The night Yaxel Lendeborg declared he'd "lost all respect" for Luka Dončić, agent Ron Shade and personal trainer Aaron Johnson were at the Warriors' season opener in Los Angeles and sprang into action. They went to talk with him.
Mentor Josh Lane followed up later that night. The former director of player relations at the University of Alabama Birmingham was momentarily concerned. Maybe he shouldn't have said that; it was his first NBA game, after all. So Lane texted Lendeborg something in the vein of: Man, what?
"We know when we can kinda talk him out of different things, and then we know there's certain things that he's just convicted on," Lane said. "That was one of those things he was just convicted on. Like, 'Man, I said what I said.'"
Those around Lendeborg have accepted that this is who he is, and to try to get him second-guessing himself would be the worst outcome. This is all part of the same package, an 18-year-old kid in a 24-year-old's body, as Lane put it. Lendeborg is driving through some of the best players in the world with abandon, and doing it with an awareness of his own faults that is endearing him to the rest of Golden State's locker room.
The honesty and the personality, though, mean he's taken the NBA by viral storm. He went after Dončić after Game 1 and defended his words later. Then, after dropping 31 points against the Nuggets in Golden State's first win Monday night, Lendeborg said he "would've cried" if the Warriors lost again. On Wednesday night in Minnesota, he pointed at himself for seven turnovers while also saying an aggressive Timberwolves team wasn't playing "real defense."

#lendeborg #golden #talk

Anthony Edwards is expected to be out for around two months, and that is a huge blow for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Ant-Man had a phenomenal start to the new NBA season, and he formed an instant connection with LaMelo Ball. The duo looked incredible together.
However, Edwards has undergone surgery and will be on the sidelines for a while. The Timberwolves need a solution in his absence, and DeMarcus Cousins has shared an interesting suggestion.
Anthony Davis only joined the Washington Wizards in February this year and made his regular-season debut in the opening game of this season.
The former Mavs star has missed several games due to injury in recent years, but on his day, he is up there with the best forwards in the NBA.

#ball #cousins

LaMelo Ball and Jonathan **** inga seemed to be having a go at Rudy Gobert during the Minnesota Timberwolves' game against the Golden State Warriors.
The Wolves went into the game without Anthony Edwards, and unsurprisingly, they didn't look like their usual selves. They suffered a 119-114 defeat in the end.
Gobert came under a lot of criticism for his performance, and Ball and **** inga seemingly yelling at him made it an even bigger story.
However, the Frenchman has now claimed that no such thing happened between him and his two teammates.
It really was a frustrating night for the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Golden State Warriors.

#timberwolves #state #game

Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert speaks up on his reluctance to throw it down appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called out Rudy Gobert for his finesse plays during a combined 0-for-13 stretch, the starting center questioned his finishes as well. Amid a two-game skid, the Timberwolves lost Anthony Edwards to a knee injury that will keep him out for at least two months. As Minnesota will look to find success without their All-Star forward, many anticipate Gobert to step up offensively.
Instead, he finished with one point, four rebounds, and one steal in the Timberwolves' 119-114 loss to the Golden State Warriors. In addressing Finch's recent comments about finishing loud in the paint, Gobert agreed with the notion of dunking the ball more often, per Sports Illustrated Andrew Dukowitz.
"Sometimes I tell myself, 'Why didn't I dunk that, too?' I guess it depends," Gobert said. "I guess, most importantly, is to react, to be decisive. To be strong and to be decisive. If I'm going to dunk it, go dunk it. If they foul me and call it, it is how it is. But I gotta be more decisive and more balanced, more poised."
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#rudy #sports #preferred

Klay Thompson was ice cold in his first preseason with the Miami Heat, but the four-time NBA champion isn't fazed by his shooting struggles heading into the 2026-27 regular season.
Speaking after Sunday's practice at Kaseya Center, Thompson maintained that he expects to shoot at his usual level once the games "count," brushing aside concerns about being too far over the hill entering his age-36 campaign.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra also voiced his confidence in the veteran shooting guard as anticipation builds for Wednesday's season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Brought in over the offseason to help create ***** e around Heat stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo on Miami's revamped roster, Thompson looked out of sorts throughout the preseason, shooting 7-for-26 overall (26.9%) and 3-for-20 from 3-point range (15.0%).
It was a small sample size, as Thompson appeared in four of Miami's five exhibition contests and never played into the second half of any of them as the Heat went 3-2. Still, his shooting blunders went viral on social media, fueling ridicule.

#four #klay

With eight different teams the winners over the past eight seasons, it is hard to predict who takes home the NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy in June.
If there is to be a ninth different name in as many seasons, you might look to San Antonio Spurs, with Victor Wembanyama leading the team to the Finals last season before coming unstuck against the New York Knicks.
Maybe the Philadelphia 76ers off-season moves to acquire Jaylen Brown and sign the NBA's all-time leading scorer LeBron James is an attractive pick, or perhaps the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As the season tips off, the first British-born coach in the NBA, Tim Lewis will be hoping he can ******* ist Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves to their first NBA ******* le.
Lewis has been something of a journeyman in basketball.

#seasons

Rudy Gobert has spent years dealing with mixed reviews about his defense. That debate looks different when one of the NBA's best offensive players gives him credit for making the game harder.
Nikola Jokic has faced Gobert plenty of times and knows where the Timberwolves center can cause problems. His latest comments give Gobert a notable endorsement from someone who has spent years trying to attack him.
Jokic discussed the defenders who make his job difficult during an appearance on the Jao Mile podcast. When the conversation reached Gobert, the Denver star dismissed the idea that the Timberwolves center is overrated on defense.
Apr 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) position themselves for a rebound in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
"Rudy Gobert, I know people have all kinds of opinions about him, but Rudy is a good defender. He showed it in the last playoffs," Jokic said.

#gobert #jokic #nikola #credit

NBA insider takes shot at T-Wolves Jonathan **** inga for jab at Warriors' Steph Curry, Chris Paul originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are going all in on winning a championship this season after the impressive offseason they had. It is amazing to see the team they have put together, and it was all due to their aggressiveness.
The big summer all started just before the NBA Draft when they traded for Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. The team also just ended their free agency by winning the battle for Jonathan **** inga.
"Jonathan **** inga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. **** inga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender," ESPN's Shams Charania wrote.
The 23-year-old NBA champion waited the entire summer for the right opportunity, and he sure got that with the Timberwolves. He joins Anthony Edwards and other talented players in Minnesota.

#jonathan #timberwolves #ball #edwards

As the newest member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, young swingman Jonathan ******* inga couldn't be more excited about his basketball future. After a difficult parting with the Warriors, ******* inga had some tough decisions to make this summer, but he would say it worked out for the best with a two-year, $12.4 million deal to join Anthony Edwards and his rising young team.
Thursday evening marked ******* inga's introductory press conference with the organization, where he answered all sorts of questions relating to his free-agent process and expectations for the future. Notably, he also spoke about teaming up with LaMelo Ball, someone he called his best passing teammate ever (yes, even over Curry).
"I think his ability to pass the ball, I was watching him work out yesterday and I was watching him and the way he can pass the ball, it's incredible," said ******* inga. "I've played with so many point guards in my career, but I've never played with anybody that can pass as good as LaMelo. I'm looking forward to it; I'm excited."
In ******* inga's defense, Ball is famously skilled offensively with career averages of 20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.3 ******* ists, 1.4 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 41.8% shooting. While he often likes to get flashy with the ball, he's undeniably elite as a playmaker and passer, opening up the floor for teammates and adding a layer of flexibility to the rotation.
To claim that Ball is a better passer than Curry might sound like blasphemy, but the stats back it up. Curry averages 24.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.3 ******* ists, 1.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game for his career, falling short of even Ball's passing numbers. More so than LaMelo, Curry is much more of a scorer, and he's always had teammates to help him run the offense.

#lamelo #pass

Nuggets news: Nikola Jokic's opinion of Rudy Gobert's defense will turn heads appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Nikola Jokic will carry a heavy load once again in the upcoming season, as the Denver Nuggets lost key players in Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, and Bruce Brown.
The Nuggets are seeking redemption after suffering a first-round exit in last season's playoffs at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. After their elimination, Jokic lamented that they were far from being a championship team.
Jokic remains the premier center in the NBA, and opponents will plan for him every game. When asked who defends him the best, the three-time MVP was typically modest.
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#jokic

Beyond winning, Jonathan ******* inga is simply excited to start a new chapter with the Minnesota Timberwolves because of LaMelo Ball. The new Wolves forward has nothing but positive words to say about Ball, even claiming that the star guard's passing ability is superior to any floor general he played with in his young career. "I think his ability of passing the ball," ******* inga said on what excites him the most about playing with Ball during his Minnesota introductory press conference. "I was watching him work out yesterday. I was watching him doing certain things, and just the way he passed the ball, it's incredible. "I mean, I play with so many point guards in my career, but I never played with somebody that could pass as good as LaMelo. So, I think I'm looking forward to it, and I'm excited."
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jonathan ******* inga on playing with LaMelo Ball: I've never played with somebody that can pass as well as LaMelo

#passing

LeBron James had several options as a free agent before landing a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. Before James' 24th NBA season, there were rumors about which team he would join after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers.
Teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors were linked as potential landing spots. The Minnesota Timberwolves were also in the mix in his free agency decision. James could have joined Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and Rudy Gobert, forming a dynamic superteam in the Western Conference.
According to The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, James was close to signing a deal with the Timberwolves. Krawczynski revealed on CLNS Media's Celtics Daily with Bobby Manning that one major move changed everything.
Apr 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts against the Houston Rockets during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
"There's a very good chance that if they don't make that trade, LeBron James is in Minnesota this year, and not Philadelphia," Krawczynski said.

#krawczynski #Lakers

After falling short of their back-to-back ambitions, the Oklahoma City Thunder are ready to get back in the saddle. Even after their offseason of cost-cutting moves, they're viewed as arguably the top **** le favorite again. That's what happens when you have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.
The Thunder have everything that it takes to win the 2027 NBA championship. This group has one ring in hand — with the hopes of adding another. As long as those three are around, OKC will always be in the **** le picture.
Thunder Wire recently simulated the Thunder's upcoming season in the new NBA 2K27 video game. Thunder fans might straight-up hate the final result. Let's look at how OKC's campaign played out as it hopes to bring home a second championship.
For transparency, injuries and trades were turned off in this simulation. So all 30 NBA teams had the same rosters and rotations available throughout the entire season. It was at Hall-of-Fame difficulty. With that taken into account, let's look at how things turned out:
The Thunder make NBA history once again. They're the first seed for the fourth consecutive year. That's only the sixth time that has happened ever. They went 59-23 and had to wait until the regular-season finale to cool their jets. The Spurs and Timberwolves also had the same record. OKC had the tiebreaker over the two.

#back #championship

Now that the Houston Rockets have locked up Amen Thompson with a five-year, $208 million contract extension that runs through the 2031-32 season, they can rest easy knowing their young core is secure for several seasons.
Thompson, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason all have agreed to contract extensions over the past two years that can keep them together through at least the next three years until Şengün reaches the player option in his contract that he can pick up for the 2029-30 season.
The Rockets' entire roster actually is pretty secure for the next two seasons. Of the players expected to be in the rotation, only Fred VanVleet and Bogdan Bogdanovic definitely will be a free agent next offseason. Kevin Durant has a player option for $46.1 million he can pick up to play another year in Houston, and Marcus Smart, who signed with the team in July, has a $6.3 million player option for 2027-28.
Here's a look at the contract for each Rockets player entering the 2026-27 season ...
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/ Karen Warren) (Karen Warren/Associated Press)

#houston #player #next

The punishment the NBA handed down to the Los Angeles Clippers for circumventing the league salary cap through no-show sponsorship deals signed by Kawhi Leonard is unprecedented in American professional sports.
The Clippers were stripped of five future first-round NBA Draft picks, received one-year suspensions for owner Steve Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker, and a six-month suspension for president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. In addition, the Clippers and Ballmer were fined $30 million.
While the draft-pick penalty mirrors the initial penalty for the Minnesota Timberwolves when they developed a scheme to sign Joe Smith in 2000, two of those picks were eventually restored. And the $3.5 million fine is no comparison, even with inflation, to the monetary penalty for the Clippers.
But for David Samson, it still wasn't enough.
Appearing on The Dan Le Batard Show, the former Miami Marlins executive said the severity of the salary cap circumvention called for even harsher punishment, perhaps up to and including firing the executives in question and forcing Ballmer to sell the team.

#show #picks

After a busy summer reshaping the entire squad to fit the needs of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers spent the recent weeks trying to add Jonathan ****** inga, but the 23-year-old forward chose the Timberwolves instead, signing a two-year, $13.0 million deal while rejecting more money from the Lakers.
This team keeps having the same athletic questions now, as they obviously rebuilt the roster around defense for Luka and Reaves, but they still don't have the young athletic forward they hoped ****** inga could become for them. Matisse Thybulle gives them defense, Quentin Grimes helps on both ends, and Ziaire Williams adds some size, but there is still room for another bigger wing who can guard from guards to forwards.
There is another issue too: the Lakers currently have 16 guaranteed contracts, one more than they can carry into the regular season. So unless somebody gets waived, another move is already coming before Opening Night.
That is why a three-for-two trade makes a lot of sense right now. Instead of simply cutting somebody from the bottom of the roster, the Lakers could use that extra body as part of a bigger deal and still attack the hole ****** inga was supposed to fill.
This three-team mock trade with the Bulls and Grizzlies would do exactly that.

#Lakers #still #instead #team

The Minnesota Timberwolves bolstered their frontcourt depth with the surprise addition of Jonathan ***** inga, with whom they agreed a two-year, $13 million deal.
As it turns out, Anthony Edwards played a key role in recruiting ***** inga to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, beat reporter Jon Krawczynski revealed his conversation with ***** inga's agent, Aaron Turner, about Edwards' pitch.
May 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) dribbles past Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan ***** inga (00) in the third quarter during game three in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
"He said that one of the things that really resonated with Jonathan ***** inga was not just that Anthony Edwards, the face of the franchise, was reaching out directly to him and actively recruiting him and telling him 'Hey, we need you', but it was the message that he was giving Jonathan ***** inga," Krawczynski said.
"He started with defense and saying, 'Hey, if you come here, we're gonna focus on the defensive end; we're gonna be a really tough defensive team to play against with you and me and Rudy and Jaden McDaniels'. Then the second thing he told Jonathan ***** inga was, 'I know that you can cook offensively'. He had a very good playoff series against the Wolves when he was with the Warriors two years ago," he continued. "He said, 'Look, if there's a matchup night where you just have the fourth-best defender on you and you can go at him, I'm gonna say go get him.'"

#kuminga #timberwolves #recruiting

Aaron Turner, Jonathan **** inga's agent, spoke about the contracts he and his client chose to take and ones they had turned down. **** inga's former teammate, Draymond Green, took issue with it.
Jonathan **** inga has signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a two-year, $13 million deal. The former Golden State Warriors man left money on the table in the process.
Kuminga's exit from the Warriors was less than ideal, but the team had offered him a 3-year, $75 million contract which he turned down. And his agent, Aaron Turner, recently addressed this in public.
Whatever decisions NBA stars and their agents make are entirely up to them. But Turner's comments made **** inga's earnings a larger conversation, something which Draymond Green doesn't like.
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

#turner #draymond #green #Warriors

"I can rock with that," Joe Smith tells ScoopB.com by phone. "I can rock with that." Smith calls the penalties "pretty fair" given the structural fallout across the board. Drawing from his own past experience as the centerpiece of the Minnesota Timberwolves' 2000 secret contract scandal, Smith quickly pointed out the stark differences between his outcome and Leonard's.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "I can rock with that," Joe Smith tells ScoopB.com by …

#tells #minnesota #hype #phone

Few among us know NBA basketball like the players who make up that league. And while that may not come as much of a surprise to most fans of the sport, the fact that recency bias can warp the perception of historical greatness ought to not come as much of a shock either given not all of us (NBA stars or otherwise) are scholars of league history.
So when new Minnesota Timberwolves guard LaMelo Ball paid former Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown near the top of the mountain when it comes to all-time great Celtics on a recent episode of the semi-eponymous "Ball in the Family" podcast, one can hardly blame him, especially considering he was not all that far from the truth. "I have got to see all the accolades," said Ball (h/t to Yahoo Sports' Gautam Varier) with an understandable caveat, "but if you line up Boston's best players ever, he's in my top five."
Now if you were to say top at his position, that would be a more reasonable argument given the existence of players like Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Jo Jo White, Dave Cowens, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. There are reasonable arguments to rank him three or maybe even four of those names, but after that it gets tough given all these Hall of Fame players accomplished in Boston. Ball seemed to acknowledge this dynamic, shifting the frame to a more positional one.
"Only two wings is better than him is Paul Pierce and Larry Bird," said the Minnesota guard. Hondo and White would like a word, but to be fair neither looms as large in the lore of the wider league as they ought to. Perhaps most interestingly, Ball also thinks Boston dealt their best player to the Philadelphia 76ers.
"I think Brown's a little better," said Ball. "He's low-key frying Bird ... I don't want to be disrespectful… Bird is baking him too, but he's baking Bird. Bird is baking him, too, but he is also getting to it ... Jaylen Brown has a better chance of guarding him than he has of guarding Jaylen Brown."

#bird #jaylen #league

The Eastern Conference is stacked right now following all the massive changes that happened this summer. The Chicago Bulls may not be part of the conversation, but Josh Giddey wants them to be.
The Bulls underwent changes of their own, and it started before the February trade deadline. They traded Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets and Ayo Dosunmu to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
They failed to make the playoffs and quickly got to work this summer, starting with the hiring of Tiago Splitter as their new head coach. Splitter replaced Billy Donovan, who had been with the team for six seasons.
The Bulls selected Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and later landed Norman Powell in free agency.
They don't have marquee signings like the Philadelphia 76ers, who acquired Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, or the Miami Heat, who traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. Still, Giddey believes the Bulls are capable of surprising people.

#Bulls #giddey #traded #conference

Peyton Watson gets brutally honest about why Anthony Edwards is such a tough matchup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Over the past few years, Peyton Watson has developed into a solid defender whom the Denver Nuggets have trusted to guard star players. With his 6'8" frame and his high-level athleticism, it was the optimal role for him. He did well, especially when it came to his shot-blocking ability.
Considering Watson had to play against plenty of star players, one name in particular stood out to him. That is Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, who is one of the league's most talented scorers. Watson admits that he has a hard time playing against him, which is a normal opinion for most defenders.
Edwards has been one of the most feared scorers in the league for his entire career. He has gone from being a superb slasher to becoming one of the league's most dangerous three-level scorers. He always has a counter-move against defenders, and Watson got a front-row seat to that almost every Nuggets-Timberwolves game.
Now that Watson is playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, he won't see Edwards that often. However, he will be playing against some of the Eastern Conference's best, which includes Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, so that experience against Edwards will be valuable.

#edwards #peyton #anthony #star

The Brooklyn Nets came into the 2026 NBA offseason with the goal of improving the team as much as possible following a 2025-26 campaign in which they finished with a 20-62 record. Brooklyn made some interesting moves this summer, headlined by trading for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, and the Nets fanbase is wondering what the outlook for the 2026-27 season looks like.
"A year ago, the Nets kept and used all five of their first-round draft picks. This summer, Brooklyn chose to give overworked forward Michael Porter Jr. some immediate help instead," Shaun Powell wrote on the Nets for NBA.com. Powell's outlook seems to center on the fact that Randle and forward Michael Porter Jr. will be tasked with being the leaders of the team while also developing the youngest players on the team.
"It resulted in a trade for Randle, a former All-NBA player who is no stranger to New York; some of his best years were spent with the Knicks," Powell continued. "[Mikel] Brown Jr. was taken at No. 6 and brings solid combo guard skills from his college days at Louisville. He has a decent chance to earn front-end rotational minutes right away; such is the benefit of joining a team in transition."
As Powell mentioned, the Nets invested heavily in the 2025 NBA Draft as they acquired five first-round picks and used each of them on players they hoped would form the core of the roster. Guard Egor Demin appears to be the standout member of the five-person class at this point, but next season will be time for the other four players to show their potential given the stakes of the rebuild.
Randle and Porter will be able to provide enough scoring and shooting to make the team formidable on some nights, but the goal of the season would be to see how quickly players like Demin and Brown develop. Every member of the Nets organization is hoping for the kind of season that everyone can be proud of and the preparation for the season will begin towards the end of September.

#powell #forward

Last week, Jonathan ******* inga - the former No. 7 overall pick by the Golden State Warriors - ended his first stint in unrestricted free agency by agreeing to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The deal includes a player option on the second season, allowing ******* inga to reenter free agency if he chooses.
Almost immediately, ******* inga and his agent, Aaron Turner, were criticized for the deal. After all, it was only one year ago when the Warriors reportedly discussed offering ******* inga two different three-year deals - one worth $75 million with a team option on the third year and the other worth $54 million without an option. Turner and ******* inga held firm against their interest in those deals, with Turner doing a media tour saying ******* inga needed to receive a player option to be satisfied.
That dragged all the way to the start of training camp last summer and held up all of Golden State's other moves in the process until, two days into camp, ******* inga finally signed a two-year, $48.5 million deal with a team option. After a promising start to the 2025-26 season, ******* inga ultimately fell out of the Dubs rotation entirely and was traded to the Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline. (That also led to all the behind-the-scenes drama from his Bay Area stint.)
Kuminga had his moments in Atlanta, including in an upset playoff win over the Knicks, but the Hawks declined his team option and sent him to the unrestricted free agency that he and Turner were so thirsty to get to. Turner had even set the stakes rather clearly in an interview with the San Francisco Standard after ******* inga's Warriors deal last October.
"This is what's funny to me. Everybody's like, 'Aaron f-ked up.' I'm like, hold on. Did I fumble something?" Turner told the Standard. "Because fumbling would mean like next year, if JK is making $10 million a year, you could say I fumbled by not taking [three years for $75 million]. You can't say I fumbled because I didn't fumble anything yet."

#million

Anthony Edwards stands out as the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise. They want to keep him around for the long term, seeing ***** yst Brian Windhorst provide insight into the situation.
Edwards has been playing in the NBA since 2020, balling out six years into his career for the Timberwolves. He ranks first as the highest-paid player on the Minnesota squad, elevating them into serious playoff contention.
Windhorst recently appeared for an episode of the Hoop Collective this weekend. Edwards is under contract until the end of the 2028-29 campaign, but he will be eligible for a major contract extension that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the entire league. Windhorst explained that Edwards could feel differently about his team's future by next summer.
"He's excited about the team now. When he needs to be excited is a year from now when he signs the extension," Windhorst said at the 11-minute mark. "And listen, if the extension was now, maybe he would sign it. Maybe he would be excited about this enough to sign it, and maybe he thinks LaMelo is going to be a perfect fit; and maybe he will be a perfect fit. I'm not trying to be a jerk. I'm just trying to be honest. The time where Ant has to feel really good about the Wolves is a year from now."
Apr 10, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) walks off the court after the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

#extension #excited #anthony #credit

The Los Angeles Lakers' offseason has been largely fruitful, marked by the addition of stars and role players alike. Unfortunately, in their pursuit of another roster upgrade, the Purple and Gold were met with disappointment, as Jonathan ******* inga chose to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves instead.
While this could be viewed as a moderate setback, it can also be perceived as an opportunity. With ******* inga off the Lakers' list of priority targets, the Purple and Gold have the luxury to redirect their energies toward other signings. To that end, some low-cost options have been floated. But given the team's needs, L.A. may see merit in revitalizing their efforts to acquire P.J. Washington from the Dallas Mavericks.
Washington has long been on the Lakers' radar, with Luka Doncic even voicing his preference for the forward. While Dallas hasn't been in favor of trading him, NBA insider Jake Weinbach shared a three-team trade framework that could convince the Mavericks to entertain negotiations. Here is Weinbach's trade proposal for the Lakers to acquire P.J. Washington:
Proposed Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: P.J. Washington

#trade #kuminga #acquire

Jonathan ******* inga picked the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Los Angeles Lakers, a move that stunned fans expecting a bigger paycheck. The 23-year-old forward signed a two-year, $12.4 million deal that includes a player option for the 2027-28 season. This structure lets him test free agency again next summer when more teams will have cash to spend.
His agent, Aaron Turner, told The Athletic that defense was the main reason for the switch. Turner said, "Ant was super active in the recruitment of him," referring to Anthony Edwards' role in the process. Edwards focused his message on the team's defensive identity rather than just offense.
Turner explained that while everyone else looked at the offensive side of the ball, ******* inga and his team looked at the defensive end. "He made this decision because of the defensive versatility of this team," Turner stated. The Lakers offered a sign-and-trade that would have locked ******* inga into a three-year deal worth $12 million a year. Minnesota offered a shorter path to a massive payday later. ******* inga wants to prove he can guard multiple positions before signing a long-term contract in 2027. The Timberwolves need that specific skill set to win now, and ******* inga sees a clear role where he can shine.
This choice follows a pattern of ******* inga turning down safer options to bet on his future value. Before leaving the Golden State Warriors, he declined a three-year, $75 million extension. According to reports, prioritizing finances over the game doesn't sustain the ability to generate increasing revenue. The Warriors didn't offer a clear starting role, so ******* inga felt he couldn't bet on himself there. He took the shortest option available, which eventually led to his trade to the Atlanta Hawks and then to Minnesota.
The Hawks declined his $24.3 million team option, making him an unrestricted free agent. Now, he faces a new challenge in Minnesota alongside stars like Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. This mindset fits a team that prioritizes winning over individual numbers. ******* inga knows he must play well to maximize his next contract, and the Timberwolves provide the right system to show off his two-way potential.

#timberwolves #edwards #team

Heat linked to $21M glue guy, 7-year veteran after outbidding Lakers, Knicks for Nick Richards originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Miami Heat have one spot left on their roster for the upcoming season, and they are going to choose wisely. Over the last week, the organization has ***** embled a dangerous team with plenty of playoff and Finals experience.
Miami likes the roster it has built for the season, but the team is also excited about the opportunity to add another veteran. The Minnesota Timberwolves waived a veteran on Friday night who could be a great option for the Heat.
"The Minnesota Timberwolves have traded Josh Green and cash to the Utah Jazz for Cody Williams and John Konchar, the teams announced Saturday. The Timberwolves are expected to keep Williams, the No. 10 pick in 2024, and waive-and-stretch Konchar, sources told ESPN. Saturday is the final day to waive a player and stretch out his guaranteed salary over multiple seasons," ESPN's Shams Charania wrote.
Konchar being released gives the Heat another potential player to pursue. NBA insider Brett Siegel believes Miami is likely to have interest in him.

#sporting #saturday #roster

Former Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green was sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this offseason as part of the blockbuster trade that involved LaMelo Ball and former Sixth Man of the Year Award winner Naz Reid. Despite training with the Timberwolves throughout the offseason, Minnesota traded Green to the Utah Jazz Saturday, making room under the second apron to sign Jonathan ****** inga.
In return for Green, the Timberwolves received Cody Williams and John Konchar, whose contract has since been waived and stretched. Following a trade from the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the 2024-25 season, Green spent two seasons in Charlotte, making 126 appearances and averaging six points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.2 ****** ists and 0.9 steals while shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc. Now on his way to Utah, the Australian guard will look to play a supporting role in the Jazz' rotation.
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#minnesota #utah #guard

The Minnesota Timberwolves do not need to beat every top team in the Western Conference to finish first. They need to handle the long stretch of ordinary games better than their closest rivals, and the changes made this offseason give them a better chance to do that.
After going 49-33 last season, Minnesota enters 2026-27 with more ways to keep winning when they are not at their best.
A top seed is built across 82 games. Stars decide plenty of those games, but the standings can also turn on the nights when a starter misses time, the shots stop falling, or a team does not have its best stuff.
That is where Minnesota can make up ground. Anthony Edwards remains the team's main scorer, yet the Wolves have added enough help that they should not need him to rescue every difficult night.
The biggest change is LaMelo Ball, who averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.1 ****** ists in 72 games for Charlotte last season.

#last