Latest news with #RudyGobert
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17 hours ago
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NBA Mock Draft Predicts Timberwolves Will Pick UConn's Liam McNeeley
NBA Mock Draft Predicts Timberwolves Will Pick UConn's Liam McNeeley originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As the 2025 NBA Draft approaches, the Minnesota Timberwolves continue to evaluate which prospect they'll add to the roster. Their decision-making also includes consideration of how that roster might change via trades and free agency. Advertisement Rumors swirled about Kevin Durant getting traded to the Timberwolves, but those were recently shut down with reports KD wasn't interested in playing for them. Meanwhile, the team could still make a trade or two. Their young backup guard, Rob Dillingham, center Rudy Gobert, and Donte DiVincenzo were all mentioned as possible trade assets. The Wolves could also lose roster members via free agency. Naz Reid is one individual mentioned as possibly exploring his options. Julius Randle seems less likely to leave right now. With the NBA Draft, the Timberwolves hold the No. 17 pick, giving them another trade asset. However, they may opt to keep the pick and gamble on finding a gem for their roster. University of Connecticut forward Liam McNeeley drives to the Donnan-Imagn Images According to a recent NBA Mock Draft from SI's Nick Crain, University of Connecticut's Liam McNeeley will be available at No. 17, allowing Minnesota to select him. Advertisement McNeeley was a highly-touted five-star recruit who played high school ball alongside Cooper Flagg, among other first-rounders this year. In his freshman campaign at UConn, he averaged 14.5 points, six rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. The 6-foot-7 forward was an essential part of UConn's season and postseason, which featured a near-run to the NCAA Final Four under Dan Hurley. He showed a variety of skills on the court, including potential for high-scoring games, with a 38-point outburst in UConn's win against Creighton in February. While SI's mock draft displayed McNeeley at No. 17, the other predictions for his draft spot differ vastly. A mock draft from Yahoo! Sports' Kevin O'Connor earlier this week suggested McNeeley might go as high as the No. 11 pick for the Portland Trailblazers. Advertisement Other drafts show the UConn Huskies star dropping to No. 20 for the Miami Heat or No. 23 where the Boston Celtics could take him. The 19-year-old ranks as the sixth-best small forward available in the draft, per They tout McNeeley as 'one of the most polished and dependable offensive wings' in the draft, and a great shooter with deep range. The knocks against him could be "speed and burst," possibly raising concerns about his future upside. However, contends McNeeley could provide a solid shooter and long-term floor spacer for a team's rotation. The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft is on Wednesday, June 25 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Other potential picks that the Timberwolves could take at No. 17 include BYU's Egor Denim or Georgia's Asa Newell, who is McNeeley's former high school teammate. Related: NBA Mock Draft Sees Timberwolves Pick Forward Who Compared Himself to Chris Bosh This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
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New NBA Report Indicates Suns' One Big Hope Amid Kevin Durant Trade Talks
New NBA Report Indicates Suns' One Big Hope Amid Kevin Durant Trade Talks originally appeared on Athlon Sports. NBA legend Kevin Durant wants the Phoenix Suns to trade him to the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat or Houston Rockets. Advertisement The Suns, though, can trade Durant anywhere since the future Hall of Famer doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract. Durant has one year left on his deal. He turns 37 in September. The NBA icon averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Suns this season in 62 games while shooting 52.7% from the field, 43.0% from 3 and 83.9% from the free-throw line. According to Sam Amick and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the Minnesota Timberwolves will not trade for Durant if he's "not on board with the move." The Timberwolves have been made aware that Durant wants to play for the Spurs, but the Suns are hoping that Durant changes his mind about playing for Minnesota. Advertisement "The Suns have made it clear to Durant's camp that they need to prioritize the best return for the team in a deal," Amick and Krawczynski wrote. "What's more, they appear focused on landing the kind of impact players who can help now as opposed to prioritizing draft picks. "The Wolves would seem to have options available to offer, with Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle headlining a package that could give the Suns hopes of contending. With the offers from the Spurs, Rockets and Heat coming up short to this point, league sources say the Suns are still hopeful that Durant might warm to the Timberwolves possibility. "The Timberwolves do not want to make a seismic change to a roster that advanced to the Western Conference finals if Durant is not on board with the move, team sources said." The Suns are hoping Kevin Durant becomes open to playing for the Timberwolves. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Timberwolves All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards and Durant were teammates last summer on Team USA, helping the United States win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Advertisement Edwards has said numerous times that Durant is his favorite basketball player of all time. It's unknown why Durant doesn't want to play for the Timberwolves, who have made the Western Conference Finals two years in a row. A top 75 player of all time, Durant won the 2014 MVP Award with the Oklahoma City Thunder and back-to-back championships and Finals MVPs with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Durant has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 1,123 NBA games with the Thunder, Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. Related: Kevin Durant's Preferred Team Reportedly Taking 'Conservative' Approach in Trade Pursuit This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
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Chris Finch Addresses Timberwolves Future for Naz Reid and Julius Randle
Chris Finch Addresses Timberwolves Future for Naz Reid and Julius Randle originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves are contemplating which members of their playoff-ready roster will stay and go for next season. Among the names mentioned in free agency situations and trade rumors are Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, and Julius Randle. Advertisement Gobert seemed like he might be gone when Kevin Durant trade speculation surfaced, with Minnesota among potential suitors. However, the KD to Timberwolves talk has cooled off slightly with the two-time champion recently indicating he doesn't want to be in Minnesota. Meanwhile, Reid and Randle are two other valuable members of the Wolves' frontcourt, and both are unrestricted free agents. That has fans wondering if they'll remain part of a team that is still on the verge of reaching their first-ever NBA Finals. Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) could test the market if he opts out of his contract's player Adams-Imagn Images Head coach Chris Finch was also a subject of speculation surrounding his future in Minnesota. Advertisement Despite the New York Knicks' interest in him, BetRivers podcast host Mike Francesa reported last week that the Wolves denied New York permission to speak to him. More recently, Finch appeared on The Paul Allen Show for KFAN Sports Radio FM 100.3 and spoke about Reid and Randle's futures with the team. "Absolutely, yes," Finch said when asked if they'd be in Timberwolves jerseys next season. 'I think both players want to be there, first and foremost the most important thing. We certainly want them there and I know Tim Connelly is working hard to make sure that they get some sort of deals done that make them happy,' Finch told Allen. Advertisement Reid, a former Sixth Man of the Year, averaged 14.2 points, six rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game this past season. According to ESPN, he ranked as one of the top two reserves for the past two postseasons. He's expected to decline his $15 million player option to get a better multi-year contract. Along with the Wolves, ESPN indicated that the Detroit Pistons could be a good fit for Reid to sign with in free agency. Randle averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game with 48.5 percent field goal shooting in his first season in Minnesota. He has a four-year, $117 million contract, including a player option for next season worth $30.9 million. He can choose to opt in and stay with the Timberwolves, or enter free agency. As of this writing, ESPN believes his current squad is the best fit for him. Related: NBA Mock Draft Suggests Timberwolves Pick Rudy Gobert's Replacement This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
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NBA Mock Draft Suggests Timberwolves Pick Thomas Sorber to Replace Rudy Gobert
NBA Mock Draft Suggests Timberwolves Pick Thomas Sorber to Replace Rudy Gobert originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves front office is making big decisions this offseason, which could drastically hurt or improve their chances of contending for future championships. After back-to-back exits from the Western Conference Finals, it's clear something has to change. Advertisement The team's already one of the select few teams that could make a trade with the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant, with the Miami Heat another mentioned. Adding KD would seriously boost Minnesota's starting lineup and scoring, but it's going to mean parting ways with other roster members. Speculation has suggested that either Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert will need to be included in a deal for Durant. Losing either of these bigs would seriously alter the team's frontcourt. Georgetown Hoyas forward Thomas Sorber (35). © Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Both provide double-double capabilities, with Gobert adding his defensive presence. Towns, who they acquired in a trade with New York last season, gives a talented inside and outside player capable of scoring in the paint or from downtown. Advertisement According to ESPN, NBA insider Dave McMenamin speculated that a potential trade for the Wolves to get Durant from the Suns might include Gobert, not Randle. With the 2025 NBA Draft approaching, the front office will need to determine the best player to take with the No. 17 pick. Various mock drafts have given different answers for the college star, but focus on selecting a big man to join the frontcourt. One of those answers is Georgetown Hoyas forward Thomas Sorber. The 19-year-old is 6-foot-9, and while that's not quite Gobert's height, The Athletic's Zach Harper suggests Sorber could be an ideal replacement for him. Sorber averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, two blocks, and 1.5 steals per game in his one season with the Hoyas. Advertisement According to Sorber 'plays bigger than his frame' with an impressive wingspan. The outlet compared him to previous NBA big men Roy Hibbert and Vin Baker, both of whom were multi-time All-Stars. Sorber isn't among the first 13 players ESPN reported were invited to sit in the green room for the upcoming draft. However, BYU's Egor Denim and Georgia's Asa Newell, two other big men that mock drafts have speculated Minnesota could pick, both got invites. The 2025 NBA Draft begins on Wednesday, June 25 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Related: Rudy Gobert Shares Cryptic Three-Word Message With Timberwolves Fans This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
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NBA Mock Draft Sees Timberwolves Pick Georgia Forward Asa Newell
NBA Mock Draft Sees Timberwolves Pick Georgia Forward Asa Newell originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves are weighing their options as the 2025 NBA Draft approaches, with considerations about how they'll improve the roster for future playoff runs. Advertisement Two exits in the Western Conference Finals have been the team's unfortunate path the past several seasons. However, they have one of the best stars in the league in Anthony Edwards. They also have talented players with him, but question marks linger regarding Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, and aging point guard Mike Conley. More than one of these players may not be in a Timberwolves uniform next season. Asa Newell talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Banks-Imagn Images That's where signings, trades, and holding the No. 17 pick will make a difference. There have been several college players mentioned in mock drafts as the ideal choice for Minnesota, and most are to help in the frontcourt. Advertisement That includes Georgia Bulldogs star Asa Newell, a 6-foot-9 forward who previously teamed up in high school with other talented young stars. They included projected first-round picks Cooper Flagg from Duke and Liam McNeely from UConn. Flagg is considered the first overall pick, and McNeely could go anywhere below the top 13. Newell's selection spot seems similar, but his name has surfaced in several NBA mock drafts at No. 17 to the Wolves. In a recent SI mock draft, Aldan Goldsher wrote that he'd be a great athletic wing for Minnesota as they "navigate roster changes" and build around Edwards. While on The Sideline with Andy Katz, Newell spoke about bringing his valuable skills to the league. Advertisement "I play extremely hard. I'm a floor spacer. Can guard and switch onto multiple positions, and I can rebound the ball," he told Katz. When Katz asked who he'd compare himself to from the NBA, Newell didn't hesitate to name Chris Bosh. The former Georgia Tech star was selected No. 4 in the 2003 NBA Draft, a loaded class that also included future superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. "He's an extremely versatile player. He can pick and pop. He can drive. He can crash and get rebounds and that's something that I've been studying as well," Newell told Katz about the NBA star. Bosh, a two-time NBA Champion with the Miami Heat, spent 13 years in the league, averaging 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and two assists a game. Advertisement In the past few weeks, Randle and Gobert were mentioned as potential Timberwolves players who might get traded for Kevin Durant. With KD recently stating he didn't have a desire to play for Minnesota, that trade may or may not happen, but other trades could. Adding help in the frontcourt seems to be what most mock drafts suggest the Wolves will do. At 6-foot-11, the 19-year-old Newell, 19 seems like a potential backup forward and center who the Timberwolves could implement into their roster. In 33 games with Georgia, he averaged 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, a steal, and a block per game to help the Bulldogs reach the NCAA Tournament. Advertisement In addition to Newell, other big men that mock drafts predict could go No. 17 to the Timberwolves include Georgetown's Thomas Sorber and BYU's Egor Denim. Related: NBA Mock Draft Suggests Timberwolves Pick Rudy Gobert's Replacement This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
