Update: Nov. 22, 10:11 PM EST
Minnesota Timberwolves rumors: Team trades for Ed Davis
Minnesota is doing what it can do fortify what has been a weak bench behind stars D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns. That previously included bringing back former lottery pick, point guard Ricky Rubio, in a trade.
The Wolves are now adding another veteran to the second team. According to ESPN’s ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, The Timberwolves have acquired big man Ed Davis from the New York Knicks in exchange for Omari Spellman, Jacob Evans and a future second-round pick.
This is a pretty solid under-the-radar get. Just recently acquired from the Jazz in a trade, New York was not going to keep Davis. Getting two young players and a second-round pick has to be seen as good news for the Knicks.
As for the Wolves, they add a 10-year NBA veteran who is averaging 6.3 points and 6.6 rebounds over the course of his career. He’s seen as close with Russell and is viewed around the Association as a great locker room guy. If Davis can provide 10-15 minutes per game, this will be well worth the Wolves’ while.
Update: Nov. 18, 8:12 PM EST
There’s a lot of Minnesota Timberwolves rumors around the NBA right now. They pretty much hold all of the cards heading into the 2020 NBA Draft next week. They are also looking to make a major impact, according to rumors surrounding the organization. Could that include a trade? It could also include the selection of big man James Wiseman No. 1 overall.
Minnesota Timberwolves rumors: Team selects Anthony Edwards No. 1 overall
After fielding several trade offers for the first selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Wolves have decided on former Georgia star shooting guard Anthony Edwards to open up the annual event. This had been speculated about a whole lot over the past few weeks.
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is going to be a perfect fit next to a ball-dominant point guard in that of D’Angelo Russell. Edwards averaged 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds on 40% shooting from the field as a freshman for the Bulldogs last season. Edwards will need to improve his outside shooting ability in order to be a star-level player in the NBA.
Updated: Nov. 15, 3:20 PM EST
Minnesota Timberwolves rumors: Aaron Gordon headed to the Twin Cities?
It appears that the Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to make a splash ahead of this week’s NBA Draft. We already know that Minnesota has Jarrett Culver on the trade block (scroll down). The idea here would be to move up from the 17th selection to acquire a second top-10 pick to go with the No. 1 overall selection.
However, Timberwolves rumors now suggest that Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon could be a target. The 27-year-old Gordon would make sense for numerous reasons. The athletic freak has an ability to play both the three and four, something Minnesota could certainly use in the front court with Karl-Anthony Towns.
Gordon saw a downtick in production this past season, averaging 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. A change of scenery would make sense. Minnesota sending Culver, the expiring contract of James Johnson and the second of its two first-round picks could potentially get this done.
Updated: Nov. 11, 11:29 AM EST
Minnesota Timberwolves rumors: Jarrett Culver already on trade block?
One year after selecting him No. 6 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, Minnesota might already be looking to move on from this 21-year-old guard. According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Timberwolves have had talks with the Atlanta Hawks regarding the No. 6 overall pick next week. The rumor suggests that Culver and the 17th pick would go from Minnesota to Atlanta in said deal.
Culver, 21, averaged 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds on 40% shooting from the field as a rookie. He struggled from distance, too, hitting on just 29% of his three-point shots. Boasting the No. 1 overall pick, there’s a decent chance that the Timberwolves find a running partner for D’Angelo Russell in the back court in the form of either LaMelo Ball or Anthony Edwards. That would make Culver a tradable commodity.
The one issue here is that Minnesota needs all the draft capital it can get. Moving on from a former top-six pick after one year to slide up 11 spots in a weak draft is a high price to pay. That’s especially true with the Wolves first-round pick in 2021 heading to the Golden State Warriors.
Is this trade were to come to fruition, it stands to reason that the Timberwolves would consider selecting James Wiseman with the first pick while adding a guard at six. Of those potentially available with that second pick, Florida State’s Devin Vassell and Killian Hayes from France seem like logical fits.
Related: 2020 NBA Mock Draft
Minnesota Timberwolves rumors: 17th pick in NBA Draft for sale?
It’s not yet known whether Minnesota front office head Gersson Rosas will want to make two selections in the first round of the annual event. He might view the second of those picks as better leverage for the Timberwolves to acquire proven talent. At least, that’s what the rumors tell us.
ESPN NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony detailed as much in a recent article, suggesting that a number of teams selecting in the middle of the first round are looking to trade out of their pick. There’s nothing concrete about that Minnesota might want in return.
What we do know is that the Timberwolves do have some options here. They are an estimated $13 million under the cap. That should leave the team some wriggle room in free agency. As for the 17th pick, moving it and a contract for an upgrade on the wing could make sense.
This rumor is purely hypothetical, but someone like Terrence Ross from the Orlando Magic could make sense. Dealing away James Johnson’s contract (assuming he opts in) and the second of their two first rounders might be able to get that done.
Perhaps, Minnesota looks at salvaging the career of Knicks forward Kevin Knox. Rumors suggest that former lottery pick could be on the block. If so, moving the 17th selection to New York for the 27th pick and Knox could work.
Minnesota Timberwolves rumors: James Wiseman going No. 1 overall?
“Multiple sources have told Bleacher Report the name they keep hearing now for the Timberwolves is James Wiseman. ‘Some within the Golden State Warriors think Wiseman is going No. 1, whether Minnesota keeps the pick or not,’ “one source plugged into the conversation said.”
This one is a bit interesting in that Minnesota already has franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns manning the five. Does it make sense in today’s NBA to have two big men in the same lineup? I am not too sure about that.
However, this could be nothing more than the Timberwolves attempting to up the value of the No. 1 selection in a potential trade. Rumors leading up to the annual event have concluded that Minnesota is in fact looking to move said selection.
As of right now, Wiseman joins the likes of guards LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards as the consensus top-three players in the draft. Given D’Angelo Russell’s ball-dominant style, it is believed that neither of those guards seem to be great fits.
Related: Trades that could shake up the NBA Draft
In detailing trade rumors leading up to the draft next week, we did look at the possibility that Minnesota opts to trade down. Said scenario included a move down to the fourth pick with the Chicago Bulls. The Timberwolves would then select Israeli sensation, wing Deni Avdija. That might seem to make the most sense right now.
Rosas and Co. have a lot of options at their disposal heading into the NBA offseason. It starts next week, but will continue into both free agency and the trade season. Expect everything to heat up surrounding Minnesota Timberwolves rumors here soon.