Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards has grown two inches to 6'6", per T-Wolves head coach David Finch.

"This is a very Ant thing," Finch said at the Minnesota State Fair's Star Tribune booth Wednesday, per Chris Hine of the Star Tribune.

"He told me, 'Don't let me get to 6'6" or I'll be Michael Jordan.'"

Reaching the status of arguably the game's greatest-ever player is a lofty goal, but Edwards clearly has perennial All-NBA Team potential. 

Edwards did pretty well at 6'4" during his rookie season, leading all first-year players with 19.3 points per game. He got better as the season went along, averaging 23.8 points per game over his past 34 contests, according to Basketball-Reference.

He's capable of being one of the game's top scorers, and he can potentially stand to improve his rebounding, too, with the two-inch difference.

"He's an extremely unique player and has all this raw ability, but he's very literal when you coach him. Like I say to him, 'I need you to go out and do X,' he'll do it," Finch said.

"We discovered in the last part of the season [when I'd tell him], 'I need you to get seven rebounds tonight.' We gave him goals almost every game or every period of time, so you give him stuff to focus on and he went out and did that."

Edwards posted 5.3 boards per game in his final 34 contests.

The former Georgia star, who Minnesota selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, will open his 2021-22 season at home on Oct. 20 against the Houston Rockets.,

As the Ben Simmons saga rolls on, the Minnesota Timberwolves remain consistently linked with the wantaway power forward.

The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski reported Tuesday: "In conversations with teams in Las Vegas, I came away with the impression that the Timberwolves were the team that was most active in talks to try to make a Simmons deal happen."

That followed a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey earlier in the day that Simmons told the Sixers he would like to be traded and did not plan to report to training camp if he wasn't moved before that time.

Simmons not reporting would seem to freeze his trade value at what has heretofore been its lowest point. Won't have a chance to rehab value by starting the season. On the other hand, he won't have a chance to lower it by playing poorly or continuing to struggle at the line .

— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) August 31, 2021

Thing is, not entirely sure how much pressure this actually applies to Sixers, especially if Simmons doesn't report. I don't think holding out will torpedo trade value like it did decades ago. GMs all have strong opinions on his +'s and -'s and know current sitch is temporary..

— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) August 31, 2021

No surprises there—reports all summer have suggested the Sixers were shopping Simmons. Those reports have also echoed the familiar theme that Philly wants a major haul in return.

"(The 76ers) want an All-Star-caliber player in return," a league source told The Athletic's Shams Charania in July.

And The Athletic's David Aldridge reported in early August: "At minimum, the Sixers are seeking control of at least four future first-round picks via direct trade or pick swaps, along with an All-Star-level player in most (but not all) scenarios."

The Wolves could dispense of the future picks. But the All-Star-level player is tougher to envision. Krawczynski reported that the Wolves wouldn't part with Karl-Anthony Towns (who would be a bizarre fit with Joel Embiid in the parallel universe where Minnesota was willing to trade him) and that young star-in-the-making Anthony Edwards is "untouchable."

As for D'Angelo Russell, it's fair to question if he would move the needle for a Philly team looking to add a star next to Embiid. He'd be an upgrade offensively, no doubt, but is a major liability on the defensive end. Plus, Krawczynski noted the Wolves "have talked all summer about building a team with Towns, Edwards and Russell around Simmons."

From that perspective, then, are the Wolves going to offer the Sixers Malik Beasley, Taurean Prince, Jaden McDaniels and a series of future first-rounders and pick swaps? Even with the threat of Simmons not reporting to training camp and creating a media frenzy, it's hard to imagine Sixers president Daryl Morey being swayed by such a deal.

Even a deal sending Russell, Beasley and picks to Philly for Simmons, Furkan Korkmaz and Shake Milton would likely be met with turned-up noses from the Sixers front office.

It isn't hard to see why Minnesota covets Simmons. He'd instantly be the team's best defender, he remains an unstoppable force in transition, and Towns' perimeter game would pair nicely with Simmons' unwillingness and inability to stretch the floor in the slightest.

Facts👀 https://t.co/FaRo3IFJP3

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) August 31, 2021

Granted, the move would make slightly less sense without a pick-and-roll point guard like Russell in Minnesota to run the half-court offense. In crunch time, Simmons essentially disappears from the half-court offense. He's proved time and time again in the postseason that he can't be a team's primary point guard.

But the Wolves don't appear to have the assets in place to complete such a deal unless Philly is willing to take a mountain of future picks in the hopes of flipping them for a star down the line. Time will tell. But the Wolves have been regularly linked to Simmons enough this summer to suggest that they'll be in the mix in any and all trade talks.

Despite missing the playoffs in each of the past three seasons and 16 of the past 17, there is some excitement surrounding the Minnesota Timberwolves entering the 2021-22 campaign.

The core of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell will have the opportunity to play a full 82-game slate together for the first time, and that could lead to some marked improvements.

Minnesota finished with the third-worst record in the Western Conference last season at 23-49, but it played much better down the stretch, going 9-7 over its final 16 games.

As the T-Wolves look to carry that momentum over to the 2021-22 season, here is a full rundown of their upcoming schedule, as well as predictions for how they will fare.

         

2021-22 Timberwolves Schedule Details

Season Opener: Oct. 20 vs. Houston Rockets

Championship Odds: +19000 (via FanDuel)

Full Schedule: NBA.com

        

Top Matchups

Detroit Pistons (First Matchup: Feb. 3)

It is always a big deal in the NBA when top draft picks go head-to-head, and that will be the case when the Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons meet for the first time during the 2021-22 season.

Minnesota selected Edwards with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, and Detroit followed that up by taking Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham first overall in 2021.

Edwards got better and better as the 2020-21 season progressed and ended up averaging 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.4 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game.

As a result, the 20-year-old finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind only Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.

While there was plenty of hype surrounding Edwards when he entered the league, it can be argued that there is even more surrounding Cunningham, who was viewed as the consensus top prospect in the 2021-22 draft.

Like Edwards, Cunningham is an offensively gifted player, but he is also a skilled playmaker and rebounder from the point guard position.

When the T-Wolves and Pistons meet, it stands to reason that Edwards and Cunningham could be matched up together at times, which should make for some entertaining possessions.

They could be two of the NBA's biggest stars in the not-too-distant future, and their first meeting may be remembered by basketball fans for many years to come.

        

Miami Heat (First Matchup: Nov. 24)

It has been three years since Jimmy Butler forced his way out of Minnesota, but there may still be some hard feelings among Timberwolves fans.

Thanks largely to his play, the T-Wolves went 47-35 and reached the playoffs in 2018, ending a 13-year drought, which was the longest in the NBA at the time.

The belief was that the Timberwolves had turned the corner and would develop into a perennial playoff team, but that wasn't the case, as Butler made it clear entering the following season that he was unhappy, and it wasn't long before a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers materialized.

The 31-year-old spent most of the 2018-19 season in Philly, and he was then sent to the Miami Heat as part of a sign-and-trade the next offseason. That deal paid immediate dividends for Miami, as it went to the NBA Finals in 2020.

When Butler and the Heat arrive in Minnesota during the 2021-22 season, it won't be his first time back since the trade to Philadelphia but quite some time has passed since then.

With COVID-19 preventing fans from attending games late in the 2019-20 season and for most of 2020-21, Timberwolves fans haven't gotten to see the five-time All-Star live and in-person for quite a while.

If T-Wolves fans are still unhappy with the way Butler left the team, it could make for a loud and raucous atmosphere at Target Center in Minneapolis.

The Heat also figure to be a good measuring stick for the Timberwolves since Miami has reached the playoffs in 14 of the past 18 seasons, winning three championships during that time.

         

Season Forecast

The Timberwolves didn't make many notable additions this offseason, meaning they are banking on their existing core staying healthy and growing together.

Four players averaged at least 19 points per game for the team last season in Towns, Edwards, Russell and Malik Beasley, giving them a solid foundation to build upon.

Towns is the go-to guy with two All-Star nods to his credit, but he has struggled to stay on the court in recent seasons, missing 22 games in 2020-21 and playing in only 35 games in 2019-20.

The 2015-16 NBA Rookie of the Year is a force when healthy, though, as evidenced by his averages of 24.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last season.

Russell, who is a one-time All-Star in his own right, was limited to 42 games in his first full season with the Timberwolves in 2020-21, but he put up 19.0 points, 5.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per contest.

Beasley was also limited due to injury, playing in only 37 games, but he quietly ranked second on the team in scoring with 19.6 points per game.

Assuming all those players can stay off the injured list more often next season, and Edwards continues to develop into an elite offensive player, the Timberwolves should make some gains in 2021-22.

Minnesota also has some solid depth players in Naz Reid, Jaylen Nowell, Josh Okogie, Juan Hernangomez and Jarrett Culver who should be even more effective as supporting cast members.

The Timberwolves may not be quite ready to make the leap to playoff team, but with some Western Conference teams potentially in line to fall in the standings, Minnesota should be much closer to contention in 2021-22.

Record Prediction: 38-44

              

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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley was released from jail Tuesday after serving 78 days of a 120-day sentence.

Beasley posted an Instagram story saying he's "free" after being released. An official at the Wright County Jail told TMZ Sports that Beasley was released because he "followed the rules."

The 24-year-old was arrested last October after threatening a family with a gun outside of his home. Police found marijuana and seized more guns after doing a search of the property.

While Beasley was initially charged with drug possession and threats of violence, he struck a plea deal with prosecutors for reduced charges in exchange for agreeing to a 120-day jail sentence. He reported to jail in June.

The NBA suspended Beasley 12 games for his conduct after he entered the plea deal. The suspension cost him $1.1 million in game salaries.

Patrick Beverley was a Memphis Grizzly for less than 48 hours.

The Grizzlies agreed to trade Beverley to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Memphis acquired Beverley from the Clippers on Sunday as part of a deal that sent Eric Bledsoe to Los Angeles. Bledsoe had been acquired in a trade this offseason along with Steven Adams and the No. 10 overall pick for Jonas Valanciunas and the No. 17 selection.

The Grizzlies are buying low on Culver, who has struggled since being taken with the sixth pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He averaged 5.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 2020-21 while seeing his playing time slashed to 14.7 minutes per game. The Texas Tech product also missed 38 games due to injury.

Shooting woes have been Culver's biggest issue, as he's hit just 28.8 percent of his threes as a pro.

Hernangomez is a solid rotation big who can space the floor in limited minutes. He'll likely be on the floor in more offense-oriented lineups because Adams doesn't do much away from the basket. There's likely some level of hope he can develop into a Valanciunas-lite, and there's no harm if he struggles because his contract for 2022 is non-guaranteed.

The Wolves acquiring Beverley seems like a move designed to inject intensity into the team culture. It's unlikely Minnesota finds itself in playoff contention in a deep Western Conference, but Beverley's never-ending motor could be the type of jolt needed to shake up the locker room.

If the experiment fails, the Wolves can probably flip Beverley again around the trade deadline to a playoff team and net a couple of second-round picks or even a heavily protected first. 

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Juancho Hernangomez is reportedly upset with the organization. 

Per The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, Hernangomez's frustration stems from the T-Wolves' decision to block him from playing for Spain in the Olympics. 

Krawczynski added Spanish Basketball Federation officials believe Minnesota president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas made a "last-minute decision" to prevent the 25-year-old from playing with his home country.

In a statement released Saturday, Rosas said the Timberwolves team physician recommended Hernangomez not play for the Spanish national team. 

Hernangomez suffered a dislocated shoulder during one of Spain's scrimmages leading up to the Tokyo Games. The national team didn't appear to have any concerns about his ability to be ready for the Olympics, as he was included on the final roster released Monday. 

Jorge Garbajosa, president of the Spanish Basketball Federation, told reporters Friday they "had countless medical meetings and we’ve never received a ‘no.’ We have a received a ‘yes.'"

According to Krawczynski, the situation with the Timberwolves left Hernangomez "deeply disappointed and hurt" and it "will leave some damage repair to be done before training camp opens in September."

Hernangomez just completed his first full season with the T-Wolves. He has been a member of Spain's national basketball team since the 2017 EuroBasket event. He won a gold medal as part of the team at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. 

Spain will begin play at the 2020 Olympics on Monday against Japan. The country has medaled in each of the previous three Games, including a bronze at Rio de Janeiro five years ago. 

The NBA Board of Governors reportedly approved Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez as limited partners in the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx franchises Tuesday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the news, which is the first step in a multiyear process that will see Lore and Rodriguez take over the two franchises.

The former MLB star and former Walmart e-commerce CEO agreed in April to buy the Timberwolves and Lynx from Glen Taylor for $1.5 billion. Taylor will operate the franchise until 2023, with Lore and Rodriguez slowly transitioning to majority governorship.

"They've asked that I would be there for any decisions that would need to be made," Taylor told Dave Campbell of the Associated Press. "I would enjoy that. I love teaching people. These are a couple of very bright guys, and I think it could be helpful to the club and I think I could be helpful to them so that they feel confident once they take over 100 percent."

Rodriguez vowed last month to keep the Timberwolves in Minnesota. There had been some speculation about a potential move to Seattle, where Rodriguez spent his first seven MLB seasons. The city of Seattle is widely viewed as the obvious next choice for expansion or a relocated NBA franchise.

Approval from the Board of Governors is largely a rubber-stamping process; ownership agreements are rarely (if ever) nixed on a league level.

A legal challenge of the sale from minority governors was denied in court earlier this month, paving the way for the NBA approval. 

The Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves are expected to be among the teams to pursue restricted free agent John Collins this summer.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported those four teams could target Collins with an offer sheet to lure him from Atlanta. The Hawks will have the opportunity to match any offer given to Collins, but it remains to be seen if they're willing to meet open-market prices.

Charania reported Collins may have played his way into max-contract status, which would be $125.9 million over four years for a non-Hawks team. Collins has been open about his desire for a max deal, saying the Hawks especially should reward him for his improvement. 

"When we're talking max numbers and money, I feel like I definitely [am in] the conversation to have earned that money with the Hawks specifically, but obviously I know there's business and we don't always get exactly what we want," Collins said in May, per Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "But I want to be a Hawk. I want to stay with the Hawks.

The conversation regarding Atlanta's willingness to pay Collins the max may have changed after the Hawks' surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals. It would not be a surprise if management emphasized talent retention no matter the cost. The Hawks would also likely struggle to replace Collins if they allowed him to walk, so this may be a matter of the team having to match any offer sheet he receives.

It's unlikely that Collins is a top priority for any of the teams mentioned in free agency; he's almost certainly a backup in case they miss out on bigger stars on the open market. Collins' free agency may wind up lasting well past the first week of August as he tries to maximize his value. 

Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas says the team has had "a lot" of trade discussions with other teams ahead of the offseason.

"We're having a lot of conversations now. We've identified our needs, we've identified our options," Rosas said Tuesday on KFAN FM 100.3 (h/t Dane Moore of Blue Wire Podcasts).

The Timberwolves landed at No. 7 during the NBA lottery last month and lost the pick to the Golden State Warriors to complete last year's D'Angelo Russell-Andrew Wiggins trade. They had the sixth-best odds of winning the lottery.

Losing the pick wasn't unexpected, but it was still a frustrating blow to the Wolves, who appear to have found a star in the making with 2020 No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards. Adding another young piece to Edwards, Russell and center Karl-Anthony Towns would have helped the franchise emerge from its decade-and-a-half malaise (one playoff berth in 17 seasons).

The Wolves have to look at improving their roster by trading current pieces—all while the specter of Towns' future looms. He has three seasons remaining on his max contract but could reasonably request a trade to a larger market.

The Wolves have made the playoffs once in Towns' career (in 2017-18) and watched that team implode the following season amid Jimmy Butler's trade demands. The 25-year-old is one of the most offensively gifted big men to play the sport and will want to flash his skills on the brightest stage.

The clock is ticking for Rosas to find a roster that can help Minnesota compete for a playoff spot. With the team's combined 42-94 record the last two seasons, he faces an uphill battle.

One of the storylines of the NBA offseason this summer will be the future of Ben Simmons in Philadelphia and whether the Sixers will trade him.

If they do put him on the market, one team to keep an eye on is the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News in Minneapolis:

How badly do the #Timberwolves want to trade for Ben Simmons?

"Badly" pic.twitter.com/owYhhydPMQ

— SKOR North - Minnesota Sports (@SKORNorth) June 27, 2021

“I texted with someone that knows Ben Simmons incredibly well that has working knowledge of all things NBA. My text the other day said ... ‘how badly do the Wolves want to trade for Ben Simmons?’ This individual sent me a text back. It was one word: ‘Badly.' Make no mistake: The Wolves have trade interest in Ben Simmons."

It's easy to see why Minnesota would be interested. It has a stretch-5 in Karl-Anthony Towns who would pair more seamlessly with Simmons than Joel Embiid—KAT took 6.3 threes per game this past season, shooting 38.7 percent from deep—and a young, promising wing in Anthony Edwards. 

The Wolves could put four shooters around Simmons, let him attack the basket and pass to an open player, or let KAT and Edwards create their own shot in crunch time. The fit is there. 

The bigger question is what the return might be. A straight-up Simmons-for-D'Angelo Russell trade would work financially, but it wouldn't make much sense for Philly. Yes, Russell is a better and more willing scorer than Simmons and who could run the pick-and-roll effectively with Embiid. After Simmons' unwillingness to shoot the ball in the fourth quarter of these playoffs, a half-court upgrade would be a breath of fresh air. 

But Russell isn't an upgrade as a passer, and he's probably not the sort of elite perimeter player capable of consistently creating his own shot deep in the playoffs that the Sixers desperately need. Plus, he's a dramatic drop-off defensively from Simmons.