Category: Minnesota T-Wolves Blog

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Timberwolves sign guard Ashton Hagans to a two-way contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard Ashton Hagans to a two-way contract.

Hagans, 21, appeared in 30 games as a sophomore for the University of Kentucky in 2019-20, averaging 11.5 points, a team-high 6.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and a team-high 1.93 steals. He led the SEC and finished 16th in the nation in assists, with his 6.4 apg ranking fourth in UK history for a season as a sophomore. One of four finalists for 2019-20 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Hagan’s 1.78 career steals per game is third in Kentucky history, trailing only Rajon Rondo and Derek Anderson.

The Cartersville (GA) native led Newton High School to two regional championships and was named both Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year and Mr. Georgia Basketball. Hagans averaged 20.2 points, 10.7 assists, 7.6 rebounds and 3.6 steals his final year in high school while leading Newton to the 7A state semifinals.

Timberwolves re-sign forward Juancho Hernangomez

The Minnesota Timberwolves have re-signed forward Juancho Hernangómez.

Hernangómez appeared in 14 contests for the Timberwolves during the 2019-20 season, averaging 12.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in a career-high 29.4 minutes per game.

Hernangómez, 25, joined the Timberwolves after averaging 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 34 contests for Denver during the 2019-20 season In 2018-19, Hernangomez posted a then career-best average of 5.8 points on 43.9% shooting and 36.5% from deep, to go along with 3.8 rebounds in 70 games (25 starts).

The Madrid, Spain native has represented the Spanish National Team throughout his career since 2013 and most recently helped lead Spain to a Gold Medal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup with now-current teammate Ricky Rubio.

Hernangómez was originally drafted by Denver with the 15th overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Timberwolves trade Jacob Evans, Omari Spellman and a draft pick to Knicks for Ed Davis

The Minnesota Timberwolves have acquired Ed Davis in a trade with the New York Knicks for Jacob Evans III, Omari Spellman and the Timberwolves’ 2026 Second Round Pick.

Davis, 31, has appeared in 668 regular season games (96 starts) in 10 NBA seasons with Toronto, Memphis, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland, Brooklyn and Utah averaging 6.3 points and 6.6 rebounds. The 6-9 forward played in 28 games with the Utah Jazz last season, averaging 1.8 points and 3.8 rebounds. He saw his best season come with the Brooklyn Nets during the 2018-19 season, in which he saw action in 81 games while averaging 5.8 points on a career-best 61.6% shooting and a career-high 8.6 rebounds per game. The North Carolina product was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the first round (13th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft.

Evans, 6-4, 210-pounds, averaged 4.4 points and 1.4 rebounds over 14.4 minutes in 29 games (one start) for Golden State and Minnesota last season. Originally selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft out of the University of Cincinnati, Evans holds career averages of 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds over 10.5 minutes in 59 games (two starts).

Spellman, 6-8, 245-pounds, averaged 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds over 18.1 minutes in 49 games (three starts) last season with the Golden State Warriors. The Cleveland, OH-native was traded by Golden State to Minnesota on Feb. 6, 2020 where he spent the remainder of the season with the Iowa Wolves, the NBA G League affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Originally selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft out of Villanova University, Spellman holds career averages of 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds over 17.8 minutes in 95 games (14 starts). The 2017-18 Big East Rookie of the Year, he helped lead the Wildcats to the 2018 NCAA Championship in his only season averaging 10.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.48 blocks over 40 games (39 starts).

Thunder trade Ricky Rubio to Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas today announced the team has acquired guard Ricky Rubio and the draft rights to Jaden McDaniels (28th overall) from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for forward James Johnson and the draft rights to Aleksej Pokuševski (17th overall) and Minnesota’s 2024 Second Round Pick.

The Timberwolves are also acquiring the draft rights to Leandro Bolmaro (23rd overall) from the New York Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Mathias Lessort (50th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft) and the Detroit Pistons’ 2023 Second Round Pick.

“Ricky is a great fit to what we are building here in Minneapolis and we are thrilled to welcome him back to the Timberwolves organization,” said Rosas. “He will be a solid addition to our core in All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell and First Overall Pick Anthony Edwards. Ricky is an elite playmaker and someone who will boost our defense and bring a veteran presence to our team.”

Originally drafted by the Timberwolves with the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, Rubio played in 353 games over six seasons with Minnesota averaging 10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. He ranks among the top-10 in numerous franchise records including ranking second in total assists (2991), second in total steals (747) and 10th in games played (353). Rubio holds the record for the most assists in a single game in Timberwolves history after dishing out 19 dimes against the Washington Wizards on Mar. 13, 2017. The 6-3 guard played in 65 games for the Phoenix Suns last season, averaging 13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, his most since averaging 5.7 rebounds in 2014-15, and 8.8 assists in 31.0 minutes per game.

“Ricky is a needed piece when it comes to being a culture builder, a team-first player and the impact he has on and off the court,” said Timberwolves Head Coach Ryan Saunders. “I’m thrilled to welcome him back to Minneapolis.”

The El Masnou, Spain native began his national team career on Spain’s Under-16 team in 2005, winning a bronze medal at the 2005 FIBA Europe U16 Championships. Rubio was named MVP of the 2006 FIBA Europe U16 Championships after leading Spain to the gold medal where he averaged 22.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 6.5 steals per game during the tournament, including two triple-doubles and a quadruple-double (posted 51 points, 24 rebounds, 12 assists and 7 steals in the championship game against Russia). Rubio was named to the Spanish team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where at age 17 he became the youngest ever to participate in the gold-medal game.

Bolmaro, a 6-6 forward, played his first season with FC Barcelona’s primary team for the 2019-20 season. He appeared in 13 games (two starts) across the club’s ACB and EuroLeague schedule. The Las Varillas, Argentina native averaged 4.4 points and 0.9 steals in 12.9 minutes in seven games in Spain’s top pro league. Bolmaro joined FC Barcelona’s “B” team for the second consecutive season and averaged 14.6 points, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 26.8 minutes in nine games in Spain’s third division, LEB Silver. The 20-year-old joined FC Barcelona’s “B” team in 2018-19, averaging 10.4 points in 33 games in Spain’s second division, LEB Gold.

McDaniels, a 6-9 forward joins the Timberwolves after spending one season at the University of Washington where he averaged 13.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 blocks. He was the only player in any of the major conferences to average at least 1.4 blocks and 1.4 three-pointers made per game in 2019-20. The Federal Way, Washington native is the younger brother of Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels.

Johnson was originally acquired by the Wolves in a three-team deal from the Miami Heat on Feb. 6, averaged 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in 14 games with Minnesota.

Pokuševski (7-0, 195) averaged 10.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals in 22.6 minutes in 11 games with Olympiacos B in the Greek Second Division, HEBA A2 in the 2019-20 season as the team went 17-4 and earned a second-place finish in A2. At the 2019 U18 European Championships, the Serbian native averaged 10.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.7 steals and led with event with 4.0 blocks per game.

Quickley, 6-3, 188-pounds, averaged 10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists, shooting 46.2-percent from the field, including 39.7-percent from three over 67 games (27 starts) at Kentucky. The Havre de Grace, MD-native was named the 2019-20 SEC Player of the Year after helping guide the Wildcats to the SEC regular season championship. During his sophomore season, the 2019-20 All-SEC-First Team selection recorded 16.1 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 42.8-percent from downtown over 33.0 minutes in 30 games (20 starts).

Clippers and Timberwolves trade draft rights to Daniel Oturu and Mathias Lessort

The LA Clippers have acquired the draft rights to center Daniel Oturu, the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the Detroit Pistons second-round draft pick in 2023 and the draft rights to Mathias Lessort.

Oturu led the Big Ten with 11.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks to go along with 20.1 points in 33.9 minutes during his sophomore season at Minnesota. The 6-foot-10 center shot 56.3 percent from the field last season, which also led the Big Ten. The Woodbury, Minn., native was named to the 2019-20 Big Ten All-Defense team and 2019-20 All-Big Ten second team for the Gophers.

Lessort, a 6-9 forward from Fort-de-France, Martinique, France, was originally drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 50th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He currently plays for AS Monaco in the LNB Pro A League (France). In seven professional seasons overseas, Lessort has averaged 7.5 points on 59.0% shooting and 4.9 rebounds. He competed for the French National Team during the 2019 FIBA World Cup where he totaled 23 points and 13 rebounds in six games.

Timberwolves select Anthony Edwards first overall in 2020 NBA draft

The Minnesota Timberwolves tonight selected guard Anthony Edwards from the University of Georgia with the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

“We look forward to welcoming Anthony to the Timberwolves family as this year’s number one draft selection,” said President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas. “We are excited to add this young talent to our roster and continue his development to make him the best player he can be as he joins All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell here in Minneapolis.”

Edwards, 6-5, averaged 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 33.0 minutes per game as a freshman last season. He tallied 610 points for the 2019-20 season, a total that ranks seventh on Georgia’s single-season scoring list (second among freshmen) and 10th all-time among SEC freshmen. The Atlanta native closed out the 19-20 season as the nation’s freshman scoring leader (19.1), standing as one of only three freshmen ranked in the top 100.

The 19-year-old shot 40.2 percent from the field (203-of-505) in his one season as a Bulldog. He ranked in the top 20 in six Georgia single-season statistical categories, including second in 3-point attempts (245), fifth in field goal attempts (505), 11th in 3-pointers (72), 17th in free throws (132) and 19th in both scoring average (19.1 ppg) and free throw attempts (171). During his freshman campaign, Edwards notched 27 double-figure scoring outings, 14 20-point performances, three 30-point contests and three double-doubles. A highlight from his freshman campaign includes scoring 37 points against Michigan State on Nov. 26, the most by a Georgia freshman since 1975.

Edwards was voted SEC Freshman of the Year by league coaches, becoming the first Bulldog to garner the honor since its inception in 2001. Among other acknowledgements, he was named SEC Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press, becoming the third Georgia honoree in team history. Edwards collected a school-record four SEC Freshman of the Week selections, on Dec. 2 (after Maui Jim Maui Invitational), Feb. 3 (vs. Missouri and Texas A&M), Feb. 24 (after victories over No. 13/12 Auburn and at Vanderbilt) and March 2 (after averaging 31.0 ppg in contests against South Carolina and Arkansas). For his first SEC Freshman of the Week selection on Dec 2, Edwards became the first UGA freshman since Jumaine Jones in 1998 to record consecutive double-doubles.

Born August 5, 2001, Edwards played at Therrell High School before transferring to Holy Spirit Prep in 2017. As a senior he posted averages of 25.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.1 spg and 1.1 bpg for the Cougars, leading the charge to a runner-up finish in the GISA Class 3A state tournament. During his junior year, Edwards led Holy Spirit to a 24-5 record and the GISA 3A state title after averaging 22.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.1 apg, 2.4 spg and 1.4 bpg per game.

Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders reflects on Sid Hartman, who recently passed away

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune with additional reporting on the passing away of a legend, Sid Hartman:

If it was Sunday morning in the Saunders household and the phone was ringing at 6 a.m., it was usually only one person doing the calling: Sid Hartman.

“He was just looking for the scoop at the house,” Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders said with a laugh Monday. “He didn’t care who was on the other line. He was going to find a way to get that scoop.”

Saunders has fond memories of the relationships he and his late father Flip had with Hartman, the decades-long Star Tribune columnist who died Sunday at 100.

Saunders said his first memory of meeting Hartman came when he was 9 just after the Timberwolves had hired Flip. The Saunders family and Hartman went for a ride on Hartman’s boat on the Saint Croix River.

“You’d go over to his house and I’m picturing it right now, that house, it felt like something out of a movie and you see all those pictures of him shaking hands with so many incredible people,” Saunders said. “You felt like you were in the presence of a movie star, in a way. You knew he was a celebrity. He was more than that.”

Hartman never retired. He just kept going.

Will Timberwolves trade No. 1 pick in 2020 NBA draft?

Will the Timberwolves keep their No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, or trade it? Usually, if a team has the first pick in the entire draft, they use it. But exceptions happen. Here’s the Star tribune noting what one betting site’s odds suggest on the matter:

They are trying to build around [Karl-Anthony] Towns and D’Angelo Russell, the top two picks from that 2015 draft, and timelines are different when your projected cornerstones are in their mid-20s instead of below legal drinking age.

Combine that with the notion that there is no sure thing at the top of the draft and there emerges the notion that the Wolves might trade the top selection instead of keeping it.

It’s rare for a top pick to be dealt before playing for the team that held the pick; the last time it happened, in fact, was when Wiggins came to the Wolves in 2014.

But this year, it’s a intriguing combination of something rare being perhaps more likely to happen than not — at least according to betting markets.

Online bookmaker Sports Betting Dime this week put the odds of the Wolves trading out of the No. 1 spot at 4 to 5 — better than even money. Adding to the intrigue, the site listed Anthony Edwards (3 to 2), James Wiseman (3 to 1) and LaMelo Ball (7 to 1) as the most likely No. 1 picks — hardly a consensus.

If a team with the draft’s first pick loved two or three prospects fairly equally, it makes perfect sense for them to consider trading down a slot or two, just to see what they can get in return.

Timberwolves turnaround could take time

The Timberwolves finished this season with a 19-45 record, which in the Western Conference was only ahead of a very injured Warriors team that should certainly be far better in 2020-21. That leaves the Wolves at the bottom of the West, unless a dramatic roster shift happens. Here’s the St Paul Pioneer Press:

If no progression has been made, you could frame Year 1 of the Gersson Rosas campaign as a waste. Or you could say Rosas and Co. evaluated what they had last year, determined that wasn’t going to work, and decided it was necessary to start fresh with pieces this front office deemed a better fit with the desired direction of the franchise.

There are plenty of people out there who would say a core of D’Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, potentially Malik Beasley and the No. 1 overall draft pick puts Minnesota ahead of where it was last October. There are plenty of others who look at another year of evaluation and development and ask, “are we really going to have to watch another year of this?” …

The Wolves like some of what they’ve seen in Jarrett Culver, Naz Reid, Jaylen Nowell, Jordan McLaughlin and Jarred Vanderbilt. What can they count on them to contribute in 2021? To be determined. It’s tough to see this roster contending for much soon.

For now, it seems like the Timberwolves should consider all possibilites in their rebuild. As talented as Towns and Russell are, no one on the roster should be deemed untouchable.

Timberwolves forward Juancho Hernangomez has role in new Adam Sandler basketball movie

The latest Timberwolves news isn’t the usual. Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune on a fun development:

Timberwolves forward Juancho Hernangomez won’t be present at the team’s voluntary group workouts the next two weeks. But Hernangomez isn’t injured, nor he is staying away because he’s a restricted free agent. Instead, he’s filming a movie…

A team spokesperson said Hernangomez is filming Adam Sandler’s latest project in Philadelphia. Netflix is producing the film called “Hustle.” It revolves around a basketball scout who searches for talent overseas.. Lakers forward LeBron James is also listed as a producer on the movie.

I haven’t looked into the storyline for this movie beyond much more than the quick description above, but anything involving Adam Sandler and basketball, I’m definitely watching.