Minnesota T-Wolves Blog – Page 32 – NBA Blog

Timberwolves sign Arinze Onuaku

Timberwolves sign Arinze Onuaku

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed forward Arinze Onuaku (Ah-rin-zay On-ooh-ah-koo) for the remainder of this season. The Timberwolves were granted an NBA hardship exception for a 16th roster spot due to having four players out due to injury.

Onuaku, 27, averaged 17.5 points, on 62.2% shooting, and 12.2 rebounds in 41 games this season for the Canton Charge of the NBA D-League. He was named to the NBADL All-Star Game for the third consecutive season. Onuaku was signed by the Indiana Pacers on September 5, 2014 after playing with their NBA Summer League team. He was waived by the Pacers on October 25, 2014.

The 6-10 forward played in three games for the New Orleans Pelicans and two games for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013-14, averaging 0.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in those five games. In May of 2014, he joined the Chongqing Flying Dragons for the 2014 Chinese NBL, and averaged 28.6 points and 14.8 rebounds in 19 games. Onuaku averaged 14.8 points, on 62.8% shooting, and 10.1 rebounds for Canton in 2013-14 and 12.6 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Charge in 2012-13.

Onuaku went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft after a four-year career with Syracuse University where he averaged 9.2 points and 6.0 rebounds in 134 games. He finished his collegiate career first on Syracuse’s all-time field goal percentage list at 64.8% (540-for-833).

Nikola Pekovic needs surgery, season is over

Nikola Pekovic needs surgery, season is over

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced center Nikola Pekovic will undergo a debridement and repair of his right Achilles. The surgery will be performed on Wednesday, April 8 by Dr. Robert Anderson at Ortho Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pekovic will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. An update on his progress will be provided when appropriate.

Pekovic played in 31 games this season, averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest. The five-year veteran holds career averages of 12.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

Timberwolves sign Sean Kilpatrick to 10-day contract

Timberwolves sign guard Sean Kilpatrick to 10-day contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract. The Timberwolves were granted an NBA hardship exception for a 16th roster spot due to having four players out due to injury.

Kilpatrick, 25, has averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 42 games this season with Delaware and Santa Cruz of the NBADL. Kilpatrick, 6-4, went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft after a four-year career at the University of Cincinnati. Kilpatrick finished his career with averages of 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 140 contests, earning Second-Team All-America honors his senior season. Kilpatrick was signed by the Golden State Warriors on October 20, 2014 and waived on October 24, 2014 after playing with the Philadelphia 76ers on their 2014 NBA Summer League team.

Gary Neal scores 27, Wolves upset Blazers

Gary Neal scores 27, Wolves upset Blazers

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting on a nice home win for the Timberwolves — just their 14th victory of the season. Neal has only played six games so far this season, averaging 11.7 points in 26.3 minutes per outing:

Gary Neal’s hand seemed just fine.

The Wolves guard suffered a right hand contusion during Friday’s practice but served as a spark off the bench in the 121-113 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night at Target Center. Neal finished with 27 points, his fourth consecutive game scoring in double figures.

“I was a little bit nervous before [Friday], but he should probably get his hand hit before every game,” Wolves coach Flip Saunders said.

Up five with eight minutes left, Neal scored 11 consecutive points, extending the Wolves’ lead to 98-93 with 5 minutes, 45 seconds left. The stretch ended with Neal drilling an off-balance jumper that was tightly contested by Dorell Wright. Then Blazers guard Steve Blake bit on Neal’s pump fake, creating a wide open jump shot that forced Blazers coach Terry Stotts to call timeout.

Timberwolves add Justin Hamilton, waive Glenn Robinson III

Timberwolves add Justin Hamilton, waive Glenn Robinson III

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has claimed center Justin Hamilton off waivers. He’s bench material and adds a bit of frontcourt depth, especially while Nikola Pekovic isn’t at 100% health.

Hamilton, 24, has played in 24 games (five starts) this season with the Miami Heat, averaging 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game. In his second year out of Louisiana State University, the 7-0 center played in eight games last season for Miami and the Charlotte Bobcats, averaging 3.3 points and 0.9 rebounds per game. Hamilton was originally drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 45th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Hamilton was traded from the Heat to the New Orleans Pelicans on February 19, 2015. He did not appear in a game with the Pelicans before being waived on March 3, 2015.

Robinson III appeared in 25 games this season with Minnesota, averaging 1.2 points in 4.3 minutes per contest. The Wolves drafted the 6-7 forward with the 40th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft.

In a subsequent move, the team has waived forward Glenn Robinson III.

The Wolves roster stands at 15 players.

Kevin Garnett, Flip Saunders may team up and try to buy Timberwolves

Kevin Garnett, Flip Saunders may team up and try to buy Timberwolves

Here’s the St. Paul Pioneer Press reporting on a fun possibility in Minnesota:

The contract extension Kevin Garnett, 38, will sign with the Timberwolves this summer will be for two years. During that period, Garnett and Wolves president-coach Flip Saunders are expected to try to form a group to buy the team from Glen Taylor.

Garnett has amassed more than $325 million in salaries during 20 seasons in the NBA. Saunders, who turns 60 on Monday, has made an estimated $40 million during 17 seasons as a NBA coach.

The Wolves, for whom Taylor paid $88 million in 1994, were valued at $625 million last January by Forbes. Taylor, who turns 74 in April, is amenable to taking in more limited partners. But he’s not interested in selling his team until he finds out what the Atlanta Hawks, who are for sale and currently are taking bids, end up going for.

Shabazz Muhammad out for season with finger injury

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that forward/guard Shabazz Muhammad will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a ruptured ligament in his middle finger (left hand). The surgery will be performed Monday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The injury occurred during practice on Wednesday, February 18. Muhammad played 12:43 last night vs. Phoenix, scoring seven points.

In 38 games this season, 13 starts, Muhammad posted averages of 13.5 points, on 48.9 percent shooting, and 4.1 rebounds per game. Muhammad participated in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend in New York, totaling 10 points and five rebounds for the U.S. Team.

Kevin Garnett, back in Minnesota

Kevin Garnett, back in Minnesota

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting on Timberwolves activity on the day of the NBA trade deadline:

Thursday’s NBA trade deadline came and went … and veterans Kevin Martin, Chase Budinger and Gary Neal all still were present.

The Wolves swapped Thaddeus Young for Kevin Garnett, but made no other moves, meaning Martin is, as coach Flip Saunders, here to stay.

So, too, are Budinger and Neal, or at least until each is possibly bought out in time to sign with a playoff contender by March 1.

Saunders maintained he wouldn’t trade Martin because his scoring ability, veteran sense and efficiency made him too valuable to do so. And he didn’t, even though national reports said he was on the market.

“Flip and I had good laughs about what was being said,” Martin said. “I was pretty certain I wasn’t being traded from talking with him. He just told me I had a better chance getting hit by a car walking across the street.”

Timberwolves sign Lorenzo Brown for remainder of season

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed guard Lorenzo Brown for the remainder of the season.

Brown, 24, has appeared in five games (one start) with Minnesota, averaging 3.2 points, 3.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game. He played a career-high 47:55 against Cleveland on Jan. 31, dishing out a career-high nine assists.

Originally drafted by Minnesota with the 52nd pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Brown appeared in three preseason games before being waived on October 25, 2013. He signed with Philadelphia a month later, averaging 2.5 points and 1.6 assists in 8.6 minutes over 26 games.

Brown started this season in the NBA D-League, playing in 19 games (17 starts) with the Grand Rapids Drive and averaging 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. In his career, Brown has appeared in 39 games (31 starts) in the D-League and holds career averages of 17.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game.

Gorgui Dieng interview

Gorgui Dieng interview

A few quick words with Gorgui Dieng of the Minnesota Timberwolves:

Q. Thinking back to when you were a kid, picking up a basketball for the first time, do you remember that, when this sport kind of hit you and that was your thing?

GORGUI DIENG: I think I started playing at 16. I played basketball late.

Q. How did it happen? How did you start?

GORGUI DIENG: My sister and my brother, they were playing basketball. And I watched basketball court in the soccer field was like (Inaudible) they said that’s a good sport. Because, you know, they don’t want I didn’t know. One day I guess I started paying attention more to the game and it started getting fun.

Q. And growing up like that, starting late, did you ever think that the NBA was actually a possibility for you?

GORGUI DIENG: Yes. When I went to basketball camp, I got a chance to meet Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh. We were pretty much they were a little bit taller than me. And they were like, wow, I can be just that excuse me, I believe in it and I made it.

Q. How happy are you now waking up maybe in a different hotel out of home, wherever you are, realizing you’re an NBA player, making money playing basketball?

GORGUI DIENG: I think it’s just luck. I’m maybe not the best player coming from Senegal, but I’m just lucky to be that guy.