Karl-Anthony Towns injured, out at least four weeks

The Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday announced the following injury update on forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns.

An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) taken yesterday on Towns revealed a Left Knee Lateral Meniscus Tear. Towns will undergo surgery early next week on the torn meniscus and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Further updates will be provided when available

Timberwolves sign Mike Conley to contract extension

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard Mike Conley to a contract extension.

Per the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the deal is “a two-year contract extension worth $20.75 million overall.”

Conley, 36, is in the midst of his 17th season in the NBA, second with the Timberwolves, seeing action in 50 games (all starts), averaging 10.6 points on 44.4% shooting, including a career-best 44.2% from deep, 2.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 28.9 minutes per game. Conley has a career-high 6.08 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the NBA. Since 1977-78 (min. 50 games played), no player 36 years of age or older has had an assist-to-turnover higher than Conley this season.

Per the St., Paul Pioneer Press, “Conley has been a lynchpin for Minnesota’s massive success. The point guard — with his ball movement generation, lethal outside shooting and capable defending — has proven to be the missing piece that tied the Timberwolves’ two-big experiment together and turned Minnesota from a laughingstock into a title contender.”

The Ohio State University product has tallied four point/assist double-doubles this season and has dished out 10+ assists on five occasions. In the 118-103 Jan. 18 victory vs. Memphis, Conley added 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep and a season-high-tying 10 assists. His performance marked his second 15+ point/10+ assist game this season (52nd career), both coming against the Grizzlies, and his first such game doing so while shooting 63.0%+ from the field (fifth career). While dishing out 10 assists against Memphis, he did not commit a single turnover, the second time this season with 10 assists and zero turnovers (Jan. 12 vs. Portland) and the 16th in his career. In the Timberwolves 128-91 win at Portland on Feb. 15, Conley ended the game with seven points, four rebounds, six assists, two steals and a career-high-tying three blocks. It marked the second time over the last five seasons where Conley has had multiple blocks and multiple steals in the same game (also Oct. 24, 2022, Utah at Houston). At 36y-125d years old, he became the second-oldest player in Timberwolves history with 3+ blocks in a game.

For his career, the 6-1 guard has appeared in 1,075 career regular season games (1,038 starts) with the Grizzlies, Utah Jazz and Timberwolves, averaging 14.5 points on 43.9% shooting, 3.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Conley has seen action in 78 career playoff games (all starts) and has averaged 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game.

Conley is one of only seven active players and 19 in NBA history to total more than 15,000 points, 6,000 assists, 3,000 rebounds and 1,000 steals (James Harden, Jrue Holiday, LeBron James, Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook).

Pistons trade Monte Morris to Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves have acquired guard Monte Morris in a trade with the Detroit Pistons for forward Troy Brown Jr., guard Shake Milton and a 2030 second round pick.

Morris, 28, has appeared in 348 regular season games (166 starts) in seven NBA seasons with the Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards and Pistons, averaging 10.4 points on 47.9% shooting, including 38.9% from three, 2.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. In 62 games (61 starts) last season with Washington, the 6-2 guard averaged 10.3 points on 48.0% shooting, a career-high 3.4 rebounds and a career-best 5.3 assists. At the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, he ranked second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.4).

The Flint, Mich. native has appeared in 48 playoff games (10 starts), averaging 9.5 points on 45.1% shooting and 3.5 assists. His best playoff performance came in Game 6 of the First Round of the 2021 Playoffs when in 32:58 minutes of action off the bench, Morris finished with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting and nine assists. He became the second player in Nuggets history to finish a playoff game with 20+ points and 9+ assists off the bench.

Morris was originally drafted out of Iowa State by the Nuggets with the 51st overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Signed as a free agent with the Wolves on July 8, 2023, Brown Jr. played in 37 games (three starts) for Minnesota where he averaged 4.2 points in 11.1 minutes of action per game. In 334 career games (87 starts) with the Wizards, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Timberwolves, he holds averages of 6.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Signed as a free agent with the Timberwolves on July 8, 2023, Milton played in 38 games for Minnesota where he averaged 4.7 points in 12.9 minutes of action per game. In 292 career games (45 starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers and Timberwolves, he holds averages of 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Timberwolves injury updates on Jaden McDaniels and Jordan McLaughlin

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the following injury updates on forward Jaden McDaniels and guard Jordan McLaughlin.

McDaniels, who experienced a right ankle sprain at the 7:30 mark of the first quarter in the Nov. 20 117-100 victory over the New York Knicks, was re-evaluated by Dr. Kelechi Okohora and has been confirmed to be progressing well throughout his rehabilitation program with no setbacks. He has been cleared to participate in individual on-court player development basketball and strength training activities.

McLaughlin, who experienced a right knee MCL sprain in the third quarter of the Nov. 2 114-109 victory over the Boston Celtics, has been progressing well throughout his rehabilitation program with no setbacks. He has been cleared to participate in full, five-on-five on-court basketball activities.

Karl-Anthony Towns clutch for Timberwolves in win over Pelicans

Per the Pioneer Press:

As he’s been during much of his recent stretch of strong offensive play, Karl-Anthony Towns was quick and decisive when it mattered most Saturday in New Orleans.

With Minnesota trailing by one in the final 10 seconds of the game, Towns quickly attacked the smaller Dyson Daniels, got to the edge of the paint and threw a floater off the glass to give Minnesota a one-point edge.

“It was a real skilled move. He’s got a lot of skill,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told reporters postgame. “We’ve really been harping on him trying to clean up his game offensively. And he’s got so much talent that if he just focuses on the simple things done really, really well, he doesn’t need to kind of create a lot of extra activity around his game. … And he’s really taken to that, so that would be a clear example.”

Brandon Ingram missed a decent look a few seconds later, and Minnesota escaped New Orleans with a 121-120 victory Saturday.

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Warriors forward Draymond Green suspended for incident with Rudy Gobert

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended five games without pay for escalating an on-court altercation and forcibly grabbing Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert around the neck in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, NBA Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. The length of the suspension is based in part on Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts.

In addition, Warriors guard Klay Thompson and Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels and center Rudy Gobert have each been fined $25,000 for their roles in the incident, which started when Thompson and McDaniels became entangled and were grabbing and pulling at one another’s jerseys, and continued when Gobert entered the situation and wrapped up Thompson.

Thompson and McDaniels were each assessed a technical foul and ejected, while Green was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected.

The incident occurred with 10:17 remaining in the first quarter of the Timberwolves’ 104-101 win over the Warriors on Nov. 14 at Chase Center.

Green will begin serving his five-game suspension on Thursday, November 16 when the Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Timberwolves guard Jordan McLaughlin out with knee injury

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the following injury update on guard Jordan McLaughlin who experienced right knee soreness in the third quarter of yesterday’s game vs. the Boston Celtics.

An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) taken today at Mayo Clinic Square by Dr. Kelechi Okoroha on McLaughlin revealed a right knee MCL sprain. He will be re-evaluated in four weeks and further updates of his progress will be provided at that time.

Timberwolves exercise contract option on Wendell Moore Jr.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have exercised their team option on guard Wendell Moore Jr.

Moore Jr., 22, enters his second season in the NBA after appearing in 29 games (two starts) in his rookie campaign last season, averaging 1.4 points on 41.9% shooting, 0.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists. In his first career start during the Nov. 30 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Richmond, Va. native finished with seven points, a career-high three rebounds and two assists. In eight regular season games for the Iowa Wolves, the NBA G League affiliate of the Timberwolves, Moore Jr. averaged 19.4 points on 42.0% shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists.

Timberwolves sign Jaden McDaniels to contract extension

The Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday signed forward Jaden McDaniels to a multi-year contract extension.

McDaniels’ deal is reportedly a five-year, $136 million extension.

McDaniels, 23, has played all three of his NBA seasons with Minnesota, appearing in 212 games (137 starts), holding averages of 9.6 points on 48.2% shooting, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 27.0 minutes per game. Last season, McDaniels established himself as one of the elite perimeter defenders in the league, appearing in 79 games (all starts), averaging career-highs of 12.1 points and a 51.7% field goal percentage to go along with 3.9 rebounds per game and led all qualified wing players in block percentage (1.5%). He totaled 76 blocks and 74 steals during the 2022-23 season, the only player in the NBA last year to tally 75+ blocks and 70+ steals.

The Federal Way, Wash. native has appeared in six playoff games for the Wolves, averaging 9.3 points on 52.9% shooting, including 50.0% from three-point range. In 33:27 minutes of action off the bench during Game 6 vs. Memphis on April 29, 2022, McDaniels ended the game with a playoff career-high 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including a playoff career-high 5-of-6 from deep, the most points off the bench in a playoff game in franchise history.

The Wolves originally acquired McDaniels’ draft rights as the 28th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Timberwolves sign Brian Bowen II and Javonte Cooke

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed forward Brian Bowen II and guard Javonte Cooke.

Bowen II, 25, most recently played in all five games for the Timberwolves entry in the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023, averaging 4.8 points on 47.4% shooting and 1.6 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game. The Saginaw, Mich. native played in 15 regular season games for the Iowa Wolves, the NBA G League affiliate of the Timberwolves, where he saw action in 15 games and averaged 13.8 points on 46.0% shooting, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists. In two seasons with the Indiana Pacers from 2019-2021, he saw action in 12 total games.

Cooke, 24, appeared in 41 games (nine starts) last season with the Iowa Wolves where he averaged 7.5 points on 42.2% shooting, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.5 minutes per game. The Columbia, S.C. native finished his collegiate career at Winston-Salem State in 2021-22 where he saw action in 23 games (17 starts), pulling down averages of 16.6 points on 46.6% from the field, including 39.2% from three, 3.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 29.2 minutes per game.