From Chad Ford/ESPN:
The Suns and a number of other teams are talking to the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and Nets about trading up in (or out of) the draft.
The Wolves seem especially ready to make a deal if Michael Beasley isn’t on the board at No. 3. They like several of the bigs in this draft, including Brook Lopez, Kevin Love and Danilo Gallinari, but none of them is worth taking at No. 3.
It appears the Wolves won’t take back veterans, though. Several GMs told me that Kevin McHale is looking for young players only.
The team will watch Italian forward Danilo Gallinari work out Friday
in Los Angeles and while there also hopes to see Stanford center Brook
Lopez again and UCLA guard Russell Westbrook. The Wolves will fly
overnight Friday to catch O.J. Mayo’s solo workout for seven teams
Saturday morning in Chicago. Assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg
said the team hopes to bring Indiana guard Eric Gordon, West Virginia
forward Joe Alexander and LSU forward Anthony Randolph to town next
week before the Thursday night draft.
in Los Angeles and while there also hopes to see Stanford center Brook
Lopez again and UCLA guard Russell Westbrook. The Wolves will fly
overnight Friday to catch O.J. Mayo’s solo workout for seven teams
Saturday morning in Chicago. Assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg
said the team hopes to bring Indiana guard Eric Gordon, West Virginia
forward Joe Alexander and LSU forward Anthony Randolph to town next
week before the Thursday night draft.
"For that third pick, we started out with eight
guys, excluding (Michael) Beasley and (Derrick) Rose (who are expected
to go No. 1 and No. 2)," McHale said, "and we’re down to like four guys
that we really like a lot. Any one of those four guys you’d be really
excited about."
guys, excluding (Michael) Beasley and (Derrick) Rose (who are expected
to go No. 1 and No. 2)," McHale said, "and we’re down to like four guys
that we really like a lot. Any one of those four guys you’d be really
excited about."
McHale wouldn’t identify the four, but assistant
general manager Fred Hoiberg said Mayo is the last player in the group
that the Wolves will see and they already have worked out two potential
top-four picks in UCLA power forward/center Kevin Love and Stanford
center Brook Lopez.
general manager Fred Hoiberg said Mayo is the last player in the group
that the Wolves will see and they already have worked out two potential
top-four picks in UCLA power forward/center Kevin Love and Stanford
center Brook Lopez.
Wolves general manager Jim Stack said the team hopes
to get Arizona point guard Jerryd Bayless in for a workout next week…
to get Arizona point guard Jerryd Bayless in for a workout next week…
On Saturday, they will travel to Chicago for a workout with USC guard O.J. Mayo.
"The thing he really can do is space the court," assistant GM Fred
Hoiberg said. "His shooting stroke is beautiful. … From talking to
people, he’s the ultimate competitor. He wants to win every drill."
Hoiberg said. "His shooting stroke is beautiful. … From talking to
people, he’s the ultimate competitor. He wants to win every drill."
Bob Sansevere/Pioneer Press talked to Brandon Rush who worked out for the Wolves on Wednesday:
BS: Is Minnesota a place you’d like to land?
BR: Yeah. I’d love it. They have nothing but
young guys, guys I played against during my whole high school career. I
played against those Florida guys (Corey Brewer and Chris Richard) and
Al Jefferson — all those guys. I pretty much know the whole team.
young guys, guys I played against during my whole high school career. I
played against those Florida guys (Corey Brewer and Chris Richard) and
Al Jefferson — all those guys. I pretty much know the whole team.