “Yes, Glen (Taylor) and ownership have been extremely generous in their willingness to support this roster and the opportunity I think this roster has,” Finch said. “That was evident by our ability to be aggressive on draft night to move up. That doesn’t happen unless you have ownership’s backing.”

Ownership of the Wolves and Lynx is in flux with the legal dispute between long time majority owner Taylor and the Marc Lore, Alex Rodriquez, Michael Bloomberg group. A resolution is expected by fall, with perhaps a vote by NBA owners deciding the matter.

Unconfirmed reports last spring speculated the potential new majority owners wanted to slash payroll, resulting in reduced luxury tax imposed by the league. For now, Taylor remains the majority owner and apparently is willing to pay the tax for exceeding the league tax threshold of $170,814,000.

The organization’s willingness to spend additional monies is sweet music to long suffering Wolves fans. The team is coming off a 56-26 regular season where Minnesota won the second most games in franchise history. The Wolves advanced to the Western Conference playoff finals for only the second time in their history and first time in 20 years.

Minnesota will enter next season among the favored teams to win the NBA championship. “..We have every opportunity to punch through and be considered among those teams,” Finch said after noting the last six titles have been won by six different franchises.

The Wolves return starters Mike Conley Jr., Jaden Daniels, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Rounding out the top seven are Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander- Walker.
Towns, among the team’s veterans at age 28, will earn one of the NBA’s top salaries next season at $49,350,000, per ESPN.com. His uber talent as a 7-foot combo power forward-center is undeniable but his inconsistency and pricey paycheck have made him a subject of trade speculation if the basketball front office led by Tim Connelly is told to reduce payroll.
Finch (no surprise) is a KAT supporter and agreed with the suggestion he is underappreciated in this market. “Absolutely. KAT is a phenomenal player,” he said.

Finch also said KAT had a “great season” and is among the team’s most important and impactful players. More than anyone, the coach said, KAT was willing to take the lead role in making the partnership work between himself and 7-foot-1 center Rudy Gobert. The two put to rest a lot of the criticism and skepticism regarding whether “Twin Towers” could play together and help fuel a winning season.

“That, plus, I thought he (KAT) had… outstanding playoffs,” Finch said. “He had a lot of really…under the radar games that were important. He took the match up of (the Suns’ Kevin) Durant, he took the match up of (the Nuggets’ Nikola) Jokic. These are things that normally you wouldn’t have thought in the past that someone would ask of KAT, and in doing so has made a huge impact on our ability to win.”

The 19-year-old Dillingham, who only played one season at Kentucky before entering the NBA Draft, shows promise of being a major contributor off the bench. He has the kind of potential and rookie salary that the Wolves likely couldn’t afford with a similarly talented free agent or traded for player.

On Sunday, in the Wolves’ last Summer League game in Las Vegas, the 6-foot- 3 Dillingham had 25 points and 12 assists in a win over the Magic. He averaged 13.6 points, while Terrence Shannon Jr., who the Wolves selected at No. 27 in the NBA Draft, averaged 13.3.

“They both have NBA skillsets, NBA athleticism, speed and we’re excited about both of them,” Finch said. “And we’re excited about our other young players that haven’t had a chance yet. Josh Minott, Leonard Miller—these guys have an opportunity to earn minutes, too.”

Shannon, a 6-6 guard-forward, shares a skill with Dillingham of successful slashing to the basket. Both could provide valuable scoring off the bench next season, with Finch noting “they have a nose for putting the ball in the basket.”

Minott and Miller, both forwards, have intrigued the Wolves with their talents since being added to the roster two years and one year ago respectively.

Finch expects Dillingham and Shannon to play extensive minutes in preseason games. Whether they can average double-digit minutes on the floor during the regular season will depend on understanding the team system and philosophy and executing. Finch added there are “non-negotiables” the coaching staff isn’t willing to accept and added “the first thing they gotta do, like any young player, is make sure they’re not hurting the team.”

There’s a “currency of trust” players must earn. Finch said his rookies will have to improve as the season progresses to achieve that trust.

Finch also said the Wolves not only like Dillingham and Shannon as players and also like their character. He believes they can handle the ups and downs of what awaits them as they start their pro careers.

As with all his players, Finch’s to-do list includes developing a one-on-one relationship with the two first round rookies. Let them know what’s expected and what they need to do.

Some of the relationship building comes away from basketball. “We try to meet them where they are,” Finch said. “We try to get comfortable with them. Who are the people in their lives? … And things they like to do off the floor. They’re all-important things that we need to know about them and learn. The best way to do that is learn them in a casual, comfortable environment.”

Howl Wolves!!

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

NBA says it has signed new 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon

The NBA signed its 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday after saying it was not accepting Warner Bros.

apnews.com

Here is part of the article -

NBA says it has signed new 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon​

The NBA signed its 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday after saying it was not accepting Warner Bros. Discovery’s $1.8 billion per year offer to continue its longtime relationship with the league.

The media rights deals were approved by the league’s Board of Governors last week and will bring the league about $76 billion over those 11 years.

WBD had five days to match a part of those deals and said it was exercising its right to do so, but its offer was not considered a true match by the NBA. That means the 2024-25 season will be the last for TNT after a nearly four-decade run — though not long after the NBA signing was announced, WBD said it would take “appropriate action” and said it believes the NBA has to accept its offer.

“The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA,” Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “And Prime Video’s massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways.”

We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it,” TNT Sports said in a statement. “In doing so, they are rejecting the many fans who continue to show their unwavering support for our best-in-class coverage, delivered through the full combined reach of WBD’s video-first distribution platforms. ... We will take appropriate action.”



TNT said it continues looking forward to the coming season, “including our iconic ‘Inside the NBA.’”

Under the new deal, Amazon Prime Video will carry games on Friday nights, select Saturday afternoons and Thursday night doubleheaders that will begin after the conclusion of Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” schedule. Prime Video will also take over the NBA League Pass package from WBD.

“Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon,” the league said Wednesday. “Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans. Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal by complementing the broadcast, cable and streaming packages that are already part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.”

The new package on Amazon also includes at least one game on Black Friday and the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game of the league’s in-season tournament, the NBA Cup.

“Over the past few years, we have worked hard to bring the very best of sports to Prime Video and to continue to innovate on the viewing experience,” said Jay Marine, global head of sports for Prime Video. “We’re thrilled to now add the NBA to our growing sports lineup, including the NFL, UEFA Champions League, NASCAR, NHL, WNBA, NWSL, Wimbledon, and more. We are grateful to partner with the NBA, and can’t wait to tip off in 2025.”

———————————————————

The first $100M/year player will be from the NBA. Paging Man?

 

[BleedGopher]

Per Shama:

Chris Finch: ‘Garza Very Potent Offensive Player’

Luka Garza has played minimal minutes in his three seasons in the NBA, including two with the Timberwolves where he’s a fan favorite because of his offensive efficiency, work ethic and ties to the Big Ten via the University of Iowa. Garza, a 6-foot-10 center-forward who averaged a career-low 4.9 minutes per game last season and 8.9 minutes over three seasons, has been an emergency back up during his short pro career. But he has shown enough promise to earn his best contract after signing a two-year deal with Minnesota last month that Spotrac.com reports guarantees him $2,162,606 for 2024-2025.

Garza’s deep on the bench status won’t change next season unless injuries impact the front court roster. Finch will remind a listener that things can happen over the course of a long season.

“I don’t see him like right off the bat being in our rotation, but, again, you never know how these things work out,” Finch said. “Couple years ago, I didn’t see Naz Reid in our rotation either.”

Reid, a power forward, was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last season. An undrafted free agent in 2019 out of LSU, Reid began his career with a two-way contract and developed into an impact scorer off the bench for Minnesota.

Garza knows about two-way deals (meaning a player can be sent to the developmental NBA G League and earn minimal money) but when given the opportunity with the G League Iowa Wolves or Minnesota, he has produced points. In a late season rout of the Raptors last spring, he scored 16 points for the Wolves, making seven of 10 shots in 9:28 of playing time. That was the most points in under 10 minutes by a Wolves player since James Robinson had 23 points in 9:35 minutes on the court.

“He is a very potent offensive player,” Finch said. “He can score from all ranges, (including) his three-point shot. He’s got an old school back to the basket game. One thing we love about him is he can really punish switches.”

David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Howl Wolves!!