Minnesota Timberwolves

Former NBA player Arron Afflalo is renewing the bid from his ownership group to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.

Tech entrepreneur Marc Lore and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez had an exclusive 30-day negotiating window with current owner Glen Taylor, but the period expired without a deal, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst. Lore and Rodriguez reportedly continue to negotiate with a final purchase price expected to be around $1.5 billion.

Afflalo was initially part of a bid to purchase the team last July, with the 35-year-old considered the "face of the group," per Pat Graham and Dave Campbell of the Associated Press. Venture capitalist Brock Berglund was considered the primary financial backer of the group.

Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania of The Athletic reported in September the group "is confident it has the financial means and long-term vision" to have a successful bid.

The challenge could be getting ahead of Lore and Rodriguez, who continue to negotiate for ownership.

As Windhorst noted, Taylor has had several exclusive negotiating windows over the last decade without actually selling the team, including recently with Daniel Straus.

Afflalo never played for the Timberwolves, but he is well-known around the NBA as an 11-year NBA veteran who competed for six different organizations. He retired in 2018 with $58.7 million in career earnings, per Spotrac.

His best individual season came with the Orlando Magic, averaging 18.2 points per game in 2013-14, but he finished his career with an average of 10.8 points per game and was respected for his work on the defensive end.

The group led by former MLB star Alex Rodriguez reportedly hasn't yet closed the deal on purchasing the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves. 

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the 30-day exclusive negotiating window that the group headed by Rodriguez and Marc Lore had with Timberwolves governor Glen Taylor ended without an official agreement coming to pass.

Windhorst noted that while an extension of the window is possible, none has occurred yet, although Taylor continues to negotiate with Rodriguez and Lore.

Per Dave Campbell of the Associated Press, Taylor announced his intention to sell the team, as well as the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, to Rodriguez and Lore on April 10.

Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported at the time that the sale price was expected to be $1.5 billion.

Windhorst noted that the original plan was for Rodriguez and Lore to buy the team in phases over the next two years before taking full control for the 2023-24 season. Included in the negotiations was reportedly a certain date that Rodriguez and Lore wanted Taylor to give them controlling governorship.

This isn't the first time Taylor has entered into an exclusive negotiating window having announced his intention to sell the Timberwolves on multiple occasions.

Last year, Taylor negotiated with former Memphis Grizzlies minority owner Daniel Straus, but the talks didn't end in a sale.

The Timberwolves' 2020-21 season is winding down, and they sit 13th in the Western Conference with a 21-47 record. Minnesota is set to miss the playoffs for the third year in a row and the 16th time in the past 17 seasons.

Despite that, there is some excitement surrounding the franchise due to the presence of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell, plus a high pick in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft, as well as the possibility of new governors.

Anthony Edwards tried to downplay the back-and-forth between Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler on Friday, calling it a "grown-ass" conversation.

"Man, they're grown men, dawg. They were just talking, having a regular conversation if you ask me. If y'all come to see us compete, it's no competition if we're not talking s--t to each other, know what I'm saying?" Edwards told reporters. "Y'all can take that with a grain of salt. Like I said, they're grown-ass men. They're having a conversation. A regular conversation."

Tonight on the Anthony Edwards Show...

Ant narrating the Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler "grown-ass man conversation" and his thoughts on "The Zebras" role in the game. pic.twitter.com/3qIYGn3xHM

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) May 8, 2021

Television cameras picked up the trash-talk session between the former teammates, with Butler telling Towns he is "soft as baby s--t." Towns responded by telling Butler to "call Rachel Nichols."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwHoVbwII1M

Butler gave Nichols a sit-down interview in 2018 while trying to force his way out of Minnesota. His scorched-earth trade request was punctuated by an infamous practice in which Butler denigrated teammates, the coaching staff and the front office.

It appears there's bad blood between Towns and Butler nearly three years later.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns took a strong stance in support of teammate Anthony Edwards' candidacy for the Rookie of the Year Award on Friday.

Towns explained the double-teams faced by Edwards, the first pick in the 2020 NBA draft, are everything voters should need to see to understand his impact, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic:

Karl-Anthony Towns’ full stump speech for Anthony Edwards, Rookie of the Year pic.twitter.com/xpMuGH3E6t

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) May 8, 2021

Edwards and the Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball are the top two contenders for the league's top rookie honor.

The Wolves shooting guard has found another gear since the All-Star Game. He averaged 14.9 points on 37.1 percent shooting before the March 7 event and 23.7 points on 44.9 percent shooting since the break.

Here's how his season-long baseline numbers match up with Ball's heading into the final week of the regular season:

• Edwards: 19.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.1 SPG in 67 appearances

• Ball: 15.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.6 SPG in 46 appearances

A lot could depend on how much, if any, voters factor in Ball's five-week absence with a wrist injury, which is why his number of games is so much lower than Edwards'. That is probably less of a factor in the Rookie of the Year discussion than something like MVP, though.

Regardless of who wins the award, Edwards' play over the past couple of months has showcased why he was the top pick in last year's draft. He's a dynamic offensive talent with the potential to win a scoring title in his prime.

The 19-year-old Georgia native is a lackluster defender—ranking last in FiveThirtyEight's defensive Raptor rating among rookies—and his shooting efficiency must continue to improve, but his ability to create instant offense as a teenager in the NBA is impressive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZdGyClKvdU

As Towns noted, that's forced opposing teams to start throwing double-teams in the rookie's direction to get the ball out of his hands. That's even more impressive when you consider he's playing alongside two other proven scorers in Towns and D'Angelo Russell, and opponents are still making that decision.

"I've always been a player that nobody gives excuses for," Edwards told Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated in April. "If I have a bad game, it's because I suck, I'm a bust, whatever. ... But it's fun at this point. I like having so much expected of me."

The University of Georgia product has five more games to state his Rookie of the Year case, starting Sunday against the Orlando Magic.   

There remains optimism that the Minnesota Timberwolves will be sold to a group of investors that includes former American League MVP Alex Rodriguez and businessman Marc Lore. 

Per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, all parties involved in the negotiations "remain confident that a deal is on track to be completed."

Krawczynski reported on April 10 that Rodriguez and Lore signed a letter of intent to purchase the T-Wolves from Glen Taylor. That gives them an exclusive 30-day negotiating window to finalize a deal. 

“We look forward to entering this phase of the process with Glen Taylor," Rodriguez and Lore said in a joint statement at the time, via ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. "Our respect for him and the legacy he has built lays an amazing foundation for what is to come. We are excited by the prospect of getting to know the Timberwolves organization, the talented team and their incredible fans.”

If a deal gets done, Rodriguez and Lore would serve as limited partners with Taylor for the next two seasons before fully taking over in 2023-24. 

While a price has not been determined at this point, Mike Ozanian of Forbes reported in November that the T-Wolves and Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA, who are also owned by Taylor, could be sold for $1.5 billion. 

The 30-day negotiating window will expire after May 10. 

Rodriguez currently works as a color commentator for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. He played 22 MLB seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees from 1994-2016. 

Lore most recently served as CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce. He co-founded eCommerce company Jet.com in 2014.

Taylor has been the T-Wolves majority owner since 1994. He has owned the Lynx since their inaugural season in 1999. 

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are not exactly bad company to keep.

Those are the names Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards found himself beside following Wednesday's 139-135 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The 19-year-old finished with 42 points, seven assists and six rebounds behind a blistering 8-of-9 shooting from deep.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, James and Durant are the only other teenagers in NBA history to finish a game with a 40-5-5 stat line.

He and James are also the only two teenagers to reach the 40-point mark in multiple games:

Teenagers with multiple 40+ point games in NBA history:

3 - @KingJames
2 - @theantedwards_

That's the list. pic.twitter.com/40JgPT6pul

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 6, 2021

Edwards entered Wednesday's game averaging 18.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists a night and could very well be on his way to the Rookie of the Year. He has now scored 25 or more points in three straight contests.

Wednesday was quite the statement as he attempts to hold off LaMelo Ball in the race to be named the league's top rookie.

What are you doing, Minnesota Timberwolves? Stop winning.

The Houston Rockets (15-47) get it. So do the Orlando Magic (19-43), Detroit Pistons (19-43), Oklahoma City Thunder (21-41) and Cleveland Cavaliers (21-41). Meanwhile, the Timberwolves (19-44) have won three straight games after beating the league-leading Utah Jazz (45-17) and Rockets on back-to-back nights.

Minnesota head coach Chris Finch isn't leading his team into any intentional losses, but the franchise's fate may hinge on the upcoming draft lottery. If the Timberwolves drop out of the top three, they won't have a first-rounder in the 2021 NBA draft.

How long will Karl-Anthony Towns stay patient with the perpetually underperforming Timberwolves? Is he going to follow in Kevin Garnett's footsteps, who advanced out of the first round of the playoffs only once during his first 12 years with the team?

     

"'KAT Wanting To Be Elsewhere' Chatter"

Half of the league is waiting for the other shoe to drop. Will Towns force his way out of Minnesota this offseason?

Several league sources have indicated their teams are looking closely at the Timberwolves' future. One noted: "The 'KAT wanting to be elsewhere' chatter increased drastically over the year."

Towns has a single playoff win on his resume (a game, not a series) in his six NBA seasons. The team is for sale and in exclusive negotiations with Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. 

Alex Rodriguez and partner Marc Lore are nearing minority stakes with the Minnesota Timberwolves, with plan to take control of the franchise in two years under mentorship of Glen Taylor. Statement from A-Rod and Lore: pic.twitter.com/nFDIhil5ra

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 10, 2021

If Rodriguez and Lore take over in two years, Towns will be near the end of his contract. Can president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas and current team governor Glen Taylor fix the roster quickly? Wasn't that the intent of the D'Angelo Russell trade?

The Wolves acquired a young All-Star guard to pair with their All-Star big, gambling a potential lottery pick that it would work quickly. It hasn't.

"They're just not good enough," an Eastern Conference executive said. "They are talented, but they're not on par with the best duos in the league like LeBron [James] and [Anthony Davis] or even Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray [when healthy]."

The team has minimal flexibility with limited draft capital and a payroll close to the luxury tax for the 2021-22 season. Is Towns going to wait quietly until he's near the end of his contract when the new potentially ownership group takes over?

What happens if he pulls a James Harden and requests a trade?  

The Rockets could have refused to trade away their best player, but they quickly discovered how difficult a dissatisfied star can be on a team. That's a lesson the New Orleans Pelicans learned with Davis during the 2018-19 season before they ultimately traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Would a top prospect in the draft move the needle for Towns? Even the best recent prospects like Anthony Edwards, Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic and Towns himself have needed time to develop into playoff-ready alphas. 

If the Timberwolves lose their first-rounder to the Warriors, their path back to playoff contention becomes even more daunting. Without any cap room, they aren't likely to make a massive jump via a player signed with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (roughly $9.5 million in the first season). Can they get appreciably better by trading away other players such as Malik Beasley or Ricky Rubio?

Trading Towns would be a drastic step, but say the Warriors were willing to send the No. 4 or 5 pick back to the Timberwolves along with James Wiseman, last year's No. 2 pick? Would that be enough of a starting point, provided Andrew Wiggins was rerouted to a third team for salary-matching purposes?

The New York Knicks will have substantial cap room this offseason, two first-rounders projected to be in the 20s (one from the Dallas Mavericks) and several young prospects like Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox to offer Minnesota. They could also dangle additional picks and/or a high-upside young player like RJ Barrett and/or Immanuel Quickley in return for Towns.

Would the Boston Celtics offer a more polished player like Jaylen Brown?

Trading Towns wouldn't be ideal, but if the Timberwolves remain in limbo for the next few years, the two-time All-Star may not be willing to stick around that long.

     

The Lottery Pick

The Timberwolves held the worst record in the league for most of the year, but they've become more competitive recently after Russell returned from a knee injury.

If they hold onto their top-three pick this year, they will send their completely unprotected 2022 first-rounder to the Warriors instead.

So, what's at stake in the draft itself? The buzz among several polled league sources: Five players stand well above what is a solid overall class. The lottery winners will be adding high-level talent.

Cade Cunningham: Of the prospects, the 19-year-old point forward has elite upside. He's the early favorite to go first in the draft, after averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game at Oklahoma State. He has a capable outside shot (40 percent from three) and NBA size at 6'8".

"He's not a ball-handling guard per se, but he will play as the playmaker down the stretch," one executive said. "I see some Tatum, some Luka [Doncic]."

"Cunningham is a future All-Star. Dude is so good," a former Western Conference executive said.

Jalen Green: Green skipped college to join the NBA G League Ignite, where he averaged 17.9 points per game. At 6'5", he's more of a prototypical shooting guard with tremendous athleticism.

"I think of Zach LaVine or Jaylen Brown for comps," the current executive said.

Unfortunately, the Ignite fell in the first round of the single-elimination playoffs to the Raptors 905. Green was electric with 30 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals in the losing effort.

The Timberwolves may be set at that position with Edwards, Beasley and Russell, but Green is an exciting talent.

Evan Mobley: The USC 7-footer may be the best two-way player in the lottery. He projects to be an impact defender at either center or power forward. While he averaged a steady 16.4 points per game as a freshman, he was more of a traditional big-man scorer. He shot 61.5 percent on two-point field-goal attempts but only 30 percent from deep.

"He's a Chris Bosh/Anthony Davis/[Bam] Adebayo type," the current executive said. "I think Cunningham, Mobley and Green all have All-Star/superstar upside."

Mobley could complement Towns defensively if the Timberwolves are open to a bigger lineup. In the more extreme case, Mobley could replace Towns as their starting center.

Jalen Suggs: A tremendous NCAA tournament may have boosted his stock, but Suggs was already highly regarded. The 6'4" point guard's clutch three-point heave over the UCLA Bruins was spectacular, but scouts were impressed by his block moments earlier against center Cody Riley.

TWO. WAY. MADNESS.

✅ Jalen Suggs block
✅ Drew Timme dunk pic.twitter.com/o7AGVns8wz

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 4, 2021

Was it enough to boost him to the top of the lottery?

"I think Suggs is a half-step below the top three [in the draft]. He needs to shoot it better," the current executive said. "He's a winner with a knack for big plays."

"He's a primary guard who can play off the ball," the former executive said. "He's better as a creator and playmaker."

It's worth noting that Suggs is a local kid from St. Paul. If he's the next Jrue Holiday, the Timberwolves might want to make room in an already crowded backcourt.

Jonathan Kuminga: Still only 18 years old, Kuminga spent the year in the G League with the Ignite, where he averaged 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds a game but shot only 38.7 percent from the field and 24.6 percent from three-point range. He may develop into a Pascal Siakam-type contributor but may take a little longer than the other top prospects.

"He reminds me of Jeremi Grant or Rudy Gay," the current executive said. "He didn't have a great year."

If Cunningham is the clear No. 1, the Timberwolves might have difficult deliberations picking second or third. At 6'7", Kuminga may fit what the team needs most at forward, but he might not be the best player available over Green, Mobley or Suggs.

     

Why It (Tanking) Matters

Minnesota is in a tough spot even if it finishes with a bottom-three record. The worst three teams have only a 40.1 percent chance of landing a top-three pick. That gives the Warriors 59.9 percent odds at a pick as high as No. 4, depending on where the Timberwolves finish in the standings.

The Rockets have a similar issue, which is why their commitment to tanking should be recognized. The Thunder have the right to swap out the 2021 Heat first (acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Paul George trade) with Houston's first. By plummeting to the bottom in the standings, the Rockets have given themselves the best chance of triggering their top-four protection on that swap, even if the odds are only 52.1 percent in their favor.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are now only a half-game "behind" the Magic and Pistons. If they climb to 27th place, their odds for a top-three pick drop to only 36.6 percent, and the Cavaliers and Thunder are lurking. If the Timberwolves keep winning, the odds could drop as low as 27.6.

The league is trying to eradicate tanking. The play-in tournament may have more teams competing for a playoff spot, even if they finish 10th in their conference. But at the bottom of the standings, teams still have the incentive to be as awful as possible.

At worst, the Pistons, Magic, Thunder and Cavaliers will still pick in the top 10. For Minnesota and Houston, the stakes are more extreme, but only the Rockets seem to have a better understanding of the moment.

For the betterment of its long-term future, Minnesota needs to stop winning.

    

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jarrett Culver will miss the rest of the 2020-21 season as he undergoes surgery on his right ankle, the team announced Thursday.

The initial injury came on Jan. 25, but imaging determined he still required surgery to get him back to full strength. The surgery is scheduled for May 7. 

Culver missed over a month of action earlier this year due to what was called an ankle sprain before returning in March. A renewed issue with the ankle has kept him out of the last five games for Minnesota.

The second-year player entered the day averaging 5.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Culver had earned a role right away for Minnesota last season after being selected No. 6 overall in the 2019 draft.

The Texas Tech product started 35 of his 63 games during his rookie season, averaging 9.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. The 29.9 percent shooting from three-point range was a disappointment, but his defense on the perimeter helped make up for it.

Minnesota's backcourt has become more crowded since Culver was drafted, however, with D'Angelo Russell, Ricky Rubio and 2020 No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards filling the rotation.

The 22-year-old still possesses plenty of upside, but another extended absence could hurt his development.

In the meantime, the Timberwolves will likely rely on Edwards and Josh Okogie to handle Culver's minutes for the rest of the year.

The Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves have been eliminated from playoff contention after the San Antonio Spurs' 106-91 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Houston had made the playoffs for eight straight seasons, which was the longest current streak in the NBA. The Rockets are now in rebuilding mode though after granting superstar guard James Harden's trade request and dealing him to the Brooklyn Nets in January.

Minnesota has made the playoffs just once since the 2003-04 season, when the team last won a postseason series. Like the Rockets, they are amid a rebuild, with the team constructing around a core featuring No. 1 overall draft picks Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards.

San Antonio's win meant that 10 Western Conference teams now have 29 wins or more. The NBA will hold play-in tournaments for the seventh through 10th seeds for each conference following the end of the regular season.

Minnesota and Houston, which have both lost 44 games, can only win as many as 28.

This year's postseason will begin on Tuesday, May 18 with the play-in tournament. Once the final four playoff teams are decided, the 16-team playoff will start on Saturday, May 22.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns praised his teammate, rookie forward Anthony Edwards, in an interview with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that published Wednesday. 

"For me, Anthony Edwards is special," Towns told Shelburne. "He's the most special player in that draft. That's what we believe. And that's what I believe wholeheartedly. And I'm going to defend him and his name as long as I can."

Edwards has been phenomenal since Feb. 24, averaging 23.3 points on 42.5 percent shooting, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, according to Basketball Reference.

He notably scored a career-high 42 points in a 123-119 road win over the Phoenix Suns, who sit second in the Western Conference. On Tuesday, Edwards' 28 points paced the T-Wolves in a 134-120 road win over the Sacramento Kings.

The former Georgia star, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, looks like a future perennial All-Star given how well he's performed of late. The debate about who is the "most special player" in the 2020 draft probably comes down to him or Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball.

Ball has been excellent in his own right, posting 15.9 points on 45.1 percent shooting (37.5 percent three-point rate), 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He's currently sidelined with a broken wrist, but the Hornets went 20-21 with him on the floor compared to just 23-42 last year. Ball has been a big part of his team's turnaround, as the Hornets look destined for the play-in tournament at worst.

Still, Edwards has been sensational, too, and seeing him average 25-plus points per game for much of his career isn't out of the question. He has sky-high potential and sports great chemistry with Towns, and the two will look to turn around the rebuilding franchise.