Minnesota T-Wolves Blog – Page 8 – NBA Blog

Timberwolves sign A.J. Lawson to a two-way contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard A.J. Lawson to a two-way contract.

Lawson, 22, most recently played for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2022 NBA Summer League where he averaged a team-high 15.6 points on 51.9% from the field including 50.0% from three and 6.0 rebounds per game. The 6-6 guard played 10 games (all starts) this past summer for the Guelph Nighthawks of the Canadian Basketball League (CBL) and averaged 16.5 points on 44.3% shooting and 5.4 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per game.

The Toronto native saw action in 33 games (26 starts) for the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League last season and averaged 11.8 points on 48.1% shooting and 6.3 rebounds. Lawson played three seasons at the University of South Carolina where he totaled 1,153 points, 325 rebounds and 167 assists in 81 games (80 starts).

Timberwolves re-sign Nathan Knight

The Minnesota Timberwolves have re-signed forward Nathan Knight.

Knight, 24, wrapped up his second NBA season, where he saw action in 37 games for the Timberwolves (two starts) and averaged 3.7 points on 51.1% shooting, 2.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game during the 2021-22 season. In his first career start on Dec. 27 vs Boston, he notched a career-high 20 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, accounting for his second career double-double. On Mar. 4 after scoring a game-high 33 points along with 12 rebounds earlier in the day with the Iowa Wolves, Knight was transferred to the Timberwolves and grabbed three rebounds in 5:04 minutes of action against the Oklahoma City Thunder later in the evening. Per Elias Sports, it marked the first time since the inception of a Timberwolves NBA G League team, that a player played in a G League game and an NBA game in the same day.

He is the third NBA player from William & Mary, where in four years, he averaged 17.1 points on 56.0% shooting and 7.7 rebounds. Knight became just the second player in league history to be named both the CAA Player and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season in 2020.

The 6-10 forward holds career averages of 3.7 points on 43.6% shooting and 2.2 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game with the Atlanta Hawks and the Wolves.

Per the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “the Wolves’ 15-man roster includes a likely starting lineup of Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Anthony Edwards, D’Angelo Russell and Jaden McDaniels. The bench includes returning players from last season like Jaylen Nowell, Naz Reid, Jordan McLaughlin, Taurean Prince and Knight. Newcomers on the bench include Kyle Anderson, Bryn Forbes, Austin Rivers, Lawson and two of the Wolves’ draft picks, first-rounder Wendell Moore Jr. and second-rounder Josh Minott, who signed an NBA deal last week after a strong showing at Summer League in Las Vegas.”

Timberwolves sign rookie Josh Minott

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed rookie forward Josh Minott.

Minott, 6-8, was acquired by the Wolves during the 2022 NBA Draft, and recently appeared in all five games (four starts) for Minnesota during the 2022 NBA Summer League where he averaged 12.2 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds. He appeared in all 33 games (five starts) for the University of Memphis as a freshman last season where he averaged 6.6 points on 52.2% shooting, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game last season. The 20-year-old recorded two double-doubles last season on his way to earning 2021-22 AAC All-Freshman Team honors and was named AAC Freshman of the Week twice throughout the season.

Timberwolves sign Austin Rivers

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard Austin Rivers.

Rivers, 6-4, spent last season with the Denver Nuggets where he averaged 6.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 67 games (18 starts). He registered his best season in 2017-18 with the LA Clippers, where he saw action in 61 games (a career-high 59 starts) and averaged a career-high 15.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and a career-best 4.0 assists. In 10 seasons in the NBA with the New Orleans Pelicans organization, Clippers, Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks and Nuggets, Rivers has tallied 5,741 points, 1,359 rebounds and 1,438 assists throughout 655 games (174 starts).

The Santa Monica, Calif. native, has seen action in 60 postseason matchups (15 starts) during seven trips to the NBA playoffs, including four straight seasons. He holds playoff career averages of 7.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 22.1 minutes per game. Rivers was originally selected by the New Orleans Hornets with the 10th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

2022-23 Timberwolves preseason schedule

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team’s 2022 preseason schedule. The Wolves will play five exhibition contests, including one game at Target Center.

The fans first chance to see the 2022-23 Wolves at Target Center will be when the team concludes its preseason schedule on Friday, Oct. 14, as they host the Brooklyn Nets. This will mark the second year in a row that the Timberwolves will play the Nets in the preseason.

Minnesota will begin its 2022 preseason by traveling for the first four preseason games, including matchups against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 4 and Thursday, Oct. 6 at the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas. The Wolves wrap up their exhibition games with two contests at Crypto.com Arena against LA Clippers on Saturday, Oct. 9 and the Lakers on Wednesday, Oct. 12.

2022 TIMBERWOLVES PRESEASON SCHEDULE

All Times Central

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIPOFF

Oct. 4 Miami Heat FTX Arena 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 6 Los Angeles Lakers T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas) 9:00 p.m.

Oct. 9 LA Clippers Crypto.com Arena TBD

Oct. 12 Los Angeles Lakers Crypto.com Arena 9:00 p.m.

Oct. 14 Brooklyn Nets Target Center 7:00 p.m.

Timberwolves sign Bryn Forbes

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed guard Bryn Forbes.

It’s reportedly a one-year deal for the league minimum.

Forbes, 6-2, split time last season with the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs where he averaged 8.8 points on 42.9% shooting, including 41.4% from three, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 75 games (two starts). In eight seasons in the NBA with the Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks and Nuggets, Forbes has appeared in 406 career games (167 starts) while holding career averages of 9.1 points on 43.8% shooting, including 41.3% from deep, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Per the St. Paul Pioneer Press, “Forbes, who turns 29 years old this month, adds needed shooting and guard play to Minnesota’s bench and fills one of the spots vacated by the Timberwolves’ trade that shipped so much bench depth to Utah.”

The Lansing, Mich. native has seen action in 42 postseason matchups (seven starts) during five trips to the playoffs, including winning the 2020-21 NBA Championship with the Bucks. He holds playoff career averages of 6.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game.

Timberwolves sign Kyle Anderson

The Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday signed forward Kyle Anderson.

Anderson, 6-8, spent the last four seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies where he averaged 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 248 games (148 starts). During the 2020-21 season, he registered a career-high 12.4 points per game on 46.8% shooting, while leading the team in steals (84) and steals per game (1.2). In eight seasons in the NBA, Anderson has tallied 3,366 points, 2,220 rebounds, 1,167 assists and 510 steals throughout 505 games (248 starts).

The Fairview, N.J. native, has seen action in 47 postseason matchups (eight starts) during five trips to the playoffs. He holds playoff career averages of 5.3 points on 51.0% shooting, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 16.2 minutes per game. Anderson was originally selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 30th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Timberwolves sign rookie Wendell Moore Jr.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed rookie guard Wendell Moore Jr.

Moore Jr., 6-5, was also acquired by Minnesota during the 2022 NBA Draft, averaged 13.4 points (ranking second on Duke), 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists (fourth in the ACC) and 1.3 assists per game in his junior season at Duke.

For his collegiate career, Moore Jr. averaged 10.7 points on 45.9% from the field and 35.8% from three, 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He recorded the fifth triple-double in Duke history with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Army on Nov. 12, 2021.

Jazz trade Rudy Gobert to Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves yesterday acquired center Rudy Gobert in a trade with the Utah Jazz for guards Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt, along with guard Leandro Bolmaro, the draft rights to center Walker Kessler and Minnesota’s 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 first round picks and a 2026 first round pick swap.

Gobert, 30, has appeared in 611 regular season games (519 starts) in nine NBA seasons with the Jazz, averaging 12.4 points on 65.3% shooting, 11.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. The 7-1 center played in 66 games (all starts) last season, averaging 15.6 points on a career-high 71.3% shooting, a career-best 14.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. His 71.3% (362-of-508) from the field led the NBA during the 2021-22 season and per the Elias Sports Bureau, he joined Wilt Chamberlain (1972-73) and DeAndre Jordan (3x, MR: 2016-17) as the only players in NBA history to shoot 70% or better from the field on 500+ shots. In addition to leading the NBA last season in rebounding and shooting percentage, Gobert ranked second in double-doubles (53) and third in blocks (2.1). He’s seen action in 49 career playoff games (all starts) with averages of 13.4 points on 66.2% shooting, 11.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

The Saint-Quentin, France native is a three-time All-NBA selection (Second Team in 2017, Third Team in 2019 and 2021), a three-time Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2018, 2019, 2021), a three-time NBA All-Star (2020, 2021, 2022) and a six-time All-Defensive First Team selection (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). Gobert has played in the last two Olympics for France, leading the French National Team to a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. During the 2020 Olympics, he averaged 12.2 points on 63.6% shooting and 9.3 rebounds, earning him a spot on the Men’s Basketball All-Star Five.

Gobert was originally drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 27th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Acquired via trade from the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 25, 2021, Beverley appeared in 58 games (54 starts) for the Wolves last season, averaging 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He holds career averages of 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 10 NBA seasons.

Acquired by the Timberwolves via a trade with the Nuggets on Feb. 5, 2020, Beasley appeared in 130 games (68 starts) for Minnesota over three seasons, averaging 15.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He holds career averages of 10.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in seven NBA seasons.

Acquired by the Timberwolves via a trade with the Nuggets on Feb. 5, 2020, Vanderbilt appeared in 140 games (97 starts) for Minnesota over three seasons, averaging 6.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He holds career averages of 5.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in five NBA seasons.

Bolmaro appeared in 35 games last season for Minnesota, averaging 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. He was originally acquired by the Timberwolves via a trade with the New York Knicks on Nov. 20, 2020.

Kessler averaged 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game as a sophomore at Auburn University. His draft rights were originally acquired via trade during the 2022 NBA Draft from the Grizzlies.

Jazz will reportedly trade Rudy Gobert to Timberwolves

The Utah Jazz look like they’re taking a step forwards rebuilding, while the Minnesota Timberwolves are about to enjoy an incredibly talented combination at the power forward and center spots. Via ESPN.com:

The Utah Jazz agreed to trade center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal that will pair him with fellow All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Timberwolves will send Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, No. 22 overall pick Walker Kessler and four first-round picks to the Jazz, sources said. Utah will acquire unprotected picks in 2023, 2025 and 2027 and a top-five-protected pick in 2029, sources said, in Danny Ainge’s first franchise-altering deal since taking over as the Jazz’s CEO midseason.

A combo of Gobert and star Karl-Anthony Towns up front makes the Timberwolves a must-watch team going into next season.