<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-pablo-torres-next-target-glen-taylor-went-full-mean-girls-to-try-to-nuke-a-rod-sale');   ga('set', 'title', 'Timberwolves rumors: Pablo Torre’s next target is Glen Taylor, who went full Mean Girls to try to nuke A-Rod sale');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Taylor-and-Rodriguez.jpg"><figcaption>Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Timberwolves rumors: Pablo Torre’s next target is Glen Taylor, who went full Mean Girls to try to nuke A-Rod sale</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-21T08:30:25-07:00">October 21st, 8:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-21T08:30:25-07:00">October 21st, 8:30am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-prince-tribute-court-jerseys-2025-26-season">Minnesota Timberwolves are just</a> a day away from kicking off their 2025-26 NBA season with a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Timberwolves are now officially owned by the group <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-news-alex-rodriguez-marc-lore-make-first-major-hire-as-owners">led by Alex Rodriguez</a> and Marc Lore, after a deal that saw numerous peaks and valleys from former owner Glen Taylor finally went through earlier this year.</p><p>Recently, sports reporter Pablo Torre spoke on a revelation <a href="https://x.com/pablofindsout/status/1980627255542845550" rel="noopener">he believes he found</a> about Taylor’s process in completing the sale.</p><p>“Glen Taylor, in the months during this push and pull, had two executives create what amounts to a burn book, as in a ‘Mean Girls’ style list, a list that has been described to me as numbered and 77 items long. And this list of 77 things Glen Taylor slash the Timberwolves hates about Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, was communicating to the NBA and anyone who would listen that you can’t approve these guys,” reported Torre, via Pablo Torre Finds Out on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“Some items on this list included, Marc Lore had dinner with Kevin Garnett and never told me,” said Torre. “Alex Rodriguez did steroids. A-Rod is a liar. A-Rod is a cheat. A-Rod had the largest suspension in MLB history.”</p><p>Torre most recently drew headlines when he made the first reports on the Los Angeles Clippers’ alleged use of a no-show deal from Kawhi Leonard to help circumvent the NBA salary cap.</p><h2><b>A long saga for the Timberwolves</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Timberwolves-All-Star-Anthony-Edwards.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The sale of the Minnesota Timberwolves saw numerous twists and turns, with Taylor beefing with Rodriguez and Lore’s camp until things were finally settled earlier this year, with the team now in the former MLB star’s hands.</p><p>Meanwhile, on the court, the Timberwolves are trying to find a way off the Western Conference Finals carousel and into legitimate championship contention this year with Anthony Edwards leading the charge. It’s unclear how they plan to do so after not making any notable offseason acquisitions and losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency.</p><p>The Timberwolves’ season will begin on Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers on the road.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Timberwolves rumors: Pablo Torre’s next target is Glen Taylor, who went full Mean Girls to try to nuke A-Rod sale

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-touch-malik-beasley-reunion');   ga('set', 'title', 'Timberwolves rumors: Minnesota in touch with Malik Beasley about reunion');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Former-Timberwolves-forward-Malik-Beasley.jpg"><figcaption>Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Timberwolves rumors: Minnesota in touch with Malik Beasley about reunion</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-28T09:58:27-07:00">August 28th, 9:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-28T12:25:24-07:00">August 28th, 12:25pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After it appeared that Malik Beasley was in the clear from a gambling investigation, that might not be the case. Still, various teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons, have checked in. After a sports gambling investigation and a potential return, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/jonathan-kuminga-josh-giddey-intel-entering-september-siegels-scoop">would Beasley reunite with his former team</a>? The Timberwolves, Pistons, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/jonathan-kuminga-josh-giddey-intel-entering-september-siegels-scoop" rel="noopener">reached out</a>, according to Hoopshype’s Michael Sotto.</p><p>Beasley enters the picture as a late free agent, <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/jake-fischer-latest-nba-moves-are?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=172144782&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">garnering some attention</a>, according to The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer.</p><p>“The recent disclosure that Malik Beasley is no longer the target of a federal gambling investigation has injected the free agent marketplace with some late-summer intrigue, since Beasley is coming off his best season and was expected to sign a three-year deal worth $42 million to return to the Pistons before initial word of the investigation emerged,” Fischer reported.</p><p>“Yet it’s likewise true that a subsequent report from Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports clarified that Beasley still faces some potential legal hurdles to clear before returning to the league.”</p><p>Still, there are a few teams lined up to pursue Beasley once those hurdles are resolved.</p><h2><b>Four teams reportedly interested in signing Malik Beasley</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Pistons-Malik-Beasley.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As the offseason winds down, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/jonathan-kuminga-josh-giddey-intel-entering-september-siegels-scoop">Malik Beasley could be a late-summer signing</a> for a handful of teams reportedly in the running. Those four teams include title-contending squads and the Pistons, as well as the Timberwolves mentioned above.</p><p>The latest on Beasley mentioned the Pacers as another potential sutior, accoring to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.</p><p>“Although he has missed out on the chance to sign a three-year, $42 million contract with the Detroit Pistons as a result of this gambling probe, there are still opportunities for Beasley to hold a significant role with a playoff-contending team during the 2025-26 season,” Siegel reported.</p><p>“Along with the Pistons maintaining interest and holding their 15th roster spot open as they awaited word of the outcome in Beasley’s case, the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers have also been monitoring Beasley and his status, sources said,” Silegel concluded.</p><p>Beasley averaged 16.3 points, including 41.6% from deep and 2.6 rebounds last season. Instead of re-signing Beasley, the Pistons inked veteran Tim Hardaway Jr., Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, and Javonte Green to their respective contracts, adding experience to a relatively young Pistons squad.</p><p>The NBA could have a critical update on if or when Beasley will return for the 2025-26 campaign, pending further investigation.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Timberwolves rumors: Minnesota in touch with Malik Beasley about reunion

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/nba-rumors-brian-windhorst-confirms-timberwolves-kevin-durant-trade-offer');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Brian Windhorst confirms Timberwolves’ Kevin Durant trade offer');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kevin-Durant-and-Anthony-Edwards.jpg"><figcaption>Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Brian Windhorst confirms Timberwolves’ Kevin Durant trade offer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-17T08:06:27-07:00">July 17th, 8:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-17T08:06:27-07:00">July 17th, 8:06am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirmed Thursday that the Minnesota Timberwolves <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45758601/how-bradley-beal-phoenix-suns-finalized-their-contentious-divorce" rel="noopener">made a formal trade offer</a> for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/kevin-durant-trade-grades-rockets-suns-after-blockbuster-deal">Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant before he was ultimately dealt to the Houston Rockets</a> in June.</p><p>According to Windhorst, the Timberwolves’ proposal included a package centered around veteran center Rudy Gobert, guard Donte DiVincenzo, rookie forward Terrence Shannon Jr., and the No. 17 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Suns reportedly held in-depth discussions with Minnesota before shifting course.</p><p>“Before taking the Rockets offer, the Suns had in-depth discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves about moving Durant for a package that included star center Rudy Gobert, guard Donte DiVincenzo, promising forward Terrence Shannon Jr. and the 17th pick in this year’s draft,” Windhorst wrote in his latest report. “Sources told ESPN.”</p><p>The deal did not advance due to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/nba-rumors-timberwolves-playing-hardball-in-kevin-durant-trade">Durant’s lack of interest in joining the Timberwolves</a>. While he did not hold a no-trade clause, Durant’s influence over trade discussions played a factor, particularly with only one year remaining on his contract.</p><p>“Durant had made it known that the Wolves were not on his short list of preferred teams,” Windhorst reported. “And with just one season left on his contract, Durant had leverage. The talks faded.”</p><h2><b>Timberwolves’ offer for Kevin Durant could’ve kept Bradley Beal with Suns</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kevin-Durant-Bradley-Beal-and-Devin-Booker-walk-to-the-court.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-thanasis-antetokounmpo-major-declaration-kevin-durant-trade">Suns ultimately completed a trade with the Rockets</a> that returned a younger core highlighted by guard Jalen Green. Windhorst noted that had the Suns accepted Minnesota’s offer, they may have prioritized retaining Bradley Beal in the aftermath.</p><p>“Had that deal come to fruition, there was a place for Beal in the lineup, and the Suns might’ve made it a priority to keep him,” Windhorst added.</p><p>Instead, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/clippers-news-bradley-beal-officially-suns-buyout-sign-la">Suns reached a contract buyout with Beal</a>, who later <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/grading-bradley-beal-11-million-clippers-contract-after-suns-buyout">signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers</a>.</p><p>Durant, 36, averaged 26.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game last season while shooting 52.4% from the field and 41.2% from three. He now joins a Rockets team led by Green, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson, as Houston looks to transition from a rebuilding phase to playoff contention.</p><p>Minnesota, meanwhile, was exploring ways to upgrade its roster following a run to the Western Conference Finals. The franchise has remained committed to building around Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle but was open to moving Gobert in the right deal. DiVincenzo was a key contributor in their playoff rotation, and Shannon Jr., selected in the first round, was viewed as a promising long-term piece.</p><p>Windhorst’s report offers rare confirmation of the Timberwolves’ aggressive pursuit of Durant and provides further insight into one of the most impactful trade negotiations of the NBA offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Brian Windhorst confirms Timberwolves’ Kevin Durant trade offer

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-trade-proposal-for-lebron-james-amid-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Timberwolves’ trade proposal for LeBron James amid trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/758921997-timberwolves-trade-proposal-for-lebron-james-amid-rumor.jpg"></figure><h1>Timberwolves’ trade proposal for LeBron James amid trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-07T14:42:39-07:00">July 7th, 2:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-07T14:42:39-07:00">July 7th, 2:42pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/kevin-durant-trade-offer-timberwolves-make-suns-seal-deal">Minnesota Timberwolves were aggressive in their pursuit of Kevin Durant,</a> but the Phoenix Suns instead <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/largest-trades-in-nba-history-after-7-team-kevin-durant-trade">traded Durant to the Houston Rockets in a never-before-seen seven-team trade</a>. The Timberwolves, who have lost in the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons, are clearly looking for a superstar who can get them over the hump, and LeBron James has been a part of trade rumors recently.</p><p>After picking up his player option, James made it known through the voice of his agent that changes need to happen. Rich Paul<a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1939343388660146673" rel="noopener"> said</a>, “We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”</p><p>Some took that quote as a James trade request, and others viewed it as the all-time great putting pressure on his Los Angeles Lakers to be aggressive in free agency. So far, that aggression hasn’t really come to fruition, as the team’s only move of note was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/grading-deandre-ayton-lakers-contract">signing Deandre Ayton.</a> So could the Lakers trade James to the Timberwolves?</p><h2><b>Timberwolves’ trade proposal for LeBron James</b></h2><p><b>Timberwolves receive:</b> LeBron James, Bronny James</p><p><b>Lakers receive:</b> Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, Terrance Shannon Jr.</p><p>The Ayton signing was a step in the right direction for the Lakers. They desperately needed center help coming into the offseason, and the former first overall pick was arguably the best option on the open market after the Portland Trail Blazers bought him out. Even so, his fit alongside James and Luka Doncic isn’t perfect, and the team could still use more depth at the position.</p><p>After all, Doncic, who is the new long-term face of the franchise, most thrives facilitating to teammates. It would be best to have another big who can catch lobs from the Slovenian.</p><p>It would also be nice for the Lakers to have more defensive help. They lost arguably their best point-of-attack defender in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-dorian-finney-smith-shades-lakers-53-million-free-agency-contract">Dorian Finney-Smith this offseason</a>, and Doncic’s lack of perimeter defensive prowess means that it would be best to have an elite rim protector cleaning up his mess in the painted area.</p><p>Therefore, acquiring Rudy Gobert could make sense for the Lakers, even after adding Ayton. After all, Ayton played on a team with fellow centers Donovan Clingan, Duop Reath, and Robert Williams, all needing minutes at the five last season.</p><p>Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/25-greatest-defenders-nba-history-ranked">best defensive players in NBA history</a>. Furthermore, the Lakers could use an influx of wing depth and youth.</p><p>Donte DiVincenzo is one of the best 3-point shooting wings in the NBA, and Terrance Shannon Jr. thrived late during his rookie season this past year. The Lakers likely wouldn’t trade James unless he wanted out of town, but if he did, netting all three of those players for a 40-year-old would be pretty great value.</p><h2><b>Would the Timberwolves trade for LeBron James?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Bill-Simmons-rips-Lakers-Buss-family-LeBron-James-bail-out.jpg"><figcaption>Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>James likely only has a year or two left before retirement, but he is one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/updating-ranking-the-50-greatest-players-nba">best players in NBA history</a> and has been to 10 NBA Finals. He is certainly the piece who could get the Timberwolves to the next level after back-to-back Western Conference Finals losses.</p><p>The all-time leader in scoring would form a dynamic duo alongside Anthony Edwards. With limited point-guard play on the roster outside of the aging Mike Conley, James’ playmaking prowess could really help the team.</p><p>The Timberwolves have little draft capital, but they don’t even have to part with picks in this deal. The team has seemingly already been gearing up to move on from Gobert. In fact, he was rumored to be a centerpiece in Minnesota’s trade proposals for Durant.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/grading-timberwolves-naz-reid-contract">Timberwolves re-signed Naz Reid</a> and Julius Randle, both of whom can play minutes at the five. They also walked away from draft night with two centers in Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky.</p><p>Furthermore, the Timberwolves are tied to Gobert for three more seasons on what is one of the worst contracts in the NBA. Getting off that deal in and of itself would be a plus for the Timberwolves.</p><p>Trading for a 40-year-old is a risky proposition, but it would be worth it for the Timberwolves. Not only would James provide something on the court that the team needs, but the publicity that he brings could be beneficial to a small-market team like the Timberwolves, who haven’t gotten much respect over the years despite making deep playoff runs recently.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Timberwolves’ trade proposal for LeBron James amid trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/nba-rumors-timberwolves-named-another-bradley-beal-suitor');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Timberwolves named as another Bradley Beal suitor');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Zach-LaVine-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jamie Sabau-Imagn Image</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Timberwolves named as another Bradley Beal suitor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-07T12:19:23-07:00">July 7th, 12:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-07T12:19:23-07:00">July 7th, 12:19pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-rumors-bradley-beal-exploring-options-possible-buyout">Phoenix Suns are expected to buyout the final two years of Bradley Beal’s contract</a>, and if that goes down, Beal will be an unrestricted free agent. There have been a lot of rumors throughout the offseason about where Beal will end up next season, and there have been a good anount of teams that have been named as potential landing spots. There is a chance that we see Beal team up with Anthony Edwards as the Minneota Timberwolves are reportedly a possible destination.</p><p>Bradley Beal has been in the NBA since 2012, and he has put together some impressive seasons. He has spent each of the last two years with the Suns, but will likely be playing for a different team next year. It sounds like the Timberwolves <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-on-bradley-beals-future?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167737792&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">are an option</a>, and there are a few other contenders as well.</p><p>“Some confirmed suitors for Beal include the LA Clippers — fresh off agreeing to trade Norman Powell to Miami in a three-team deal that will bring back Utah’s John Collins — as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee and Minnesota,” Jake Fischer said in a report.</p><p>One team that was expected to be in contention for Beal was the Miami Heat, but it doesn’t sound like they are a realistic landing spot anymore.</p><p>“Miami was widely anticipated to be in that mix, but the Heat’s agreed-to acquisition of Powell would appear to rule them out of the Beal chase and would likewise appear to boost the Clippers’ chances of convincing Beal to join Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Co. by stepping into a clear backcourt void created by Powell’s departure,” the report added.</p><p>ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel has been busy with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-bradley-beal-negotiating-buyout-heat-lakers-suitors">this offseason’s Bradley Beal saga</a>, and there are a few teams that he is hearing in terms of being the most realistic options for the Phoenix veteran.</p><p>“Other teams that are expected to pursue Beal include the Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Milwaukee Bucks,” Siegel said. “The Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets have been mentioned as potential suitors for Beal on the open market, yet ClutchPoints was unable to confirm potential interest from these two organizations.”</p><p>Right now, it sounds like the Los Angeles Clippers are in the best spot, but there is time for that to change.</p><p>“The Clippers have put themselves at the forefront of talks surrounding Beal once he is bought out of his deal with the Suns, as trading Powell; has opened up a clear need for the star guard,” Siegel continued. “Beal joining the Clippers has suddenly become the widespread belief around the NBA.”</p><p>Bradley Beal has only played for two teams in his long career as he was with the Washington Wizards before joining the Suns, but it looks like he will be joining his third team pretty soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Timberwolves named as another Bradley Beal suitor

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-rockets-kevin-durant-trade-7-team-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets’ Kevin Durant trade becomes 7-team deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Suns-Kevin-Durant-2.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets’ Kevin Durant trade becomes 7-team deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-06T10:42:49-07:00">July 6th, 10:42am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-06T10:43:03-07:00">July 6th, 10:43am</time><address><a>Rishav Bhat</a>Rishav is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets have officially finalized what is an NBA-record seven-team trade deal that most prominently sees <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/the-next-trade-rockets-must-make-after-acquiring-kevin-durant-from-suns">Kevin Durant arrive from the Phoenix Suns</a>. Durant becomes the centerpiece on the trade deal that now also involves the likes of the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves, in addition to the Suns and Rockets.</p><p>The Rockets and the Suns decided to expand the trade to <a href="https://x.com/FredKatz/status/1941891199482180090" rel="noopener">consolidate a set of previously agreed-upon trades</a>, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz. The move was made as a result of the seven teams trying to save time on trade calls. Instead of making several trade calls, the decision allows <a href="https://x.com/FredKatz/status/1941883371589685423" rel="noopener">all the deals to be worked into one</a>.</p><p>“This is basically teams trying to save times on trade calls. Instead of having to do a bunch of different trade calls, now they just have to do one. So they worked it into one seven-team deal,” Katz wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><h2><b>Rockets-Suns Kevin Durant trade morphs into seven-team deal</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Suns-superstar-Kevin-Durant.jpg"><figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Atlanta Hawks offloaded Capela, receiving cash consideration, a traded player exception, as well as a 2031 second-round pick swap from the Rockets. Further, the Nets also received two second-round picks, while the Warriors received the rights to Alex Toohey and Jahmai Mashack.</p><p>The Lakers received the rights to Adou Thiero from the Nets, with the Timberwolves receiving a two second-round picks as well as the rights to Rocco Zikarsky, in addition to a traded player exception for Nickeil Alexander-Walker while covering half of his salary. </p><p>The hefty trade deal becomes an NBA record-setter despite most of the moves not being dependant on each other. The involved teams simply decided to save time and do not receive any financial advantage by integrating all of the above agreements in one single deal. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Rockets’ Kevin Durant trade becomes 7-team deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-rumors-the-timberwolves-center-suns-tried-to-trade-for-before-recent-moves');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: The Timberwolves center Suns tried to trade for before recent moves');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Khaman-Maluach-picked-by-Suns.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: The Timberwolves center Suns tried to trade for before recent moves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-06T09:00:37-07:00">July 6th, 9:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-06T09:00:37-07:00">July 6th, 9:00am</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After acquiring Mark Williams and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/suns-news-phoenix-trades-for-mark-williams-drafts-khaman-maluach-moments-apart">drafting Khaman Maluach on the same day, the Phoenix Suns</a> are set at center for the foreseeable future. However, before making those moves, the Suns reportedly attempted to trade for Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid.</p><p>Before Reid signed his $125 million extension, he entered the offseason with a $15 million player option in 2025-2026. The Suns unsuccessfully attempted to contact the Timberwolves in hopes of <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-lots-of-fresh-nba-free?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167647434&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">working out a sign-and-trade deal</a>, according to Marc Stein on ‘The Stein Line.’</p><p>“The Suns are well-stocked at center now after their recent trade for Charlotte’s Mark Williams and the draft selection of Duke’s Khaman Maluach with the No. 10 overall pick, but word is that first they tried to engage Minnesota in sign-and-trade discussions for Naz Reid before those moves,” Stein wrote. “The Wolves, of course, wound up signing Reid to a five-year, $125 million contract extension. It’s likely believed that Reid’s deal, with its annual average value of $25 million, helped contribute to Myles Turner’s unexpected desire to leave Indiana for a four-year, $107 million contract with the Bucks.”</p><p>Once the Timberwolves shut the door on Reid, Phoenix turned to its backup plan and sought out Williams. The Hornets made it known they were open to trading Williams when they infamously <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lakers-news-mark-williams-dalton-knecht-hornets-trade">dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers at the 2025 trade deadline</a>, only to have the deal rescinded due to a failed physical.</p><h2><b>Suns’ eventful offseason after failed Naz Reid negotiations</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Naz-Reid.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Even if the Suns could not trade for Reid, they have been one of the most active teams in the 2025 offseason. In addition to acquiring Williams, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/kevin-durant-trade-grades-rockets-suns-after-blockbuster-deal">Phoenix also dealt Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets</a> in a historic seven-team deal.</p><p>The Suns received Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks in the Durant deal, in addition to the No. 10 pick that they used on Maluach. They sent guard Vasilije Micic and the No. 29 pick, which ultimately became UConn forward Liam McNeeley, to the Hornets in exchange for Williams.</p><p>After drafting Maluach, the Suns added intriguing rookie prospects Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea in the second round. They subsequently released veteran forward Cody Martin days after their eventful draft night.</p><p>Phoenix entered the offseason without much flexibility, owing Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal over $50 million each in 2025-2026. Yet, after another disappointing season, they were among the teams expected to be the most active in the trade market.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: The Timberwolves center Suns tried to trade for before recent moves

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/nba-rumors-hawks-poised-beat-out-pistons-coveted-timberwolves-free-agent');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Hawks poised to beat out Pistons for coveted Timberwolves free agent');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Wolves_-bench.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Hawks poised to beat out Pistons for coveted Timberwolves free agent</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T08:43:28-07:00">June 30th, 8:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T08:44:27-07:00">June 30th, 8:44am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When following the devastating rash of injuries that flooded the Eastern Conference during the 2025 NBA playoffs, there were a few teams that immediately stood out as emerging contenders who could capitalize on the massive misfortune. Despite boasting an intriguing core, the Atlanta Hawks were not one of them. However, they are now forcing the public to rethink how it views the franchise’s current place in the NBA hierarchy.</p><p>Onsi Saleh is making moves in his first year as general manager, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/why-hawks-made-right-choice-kristaps-porzingis-trade">acquiring Kristaps Porzingis</a> in a three-team trade and stunningly acquiring a 2026 first-round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans while also moving down to select versatile wing Asa Newell in the NBA Draft. His ambition is expected to carry over into free agency. Atlanta has its eye on <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-freshest-and-hottest-nba?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167147450&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">an impactful role player</a> who is commanding a good amount of interest around the league.</p><p>“The Hawks are now being more frequently projected by rival teams as the team in pole position — ahead of Detroit — to acquire Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a potential sign-and-trade deal with Minnesota,” Marc Stein and Jake Fischer report. “The Hawks can comfortably absorb Alexander-Walker into their $25.3 million traded player exception that was created a year ago when Dejounte Murray was shipped to New Orleans.”</p><h2><b>How would Nickeil-Alexander Walker fit with Hawks?</b></h2><p>The Minnesota Timberwolves are solidifying their frontcourt by re-signing both Julius Randle and Naz Reid, which means financial sacrifices will have to made elsewhere. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported over the weekend that Atlanta was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-pistons-hawks-leaders-steal-away-timberwolves-free-agent-nickeil-alexander-walker">gaining momentum in the Alexander-Walker sweepstakes</a>, and that development is only intensifying as the free agent feeding frenzy quickly approaches.</p><p>Detroit desperately seeks a contingency plan amid <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/pistons-news-free-agency-target-malik-beasley-gambling-investigation">the Malik Beasley gambling investigation</a>, so the Hawks will have fierce competition for the 3-and-D wing’s services. That might not be an issue for Onsi Saleh, however, given the proactive mindset he is clearly operating with this summer. Although Alexander-Walker has sometimes gotten lost in the shuffle in Minnesota, he fits Atlanta’s evolving identity and addresses the team’s biggest weaknesses.</p><p>The 26-year-old Canadian, who is the cousin of 2025 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-2025-finals-mvp">NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</a>, posted 9.4 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point range in 25.3 minutes per contest last season. He has also proven to be a highly capable defender during the first six years of his professional career. The Hawks shot just 35.8 percent from distance in 2024-25, ranking 18th in the league, and were bottom-five in points allowed and opponents’ field goal and 3-point shooting percentage.</p><p>Theoretically, those numbers should improve if Nickeil Alexander-Walker joins the squad. Regardless of who Atlanta decides to pursue with its trade exception, this organization is clearly intent on establishing itself as a team to watch in the ever-changing Eastern landscape.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Hawks poised to beat out Pistons for coveted Timberwolves free agent

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-pistons-hawks-leaders-steal-away-timberwolves-free-agent-nickeil-alexander-walker');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pistons, Hawks the leaders to steal away Timberwolves free agent');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Timberwolves-Nickeil-Alexander-Walker.jpg"><figcaption>Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pistons, Hawks the leaders to steal away Timberwolves free agent</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T10:40:05-07:00">June 29th, 10:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T12:30:34-07:00">June 29th, 12:30pm</time><address><a>Rishav Bhat</a>Rishav is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With NBA free agency set to open on June 30, a number of teams will be looking to make improvements to their rosters. One of the most underrated assets on the market is none other than <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-rumors-hawks-clippers-nickeil-alexander-walker-free-agency-suitors">Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker</a>.</p><p>Walker has been linked to multiple teams already as he enters unrestricted free agency after the conclusion of his two-year, $9 million deal. Among them are the Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons, currently <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-lots-more-of-the-latest" rel="noopener">considered to be the frontrunners</a> for his signature, per The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer. ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-latest-warriors-jonathan-kuminga-nba-free-agency-intel" rel="noopener">reported Saturday</a> the Hawks as a top suitor. The Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, and the San Antonio Spurs have also been linked to NAW. </p><p>The news comes after the Timberwolves recently handed a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/timberwolves-news-naz-reid-125-million-contract-minnesota">five-year, $125 million extension to Naz Reid</a>. Sunday also brought news that Julius Randle will remain in Minnesota on a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-news-julius-randle-100-million-contract-naz-reid-bonanza">three-year, $100 million deal</a>. </p><h2><b>Timberwolves’ financial crunch means NAW expected to leave</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Minnesota-Timberwolves-guard-Nickeil-Alexander-Walker.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>With Reid and Randle locked up on new long-term deals, bringing back Nickeil Alexander-Walker is looking more and more unlikely. Thus, Alexander-Walker continues to attract interest from teams that can offer him a better deal.</p><p>This puts the Pistons in prime position also because they earlier failed to sign Naz Reid and have flexibility to make a move. Plus, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/pistons-news-malik-beasley-under-investigation-gambling">Malik Beasley gambling investigation</a> could mean they need more help at guard. The Hawks, meanwhile, have a $25 million trade exception they could use to acquire NAW in a sign-and-trade. </p><p>A bidding war can be expected to break out for Alexander-Walker in free agency. Alexander-Walker started just 10 games in the regular season, averaging 9.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in an average of 25.3 minutes on court per game. However, he did catch the eye in the postseason, scoring 60 points in the first four games of the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thunder, the majority of which he guarded Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.</p><p>NAW has also shot over 39% from 3-point range over the past three seasons. He is a reliable 3-and-D player who will tempt other teams to make offers in the coming days.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pistons, Hawks the leaders to steal away Timberwolves free agent

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-minnesotas-plan-growing-fear-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'Timberwolves rumors: Minnesota’s contingency plan amid ‘growing fear’ in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Alexander-Walker-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Timberwolves rumors: Minnesota’s contingency plan amid ‘growing fear’ in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T10:19:34-07:00">June 29th, 10:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T12:30:52-07:00">June 29th, 12:30pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/minnesota-timberwolves-2025-nba-draft-grades-every-pick">Minnesota Timberwolves have had</a> a busy offseason since being eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. The Timberwolves most recently raised eyebrows by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-next-big-contract-coming-naz-reid-125-million-deal">signing center backup Naz Reid</a> to a five year, $125 million contract that will keep him with the franchise long-term.</p><p>Reid wasn’t the only player on the Timberwolves’ roster preparing to hit free agency, and recently, NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line on Substack reported about Minnesota’s plan should another one of their key pieces <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/more-of-the-nba-free-agency-and-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167070775&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">head for the exit</a> this summer.</p><p>“Word is Minnesota is likewise expected to explore its free agency/trade options to upgrade in the backcourt amid a growing fear that Nickeil Alexander-Walker could well be departing via free agency,” reported Fischer.</p><p>Alexander-Walker is sure to have plenty of suitors in the open market this year. He was one of the more consistent performers in the Timberwolves’ loss to the Thunder in this year’s playoffs, and fits the valuable three and D archetype that every team is looking for.</p><h2><b>An interesting decision for the Timberwolves</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Minnesota-Timberwolves-guard-Nickeil-Alexander-Walker.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Timberwolves do have two rising sophomores from last year’s draft class who figure to take a step up and provide some help in the backcourt in the event that Alexander-Walker departs.</p><p>Rob Dillingham is a speedy scoring threat who can put the ball in the basket and initiate offense for his teammates; however, he’ll need to improve on the defensive end of the floor in order to generate consistent minutes under head coach Chris Finch.</p><p>Meanwhile, fellow 2024 draftee Terrence Shannon Jr. didn’t see a ton of playing time throughout the season but stepped up during the series vs the Thunder, putting together several impressive scoring stretches during that matchup.</p><p>Still, should Alexander-Walker depart in free agency, the Timberwolves would behoove themselves to look beyond their own locker room for help in the backcourt, especially as Mike Conley’s level of play continues to dip with age.</p><p>NBA free agency is officially slated to begin on Monday evening.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Timberwolves rumors: Minnesota’s contingency plan amid ‘growing fear’ in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-next-big-contract-coming-naz-reid-125-million-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Timberwolves rumors: The next big contract coming after Naz Reid’s $125 million deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Naz-Reid.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Timberwolves rumors: The next big contract coming after Naz Reid’s $125 million deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T07:22:07-07:00">June 29th, 7:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T07:22:07-07:00">June 29th, 7:22am</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Timberwolves kickstarted the 2025 NBA free agency period by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-news-naz-reid-125-million-contract-minnesota">giving Naz Reid a whopping five-year, $125 million extension</a>. Still far from done, the Timberwolves now seem to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/timberwolves-rumors-julius-randle-labeled-nba-free-agencys-most-interesting-man">turning their attention to three-time All-Star Julius Randle</a>, but not Nickeil Alexander-Walker.</p><p>After extending Reid, Randle is the Minnesota <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nba-free-agency-and-trade-talk-latest?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167049600&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">front office’s top priority</a>, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer via The Stein Line. However, their focus on Reid and Randle likely leaves impending free agent Alexander-Walker out of the picture.</p><p>“Reid is unlikely to be the only marquee free agent returning to Minnesota,” Fischer wrote. “There’s growing belief that Julius Randle will be next in striking a long-term agreement to sign with the Timberwolves as well. Those highly anticipated returns of Reid and Randle, however, have increasingly painted Alexander-Walker as the free agent man out in Minnesota.”</p><p>Randle has a $31 million player option for the 2025-2026 season. He could opt into that deal, but likely wants a long-term contract similar to the one Reid just signed.</p><p>Alexander-Walker, who raked in just $4.3 million in 2024-2025, will be an unrestricted free agent once the window opens. Despite expressing interest in returning to Minnesota, he will likely receive bigger deals from opposing teams that the Timberwolves will not be able to match.</p><h2><b>Timberwolves looking to keep core together in free agency</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Julius-Randle-on-May-24-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Rempel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Timberwolves have made a flurry of offseason moves over the past few years, but are not looking to keep their core together. Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels are all signed through the 2027-2028 season, with Edwards and McDaniels inked through 2028-2029. Extending Randle would give them five core players signed for at least the next three seasons.</p><p>Coming off an eventful 2024 offseason, Minnesota only had a few marquee moves to make in the 2025 free agency period. Should the team extend Randle, Alexander-Walker would be its only loss. While painful, the Timberwolves would ideally replace his production in 2025-2026 with one of Terrence Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham or Leonard Miller, who all impressed in limited opportunities.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-news-alex-rodriguez-first-nba-draft-reflection">Timberwolves also added Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky</a> in the 2025 NBA Draft. Neither will likely be contributing role players in 2025-2026, but they give Minnesota two more intriguing long-term prospects to stash behind a few of its aging veterans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Timberwolves rumors: The next big contract coming after Naz Reid’s $125 million deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-rumors-hawks-clippers-nickeil-alexander-walker-free-agency-suitors');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Hawks, Clippers among Nickeil Alexander-Walker free agency suitors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Minnesota-Timberwolves-guard-Nickeil-Alexander-Walker.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Hawks, Clippers among Nickeil Alexander-Walker free agency suitors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T13:28:58-07:00">June 28th, 1:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T13:28:58-07:00">June 28th, 1:28pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a name to watch when NBA free agency starts. The 26-year-old could be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-latest-warriors-jonathan-kuminga-nba-free-agency-intel">one of the casualties of Minnesota’s financial situation</a>. If the Timberwolves allow Alexander-Walker to leave in free agency, the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers top the list of interested teams.</p><p>Alexander-Walker averaged less than ten points a game during the regular season off of Minnesota’s bench. That did not stop him from showing out against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs. The 6-foot-5 sharpshooter averaged 12 points per game while taking on NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the defensive end.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-news-nickeil-alexander-walker-family-war-shai-gilgeous-alexander">Alexander-Walker’s cousin got the better of him</a> in the series, but the former proved himself as a valuable asset. Every contender around the league is searching for 3-and-D wings to put around their stars. Alexander-Walker’s role has always been small, but teams have taken notice.</p><p>The market has not come to a consensus on what kind of contract he could receive in free agency. However, it is almost assuredly more than Minnesota can give him.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-news-naz-reid-125-million-contract-minnesota">The Timberwolves signed Naz Reid to an extension</a>. That move puts them even further into the apron if they re-sign Alexander-Walker and Julius Randle.</p><p>With the team transition into new ownership, the front office could decide that the price to keep both players is too high. If that happens, suitors will line up for both of them.</p><p>The Hawks have been busy so far in the offseason. They traded back ten spots with the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the NBA draft in exchange for one of the most valuable picks in the league. That move came just days after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-atlanta-acquiring-kristaps-porzingis-3-team-trade-celtics-nets">Atlanta made a deal that brought in Kristaps Porzingis</a> from the Boston Celtics.</p><p>On the other hand, the Clippers have been quiet so far this summer. After losing in seven games to the Denver Nuggets in the first round, fans believe their team is just one piece away. Alexander-Walker could give them some much-needed 3-point shooting, especially if Norman Powell leaves Los Angeles.</p><p>Alexander-Walker is in line for a big payday, it’s just a matter of where it will come from. If the Timberwolves pass, the Clippers, Hawks, and other teams will jump on the opportunity to sign him in free agency.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Hawks, Clippers among Nickeil Alexander-Walker free agency suitors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/nba-rumors-timberwolves-auctioning-off-31st-pick-in-nba-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Timberwolves ‘auctioning off’ 31st pick in NBA Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Joan-Beringer-stands-with-NBA-commissioner-Adam-Silver.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Timberwolves ‘auctioning off’ 31st pick in NBA Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T11:07:58-07:00">June 26th, 11:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T11:07:58-07:00">June 26th, 11:07am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Timberwolves are <a href="https://x.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1938283834665021491" rel="noopener">actively exploring</a> trade options for the No. 31 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, with multiple offers reportedly in play ahead of Thursday night’s second round.</p><p>During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Minnesota is “in the process of auctioning off” the pick to the highest bidder.</p><p>“So the first pick in the second round tonight, No. 31, Minnesota Timberwolves… I’m told that pick is actually, currently in the process of being auctioned off to the highest bidder,” Charania said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“The first pick of the second round is currently being auctioned off to the highest bidder..</p><p>There’s multiple offers coming in as we speak”<a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShamsCharania</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PMSLive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PMSLive</a> <a href="https://t.co/9q76OW1kfF">pic.twitter.com/9q76OW1kfF</a></p><p>— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1938283834665021491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>“There’s multiple offers coming to the Timberwolves… multiple future assets potentially. So, they’re going to continue to have those conversations. The draft is several hours away tonight. So just leading off the draft tonight… that first pick tonight [is] likely seems to be serious traction on potentially [a] trade there.”</p><h2><b>Timberwolves explores trade for No. 31 pick after selecting Joan Beringer in 2025 NBA Draft</b></h2><p>The Timberwolves hold the first selection of the second round, a pick considered valuable under the NBA’s updated collective bargaining agreement due to its contract flexibility.</p><p>The Timberwolves hold the first selection of the second round, a pick considered valuable under the NBA’s updated collective bargaining agreement due to its contract flexibility. The report follows earlier coverage from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, who noted that Minnesota was <a href="https://x.com/JakeLFischer/status/1938274525315055952" rel="noopener">fielding trade interest</a> for the No. 31 pick.</p><p>Fischer also reported that several other teams were exploring deals involving second-round selections. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-la-makes-2nd-round-draft-trade-bulls-jump-10-spots">Chicago Bulls ultimately traded the No. 45 pick to the Los Angeles Lakers</a> in exchange for the No. 55 pick and cash considerations. Additional <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-charlotte-labeled-hotspot-for-trade-talks-in-round-2">picks reportedly in play include those held by the Charlotte Hornets (Nos. 33 and 34)</a>, Toronto Raptors (No. 39), Golden State Warriors (No. 41), and Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 44).</p><p>Minnesota is coming off its second consecutive appearance in the Western Conference Finals, where it lost in five games to the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder. On Wednesday, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-news-rudy-gobert-reacts-french-connection-nba-draft">Timberwolves selected center Joan Beringer with the No. 17 pick</a>. Beringer previously played for Cedevita Olimpija in Slovenia and brings frontcourt depth to a roster led by Julius Randle.</p><p>The second round of the 2025 NBA Draft begins Thursday at 8 p.m. ET from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, airing live on ESPN.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Timberwolves ‘auctioning off’ 31st pick in NBA Draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/nba-rumors-timberwolves-the-target-of-draft-trade-calls');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Timberwolves the target of draft trade calls');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Timberwolves_db8176.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Timberwolves the target of draft trade calls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T11:18:57-07:00">June 25th, 11:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T11:18:57-07:00">June 25th, 11:18am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/timberwolves-rumors-rudy-gobert-julius-randle-problem-kevin-durant-trade-talks">Timberwolves have a chance to add more talent</a> to their roster, as they have the No. 17 pick in the NBA Draft. With many people claiming this is one of the deeper drafts in a while, the Timberwolves have a chance a grabbing a key player in their position. In<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-mock-draft-5-0-76ers-hornets-ace-bailey-destiny-latest-intel" rel="noopener"> the latest mock draft</a> from Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, he has them selecting Thomas Sorber with the pick, but also mentioned the Timberwolves possibly receiving trade calls.</p><p>“Multiple teams, some in the lottery, have interest in Sorber, which leads to questions about whether he will even be available in this spot for Minnesota,” Siegel wrote. “If there is one player who could end up being the biggest surprise regarding where he goes in the 2025 NBA Draft, it’s Sorber.</p><p>“Various teams are also calling the Timberwolves about jumping into this spot, sources said. Minnesota may take this opportunity to move down and add future draft picks should Sorber, or another player they would want, are off the board.”</p><p>It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Timberwolves did make a move to trade down and grab more assets, especially if the player they want is already off the board. At the same time, they could still decide to keep the pick and take the best player available.</p><h2><b>What will the Timberwolves do this offseason?</b></h2><p>After a second straight trip to the Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves are looking to get over the hump and advance to the NBA Finals. One of their goals is to sign Julius Randle to an extension, who was a big part of their success last season and was a good No. 2 option alongside Anthony Edwards. With that extension looming, that may cast doubt on Nickeil Walker-Alexander’s future with the team, as he’s set for an extension as well.</p><p>The Timberwolves were also trying to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-brian-windhorst-claims-minnesota-on-verge-kevin-durant-trade">get into the Kevin Durant sweepstakes</a>, and rumors were that they were close to getting a deal done, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.</p><p>“Last week, the Timberwolves were on the verge of trading for him,” Windhorst said on First Take. “Ant Edwards could’ve tried to talk him into it, but did not… said, ‘this is not my place, KD, you do what you do.’”</p><p>It will be interesting to see what the Timberwolves will do in the draft and in free agency, as they may not have many options to work with.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Timberwolves the target of draft trade calls

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-rumors-atlanta-targeting-nickeil-alexander-walker-kristaps-porzingis-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks rumors: 1 big move Atlanta is targeting after Kristaps Porzingis trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kristaps-Porzingis-was-traded-to-Atlanta.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hawks rumors: 1 big move Atlanta is targeting after Kristaps Porzingis trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T06:51:52-07:00">June 25th, 6:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T06:52:34-07:00">June 25th, 6:52am</time><address><a>Rishav Bhat</a>Rishav is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Hawks made their first offseason move speedily. The Hawks acquired <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/kristaps-porzingis-trade-grade-hawks-celtics-deal">Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team trade</a> that also involved the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets. The Latvian center can be expected to slot in straight into the starting lineup, with Clint Capela expected to move on as a free agent. However, Atlanta is not done yet and is already looking at its next major move.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-rumors-atlanta-looking-capitalize-25-million-trade-exception">Hawks still have a $25 million trade exception</a> available to them as a result of their 2023 Dejounte Murray deal, along with close to $30 million in space below the luxury tax line. This has left them <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/all-the-nbas-latest-trade-talk-draft" rel="noopener">considering a sign-and-trade for</a> Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, according to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line.</p><p>Alexander-Walker is coming off a solid season for the Timberwolves and would bring more versatility to a Hawks team looking to compete in the wide-open Eastern Conference. At the age of 26, Alexander averaged 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists last campaign while shooting at 38.1% from beyond the arc. The Virginia Tech graduate is understood to be one of many options the Hawks are considering this offseason.</p><h2><b>Will Hawks be able to get Nickeil Alexander-Walker away from Timberwolves?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Timberwolves-Nickeil-Alexander-Walker-vs.-Hawks.jpg"><figcaption>Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Atlanta hopes that Minnesota will lack the financial capability and cap flexibility to retain Alexander-Walker, considering they also have to re-sign the likes of Julius Randle and Naz Reid. This not only gives them the edge over other teams that may be looking to snag Alexander-Walker, but also allows them higher financial room to offer a better deal than what a mid-level exception may allow.</p><p>The Hawks are expected to compete with multiple teams, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-magic-suitor-coveted-timberwolves-free-agent">including possibly the Orlando Magic</a>, after what was a major move for Kristaps Porzingis. Alexander-Walker would add some much-needed depth on the wing alongside players such as Dyson Daniels and 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher. Daniels, brought in from the Pelicans back in July 2024, won won Most Improved Player while earning All-Defensive First-Team honors last season.</p><p>Alexander-Walker is more offensively oriented than Daniels and would bring in more flexibility as far as the Hawks’ options at guard positions are concerned. The Hawks seem determined to push ahead after a mixed season which saw them finish eighth in the Eastern Conference. Set to continue building around the likes of Trae Young and Jalen Johnson, their latest moves are likely aimed at accelerating their timeline as they attempt to emerge as genuine contenders.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks rumors: 1 big move Atlanta is targeting after Kristaps Porzingis trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-brian-windhorst-claims-minnesota-on-verge-kevin-durant-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Timberwolves rumors: Brian Windhorst claims Minnesota was ‘on verge’ of Kevin Durant trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kevin-Durant-1.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Timberwolves rumors: Brian Windhorst claims Minnesota was ‘on verge’ of Kevin Durant trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T08:09:38-07:00">June 24th, 8:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T09:49:50-07:00">June 24th, 9:49am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Timberwolves <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV7j_rZ5ZiU" rel="noopener">came close</a> to acquiring Kevin Durant before the 36-year-old superstar was ultimately <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-trade-suns-jalen-green">dealt to the Houston Rockets</a>, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.</p><p>Speaking Monday on First Take, Windhorst detailed how the Timberwolves had advanced far in negotiations with the Phoenix Suns, but the deal fell through in the final stages. Durant, who reportedly held significant control over the process, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-rumors-steve-kerr-a-reason-kevin-durant-didnt-want-reunion-trade">declined a reunion with the Golden State Warriors</a> and showed hesitation about joining Minnesota.</p><p>“Last week, the Timberwolves were on the verge of trading for him,” Windhorst said. “Ant Edwards could’ve tried to talk him into it, but did not… said, ‘this is not my place, KD, you do what you do.’”</p><p>Earlier reports from ESPN’s Marc J. Spears also emphasized that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-is-anthony-edwards-trying-to-change-kevin-duants-mind-on-trade">Edwards had no intention of recruiting Durant</a>. According to Spears, Edwards remained focused on his current teammates and offseason preparation.</p><p>“Talked to some people close to Anthony Edwards. This is a non-story. He’s in Atlanta working out,” Spears said during an appearance on NBA Today. “He loves his former teammate. He loves his current teammates… He’s not flying to L.A. to try to convince KD anything different.”</p><h2><b>Kevin Durant preferred Rockets after Timberwolves talks stalled</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Rockets-news-Watch-Kevin-Durant-hit-the-gym-after-Suns-trade.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/kevin-durant-trade-grades-rockets-suns-after-blockbuster-deal">Durant was traded to the Rockets on Sunday in exchange for Jalen Green</a>, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and five second-round selections. The deal came just hours before the Oklahoma City Thunder — Durant’s original franchise — <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-son-nba-title">captured their first NBA title, defeating the Indiana Pacers</a> in Game 7 of the Finals.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-news-presidents-bold-anthony-edwards-prediction-after-wcf-elimination">Timberwolves were fresh off a deep playoff run, reaching the Western Conference Finals</a> behind rising star Anthony Edwards and a strong supporting cast. Their interest in Durant signaled a willingness to further elevate the roster with championship-level talent. However, the lack of direct engagement from Edwards, combined with Durant’s preference, played a pivotal role in redirecting the trade outcome.</p><p>Durant completed the 2024–25 season with averages of 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 52.7% from the field and 43% from three-point range. Despite his individual production, the Suns missed the playoffs with a 36–46 record, prompting organizational changes that led to Durant being made available via trade.</p><p>Minnesota’s near-acquisition of Durant reflects the franchise’s increasing ambition under president Tim Connelly. The Timberwolves have maintained that they will not overhaul their roster without clear alignment from core players, particularly Edwards. With Durant now in Houston, Minnesota is expected to continue exploring ways to improve without compromising its established chemistry and long-term vision.</p><p>The Rockets, meanwhile, enter the 2025–26 season with Durant leading a roster that finished 52–30 and earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season. They were eliminated by the Warriors in a seven-game first-round series but now look to contend with one of the league’s all-time great scorers at the helm.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Timberwolves rumors: Brian Windhorst claims Minnesota was ‘on verge’ of Kevin Durant trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-rudy-gobert-julius-randle-problem-kevin-durant-trade-talks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Timberwolves rumors: The Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle problem in Kevin Durant trade talks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kevin-Durant-1.jpg"><figcaption>© Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Timberwolves rumors: The Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle problem in Kevin Durant trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T14:30:50-07:00">June 23rd, 2:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T15:03:52-07:00">June 23rd, 3:03pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Timberwolves are clearly becoming one of the best teams in the Western Conference as Anthony Edwards almost led the squad to the NBA Finals this year. The Timberwolves aren’t going anywhere, and it looked like they might bring in a big addition this offseason as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/nba-rumors-timberwolves-playing-hardball-in-kevin-durant-trade">rumors about a Kevin Durant trade</a> grew loud recently.</p><p>However, those hopes were officially squashed on Sunday when Durant landed with the Houston Rockets.</p><p>Not too long ago, all of the chatter surrounding a Kevin Durant trade was centered around the Timberwolves. Minnesota tried to go for it at the trade deadline, but the team backed away <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-intel-kevin-durant-trade-rockets-suns-heat-timberwolves-raptors-thunder-pacers-kings/" rel="noopener">after some concerns</a> reportedly surfaced.</p><p>“The Minnesota Timberwolves had multiple concerns about trading for Kevin Durant, which is partly why the 15-time All-Star didn’t land with the organization after making an aggressive pitch for him at the trade deadline,” a report from Hoops Hype states.</p><p>A big reason why the Timberwolves backed off is the fact that there were other destinations that were higher on Durant’s list. The Phoenix Suns were also reportedly targeting Rudy Gobert in trade discussions, and that had a big impact as well.</p><p>“The Timberwolves were concerned about trading for Durant when Minnesota wasn’t on his preferred list of destinations,” the report continued. “In addition, the Suns desired Rudy Gobert in trade talks, and losing their French defensive anchor to pair Julius Randle and Kevin Durant in the frontcourt together wasn’t seen as an ideal pairing defensively, HoopsHype has learned.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/kevin-durant-trade-offer-timberwolves-make-suns-seal-deal">The Timberwolves looked like a likely suitor</a> for Kevin Durant at one point, but he ended up with the Houston Rockets. Houston does seem like a good fit for Durant as the team did finish in second place in the Western Conference last season.</p><p>Will Durant be able to help get them over the hump, or will the Rockets be the latest ship to sink following the arrival of the unique superstar talent?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Timberwolves rumors: The Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle problem in Kevin Durant trade talks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-is-anthony-edwards-trying-to-change-kevin-duants-mind-on-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Timberwolves rumors: Is Anthony Edwards trying to change Kevin Duant’s mind on trade?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Anthony-Edwards-Kevin-Durant.jpg"></figure><h1>Timberwolves rumors: Is Anthony Edwards trying to change Kevin Duant’s mind on trade?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-18T15:07:20-07:00">June 18th, 3:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-18T15:07:51-07:00">June 18th, 3:07pm</time><address><a>Dylan Fine</a>Dylan Fine focuses on the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region with DC Voter For Animals to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas with The Southampton Press and Pickin’Splinters. When he isn't working, he's usually running in preparation for the next annual Turkey Trot.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards’ interest in a blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant has been revealed. The current Phoenix Suns forward is likely on the move, and the 36-year-old has plenty of potential suitors. While Durant is at the tail end of his career, he still can undoubtedly be the second-best player on a championship-contending squad. One of the franchises rumored to be a possible fit for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/nba-rumors-timberwolves-playing-hardball-in-kevin-durant-trade">15-time All-Star was the Timberwolves</a>.</p><p>Minnesota is coming off its second-straight appearance in the Western Conference Finals and has its best player in Ant, who hasn’t even hit his prime yet. The 23-year-old still has plenty of room for improvement, but has consistently elevated his game when his team needed it most. A dream pairing of Edwards and Durant has intrigued many, but recent reports indicate that the aging superstar is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-kevin-durant-no-desire-play-minnesota">not interested in playing for the Timberwolves</a>. Edwards’s apparent viewpoint on this transaction is another significant factor working against a blockbuster deal.</p><p>Senior NBA reporter Marc J. Spears <a href="https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/280836/Anthony-Edwards-Not-Recruiting-Kevin-Durant-To-Wolves-Amid-Trade-Talks" rel="noopener">confirmed on</a> NBA Today what the three-time All-Star has been up to lately and how it impacts the next steps the Timberwolves might take this offseason.</p><p>“Talked to some people close to Anthony Edwards. This is a non-story. He’s in Atlanta working out. He loves his former teammate. He loves his current teammates. Some people close to me said he’s focused on what’s next with this team. And he’s not flying to L.A. to try to convince K.D. anything different.”</p><p>ESPN’s Brian Windhorst’s reaction to this news is ultimately telling of the improbability of a KD-Ant pairing.</p><p>“That’s legitimately an important piece of information (Spears’ report). Ant Edwards is not recruiting Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant says he doesn’t want to be in Minnesota. The deal is not done. This is not heading towards Minnesota. Obviously things can change. This is not heading like Durant is going to Minnesota. Spears is making it very clear the way Ant is feeling.”</p><p>Overall, the Timberwolves have some very consequential decisions to make this offseason. Several key contributors, such as Julius Randle and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, are set to become free agents (should Randle deny his player-option), and Minnesota likely will not be able to afford both of them. This franchise is trying to make that next jump from very good to great, and it’s not going to be easy with the Oklahoma City Thunder presumably getting better. But Minnesota has a player with face of the league like potential, and it’s time to build a championship-level roster around him as he improves.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Timberwolves rumors: Is Anthony Edwards trying to change Kevin Duant’s mind on trade?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/nba-rumors-timberwolves-playing-hardball-in-kevin-durant-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Timberwolves playing hardball in Kevin Durant trade talks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Kevin-Durant-35-dribbles-against-Minnesota-Timberwolves-guard-Anthony-Edwards-5.jpg"><figcaption>© Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Timberwolves playing hardball in Kevin Durant trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-18T09:28:51-07:00">June 18th, 9:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-18T09:28:51-07:00">June 18th, 9:28am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/indiana-pacers/pacers-news-rick-carlisle-likely-tyrese-haliburton-injury-status-nba-finals-game-6">2025 NBA Finals near a potential conclusion Thursday night with Game 6</a>, trade rumors surrounding Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant continue to intensify. One of the latest developments involves the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are reportedly <a href="https://x.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1935331350526955531" rel="noopener">taking a firm stance</a> in discussions with Phoenix.</p><p>According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-minnesotas-stance-amid-kevin-durants-disinterest">Minnesota is unwilling to commit to a significant trade package</a> unless Durant signals a clear interest in joining the Timberwolves. On Wednesday, Amick reported the franchise is standing by that condition.</p><p>“Minnesota is not gonna play ball until they get signal Kevin wants to play there,” Amick wrote.</p><p>This sentiment echoes a Tuesday report from Amick and Timberwolves beat writer Jon Krawczynski, which outlined the delicate nature of the trade talks and both teams’ respective positions.</p><p>“The Suns have made it clear to Durant’s camp that they need to prioritize the best return for the team in a deal,” the report stated. “What’s more, they appear focused on landing the kind of impact players who can help now, as opposed to prioritizing draft picks.”</p><p>Phoenix’s current trade strategy centers on maximizing Durant’s value by targeting players who can contribute immediately, rather than entering a rebuilding phase centered on future assets. In that context, Minnesota is viewed as a viable trade partner due to its depth and win-now roster.</p><h2><b>Timberwolves resist major roster shakeup without Kevin Durant’s commitment amid Suns’ high demands</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kevin-Durant-during-Suns-Timberwolves-2024-NBA-playoffs-series.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Names floated in connection with a potential Timberwolves package include Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, the latter likely as part of a broader multi-team construction. Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, remains under contract and could appeal to the Suns as a frontcourt anchor alongside Bradley Beal and Devin Booker.</p><p>However, despite their potential to meet Phoenix’s return criteria, the Timberwolves remain cautious. Sources close to the team indicate that Minnesota does not want to disrupt the core of a roster that reached the Western Conference Finals unless Durant is fully aligned with the move.</p><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-rumors-shams-claims-heat-rockets-piece-or-2-away-kevin-durant-trade">offers from the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Miami Heat reportedly falling short</a> of Phoenix’s expectations, league sources say the Suns are still holding out hope that Durant may warm to the idea of Minnesota as a destination.</p><p>Durant, 36, averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists during the 2024–25 season, shooting 52.7% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc. He is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, worth $54.7 million.</p><p>The Timberwolves, led by rising star Anthony Edwards and a deep supporting cast, are seeking to build on their postseason breakthrough. But internal consensus remains firm: unless Durant expresses a clear desire to join, Minnesota will not mortgage its future or overhaul its conference finalist roster.</p><p>As Phoenix weighs its options, all eyes are on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-kevin-durant-no-desire-play-minnesota">whether Durant signals openness to a Timberwolves partnership</a> — or whether another suitor will meet the Suns’ steep demands.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Timberwolves playing hardball in Kevin Durant trade talks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-rumors-shams-claims-heat-rockets-piece-or-2-away-kevin-durant-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Shams claims Heat, Rockets ‘a piece or 2 away’ from Kevin Durant trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_25652665.jpg"><figcaption>Mar 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Shams claims Heat, Rockets ‘a piece or 2 away’ from Kevin Durant trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-17T10:05:27-07:00">June 17th, 10:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-17T10:11:54-07:00">June 17th, 10:11am</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-rumors-suns-hit-with-no-leverage-reality-in-kevin-durant-trade-talks">Kevin Durant sweepstakes are heating up</a> as the NBA draft approaches. With the Phoenix Suns determined to find a trade for the 15-time All-Star, the Houston Rockets and Miami Heat have emerged as the frontrunners, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.</p><p>“At this point in these conversations, you’re looking at a piece [or] two away from deals getting done on multiple different sides. From Miami’s perspective and from Houston’s perspective,” Charania said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show.</p><p>Both teams have the assets to put together an enticing package for Durant.</p><h2>Rockets, Heat leading negotiations with Suns for Kevin Durant trade</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/USATSI_22401484.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Rockets have several young prospects, including Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard, whom they could dangle in negotiations. They also have the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft and the Suns’ first-round pick in 2027.</p><p>The Heat have made Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro off-limits in negotiations. However, they could build a package around some assortment of Andrew Wiggins, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic and future first-round picks.</p><p>The San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6431028/2025/06/16/kevin-durant-trade-timberwolves-possibility-nba-rumors/?so" rel="noopener">have also expressed interest</a> in trading for Durant. The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Jon Krawczynski reported on Monday that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-rumors-kevin-durants-specific-team-in-mind-as-trade-landing-spot">the Spurs are Durant’s preferred destination</a>. However, the young team has been hesitant to part with significant assets for the soon-to-be 37-year-old Durant.</p><p>San Antonio is on a different timeline with a young core of Victor Wembanyama (21), De’Aaron Fox (27), Stephon Castle (20) and projected No. 2 pick Dylan Harper.</p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-kevin-durant-no-desire-play-minnesota">Durant’s camp has made it clear</a> that Minnesota is not one of his preferred destinations. With the veteran superstar in the final year of his contract, the Timberwolves will have to decide whether they are comfortable trading significant pieces without a commitment beyond this season.</p><p>“Minnesota is the one wild card team,” Charania said. “They’ve made back-to-back Western Conference finals. I reported over the weekend Kevin Durant’s three preferred spots: Miami, Houston and San Antonio. No Minnesota on that list, so clearly there’s not an interest for Kevin Durant to go there. But Minnesota wouldn’t be the first team to trade for a player that doesn’t want to be there. Obviously, the Raptors did it in 2018 with Kawhi Leonard… So it’s not something that’s revolutionary.</p><p>“From my understanding, Minnesota is still studying it. They’re not out of it. They’re trying to figure out where we can make this gamble, bring Kevin Durant in, and still be able to build a roster up.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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