NBA News 2012: NBA's top trade candidates

Andrea Bargnani (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most NBA players who signed contracts during the past offseason become eligible on Saturday to be traded. What that means: With a much larger pool of players available for deals, NBA general managers will start spending a lot more time on the phone in the coming weeks.

"It's about to heat up on Dec. 15," one Eastern Conference general manager said. "Conversations are definitely happening because once Dec. 15 comes, the pool increases. You've heard a lot of rumors about Pau Gasol, Andrea Bargnani. The names are only going to grow on Dec. 15."

From conversations with several NBA executives, here's a list of players whose names figure to frequently surface in trade talks between now and the league's Feb. 21 deadline for deals.

Andrea Bargnani: Toronto Raptors, 27, PF-C
Contract status: Three years, $33.25 million remaining. Player opt-out in 2014. Due 5 percent bonus if traded.
Buzz: Bargnani is sidelined with elbow and wrist injuries, tempering his short-term value. He hasn't lived up to the hype and injuries have been a concern throughout his career. Still, the young 7-footer can score and remains a sharp 3-point threat.
"Toronto definitely wants to move Bargnani," one NBA GM said.

Marshon Brooks: Brooklyn Nets, 23, SG
Contract status: Making $1.1 million in second year of rookie contract.
Buzz: Brooks had a sensational rookie season averaging 12.6 points. But with the addition of Joe Johnson, Brooks has averaged just 6.2 points through his first 14 games this season. Sources said the Nets dangled Brooks in offseason trade talks, but his low contract number makes it difficult to get much of a return for him in a deal.
"They are one of the rare teams that can afford to keep their team at a championship level financially," an NBA GM said. "For them, the development of young players isn't important because they can overspend."

Andrew Bynum: Philadelphia 76ers, 25, C
Contract status: Making $16.1 million in last year of contract.
Buzz: Bynum is still experiencing left knee pain that has kept him from making his debut with the Sixers, but is hopeful he can return sometime in 2013. He becomes a free agent at the end of the season and was expected to command a five-year contract approaching $100 million. His health problems threaten to substantially reduce that number.
One NBA general manager said the Sixers have been making trade inquiries about adding a starting caliber center.
"They got to be a little panicked now," one GM said. "They could get a really interesting deal for him. I could see them doing that."

Jose Calderon: Toronto Raptors, 27, PG
Contract status: Making $10.5 million in last year of contract. Due a 10 percent bonus if traded.
Buzz: Calderon has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate for years and has been linked with the Los Angeles Lakers in the past. Raptors starting point guard Kyle Lowry is expected to be sidelined another week with a partial tear to his right triceps muscle, but that shouldn't keep Calderon from being shopped.
"I believe 100 percent that they're trying to trade him," one GM said.

Tyreke Evans: Sacramento Kings, G-F, 23
Contact status: Making $5.2 million in final year of contract year. Will be a restricted free agent at end of the season.
Buzz: Evans recently had a positive conversation about his future with Kings general manager Geoff Petrie, a source close to the guard said. Evans thinks the franchise could match any offer sheet he potentially signs next offseason and would prefer to return to the Kings to prove he is a franchise player. But can the Kings afford him?
"If they can't pay him, they'll just move him," one GM said.

Pau Gasol: Los Angeles Lakers, 32, PF
Contract status: Making $19 million this season and due $19.2 million next season. Due a 15 percent bonus if traded.
Buzz: Gasol was nearly dealt to the Houston Rockets last year and continued to be the center of trade whispers. The Lakers, however, aren't expected to seriously consider any deals for him until after he returns and gets a chance to play with Steve Nash, who is also currently sidelined. If a move does happen with Gasol, it will likely be much closer to the trade deadline.
"I believe that the message being conveyed to wait and see with Nash is accurate," one GM said.

Tyler Hansbrough: Indiana Pacers, 27, PF
Contract status: Making $3.1 million in final contract year. Will be restricted free agent at end of the season. Buzz: Hansbrough is averaging career-lows of six points, 4.2 rebounds and 16.1 minutes, but could be a good frontcourt addition for needy teams. By moving Hansbrough, the Pacers could potentially add a wing player to help soothe the loss of injured small forward Danny Granger.
"I'm surprised they haven't been playing him," one GM said of Hansbrough.

Gerald Henderson: Charlotte Bobcats, G-F, 25
Contract status: Making $3.1 million in final contract year. Will be a restricted free agent at end of the season.
Buzz: Henderson averaged 15.1 points last season and seemed to be coming into his own. A foot injury early this season, however, forced him to miss 13 games. The Bobcats have since primarily started rookie Jeff Taylor instead and a league source said the team is open to trading Henderson.
"If they don't look like they can afford him, they are probably going to move him," one NBA GM said. "They were playing their best basketball when he was hurt."

Kevin Love: Minnesota Timberwolves, 24, PF
Contract status: In first year of a four-year, $60 million contract. Can opt out after the 2014-15 season.
Buzz: In an interview with Yahoo! Sports NBA columnist Adrian Wojnarowski, Love recently questioned the direction of the franchise under owner Glen Taylor and general manager David Kahn. Love isn't happy about not getting a five-year maximum contract, and some teams might try to explore acquiring him from Minnesota.
"I don't think that's a match that is permanent in Minnesota," a rival assistant GM said. "I'm not saying they're shopping, but if they can get the right deal they would look at it. And I don't think he wants to be there."

Paul Millsap: Utah Jazz, 27, PF
Contract status: Making $8.6 million in final contract year.
Buzz: The Utah Jazz are in the playoff hunt and have two starting big men in the last years of their deals in Millsap and Al Jefferson. Utah also has two talented young big men in Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. Any big move by new general manager Dennis Lindsey, however, could disrupt Utah's playoff hopes.
"I would think they would more likely trade Millsap over Jefferson because he is going to be harder to keep," one GM said. "He's made less money than Jefferson and he will go to the highest bidder."

Timofey Mozgov: Denver Nuggets, 26, C
Contract status: Making $3.1 million in last year of contract. Will be a restricted free agent at end of the season.
Buzz: Of their three centers, the Nuggets are most willing to part with Mozgov, who has proven in his short NBA career and Olympic play that he is a serviceable big man. The Nuggets probably won't try to re-sign him with two other free agents on the horizon: guard Andre Iguodala and reserve swingman Corey Brewer.
"It's logical because they have three centers and it's hard for [coach George] Karl to play them all," one NBA GM said. "The Nuggets are not a big revenue-generating team and they're not going to pay the tax."

Anderson Varejao: Cleveland Cavaliers, 30, PF-C
Contract status: Has $27.1 million remaining over final three years of contract. Due 5 percent bonus if traded.
Buzz: Varejao is having an All-Star season, averaging 14.3 points and 14.8 rebounds through 22 games. Cleveland, however, has one of the NBA's worst records so teams will at least ask about the availability of Varejao, whose stock is rising by the day.
"He is a target for trade, but I don't think Cleveland wants to trade him," one GM said. "There is a distinction between players teams might want to move and players teams want to have."

Derrick Williams: Minnesota Timberwolves, 21, F
Contract status: Making $4.8 million in second year of rookie deal.
Buzz: Williams has had a disappointing career in Minnesota after being selected second overall in the 2011 draft. The highest draft choice in franchise history has been earning DNP-CDs or short-minute stints under coach Rick Adelman. Both sides would be happy with a move.
"They will move him in a heartbeat if they could," one rival team executive said. "I don't think the coaches are that high on him. You have to get something for him now because the longer he sits, the more people think he can't play."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--nba-s-top-trade-candidates-000418190.html

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NBA News 2012: Ricky Rubio's return too vital 'to rush'

Ricky Rubio of Spain at Eurobasket 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ricky Rubio's return to the Minnesota Timberwolves is coming. His rehabilitation from reconstructive left knee surgery is on schedule. He's just not sure exactly when the process will be complete.

"I'm trying to do as much things as I can do. They have to stop me sometimes because I want to do more. Sometimes it's bad for my knee to do more," Rubio said Thursday at the team's practice facility.

He could be playing in games by December. Or maybe not until January. Just as long as he doesn't try to come back too soon and risk re-injury or be too rusty.

"I don't want to say a time because I don't want to rush it. I just want to be ready when I'm ready," he said.

Rubio started running three weeks ago, at about 6 mph on a treadmill. Jumping is still prohibited, so his shooting is essentially limited to the free-throw line for the next few months. Agility work will come in three or four weeks. He's at that point in the anterior cruciate ligament recovery when patience becomes even more difficult to maintain. Missing the end of last season was tough enough. Then he had to skip the Olympics for his native Spain. Now he has to continue to watch while the work on the court goes on without him.

"You always have doubts and think about how you're going to come back. You just have to trust. I'm doing my best to be ready to be as strong as I can. I can't do more. I just want to be back soon as possible, but healthy as possible, too," Rubio said. "You feel how lucky you are when you're playing. So I'm going to be blessed when I come back and play."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8432896/minnesota-timberwolves-ricky-rubio-says-track-rush-return

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NBA News 2012: Can Brandon Roy return to form?

Brandon Roy - Pregame (Photo credit: benefit1970)

Brandon Roy’s comeback was one of the biggest surprises of the summer, and when the Minnesota Timberwolves begin their season in November, all eyes will be on the former All-Star to see what he can do at this point in his career.

Will he return to form and become the go-to scorer that Minnesota has been missing? Or will his injuries limit him and make him a shell of his former self? Roy believes he can still be an impact player for the Timberwolves, and he doesn’t think his knees will hold him back.

“Honestly, right now and all summer long, I’ve been preparing to not have to take a step back with my game,” Roy told NBA TV. “I’ll be honest, some of the lift isn’t what it used to be, but my explosiveness, my explosiveness to get to the basket is good. More than anything, I think I’m a lot smarter of a basketball player.

“The NBA season is long and my body isn’t what it used to be. Right now I feel great. Me and coach (Rick) Adelman are going to sit down before the season and communicate throughout the year about how I’m feeling and what’s the best way to get the most out of me. I feel great. Right now, there’s nothing holding me back. I can go out there and play as much as I like.”

http://www.hoopsworld.com/can-brandon-roy-return-to-form/

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NBA News 2012: Roy: 'So far I haven't had any setbacks'

English: Brandon Roy playing with the Portland Trail Blazers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Brandon Roy had just wrapped up a lengthy workout with a spirited game of five-on-five and gathered with several of his new Minnesota Timberwolves teammates near halfcourt.

''Let's run it back,'' Roy said, with several others agreeing. ''One more.''

That's when Wolves assistant Shawn Respert stepped in, waving his arms and telling everyone that they were done for the day. A little more than two weeks away from the beginning of training camp, Roy's chronic knees are feeling great. And it's up to the Timberwolves coaching and medical staff to try to keep it that way.

''This is the best I've felt in a long time,'' Roy said Thursday. ''The reason why I say that is I'm able to improve. I'm able to come in the gym and work on my game and get better. Where I felt that the last couple years in Portland I was just doing my best to maintain.

''That's the biggest thing I'm excited about is I'm in the gym, I'm working hard and coach has to tell me to stop playing instead of me saying, 'OK that's enough. I'm feeling my knees.'''

That's going to be the balancing act the Wolves perform with Roy, in training camp and in all likelihood for much of this season. The former Portland Trail Blazers All-Star had his contract cleared with the amnesty clause before last season, and he abruptly retired because of knee issues that derailed a brilliant young career.

After sitting out last season, Roy's knees felt good enough for him to come back. With the Timberwolves in search of a veteran presence at shooting guard for one of the youngest teams in the league, they signed Roy to a two-year deal and now are working to get him prepared for the grind of camp and the long NBA season.

Roy has been in town since the start of September to make sure his son could start school here on time, and he's taken advantage of the early arrival to throw himself into workouts and establish a new routine aimed at minimizing the pain in his knees.

''I set a plan for myself going into the season and so far I haven't had any setbacks,'' Roy said.

Roy has been working primarily with Respert and David Adelman, as well as the strength and conditioning staff to get ready, and the coaches see Roy's approach as a breath of fresh air for a team that had too many young players who didn't know what it takes to be successful in the NBA.

''We know we had a situation here last season where it was really difficult for guys to be self-starters,'' Respert said.

The team jettisoned Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph and Darko Milicic in the offseason, bringing in Roy, Chase Budinger and Andrei Kirilenko to try to inject a little more maturity and professionalism into a young team with a core of Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic.


''With Brandon it's just a healthy attitude where he wants to see how much he can push himself to that limit before we have to shut him down and be smart about it,'' Respert said. ''He's been spectacular so far as far as the mentality, his toughness, his willingness to do what we ask him to do and still find that little bit of room to do a little bit more.''

He spends about 30 minutes before each workout going through exercises to get ready, and he said he's lifting more weights than ever, as well.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/wolves-roy-far-havent-had-214544258--nba.html

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NBA News 2012: Late-blooming Stiemsma signs with Timberwolves

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 09: Greg Stiemsma #54 of the Boston Celtics loses the ball as LaMarcus Aldridge #12 of the Portland Trail Blazers defends on March 9, 2012 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Celtics defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 104-86. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)Greg Stiemsma would have gladly returned to Boston, where he got his first true chance to play in the NBA.

When Minnesota showed new interest in the 6-foot-11, 260-pound defensive specialist, well, he didn't exactly have to mull his decision over.

''You didn't have to twist my arm or convince me too hard to come to this part of the country,'' Stiemsma said Thursday after signing a two-year contract with the Timberwolves to be their backup center. Only the first season is guaranteed.

''It feels good to be wanted,'' Stiemsma said. ''It feels good to have all your hard work pay off.''

His hometown is Randolph, Wis., just a half-day-trip away and a bit north of Madison, where he played four seasons for the Badgers and currently lives and trains. Stiemsma was the only free agent who visited the Timberwolves this summer who was able to drive to Target Center.

''It was nice, from a scheduling standpoint, that we didn't have to purchase an airline ticket,'' Timberwolves president of basketball operations and general manager David Kahn said, smiling.

Stiemsma was in the background his entire career at Wisconsin, averaging a little more than 11 minutes per game even as a senior. He played in Turkey and South Korea the following season, then moved on to the NBA Developmental League.

There, behind the guidance of a coaching staff that understood his game, he began to build confidence that he could indeed become an NBA player. He was named the 2010 NBADL Defensive Player of the Year after he averaged 9.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and a league-leading 3.7 blocks per game for the Sioux Falls Sky Force. Stiemsma actually signed with the Wolves that April and played on their summer league team but was waived before training camp in the fall.

He returned to Turkey for the 2010-11 season and then finally stuck on an NBA roster, with the Celtics. Fighting plantar faciitis in his left foot and a bone bruise in his right foot, he appeared in 55 games, averaging 2.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 13.9 minutes. His blocks-per-minute average was second in the league behind Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Playoff experience this past spring was invaluable, as was the time spent listening to and watching former Timberwolves great Kevin Garnett.

''He was always willing to teach. He's got such a high knowledge of the game,'' Stiemsma said.

Stiemsma said his feet are feeling fine these days. He's eager for his second full NBA season to see how much further he can take his game - and help a playoff-caliber team try to get into the postseason for the first time in nine years. Finding his niche has certainly helped his confidence, which he said is at an all-time high.

''There's always those coaches who'd be like, 'You don't do this well. You don't do this well,''' Stiemsma said. ''Well, how about we forget about what I don't do well. How about we focus on

what I do well?''

The Wolves used the amnesty clause to waive Darko Milicic, creating the opening behind Nikola Pekovic. Stiemsma's past season with the Celtics was enough to catch Minnesota's attention again.

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NBA News 2012: Hornets Acquire Lopez

Phoenix Suns center Robin Lopez in a shootaround prior to a road game against the Golden State Warriors. The Suns won 154-130. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Hornets, Suns and Timberwolves have agreed to a multiplayer trade sending 7-foot center Robin Lopez and forward Hakim Warrick from Phoenix to New Orleans, while moving forward Wesley Johnson and a first-round draft pick from Minnesota to Phoenix, a person familiar with the deal said.

The person told The Associated Press about the trade on condition of anonymity Wednesday because it has not been announced pending the completion of some routine logistical matters.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/hornets-acquire-lopez-in-sign-and-trade

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NBA News 2012: Beasley admits mistakes, says 'I just want to win'

Michael Beasley says his marijuana issues are a thing of the past, that he's ready to show the Phoenix Suns that their support for him is warranted.

The 6-foot-10 forward signed a three-year, $18 million contract with Phoenix on Friday, then faced questions about his past head-on at a news conference.

''I realize 10 minutes of feeling good is not really worth putting my life and my career and my legacy in jeopardy,'' he said, ''so I'm confident to say that that part of my career, that part of my life, is over and won't be coming back.''

In June 2011, Beasley was ticketed for possessing marijuana and speeding in a Minneapolis suburb. He also has acknowledged that while playing for Miami, he twice violated the NBA's drug policy and entered a treatment facility in 2009.

Beasley credits working with former NBA player Norm Nixon for getting his priorities straight.

''I've really realized my potential,'' Beasley said. ''I've really realized what I can do.''

Suns general manager Lance Blanks was effusive in his praise of Beasley's honesty as well as the unquestionable talent he brings to the rebuilding Phoenix organization.

''Regardless of his past and regardless of any thoughts that people may have,'' Blanks said, ''we are excited, I know I am excited, to embrace everything he is about and most importantly wants to be as a Phoenix Sun.''

Blanks and coach Alvin Gentry talked of Beasley's infectious personality.

''You're around him and you want to embrace him and you want him to do well,'' Gentry said. ''I think everybody here will be pulling for him.''

Beasley, the second pick overall in the 2008 draft, played his first two seasons with Miami and the last two with Minnesota. He became a free agent when the Timberwolves declined an $8 million option to keep him.

There is no doubt that Beasley brings immense talent, whether he plays the small or power forward position. The former Kansas State player averaged 15.1 points per game in his four NBA seasons. He has 10 career games of 30 or more points, nine of them the past two seasons, topped by a career-high 42 against Sacramento on Nov. 10, 2010.

The Suns sent Beasley a text shortly after midnight the day that contact with free agents was allowed and followed up with a trip to Los Angeles. The attention was a major factor in Beasley choosing Phoenix.

''I'd like to thank the organization for believing in me,'' he said, ''giving me another chance, a better opportunity to grow as a person and a player. Like Lance said, I kind of want to take my past head-on. What happened, it happened. It happened in a growing process. I'm still a young man. I'm still learning today. The mistakes I made in the past are hopefully behind me. Hopefully, the Suns organization can be patient with my growing process. I'm just excited to get a start, excited to play basketball.''

After playing in the more rigid systems of Miami and Minnesota, Beasley looks forward to running the court with the up-tempo Suns.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/beasley-admits-mistakes-says-just-220920203--nba.html

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NBA News 2012: Darko Milicic interests Bulls

next life of chicago bulls (Photo credit: Lady Ema)
Cornstein confirmed the Bulls' interest to ESPNChicago, indicating that he was trying to explore different landing spots for his client. Milicic was amnestied by the Minnesota Timberwolves last week.

The timing of the Bulls' interest is curious given they are going to have to decide on Omer Asik's future in the coming days. Asik agreed to a three-year offer sheet with the Houston Rockets earlier this month and plans to sign it later this week.

The Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday that the Rockets have waived Jon Leuer and Jerome Jordan, clearing the way for Asik to sign the offer sheet. Once it becomes official, the Bulls will have three days to decide to match.

If the Bulls match the Asik offer sheet, they would be on the hook for an almost $15 million cap hit in the final year of the deal. That would severely limit them in a summer in which Luol Deng comes off the books and Carlos Boozer figures to be amnestied.

Bulls officials have not made any public statement regarding Asik, continually saying they wouldn't until they saw the official offer sheet. It appears they are about to be on the clock. If they choose not to match, Millicic will be an option.

The No. 2 pick of the 2003 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons, Milicic has averaged 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks over nine seasons with five teams.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story/_/id/8178360/chicago-bulls-interested-darko-milicic-agent-says-omer-asik-gone

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NBA News 2012: Blazers Match Batum's Offer Sheet With Wolves

Nicolas Batum at Eurobasket 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Blazers have officially matched the four-year, $46.5 million offer sheet Nicolas Batum signed with the Wolves.

Portland had until midnight on Wednesday to match the contract.

"Paul wasn't letting anyone -- especially David Kahn -- steal Nic," one source said. "Period. You can't do a sign-and-trade if the trade part simply isn't an option."

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/222471/Blazers_Match_Batums_Offer_Sheet_With_Wolves

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NBA News 2012: Timberwolves submit offer sheet for Blazers' Batum

English: Nicolas Batum (Portland Trail Blazers) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)The Minnesota Timberwolves are about to find out just how serious the Portland Trail Blazers were when they said they would match any offer for restricted free agent forward Nicolas Batum.

The Timberwolves submitted a four-year, $46 million offer sheet signed by Batum on Sunday, giving the Blazers three days to match the offer or let him leave without compensation. The deal has incentives that could push the total value over $50 million, a hefty price for the 23-year-old swingman who has averaged 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in his first three seasons in the league.

The Trail Blazers acknowledged that they did receive the offer sheet Sunday night and said they would have no further comment until a decision has been made. If Portland general manager Neil Olshey is to be believed, that decision was made a long time ago.

As soon as the free agent market opened July 1, the Timberwolves set their sights on Batum, a versatile, 6-foot-8 shooter with an established reputation as a fine perimeter defender. Team president David Kahn and coach Rick Adelman think Batum is a perfect fit for their more open offensive system and can grow alongside rising young stars Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.

''We're not in control of the situation,'' Kahn said on Friday, alluding to the Blazers' leverage with restricted free agency. ''I'm more of a glass-half-full person. You hope for the best and prepare for the worst. We're prepared for every option.''

One would be hard pressed to find an option that hasn't been considered while these two teams have gone back and forth over the last week.

The Wolves hosted Batum in the Twin Cities for a visit last week and he was impressed with what he heard. Agent Bouna Ndiaye said that his client was unhappy with how he was being used in Portland and would much prefer to play under Adelman and alongside Love and Rubio in Minnesota. They agreed to terms on an offer July 6, and spent the last 10 days trying to negotiate a sign-and-trade deal with the Blazers to make it happen.

But Olshey has been adamant that the Blazers would match any offer and were not interested in the assets the Wolves had to peddle in trade.

The process had several stops and starts, with Wolves owner Glen Taylor saying on Thursday the team planned ''to call their bluff'' and submit the offer sheet after being unwilling to part with Derrick Williams or Nikola Pekovic to get the deal done. But league rules forced the Wolves to wait until swingman Martell Webster, who was bought out on Friday, cleared waivers to create enough cap room for the deal to fit on the Wolves' books.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/timberwolves-submit-offer-sheet-batum-225358283--nba.html

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NBA News 2012: Wolves want Pau Gasol

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 09: Darko Milicic #31 of the Minnesota Timberwolves embraces Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers after their game at Staples Center on November 9, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers won 99-94. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
The Minnesota Timberwolves are trying hard to land Pau Gasol.

If they have to part with the highest draft choice in franchise history after just one season, the Wolves appear ready to do it.

That much became clear leading up to the NBA draft on Thursday night, when Minnesota offered Derrick Williams in hopes of landing the second pick from the Charlotte Bobcats to help get Gasol from the Los Angeles Lakers, two people with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press.

The people requested anonymity because the talks were meant to remain private. The deal never came together before the draft began, and the Bobcats stayed at No. 2 and took Kentucky forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

The Timberwolves are expected to continue their pursuit of Gasol in hopes of putting him with fellow Spaniard Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love on a revamped roster aimed at returning the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

The Wolves' interest in Gasol long has been rumored, with the highly skilled big man considered an ideal fit for coach Rick Adelman's corner offense, and the kind of playoff-tested veteran needed on one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. He's close friends with Rubio, the Wolves' superb young point guard who is recovering from a torn ACL and hopes to be ready early next season.

Gasol has teamed with Kobe Bryant to win two titles in Los Angeles, but always seemed to catch the brunt of the criticism when things went wrong.

That happened again this year when he averaged just 12.5 points along with 9.5 rebounds in the playoffs, and the Lakers were eliminated in the second round by the younger, quicker Oklahoma City Thunder. He often appeared to get lost in the shuffle while Bryant and Andrew Bynum got most of the touches on offense.

Gasol was the subject of trade rumors all season, starting before it began when commissioner David Stern, operating as owner of the New Orleans Hornets, nixed a deal that would have sent Gasol to Houston as part of a package for Chris Paul to the Lakers.

"It has been a crazy year and a lot to deal with. ... Unfortunately, we had tough losses and things didn't really go our way for the most part," the four-time All-Star said at the end of the season. "You just have to regroup and digest this loss and this season, and learn from it and move on."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8113368/report-minnesota-timberwolves-made-run-want-pau-gasol

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NBA News 2012: Brandon Roy's top suitors

Brandon Roy during Draft Week 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As ex-Portland Trail Blazer Brandon Roy plans his comeback to the NBA, the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves have emerged as serious suitors to sign the former All-Star guard, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Roy's recovery from chronic knee problems has been recently spurred by undergoing the platelet rich plasma therapy procedure that Lakers star Kobe Bryant popularized with NBA players, sources said. The blood spinning procedure gave profound relief to the knees of Bryant, Tracy McGrady and baseball star Alex Rodriguez.

The Golden State Warriors have also expressed strong interest with Roy. The Warriors' general manager, Bob Myers, was Roy's agent with the Wasserman Media Group.

After Portland doctors pushed Roy to stop playing in 2011, the Blazers used the league's new amnesty provision to pay him the remaining $63 million on his contract and made Roy a free agent. He's been working out for several months and planning a return.

Pacers executive Kevin Pritchard made a draft day deal for Roy in 2006 as Blazers GM, and his relationship could play a pivotal part in Indiana's recruitment of Roy, sources said. Roy trusts Pritchard, and values the fact that he brought him to Portland. Nevertheless, Roy hasn't begun the process of narrowing his list of possibilities. After Thursday's draft, more teams could express interest in him.

Roy played five often fabulous seasons for the Blazers, where he became a two-time All-Star and one of the NBA's best and most popular young players. The chronic knee injuries started to take a toll in his final two seasons, and Roy struggled to play 47 games in the 2010-11 season before Portland used the amnesty clause after the lockout. In his five seasons, Roy averaged 19 points per game.

Several teams could be willing to use their full-mid level exception for Roy, sources said. 1500-AM Radio in Minneapolis reported that the Wolves were prepared to make Roy a two-year contract offer.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--brandon-roy-s-top-suitors-are-bulls--mavs--pacers-and-t-wolves--sources-say.html;_ylt=AmF0CzqpFNPo9ULdgkL5Eiy8vLYF

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NBA News 2011: Timberwolves make 5 draft trades official

Image via Wikipedia
The Minnesota Timberwolves were awfully busy on draft night. So busy, in fact, that it took the NBA until Friday afternoon to approve all the wheeling and dealing that was done by president of basketball operations David Kahn.

The deals that were officially announced:

-The Wolves traded point guard Jonny Flynn, a future second-round pick and the 20th pick - Donatas Motiejunas - to Houston for center Brad Miller, the draft rights to No. 23 pick Nikola Mirotic and No. 38 Chandler Parsons and a future first-round pick.

-Traded Mirotic to the Chicago Bulls for the draft rights to No. 28 Norris Cole and No. 43 Malcolm Lee and cash.

-Traded Cole to the Miami Heat for No. 31 Bojan Bogdanovic, a future second-round pick and cash.

-Traded Bogdanovic to New Jersey for a future second-round pick and cash.

-Traded Parsons back to Houston for cash.

The Timberwolves also traded with Portland for the 57th pick, Tanguy Ngombo of Qatar, but said the deal was still pending and contingent upon a trade the Trail Blazers made earlier in the draft.

All in all, it was a dizzying night for the Wolves after taking Arizona forward Derrick Williams with the No. 2 pick.

http://www.nba.com/2011/news/06/24/minnesota-trades.ap/index.html

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NBA News 2011: Second pick Williams' fast rise to No. 2 overall

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
To say Derrick Williams wasn't highly recruited out of high school might be an understatement.

Williams remembers playing in La Mirada, Calif., and checking all the recruiting websites and outlets to see where he was ranked among the best high school players in his draft class.

One small problem: He wasn't.

"There was actually one site where I was top 100," Williams said. "I was pretty happy. I was excited. Other than that, no. In ESPN I was 72 and everything else I wasn't even top 100."

Two short years later, Williams is No. 2. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected the Arizona power forward with the second overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday night.

He held his introductory press conference Friday and reflected on just how quickly he went from being a complete unknown to labeled one of the potential stars in the entire draft.

Williams didn't start focusing seriously on basketball until the 10th grade, after he grew about 6 inches to 6-foot-6 in a nine-month span.

http://www.nba.com/2011/news/06/24/derrick-williams-rise.ap/index.html

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