Minnesota T-Wolves Blog – Page 57 – NBA Blog

Denver Nuggets sign Anthony Randolph

The Denver Nuggets have signed free-agent F Anthony Randolph to a multiyear contract, Nuggets Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri announced today.

Randolph, 6-11, 225, averaged 7.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 34 games (five starts) with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. He scored a season-high 28 points and added six boards and five blocks on April 11, 2012 at Denver.

Randolph, 23, joined the Timberwolves as part of a three-team, 13-player trade that also involved the Nuggets and New York Knicks on Feb. 22, 2011. He appeared in 17 games for the Knicks (2.1 ppg and 2.4 rpg) and 23 games for the Timberwolves (11.7 ppg and 5.2 rpg) during the 2010-11 season.

Selected 14th overall out of Louisiana State in the 2008 NBA Draft, Randolph spent his first two season with the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 7.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 63 games as a rookie and posted career-high averages of 11.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.54 blocks in 33 games in 2009-10.

For his career, Randolph has played 20-plus minutes 65 times, averaging 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.78 blocks in those games.

With the addition of Randolph, the Nuggets roster currently stands at 15 players.

Timberwolves have interest in Greg Stiemsma

While the Minnesota Timberwolves have emerged as the front-runner for Greg Stiemsma, his agent tells CSNNE.com that the restricted free agent has yet to receive an offer sheet.

The Timberwolves are focused on acquiring Portland’s Nicolas Batum who signed a $46 million offer sheet with Minnesota.

“Until that’s worked out, a lot of players like Greg will just have to wait which is fine,” his agent Mike Naiditch, told CSNNE.com on Tuesday. “We understand that this is a process and will take time. We’re not in any kind of rush.”

— Reported by CSNNE.com

Bulls are sending Kyle Korver to Hawks

Though details had to be finalized and Kyle Korver had to pass a physical, the Bulls agreed in principle to trade the 3-point specialist to the Hawks via the Timberwolves on Friday, two sources with knowledge of the talks said.

There were late indications the three-team deal could fall apart, though that didn’t stop Korver from scheduling a flight from his offseason training base in California to Atlanta for the physical, the sources said.

The deal would take the Bulls off the hook for the $500,000 guarantee of Korver’s $5 million non-guaranteed salary for 2012-13 and slide him into the Hawks’ traded-player exception, acquired in the Joe Johnson deal with the Nets.

— Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Timberwolves waive Martell Webster, trade Brad Miller to Hornets

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived guard Martell Webster. The Timberwolves also today announced the team has traded center Brad Miller and two future second round draft picks (Brooklyn’s 2013 second round selection and Minnesota’s second round draft choice in 2016) to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for a future conditional second round pick.

“We want to thank Martell for his two years with us,” said Kahn. “Unfortunately, Martell’s back condition caused him to miss significant time both seasons and prevented him from playing at a consistently high level. I have spoken to Martell on numerous occasions and watched him work out last month. We are both optimistic he will have a terrific season next year.”

Originally acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers on June 24, 2010, Webster, a 6-7 guard/forward, averaged 8.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 93 games (27 starts) over parts of two seasons (2010-11 – 2011-12) with the Wolves.

“Brad’s help to us last season occurred off the court as much as on the court. He will be missed,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “We thank him for being a part of the Timberwolves.”

Originally acquired from the Houston Rockets on June 24, 2011, Miller, a 7-0 center, played one season (2011-12) with the Wolves, averaging 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 15 games (one start). In 868 career games (598 starts), the 14-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game.

Timberwolves waive Darko Milicic via amnesty clause

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived center Darko Milicic, designating him as the team’s amnesty player. The one-time amnesty provision allows a team to waive a player and not have his salary count against the salary cap or luxury tax.

Milicic spent parts of three seasons as Minnesota’s starting center, averaging 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over 122 games, 110 starts with the Wolves. The Wolves originally acquired the 7-0 center from the New York Knicks on Feb. 17, 2012.

Timberwolves expected to sign Russian guard Alexey Shved

A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that the Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to terms on a deal with Russian guard Alexey Shved.

Shved came to the Twin Cities on Tuesday and reached agreement on a deal, but the terms were not immediately available. The person requested anonymity because the deal has not been officially announced.

Shved can play both point guard and shooting guard.

— Reported by NBA.com

Brandon Roy will sign with Timberwolves

Brandon Roy is headed back to the NBA.

Roy, who starred for the Trail Blazers for five seasons before knee injuries forced him to walk away from the game, has verbally agreed to sign a with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to his agent, Greg Lawrence.

The deal is for two years and around $10.4 million, according to Lawrence.

“He’s excited,” Lawrence said. “He looks good. It’s a fresh start.”

One of the most popular and decorated players in franchise history, Roy left the Blazers in December 2011 when team doctors determined his degenerative knees presented a risk for his long-term well being. The team used an amnesty clause to release him, which wiped the final four years and estimated $68 million owed to him off the Blazers’ salary cap books.

— Reported by Jason Quick of the Oregonian

Phoenix Suns to sign Michael Beasley

The Phoenix Suns have reached a verbal commitment with free-agent forward Michael Beasley on a three-year deal worth $18 million, according to sources familiar with the deal.

Beasley can’t actually sign until July 11, which is the first day new contracts can be signed in the NBA.

Beasley chose the Suns from a group of five suitors after visiting with Suns officials on Wednesday, while Phoenix was also agreeing to trade Steve Nash to the Los Angeles Lakers in a sign-and-trade deal.

Beasley flew to Phoenix to meet with the Suns on Wednesday, the second time the two parties met. The Suns flew to Los Angeles to meet Beasley earlier this week.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

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Timberwolves plan to be aggressive in free agent market

When the Timberwolves’ once-promising season came to a disappointing end, coach Rick Adelman said the team had to be aggressive with free agency and trades to bring in skilled veterans who could change the culture in Minnesota.

It would be difficult to find another word to describe their activity when the free-agent market opened on Sunday.

The Timberwolves hosted Boston Celtics free-agent Greg Stiemsma and were working hard to bring in Portland restricted free-agent Nicolas Batum for a visit, two days after visiting Brandon Roy in Seattle. The Celtics and Blazers have the right to match any offer that Stiemsma and Batum, respectively, receive. Roy is free to sign with any team, and was expected to meet with Dallas and Chicago, among others as the week progressed.

The Wolves have also expressed interest in unrestricted free agent shooting guard Jamal Crawford and, according to a report from Yahoo Sports, scheduled a visit with forward Jordan Hill for Monday.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Wolves do not extend qualifying offers to Michael Beasley or Anthony Randolph

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team will not extended qualifying offers to forwards Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph. With Minnesota not extending qualifying offers to Beasley and Randolph by today’s deadline, both players will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Beasley, a 6-10 forward, has averaged 16.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in two seasons with Minnesota. Acquired from the Miami Heat on July 12, 2010, Beasley averaged a career-high 19.2 ppg in 2010-11, his first season with the Wolves. Originally selected No. 2 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by Miami, Beasley owns career averages of 15.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 279 contests over four NBA seasons.

In his second season with the Wolves, Randolph, a 6-11 forward, totaled averages of 7.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 34 games (five starts) during the 2011-12 campaign. Acquired on Feb. 22, 2011 from the New York Knicks, Randolph has averaged 9.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 57 games with the Wolves. Randolph owns career averages of 8.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 170 games (38 starts) with Golden State, New York and Minnesota. He was originally selected by the Warriors with the 14th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.