Minnesota Timberwolves

Veteran point guard Patrick Beverley has settled in nicely with the Minnesota Timberwolves this year, and the team made a move to keep him in the fold for next season as well.

His agent, Kevin Bradbury, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday that Beverley agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $13 million.

Minnesota acquired Beverley in an offseason trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. He was traded to the Grizzlies just nine days earlier from the Los Angeles Clippers, with whom he played the previous four seasons.

Beverley spent the first five years of his career with the Houston Rockets, who signed him as a free agent in 2013. The Los Angeles Lakers drafted him in 2009, but he never played for the team. He played overseas while working his way back to the NBA.

Through 38 games with 34 starts this season, Beverley is averaging 9.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists, his highest marks in over three years.

Known for his energy and intensity, Beverley is highly regarded for his hounding defense. He was selected to the All-Defensive team three times, with a first-team selection in 2017 and two second-team spots in 2014 and 2020. He's been a nice complement to his backcourt mate D'Angelo Russell, who averages 19.1 points and a team-high 6.9 assists.

The Timberwolves have a record of 30-27, which is good for seventh place in the Western Conference. Minnesota is attempting to achieve its first playoff berth since 2017-18.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley is among those reveling in the Los Angeles Lakers' misery this year.

Speaking to reporters about Beverley's defensive reputation in 2019, Lakers star Russell Westbrook said he "trick y'all" and "don't guard nobody." Well, Beverley clearly has a long memory:

I remember when somebody said all I do is run around and I trick y’all 😂 well my boy is The Real Magician this year.

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 10, 2022

The cold war between these two dates back to the 2013 playoff series between Beverley's Houston Rockets and Westbrook's Oklahoma City Thunder.

Beverley went for a steal after Westbrook called a timeout, and the nine-time All-Star suffered a knee injury that took him out for the rest of the postseason. While the 60-win Thunder won that series, they lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the conference semifinals without Westbrook.

Fast-forward to the present, and Westbrook is slogging through perhaps the worst season of his career. Through 55 games, he's averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists. He's shooting 43.5 percent from the field, and his three-point percentage has dipped below 30 percent (29.8) for the fourth time in five years.

L.A., meanwhile, is 26-30 and ninth in the Western Conference.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported Wednesday that Lakers players acknowledge "something must be done to get the team back on course with Thursday's trade deadline fast approaching."

Bill Oram of The Athletic went a step further and reported the Lakers "no longer believe they can win at a high level" with Westbrook as the third star to complement the Anthony Davis and LeBron James partnership.

The 33-year-old got benched toward the end of a 122-115 overtime victory over the New York Knicks last Saturday. It was the second time this year head coach Frank Vogel took him off the court in the end stages of a close game.

Westbrook has always been polarizing in that some have questioned the utility of his ball-dominant approach and how to properly judge his impressive individual numbers.

As Beverley made clear, it's open season for his biggest skeptics to have a field day with his and the Lakers' performances.

Amid their recent hot streak that has moved them firmly into playoff contention, the Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly looking to make a big move before Thursday's trade deadline.

Per Darren Wolfson of SKOR North, the Timberwolves are "definitely" trying to acquire Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics.

Wolfson also noted that unless Minnesota is willing to include a first-round draft pick or Jaden McDaniels in a package with Malik Beasley, a deal "most likely doesn't get done."

Smart's name has frequently come up in trade rumors this season, though the Celtics' recent success could alter their plans before the deadline.

B/R's Eric Pincus reported on Jan. 24 that the Dallas Mavericks have been linked to multiple players, including Smart.

Per The Athletic's Jared Weiss and Jon Krawczynski, the Celtics tried to engage the Timberwolves in a deal that would send Josh Richardson and one of either Romeo Langford or Aaron Nesmith to Minnesota for Beasley.

The T-Wolves rejected that proposal to "maintain flexibility for bigger moves at the deadline."

Smart is one of the best defensive guards in the NBA. He has also transformed himself into a solid offensive contributor, averaging 11.5 points and 5.5 assists per game in 45 starts this season.

The Celtics have won four straight and are 29-25. They currently sit in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference but are only 3.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 3 seed.

The T-Wolves have won three straight and 11 of their last 16 games since Jan. 3. Their 27-25 record ranks seventh in the Western Conference, just one game behind the Denver Nuggets for the sixth seed and avoiding the play-in tournament.

The NBA trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 10.   

The Minnesota Timberwolves could be a trade destination for Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers, but some reported snags could prevent such a deal.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported the latest news Friday.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have also remained in conversations with the 76ers, but are unwilling to meet Philadelphia’s high threshold for draft picks. Minnesota has indicated an openness to discussing a package that includes Simmons and Tobias Harris, sources said, but that offer would not come with draft capital from the Timberwolves and the 76ers do not view both players as part of a salary dump trade. The gulf in perspective is why there hasn’t been much traction so far.

However, it appears that the Brooklyn Nets could be involved in a deadline deal for Simmons, with Charania reporting that a move involving impending free agent James Harden and the 76ers point guard could be in play:

With the NBA trade deadline just days away on Feb. 10, the 76ers are expected to pursue Harden in the coming days and the Nets are believed to be open to discussing a deal, sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Athletic.

There’s expectation that both the 76ers and Nets will engage in dialogue on a deal around Simmons for Harden, multiple sources say, with Philadelphia holding a chest of role players in Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle that could sweeten a potential package.

Simmons, who requested a trade last summer, has sat for the entire season. The three-time All-Star has averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals for his four-year career.

As far as the Timberwolves go, it might behoove them to ride it out with their current group.

Minnesota has won three straight (and seven of its last 10) to move to 27-25 and seventh in the Western Conference standings. The Timberwolves are just four games behind the reeling Utah Jazz for fourth in the West.

The Timberwolves also have the 10th-easiest schedule remaining in the league, per Tankathon, so brighter days could be ahead.

The 76ers and Simmons appear to be at an unsolvable impasse. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Simmons will continue to sit for the remainder of the season even if he's not moved before the trade deadline.

The 76ers have fined Simmons over $19 million since the season began, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. He's under contract with the team through 2025 after signing a five-year, $177.2 million deal.

As for Tobias Harris, he has three years left on a five-season, $180 million deal and will be a free agent in 2024. He's averaged 18.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game but has fared better of late, posting 22.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting in his past eight contests.

Ultimately, the primary focus on the 76ers as the trade deadline approaches revolves around Simmons, and the latest news surrounding the Nets' reported interest appears to be the 76ers' best bet at moving him before the deadline.

Shootaround has long ended. Anthony Edwards makes his way to the Chase Center court's corner to sit down for an interview. He stops to watch a pickup game between some Timberwolves players, staffers and trainers. 

"You better not let that man score on you," he screams at Patrick Beverley. Edwards watches the light-hearted pickup game for another minute, as if he wants to lace his sneakers back up and get in on the action himself.

It may be subtle, but that is just a peek into the mind of Edwards and what makes him tick. His fun-loving nature and witty soundbites get most of the press. But when you continue to unpeel the layers, you get an ambitious and calculated hooper motivated to run down on each and every one of his goals.

"A lot of people think I am a joke because I am so funny. But I am not a joke, man. Don't play with me," a suddenly straight-faced Edwards tells B/R.

Edwards wants to be an All-Star and believes he should be one. This season. And he has a case. The Timberwolves still have a ways to go, but they are trending in the right direction. They are a play-in team with a realistic shot of avoiding the play-in round altogether. Edwards is averaging 22.7 points per game, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He has grown from a streaky volume shooter to a legit threat from everywhere on the court. 

He shot 32.9 percent from deep on 7.2 attempts per game as a rookie. This year he's shooting 36.6 percent on 8.9 attempts per game. Edwards claims the knocks on his jump shot coming into the league were never legit.

"I mean I still put a lot of work in on everything. A lot of work on my shooting, but they still was wrong,” says Edwards.

History tells us that his numbers are All-Star worthy. So does the eye test. But the final roster is subjective. Steph Curry and Ja Morant were named the starters in the Western Conference backcourt, so Edwards will battle it out with some heavyweights: Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Donovan Mitchell, Dejounte Murray and Desmond Bane will all be considered. Some will bow out for injury reasons.

Either way, he will have to rely on the coaches and media to give him a spot. Good thing for him, coaches are starting to notice his growth.

"I think the biggest thing is his maturity as a player," says Steve Kerr before his third matchup of the year against Edwards last week. "Like most guys, the second year becomes a lot easier than the first just based on experience and knowing what you're facing. And I think Anthony looks really comfortable and confident out there. ... There is so much to learn between personnel and scouting reports and tendencies. I think he's picked up a lot of that stuff and now is playing with a lot of confidence."

Edwards' long-term goals are, in a word, lofty. Without any hesitation, he tells me he wants to be the face of the league in five years. He wants to be a multiple-time MVP and have an NBA championship ring. Outside of Kevin Garnett and his MVP season, those are feats that no one in the Minnesota Timberwolves organization has ever accomplished.

"I want to be an All-Star. I want to go deep in the playoffs, definitely past the first round. In five years, I want to be the face of the league and have a couple of MVPs by then and have a ring. In five years, I would expect to go to the Finals for sure," Edwards says.

So what makes him different than some of the stars of the past in Minnesota? One argument: he's fiercely competitive and eager to make Minnesota legitimate contenders.

He mentions the Warriors as the gold standard, even though he hung 48 on them in November. He gushes over their unselfishness. The competitor in him sees himself on a level with Golden State's institutional stars, right now. But he also has a tremendous amount of respect for that organization, because they've accomplished nearly all of those goals on his checklist.

"Even when KD [Kevin Durant] came it was never like, 'I need to get 30 tonight. We are going to swing it and whoever is open gets the ball.' That was beautiful to watch. Even this year with Steph and Klay [Thompson] back. It's a beautiful thing to watch. And Steve Kerr has a great system over there."

Edwards has officially arrived. His play. His mindset. His swagger on and off the court screams NBA superstar. Let him tell it; he's been here for a while. He notes his 29-point performance at (then) Staples Center in March as when he really began to feel like he was that guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppwJk_dH-F8

But none of that guarantees anything. At the very least, we know he will be one of the game's best scorers for some time. But will he be that transcendent face of the franchise that Minnesota has been looking for since Garnett was traded in 2007? Kevin Love couldn't do it. Neither could Andrew Wiggins or Jimmy Butler.

"I am willing to win at all costs. I am willing to do whatever it takes. I'm willing to guard the best player for 48 minutes. I'll try to get 30 rebounds. It's whatever. I will do whatever it takes, and I feel like that is what will put us over the hump."

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards doubles as one of the NBA's most electric players on the court and one of the most entertaining ones off it.

Edwards' highlight-reel dunks have helped the second-year pro make a name for himself in the league, but don't expect him to enter the NBA Slam Dunk Contest any time soon (or at all):

Asked Anthony Edwards if he would ever do the dunk contest: “Nope. I’m an in-game dunker.”

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) January 22, 2022

This year's contest is scheduled to take place Feb. 19 during the NBA's All-Star Weekend in Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons won last year's competition.

Participants have yet to be announced, but it appears Edwards won't take part. That's too bad, but he does wow fans with his dunking on a routine basis:

The 6'4" Edwards' poster dunks have been a staple in NBA highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iODDxjp936A

He even makes highlight reels for dunks that don't count:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fzBaYgDLPI

For now, Edwards is focused on guiding the Timberwolves to the playoffs. He's averaging 22.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists for a 22-23 team currently sitting ninth in the Western Conference.

Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns wasn't about to be condemned by the National Basketball Referees Association even if he didn't agree with the officiating during Wednesday's 134-122 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

"I'm not up here to give you a Dak Prescott kind of comment, so no comment," he told reporters when discussing the officials.

However, he also addressed a play at the end of the third quarter when his fadeaway jump shot was taken off the board. What's more, he was issued a flagrant foul for kicking up and making contact with the defender as he unleashed the shot.

"I've never seen it in basketball before." he said. "I've never seen it in the NBA. ... All I'll say is Dirk Nowitzki got put on the floor for the same shot," he added with a nod to the Dallas Mavericks placing a decal of the all-time great's patented fadeaway jumper on their court.

Referee Bill Kennedy addressed the call after the game:

On KAT:
"At the end of the period replay review is triggered with a made basket. It was observed during the review that a flagrant foul was committed by Towns for kicking the defender, therefore nullifying the basket. The technical foul was given to Towns for taunting."

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) January 20, 2022

The Prescott reference was notable since the Dallas Cowboys quarterback found himself in some hot water for his words following Sunday's playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. After he found out some Cowboys fans were throwing things at the referees as they left the field, he said, "credit to them, then."

Prescott then apologized for his words, saying they were "uncalled for and unfair":

I deeply regret the comments I made regarding the officials after the game on Sunday.

I was caught up in the emotion of a disappointing loss and my words were uncalled for and unfair.

— Dak Prescott (@dak) January 19, 2022

The Cowboys fans were so upset because of the way the game ended. Dallas had the ball with no timeouts remaining and 14 seconds left while trailing by six and called a quarterback draw with Prescott. While he picked up plenty of yardage, he was tackled in bounds to create a frantic situation with the clock running.

The official was far behind the play and sprinted in an effort to spot the ball so Dallas could spike it. He ran over Prescott in the process, and the clock expired before the Cowboys could run one final play.

It was a questionable play call at best, but it was still one of the more bizarre endings in recent NFL history.

Yet Prescott's comments drew the ire of the NBRA, which tweeted: "The NBRA condemns the comments by Dak Prescott condoning violence against game officials. As an NFL leader, he should know better. We encourage the NFL to take action to discourage this deplorable behavior in the future."

As for Wednesday's game, the Timberwolves lost by double digits and shot just four fewer free throws than Atlanta (33-29).

Towns was upset with the one play at the end of the third quarter, but it ultimately didn't make much difference in the final outcome.

Anthony Edwards knows how to put on a show.

The young Minnesota Timberwolves star had a little something for Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, leading his team to a 112-110 victory over the New York Knicks.

It was a solid win for a Timberwolves team looking to stay in the postseason picture. The 22-22 Wolves have now won six of their last eight games and are currently seventh in the Western Conference.

The Knicks, meanwhile, have now lost two in a row after last week's three-game winning streak. Tuesday's loss spoiled the return of veteran point guard Kemba Walker, who missed the previous nine games with left knee soreness.

Walker got off to a slow start before erupting in the fourth quarter:

KEMBA 👌👌👌 pic.twitter.com/k9CLIOimpz

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) January 19, 2022

KEMBA WALKER FROM WAY DOWNTOWN

BANG! pic.twitter.com/kOoux8XJO3

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) January 19, 2022

KEMBA WALKER HAS MSG GOING CRAZY 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/UVnPoUbzba

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) January 19, 2022

That put New York in position to win late, but an Alec Burks three as time expired banked off the rim and Minnesota survived.

The Knicks dropped to 22-23 with the loss and are currently 11th in the East.

---

Key Stats

Anthony Edwards, MIN: 21 points

Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN: 20 points, five rebounds

D'Angelo Russell, MIN: 17 points, four assists

Evan Fournier, NYK: 27 points

Kemba Walker, NYK: 19 points, four assists

Julius Randle, NYK: 21 points, nine rebounds, nine assists

---

Is Fournier French For Bucket?

It was in the third quarter on Tuesday.

Fournier was a huge part of New York's third quarter 40-point outburst, scoring 12 of his own in the frame while helping to inject some life into the previously listless Knicks. The Knicks needed a spark, and Fournier brought a torch. 

EVAN FOURNIER. 4TH THREE NOW. pic.twitter.com/UTFck3uqkk

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) January 19, 2022

Evan Fournier leads the Knicks on a 18-4 run!

Watch Now on @NBATV pic.twitter.com/W16kXjaM9N

— NBA (@NBA) January 19, 2022

That paved the way for Walker's heroics in the fourth, as the Madison Square Garden crowd was whipped into a bing-bonging frenzy.

Of course, the Knicks then failed to capitalize on multiple opportunities down the stretch to seal the deal. It's been that sort of season in New York.

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Anthony Edwards Remains Fun

Edwards cooled off a bit after a hot first half, but he was still the best player on the court for the Timberwolves. Less than two years in, it's clear the Wolves have an ascendant star on their hands. 

https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1483610376377757699

https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1483609708543893505

https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1483630593346654212

The Wolves are an interesting team, if only because the timelines of players like KAT and Russell don't quite match up to Edwards. But it's easy to see why the Wolves wouldn't part with Edwards for a more proven star in the short term. His potential is simply too high. 

The MSG crowd got a taste of that on Tuesday. 

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What's Next?

The Timberwolves have the second half of a back-to-back Wednesday, traveling to Atlanta to face the Hawks at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Knicks will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Jimmy Butler after he appeared in just 10 games in his second season with the team, but Karl-Anthony Towns is still thankful for the time they spent as teammates even if it wasn't always smooth sailing.

"Thank you Jimmy, appreciate you," Towns said. "No matter that we didn't see eye-to-eye, alright f--k it, we didn't see eye-to-eye. We don't have to. But guess what? We got the job done on the court. We gave the Wolves a chance to be in the playoffs. We did that. Thankful."

While there is no questioning of Towns' talent after the Timberwolves selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft, the team has not exactly found much on-court success.

In fact, Minnesota's only playoff appearance during the Towns era came in 2017-18 when Butler was also on the roster and led the team in scoring with 22.2 points per game.

The Timberwolves lost in the first round to the Houston Rockets in five games, but it seemed to be a significant step in the right direction for a franchise that had not previously been to the playoffs since the 2003-04 campaign.

That turned out not to be the case.

Minnesota moved Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers in November of the next season after he requested a trade during the offseason. There was also the infamous practice where he apparently yelled at and challenged the likes of Towns, Andrew Wiggins, head coach Tom Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden.

He also found success against his fellow starters while teaming up with backup players.

Cameras also picked up Butler and Towns talking trash to each other during a May game between the Timberwolves and Miami Heat:        

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

To hear Towns tell it now, he is grateful for the time he spent with his former teammate, which resulted in the one playoff appearance of his career. 

The Timberwolves could change that this season, though, as they are in position to make the play-in tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference at 16-20.           

With COVID-19 ravaging rosters across the NBA, players are being put in situations where they don't even know their teammates' names.

Such was the case for Greg Monroe when he watched Jaylen Nowell go off for 29 points and six rebounds to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 108-103 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday.

"Not gonna lie, Jaylen Nowell played awesome tonight, but I had no idea who that was," Monroe told reporters. 

The ironic part of Monroe's comment is that he was the one playing in his first NBA game since the 2018-19 season, not Nowell. Monroe signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Timberwolves amid the team's COVID-19 issues, dropping 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists in his team debut.

"It has been a whirlwind," Monroe told reporters. "I was just so focused on being ready when my number was called, I haven't gotten a chance to digest it honestly, but in this league, you don't have much time to digest anything. We've got another game tomorrow, and the Knicks are playing well. Right now, that's what I'm focusing on."

Nowell, a 2019 second-round pick, is in his third season with the Wolves. He's appeared in 76 NBA games, averaging 7.3 points and 1.8 rebounds.