NBA FanHouse

76ers Expand Cap Space -- Clips, Hawks Beware

Tom Ziller — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:38:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Hawks, Timberwolves, Warriors, Clippers, Minnesota, Philadelphia

Via The700Level, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports a rumored deal between Philadelphia and Minnesota has gone down, sending Beautiful Calvin Booth, Rodney Carney and a pick to the Wolves for nothing but a $2.8 million trade exception. The real prize for Philly general manager Ed Stefanski: even more salary cap breathing room to chase someone like Elton Brand or Josh Smith. Here's Woj:

Getting Carney and Booth off the cap gives the Sixers the chance to offer a starting salary of approximately $14 million a season.

If Atlanta wasn't going to match a contract starting at $11 million for Smith (a disputed rumor), will they even be able to play a straight face if the Sixers offer something like a flat $13 million per year, five-year contract? Or, Philadelphia could go big in year one -- $14.75 million is the max for a four-year veteran, but Stefanski expects to have $14 million as stated above -- and taper the contract down to $12 million by the final year.

For Brand, the 76ers could now offer about five years, $80 million ... which is right in the middle of the Clippers' ($70 million) and Warriors' ($90 million) offers. Watson wrote about the expanded interest in Brand last night; now, that interest has a feasible outlet.

76ers Expand Cap Space -- Clips, Hawks Beware originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disagreement in Memphis Over Mayo Trade?!

Tom Ziller — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Minnesota

Shockingly, not everyone in Memphis thought trading Kevin Love, Mike Miller, and taking on more bad salary -- all for the services of O.J. Mayo -- was a good idea, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Minnesota czar Kevin McHale discusses the feeling he got from the Grizzlies when finalizing the negotiations.

"I really had a feeling there was a huge contingency in Memphis who didn't want to do it. In fact, I know that. They told me that."

Oh come on! Why wouldn't you want to add another would-be point guard to your bloated backcourt, as well as Antoine Freaking Walker and Marko Jaric in exchange for your biggest trade chip and a stud-to-be 19-year-old power forward?

To be honest, as simply awful as this deal is for Memphis, it's no great shakes for Minnesota either. For all the hubbub around the summer of 2010, exactly who among the holy trinity of LeBron, Wade and Bosh will be knocking down McHale's door to join what will then be the worst defensive team in the league? Half the league plans on having cap space in two years; Minnesota is not remotely going to be an attractive option.

And if Miller was the hinge to this deal for the Wolves, but the deal was made with the summer of '10 in mind ... doesn't it matter that Miller's contract expires in 2010! There's a strong chance that a) Miller and the hypothetical 2010 superstar never play together, or b) you'll be offering a 30-year-old MiMi a fat six-year contract in 2010. HMMM.

I liked Mayo on the Wolves and Love on the Grizzlies a lot more than I like the current situation.

Disagreement in Memphis Over Mayo Trade?! originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Minnesota Timberwolves Unveil New Logo Before 2008 Draft

Will Brinson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, Western, NBA Draft, NBA Fans, Minnesota

After a losing, albeit doing it in a feisty manner, for most of the 2007-08 season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are turning over a new leaf. At least with respect to their logo which will change as they head into their 20th season of professional basketball (and which you can see in big picture form above).

The Timberwolves secondary logo has been completely re-designed. The new logo features a Timberwolf in front of a treeline howling at the moon, which is depicted as a basketball. The new secondary logo pays homage to the original Timberwolves logo with the return of a basketball in the logo's background. Prior to a basketball being incorporated in the new secondary logo, the Wolves were one of only five teams in the NBA which did not have a basketball depicted in either their primary or secondary logo. The newly-designed secondary logo will make its public debut tonight at the 2008 NBA Draft as it will adorn the hat of the Timberwolves' first-round draft pick.

I'll give props where props are due -- the new logo is certainly sweeter than the last one. It's got way more howly panache than the last logo and the wolf looks equally as dangerous as before (hint: it didn't, at least not like this.) Coupled with the color scheme and it's two thumbs up all around. Well played, Wolves.

Minnesota Timberwolves Unveil New Logo Before 2008 Draft originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Draft Crystal Ballin': Minnesota T-Wolves

Will Brinson — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, NBA Draft, Minnesota

Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.

Ah. The Land of Lakes. Where anything can happen. The first rounder could be O.J. Mayo, it could be Michael Beasley, it could be Kevin Love, it could be Larry Bird or it could be traded straight up for ~~Joe Smith~~ a few first rounders. Seriously, Kevin McHale could do anything. But ... oddly, the Wolves might be set up to have a pretty freaking good draft this year if they play their cards right.

Picks: #3, #31, #34

Needs: Assuming they think either Randy Foye or Sebastian Telfair will work out (and they'll probably go through with the experiment anyway even if they don't) at point, they'll look for frontcourt depth (and defense) to compliment Al Jefferson. They also need a legit scorer to keep A's in the seats, though, and that's something they might address first.

Best case scenario: McHale stays away from the phone lines and ends up with either O.J. Mayo or Michael Beasley. Mayo gives them a safety net if Foye/Telfair fail and Beasley would be a pretty nasty tandem with Baby Al down low and allows them to look for frontcourt help (Roy Hibbert?) late in the first round when they package 31 and 34 to move back up.

More likely scenario: The Heat, already with Dwyane Wade in the backcourt, take Beasley and the Wolves end up with Mayo. McHale uses the two early second round picks and moves up into the first to grab one of the defensive-able centers that drops and ... ohmysweetgod the Timberwolves suddenly had a good draft.

Please don't take: Someone other than Mayo or Beasley. I can envision some scenario where McHale -- without Mayo as his top pick -- reaches on either Love or Danilo Gallinari, or, as mentioned above, makes a trade. O.J. Mayo, of course, becomes a top 50 all time NBA talent, while whoever the Wolves end up taking becomes known as "solid".

Trade possibilities: Minnesota has talked a lot about trade but moving out of the third spot at this point seems silly. The possibility you see them involved in a deal is still high though, particularly if they land Mayo (Foye, Telfair and Jaric become potentially movable) and try to move up.

NBA Draft Crystal Ballin': Minnesota T-Wolves originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marko Jaric and Adriana Lima Are Engaged

Matt Watson — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:52:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, NBA Gossip, Minnesota, The Word

Of all the strange and unexpected things to happen this season -- the Celtics jumping from the lottery to the Finals, Shaq landing with the Suns, Joakim Noah getting busted with pot (actually, nix that last one ...) -- the news that Marko Jaric and Victoria's Secret supermodel Adriana Lima were dating easily ranks near the top.

On Friday, we found out the duo are no longer dating ... they're engaged:

Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima received an engagement ring Thursday night - her birthday - from basketball star Marko Jaric, his rep tells PEOPLE.

"He asked and she said yes. They are both incredibly happy and couldn't be more in love," says publicist James Weir.

I can barely wrap my head around this. I'm starting to get the feeling that NBA players live a pretty nice life. I don't know, call it a hunch. (via BallHype)

Hottest Sports Couples

NBA star Marko Jaric and Victoria's Secret supermodel Adriana Lima

Marko Jaric and Adriana Lima Are Engaged originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Love At #3? How Quickly Things Change

Tom Ziller — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:18:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, SuperSonics, Grizzlies, NBA Draft, NBA Rumors, Minnesota

Months ago, pundits considered UCLA forward Kevin Love with the sort of backhanded 'great college player' scorn usually reserve for 5'9 point guards and Tyler Hansbrough. Even weeks ago, when Love declared for the draft, respectable types argued his size and lack of athleticism should keep his stock in the mid-first.

But trainer-to-the-stars Joe Abunassar got ahold of Love's decidedly unchiseled body and went to work. (And I'm sure Love put in some amount of effort, too; chortle.) I wasn't the only guy who assumed the reformation would rocket Love up the draft boards. But DraftExpress has a bit of shocker how high Love's stock has already reached.

Numerous sources with varying ties to Minnesota confirmed to DraftExpress over the past few days that Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale has locked in on UCLA freshman Kevin Love as possibly his favorite prospect in this draft.

Minnesota picks at #3. Of course, they could work out an agreement to move down a few picks to get Love and something for their troubles, as DX suggests (with Memphis at #5 as a candidate). But let us not forget the last time McHale had a pick swap worked out.

In 2006, Minnesota had the #6. A deal had been worked at with Memphis (by way of Houston) at #8: we'll pick Brandon Roy for you, you take Randy Foye for us and include a little something as a sweetener. One hitch: Portland's Kevin Pritchard, picking #7, decided he liked Roy. To muck up the swap, he took Foye and knowing that's the player McHale really wanted, forced an even swap (#6 for #7) with no extra considerations.

Seattle's Sam Presti picks #4. He has been known to deftly maneuver when it comes to trades and draft picks. Beware, Wolves.

(And never mind that Love, while a great prospect, basically duplicates Al Jefferson: elite rebounder, great post scorer, undersized on defense. Love would be placed in more of a high-post role next to Big Al -- fine, he can shoot and pass like few others, but that negates some of his offensive glass potential and crafty pivot skills.)

Previously on FanHouse:
NBA Frankenstein: Kevin Love

Kevin Love At #3? How Quickly Things Change originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 27 May 2008 13:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McHale Is Optimistic About T-Wolves, Not So Much About College Players Taking Cash

Will Brinson — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, Western, NBA Draft, NBA Media Watch, Minnesota

On the front sports "page" of the Minny Star-Tribune today, there is the news about the Timberwolves getting the third overall pick in the draft. Right below it is the news about Kevin Garnett leading the Celtics past the Pistons. Which is sad in some ways, but at least Minnesota has their priorites right (future over past).

Kevin McHale seems pretty optimistic too, as long as you are discussing the Wolves future. Don't ask him about players taking money while in college though, or he will paint a (realistically) grim picture. Which is what he did when someone asked him if he was worried about O.J. Mayo receiving money to play at USC.

'No, not at all,' McHale said after the draft lottery. 'Tell you what, if you said that every person who ever took any money in college would not be drafted, it'd be slim pickings.'

[...]'That's more news interest for people and probably very interesting for the University of Southern California wondering what's going to happen...'

Fair enough, I suppose. Although it would be nice, if not a little naive, to hope that a prominent NBA general manager had enough couth to at least pretend his team cares about character. At least he was honest about getting the third pick though.

'Hey, we ended up where we were ... I'm very happy with that.'

[...]'It's supposedly a two-man draft,' [McHale] said. 'I love being third. We have eight players that you look at in this draft and you really, really like. It gives us a lot of flexibility at that third spot.'

Okay, okay. So "honest" isn't a synonym for "insanely optimistic". McHale also professed his joy at being a 22 win team last season, which is odd, considering you play 60 more games each year in the NBA.

All told, there is a strong sentiment from NBA GM's to play the "at least we didn't move back!" card when their team gets unlucky at the lottery. And this is just an example of McHale doing that; obviously he would rather have a shot at Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley, where there is a much lower chance that he screws things up.

H/T: 850 the Buzz

McHale Is Optimistic About T-Wolves, Not So Much About College Players Taking Cash originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 21 May 2008 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wolves, Knicks (!!) Win Lotto Tiebreakers

Tom Ziller — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Knicks, Timberwolves, Clippers, Grizzlies, NBA Draft, Minnesota, New York

We had two ties among the lottery ranks as of Thursday morning, but the league settled those late Friday. Minnesota and Memphis had been tied with the third worst record, and New York and the Clippers had shared 5th place in Bizarro World. The coin picked the Wolves and Knicks as victors in their flippin' wars.

It means little in a practical sense going into the lottery. For instance, Minnesota will have 138 combinations out of 1,000; Memphis will have 137. The difference is 0.1%. Where the real impact comes, though, is at the June draft. If the lottery holds everyone to form, Minnesota picks third, Memphis picks fourth, New York picks fifth, and L.A. picks sixth. The lowest Minnesota can pick is sixth; Memphis could drop to seventh. It's a bit of difference.

And while this is less serious than dropping out of the Top 3 on draft day, or losing LeBron James to a blind man, Memphis continues to be snake-bitten in these draft proceedings. Remember, the Grizz finished with the worst record in the league last year, but got lotto-leaped by Portland, Seattle, and Atlanta. In 2004, the Grizzlies owed Detroit its lotto pick unless it was the #1 pick. The Grizzlies won the #2 pick, which became ~~Carmelo Anthony~~ ~~Dwyane Wade~~ ~~Chris Bosh~~ ... nevermind.

Previously at FanHouse:
Kings Sending Lucky (Hopefully) Fan to Lottery

Wolves, Knicks (!!) Win Lotto Tiebreakers originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ping Pong Derby: Final Report

Tom Ziller — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:26:00 EST

Filed under: Knicks, Heat, Timberwolves, SuperSonics, Clippers, Grizzlies, NBA Draft, Los Angeles, Miami, Minnesota, New York, Seattle

The Sonics decided to win out (two-game win streak! woo!), while Memphis and the Knicks stoked the Derby fire with nothin' but losses to finish out the year. All the developments of the past few days have been tallied, and here's your Ping Pong Derby: Final Report.

Miami ends up with a 25% shot at Pick #1, and a 64% probability of getting a Top 3 pick. They cannot fall further than 4th. Seattle's got a 20% chance at #1, and a 56% probability of sticking in the Top 3.

The two ties make things ... interesting. The league will flip a coin in each case later this week. The result will have no real bearing on the lottery proceedings on May 20 -- Minnesota and Memphis, for example, will split the balls available for the #3 and #4 teams. If it's an odd number, the coin flip winner will take the extra one. But the coin flip does have serious import with regards to draft order. A Minnesota coin flip win means Minnesota picks ahead of Memphis, unless Memphis vaults into the Top 3 by way of lottery win. It also means the lowest Minnesota could pick would be #6, while Memphis could fall as low as #7.

The same goes for New York and the Clippers. Last season, there was a three-way tie between New York, Charlotte, and Sacramento for #8. The coin flip results ended with Charlotte picking #8, New York giving Chicago its #9 pick, and Sacramento picking #10. That's a pretty big difference. The gulf between #3 and #4 (or #5 and #6) doesn't seem to be as large, but if some prospect comes out and wows everyone next month, this coin flip could end being huge.

Previously on FanHouse:
Ping Pong Derby Update: The Knicks Falter
Miami Wins Ping Pong Derby
Miami Takes Lead in Ping Pong Derby

Ping Pong Derby: Final Report originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves Are Selling Season Tickets for 43 Bucks

Will Brinson — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, Western, NBA Fans, NBA Media Watch, Minnesota

This has to be one of the crazier promotions I have ever seen, if only because it could involve getting season tickets to a professional basketball team for a ridiculously low $43. Yes, that is American dineros. And yes, that is absurd. Of course, if you were to engage in this transaction, you could also end up paying over $200 for those tickets. That's because the Minnesota Timberwolves are basing the ticket price on what spot they land in the lottery. From Randball (via Rovell):

The deal: Your season ticket per game price is equal to whatever pick the Wolves get in the draft. They pick No. 1? $43 for 43 games, or $1 per game. Seriously. $86 for the No. 2 pick. And so on.

As you can see, there are a couple of catches. Also, as Rovell notes in an update, this promotion is only available to the first 500 people that sign up and each person is limited to 10 tickets. Still though, if you live in the greater Minneapolis area, or within three hours of the freaking city limits, how can you pass up this opportunity? 43 bucks for a season of Derrick Rose against 200 something to watch Al Jefferson and a pile of semi-scrubs? Um, yes please. Lock it in if they resign Gerald Green.

The Minnesota Timberwolves Are Selling Season Tickets for 43 Bucks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Madsen Is Not Afraid to Call the FBI and CIA if You Hijack His Email Account

Will Brinson — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, Western, NBA Media Watch, Minnesota

The real "story" behind Mark Madsen's most recent blog post is his reaction to the news that California has hired Mike Montgomery as the head coach of their men's basketball program. But there's a much funnier story hidden within the post, even if both of them stem from the fact that he can't really figure out whether or not he likes the school.

All I can remember about UC Berkeley is hostility. One time one of our walk on players from the East Bay almost got into an altercation with a UC Berkeley fan even before the game started! I think the fan threatened a lawsuit or someting. Then last year someone actually hijacked my Gmail email account! The sad thing was that I could see when he was online through the "Chat" functionality from another one of my gmail accounts. I 'chatted' with him online to my "old" account and threatened to get the FBI, CIA and every law enforcement agency possible on his tail unless he gave me back my account. Finally he releneted [sic] and sent me a message: 'You can have your email account back, the new password is 'UCBerkeley.''

There's just so much to love about this story. First, Madsen is technologically savvy enough to run his own website with a blog which he posts on "moderately". But the way in which he describes "the 'Chat' functionality" (as if the common person that might read the MadDogBlog doesn't know what gchat is) and then slaps quotation marks on "chatted" is just hysterical.

Funnier than that though, is that these normal Cal students are essentially picking on an NBA player -- he's like Squeak in BASEketball or something. And his only recourse? To make ridiculous threats about the FBI and CIA to this person, as opposed to saying "Dude, I'm an professional basketball player ... give me my email account before I buy your life or have you beat down", and assume that someone smart enough to get into Cal and hack a Gmail account doesn't know those threats are just ridiculous.

I also feel like I should point out that Mad Dog is trying to cash in on this "internet" "phenomenon" by putting Google Ads on his site, but with someone this clueless it almost doesn't seem worth it to make fun of him anymore. Plus, he might call the FBI on me.

Mark Madsen Is Not Afraid to Call the FBI and CIA if You Hijack His Email Account originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Timberwolves Owner Says Kevin Garnett Tanked Last Year

Will Brinson — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:38:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Gossip, NBA Media Watch, NBA Rumors, Minnesota

Reporters asked Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor about the team's recent hot streak here at the tail end of 2008. There was also some discussion, via a local newspaper writer's notion that the team should begin to not play as well, about the issue of tanking. Obviously, the young Wolves would like a nice draft lottery pick and obviously winning does not help that. In case you were confused about what tanking consisted of. Taylor clearly was not. Because he think Kevin Garnett was involved in some.

Taylor said the columnist 'said a little bit last year that we sort of like tanked it. I don't think that. I don't like that so much. I don't like that.
'It was more like KG tanked it. I think the other guys still wanted to play. But it sure changed the team and didn't make us (as good).'

I tend to think you have to either be a) seriously unconcerned with the consequences of speaking babbletalk to a bunch of gentlemen holding microphones or b) completely convicted in your belief, if you're going to make that statement publicly. And since Taylor is smart enough to make and hold onto the substantial amount of money needed to own a team, or at the very least find himself in a position of ownership, then I'm going with option B.

Garnett's agent has already called the comments "ridiculous" and state what most of us in the public believe, that not only nothing was "more important than bringing a championship to Minnesota" but that he was one of the most intense players ever to step foot on the court, and the last guy you would ever think would tank. If Taylor's comments are true, and personally I have trouble actually believing it, then the Ticket was more exhausted and ready to ~~collectively strangle the T-Wolves front office~~ leave Minnesota than any of us really knew.

Update: Charles Barkley got absolutely livid about Taylor's comments before the Houston-Boston game.
Update2: KG responds after the Celtics blow out the the Rockets.
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Timberwolves Owner Says Kevin Garnett Tanked Last Year originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miami Takes Lead in Ping Pong Derby

Tom Ziller — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Heat, Timberwolves, SuperSonics, Grizzlies, NBA Draft, Miami, Minnesota, Seattle

This time last year, it was all but official Memphis and Boston would finish as the worst two teams in the league ... and the two franchises in line to get Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. (How'd that work out? Oh.) In 2008, we have four teams clearly worse than the rest in Miami, Minnesota, Memphis and Seattle. Who has the ~~lower~~ upper hand in the ping pong bonanza?

Miami. The Heat made major strides this weekend, going 0-2 on Saturday and reaching the 50-loss plateau before Boston hit 50 wins. (Highly impressive.) Dwyane Wade could get shut down any week now, which could lead to another double-digit losing streak and cinch the first seat in the May lottery.

Minnesota. Wolves, Wolves, what are you thinking? Minny went back-to-back over the Kings and Clips, placing them 2-1/2 games better than Miami. The Wolves have looked decent of late, going 3-7 in their last 10. Depending on the continued efficacy of Al Jefferson and Rashad McCants, they could finish the worst or #4 in the derby.

Memphis. If anyone can catch the Heat, it's these awful Grizzlies. They are 2-12 since trading Pau Gasol, and 12 of the final 20 games come on the road. If Miami cannot be caught, 29th place in the league is certainly attainable. Memphis is one game better than Minnesota currently.

Seattle. The Sonics are a half-game better than Memphis, but have 10 of 19 remaining games at home. Not to disparage Jefferson, Shawn Marion or Rudy Gay -- they aren't tanking -- but you get the sense Kevin Durant desperately wants to win as much as possible. Despite P.J. Carlesimo's best efforts, KD has not been broken by repeated losing yet.

My guess: Miami #1, Memphis #2, Minnesota #3, Seattle #4.

Miami Takes Lead in Ping Pong Derby originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Antoine Walker Wants to Be Relevant Again

Matt Watson — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:10:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, Western, NBA Rumors, Minnesota

No matter how you look at it, this has been Antoine Walker's worst season as a pro, but he's hoping there's still time to salvage it. After spending most of the year coming off the bench for the worst team in the league, he's trying (though not very hard) to negotiate a buyout in hopes of landing on someone's roster in time to be eligible for the playoffs:

The 31-year-old asked to be dealt to another team before the deadline last Thursday afternoon, but that didn't happen. So Walker has been hoping this week the Wolves will buyout his contract in time to allow him to clear waivers and join a playoff contender by Saturday. That would make him eligible for the postseason roster.

"We're trying to figure out a number that's fair for both sides," Walker said Tuesday before Minnesota's game against the Utah Jazz.

Walker, who is making $8.5 million this season and is scheduled to draw $9.3 million next season, does not want to give up much of his guaranteed money. The Wolves have already coughed up millions to buy out Juwan Howard and Troy Hudson within the past year, however, and are not eager to do that again.

Two thoughts: 1) I'm amused that Walker thought someone would actually want to trade for him; 2) If Walker really wanted out, he'd give up some money. I'm guessing that the only reason the Wolves have held onto him this long is because they know they'll be able to recoup some of their value back by dealing his expiring contract this summer, the only time he'd actually have trade value. So why would the Wolves pass on that opportunity and simply give him an advance on the rest of his contract? It makes no sense. That said, Walker hasn't been active the last three games, which gives the impression that something might be in the works. Stay tuned.

Antoine Walker Wants to Be Relevant Again originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gerald Green Takes His Cupcakes to Houston

Tom Ziller — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, Rockets, Houston, Minnesota

The Philadelphia Inquirer's David Aldridge reports Minnesota has agreed to send Gerald Green to Houston for Kirk Snyder and a second round pick. Green was considered a major piece of the Kevin Garnett deal, but has not gotten many minutes under Randy Wittman.

Green's from Houston -- he has the entire city skyline tattooed on his arm. So, um, I imagine he's happy about the move. Snyder's contract is small and expires this summer, so (unless Minnesota could've actually gotten something for Green) neither team really loses anything. Potentially, Houston gains some scoring prowess off the bench (even though they have Luther Head and Steve Novak, neither of which gets too much run).

The world loses the fantastic comedic tandem of Gerald Green and Rashad McCants, though. R.I.P., indeed.

Gerald Green Takes His Cupcakes to Houston originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Richard Jefferson Possibly Choked Someone

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Nets, NBA Gossip, NBA Police Blotter, Minnesota

By "possibly," we of course mean it has been alleged that Richard Jefferson choked someone after a verbal disagreement had escalated outside of a Minneapolis night club. Our friends at TMZ have the details:

According to one witness, Jefferson got in a "minor verbal disagreement" which escalated to the point where Jefferson was on top of the patron, allegedly choking him.

According to the report, the New Jersey Nets star left the club, and then encountered the witness, who asked Jefferson to remain until the disagreement was sorted out. The witness says Jefferson responded, "Say another word, I will kick your ass."

Minneapolis PD tells us Jefferson is under investigation for "assault with significant bodily harm." No charges have yet been filed.

Fabulous. Just to clarify, the report they're referring to is a hotel incident report (which can be downloaded by clicking here), not a police report. So is this a story or non-story? Well, something definitely happened if the Minneapolis police are "investigating" things. But since there have been no charges filed and this took place almost three weeks ago, I would guess that the story's probably going to end right here.

Richard Jefferson Possibly Choked Someone originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Garnett Means Free Tickets in Minnesota

Matt Watson — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Timberwolves, Western, Boston, Minnesota

The Timberwolves have been downright painful to watch this year, and were it not for the even-more-so comically bad Miami Heat, they'd be the worst team in the league. Not surprisingly, they also rank near the bottom of the league in attendance, although Friday's game against the Boston Celtics easily sold out months ago as fans crossed their fingers for one more chance to see Kevin Garnett at the Target Center.

Unfortunately for the jilted fans, while KG will (probably) be in the building, he'll be on the sidelines (does he pop his sportcoat after wins?) thanks to an ill-timed abdominal injury. The T'Wolves brass knows it's dealing with an already disappointed fan base, so as a token of their appreciation they decided to reward those fans who do still show up on Friday with a free voucher for another game later this month. From the T'Wolves official site (via Inside Hoops):

"While injuries are a part of the game and there is never a guarantee that any player will be in uniform, we recognize that this is a very special circumstance and share our fans' disappointment at the prospect of Kevin not being able to participate," Timberwolves President Chris Wright said. "Just as we know our fans are eager to thank Kevin for his immense contributions to this team and this community, we want to thank the fans for their continued loyalty to our franchise."

It's a really gesture, especially considering it doesn't really cost the team a dime -- it's not like any of those games (against the Raptors, Sixers and Jazz) were going to be sold out anyways, and getting more butts in the seats means increased parking and concession revenue.

No Garnett Means Free Tickets in Minnesota originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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KG Returning to Minnesota Just to Say 'Hi'

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:10:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Timberwolves, Minnesota

Kevin Garnett is still injured, and the Celtics are in no hurry to rush him back to the court. And they shouldn't be. But even though KG won't be playing on Friday against his former team, it does appear that he's going to do the right thing by accompanying his team on the trip to Minnesota.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday night he thinks Garnett will travel with the team and come out from the locker room to greet the crowd before the game if the Wolves plan to recognize his return.

Garnett, who missed his fifth consecutive game Wednesday night because of an abdominal injury, stays in the locker room when he can't play.

This is good news for fans who simply want a chance to greet their former hero and say "thanks" for 12 great seasons in Minnesota. You know what, it's also probably a good thing for them that KG won't be playing, too. Because things could get ugly if he were to put on a display like the one he put on when the Timberwolves came to Boston.

KG Returning to Minnesota Just to Say 'Hi' originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McCants Throws a Fit (Rashad Being Rashad)

Dr. Lawyer Indian Chief — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:19:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, NBA Last Night, Minnesota

With Rashad McCants trade rumors swirling around the Timberwolves message boards, it appears that Ol Shaddy is doing nothing to boost his trade value. Amid the Timberwolves' 92-86 loss to the Houston Rockets, McCants had a bit of a freakout toward the end of the first half. According to Britt Robson's immaculate Three-pointer blog:

With 4:37 left in the second period, Rashad McCants was whistled for a charge on one of those calls that could have legitimately gone either way. But McCants was pissed and complained to the officials as the Wolves called timeout. After this extended harangue, Wittman caught Shaddy's attention as he was headed toward the bench and harshly told him to get over to the sideline. McCants angrily threw his hand up in Wittman's direction, turned his head away and yelled something on the order of "get f***ed" as he went and sat down...

...When Houston subsequently called timeout, he stalked to the bench in high dudgeon, yelling and screaming, presumably at the injustice of not getting the ball. Dressed in street clothes, Theo Ratliff came over first and tried to console him, or at least get him to pipe down...Finally, Wittman turned to his right, glowered at McCants, and hollared, either "get out of here" or "get the f**k out of here," but in any case, the way McCants's shoulders kept moving, I assume he kept talking, until Wittman finally hollered again, "Shut up!" and then started to work on the upcoming play.

McCants has been a player who has been misunderstood throughout his career, often seen as a malcontent and garnering comparisons to everyone from J.R. Rider to Ron Artest. It's a shame that his mental tics seem to cloud his immense talent and that small episodes like this continue to taint the reputation of an otherwise great guy and teammate. Hopefully one day Shaddy will put it all together for the Wolves, or better yet he'll be dealt elsewhere to serve his ideal role as a Vinnie Johnson instant-offense type of guy on a contender.

McCants Throws a Fit (Rashad Being Rashad) originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey Everyone! Randy Foye is Back

Dr. Lawyer Indian Chief — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:38:00 EST

Filed under: Timberwolves, NBA Last Night, Minnesota

That's right. Randy Foye, the fifth/sixth pick from the 2006 NBA draft was back in uniform last night as the Timberwolves took on the Chicago Bulls. That's one less built-in excuse for why the Timberwolves are so dreadful this year and one more shot of rocketfuel to the Fire-Randy-Wittman train. Foye, playing for the first time all season after being sidelined with an injured left knee, looked pretty solid, finishing with a steal, a couple of assists, and 11 points on 4-8 shooting in about 18 minutes of play.

Outside of Minnesota, the other main reason why Foye's return matters to the NBA is because of Brandon Roy's spectacular season. Kevin McHale fanatics will recall that on draft day, McHale traded Roy for Foye in a move that at the time was too soon to call. Ironically, it was Roy who had the reputation for being injury-prone. Now, um, Roy is looking like the best player taken in the entire draft and is, in the words of Bill Walton, "a future hall of famer." Nonetheless, with Foye back on the court, pundits will now have fair evidence to make their assessments of the deal.

Oh, by the way, the Timberwolves lost last night. But they'll have a rare chance to face Bulls tonight again (back-to-back) at the Target Center.

Hey Everyone! Randy Foye is Back originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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