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NBA Trade Machine: De'Aaron Fox was part of 8.6% of the trades built on HoopsMatic over the past 24 hours. Of those trades, his top destinations were Minnesota (10.3%), LA Clippers (7.1%), and LA Lakers (6.3%). The most common players sent back for him were Luka Doncic (6.3%), Evan Mobley (6.3%), and Anthony Edwards (4.8%).
Patrick Beverley: "The first team we play against is the Clippers, and if we win, the Minnesota gets into the playoffs after 16 years. Jimmy Butler has been there, Derrick Rose has been there, all these different players have been there, high-level players, all-star, Jeff Teague, all-star caliber type players, and Minnesota has never been there. And then you inject Pat Bev in there and we're playing with a number seven seed."
Fullcourtpass: Anthony Edwards after Jonathan Kuminga arrived in Minnesota "Ya'll see what going on. This sh*t over, man. Wrap this sh*t up. This sh*t over this year, man."
League sources tell The Stein Line that Minnesota indeed explored the feasibility of trying to convince Vezenkov to give the NBA one more shot before the Timberwolves' recent signing of Jonathan Kuminga. Sources say no formal offer from the Wolves was made, but that's presumably because the 31-year-old indicated that he was not open to a return.
Legion Hoops: Pat Bev says he helped ignite the winning culture in Minnesota: “I really put on for the city of Minnesota, and I don’t know if people know this, but they haven’t missed the playoffs since I got there… I’m not saying it’s all me, but I started something in Minnesota for sure.” (via @ThanalysisShow)
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Minnesota’s payroll places it as the sixth highest in the NBA. The Timberwolves will pay LaMelo Ball $40 million, Anthony Edwards $48.9 million and Rudy Gobert $36.5 million. Jaden McDaniels rounds out the group at $26 million, which could make Kuminga the odd man out. “A $6.5 million salary in the NBA is a bench role salary. Your salary determines ultimately how a team treats you,” Green said.
Shams Charania: The Timberwolves are expected to keep Cody Williams, the No. 10 pick in 2024, and waive-and-stretch John Konchar, sources said. They found a home for Josh Green on a Jazz team that wanted an additional 3-and-D wing; moving his $14.7 million deal gives Minnesota the salary space to sign Jonathan Kuminga using the taxpayer midlevel exception.
Bobby Marks: Minnesota will need to make a roster move to fit the Kuminga $6.1M salary below the second apron. The deadline to stretch a player is Saturday.
Shams Charania: BREAKING: Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. Kuminga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender.
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Michael Porter Jr.: "I don't know why they let KCP go. That was the beginning of our downfall. We still went Game 7 with Minnesota after Tim Connelly kind of built Minnesota to try to beat us with the two bigs. Because then you put KAT on Joker and you let Rudy kind of roam. So they kind of built that team to try to beat us and they got us in Game 7. Then they let us run it back another year and that's when we lost to OKC in Game 7. That's when I got hurt. I was wearing the pad on my shoulder. My shoulder was like dislocated and stuff and we lost to OKC in Game 7. I had a terrible playoffs because I had an AC joint grade two injury. It was like a three or four-month injury, but I'm trying to play through it. I'm popping it with the numbing stuff with a needle every game. I'm trying to play through it, can't lift my arm, but we lose and I played the worst. So I'm like, okay, I'm the one that's probably going to get shipped out."
Those sources believe, at some point, Stad expressed interest in increasing his stake, even before Lore began contemplating a sale. Eventually, Lore became less immersed in the T-Wolves, needing to be more hands-on with the day-to-day of his Wonder business. Observers in Minnesota noticed he wasn’t as visible around the team as Rodriguez, and it’s believed Stad increased his role in the organization at that time, as well. So the sale was organically timed for Lore, something brewing for months and not a rash bail-out.
Jon Krawczynski: What I’m told on what is always the biggest question in a change of ownership power: Stad is fully on board with Lore and Rodriguez’s position that they will not move the Wolves and Lynx and is all in on building a new arena in Minnesota.
Now, Minnesota is retooling. The Timberwolves pulled off a blockbuster trade Ball last month, pairing him with Edwards to form a new-look backcourt. For Anthony Edwards, the move could finally give Minnesota enough firepower to get past the teams that have stood in its way. "Against those two teams, I think we're going to beat them," Edwards told ESPN about the Timberwolves' chances against the Thunder and Spurs during his visit to Manila.
