Bulls

For a team that has endured losing for almost a decade, the Minnesota Timberwolves sure are savoring the early-season success they&rsquo;re experiencing right now.
After a series of underlying factors such as bad management, poor roster construction and player fallouts, the Wolves' success has been unprecedented (and sweeter than ever).
They are currently 30-12 at the halfway point of the season, which is the best mark in the West. They are the first team in the Western Conference to reach 30 wins, trailing only the Boston Celtics for the best record in the NBA.&nbsp;
Minnesota is on a 60-win pace, and they have the easiest schedule remaining in the entire league.
They are also on pace to surpass the franchise record of 58 wins in a season, which occurred in 2004 when they were led by Kevin Garnett (the best player in franchise history), Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell.
The next goal for this Wolves team? Win their first playoff series since that 2004 season.
After two decades of struggles, what changed for the Wolves? Let's break down their turnaround.
DEFENSE
The Wolves currently have the best defense in the league by a wide margin, allowing 105.8 points per 100 possessions (the runner-up is allowing 108.3 points per 100 possessions). 
They guard opponents unlike any other team in the NBA led by three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert at the rim. Surrounding Gobert are potential All-NBA-caliber defenders at the wings in Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Anthony Edwards and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Although their offense is still suspect and a work in progress, the team knows how to lock down the opposition.
ALL-STAR-CALIBER TRIO PLAYING WELL
The Wolves' trio of Gobert, Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns have been terrific.
The team is led by Edwards, a charismatic and burgeoning young superstar who has drawn comparisons to all-time great shooting guards Dwyane Wade (due to their similar build and playing style) and Michael Jordan (due to some eerie resemblances in their aerial capabilities, footwork and bank shots).
Edwards constantly wows the crowd with highlight-reel plays, and he gives the Wolves a true alpha, leader and closer. He's someone they can count on in the clutch, delivering when it matters the most.&nbsp;
Bruce Brown, an adversary of the Wolves during their last playoff run when he was on the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, said that Edwards was the toughest guy he had to guard all postseason. He also added that Minnesota was the toughest team that Denver faced on their way to their championship.
The Wolves followed up this praise by beating the Nuggets in November and climbing to the No. 1 seed in the West.
The 22-year-old credited his stint with Team USA in the FIBA World Cup for being able to play in a system rather than just relying on isos all the time. Edwards was the leading scorer of the USA squad that finished just fourth, but the experience was invaluable for Edwards and prepared him for the season.
Gobert is thriving once again after a down season a year ago. The 31-year-old is turning heads and serving as the anchor of the best defense in the league. He is one of the front runners for the Defensive Player of the Year award, which would be his fourth (and tie him with Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo for most all-time).
It wasn't long ago that fans were dubbing Minnesota's deal for Gobert as one of the worst trades in NBA history, but Gobert has bounced back beautifully as the front office&rsquo;s vision of playing him with Towns came to fruition.&nbsp;
Like Edwards, Towns is building off a strong stint in the World Cup and has been rock solid for the Wolves. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft is taking a backseat to Edwards for the good of the team.&nbsp; After plenty of losing seasons, Towns will do whatever is takes to win. He set his ego aside and committed to being the best second option in the league, which has had a huge impact on the Wolves.
There have been times when Towns is asked to shoulder more of the offensive load (such as when Edwards was struggling or absent) and he's stepped up in those moments. He has also been incredibly efficient, averaging 21.6 points while shooting 51.1% from the field and 43% from three-point range.
HIGH-LEVEL ROLE PLAYERS
The Wolves' trio is surrounded by quality role players, including starters McDaniels and Mike Conley. Both are nice supplementary pieces, with Conley providing stability as a floor general and shooting to space the floor and McDaniels giving them elite perimeter defense as well as spot-up shooting and occasional shot-making.
Minnesota arguably has the best eight-man rotation in the league, likely rivaled by just Boston and Denver.
In the playoffs, where rotations shrink and coaches tend to play their most trusted players, that's usually seven or eight players.
Off the bench, the Wolves have big man Naz Reid, a 6-foot-9 super scorer who&rsquo;s become a Sixth Man of the Year candidate by providing instant offense. There&rsquo;s also Anderson, a reliable Swiss army knife and point forward who is a playmaker on offense. Alexander-Walker does a little bit of everything, serving as a back-up ballhandler to Conley, lockdown wing defender and three-point shooter.
COMPETENT ORGANIZATION
A huge credit for the Wolves' success this season goes to president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, who is the engineer of this roster. His vision and willingness to swing for the fences have paid off in a major way.
Chris Finch, who was hired as the team's head coach in 2021, has done a terrific job and is currently garnering some Coach of the Year buzz for his efforts.
The same goes for new owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, who went all in and weren&rsquo;t afraid to spend for a win-now team that wants to win.&nbsp;
After years of mediocrity, the Timberwolves are finally heading in the right direction. A small-market team that has exceeded all expectations, Minnesota has been one of the feel-good stories of the season &ndash; and they are just getting started.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have the best record in the West. What has changed for the Wolves and led to this turnaround?

The Wolves are reaching new heights, and they're just getting started

After months of scrolling through countless Damian Lillard trade rumors, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bucks-shock-nba-world-by-acquiring-damian-lillard-in-blockbuster-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news finally broke</a> on Wednesday afternoon that the Portland Trail Blazers' long-time franchise cornerstone was headed to the Milwaukee Bucks. In one of the more surprising blockbuster trades in recent memory, the seven-time All-Star guard will pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo to form one of the best duos in the league.&nbsp;
Now, the new big fish in the trade market is none other than the player Lillard was dealt for: Jrue Holiday. The Blazers' return featured Holiday, former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns second-rounder Toumani Camara, an unprotected Bucks 2029 first-rounder, and 2028 and 2030 first-round pick swaps from Milwaukee. The circumstances of Lillard&rsquo;s trade request and his desire to be dealt specifically to the Miami Heat dampened his trade value, but the Blazers were able to come away with a &ldquo;palatable&rdquo; return.
 However, Holiday is unlikely to stay in Portland for long as he does not fit their rebuilding timeline around core players Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1707100851880259810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Bobby Marks</a> graded Portland&rsquo;s trade return as &ldquo;incomplete&rdquo; pending the potential assets the team receives for Holiday when they flip him.
Many contending teams are reportedly rushing to the phones to make moves in reaction to the Lillard blockbuster, with several expressing serious interest in Holiday. These possible suitors include the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Heat. Teams must factor in Holiday's potential free agency next summer and the possibility of signing him to a long-term extension, which he becomes eligible for on Feb. 22. Perhaps the Blazers will have some urgency to deal Holiday prior to Media Day on Oct. 2 in order to avoid questions and logistics about bringing him in for training camp.&nbsp;
For any team over the luxury-tax apron ($171,294,000) to trade for Holiday, they need to trade away at least $33,175,536 (90% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in salaries in order to legally execute a trade. The rest of the league will only need to send out $27,646,280 (75% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in order to make a deal.&nbsp;
Another important CBA note with any Holiday trade is that his $36,861,707 salary cannot be aggregated with other contracts for two months. While Holiday is still eligible to be immediately rerouted elsewhere, he cannot be traded with other players. For example, just a few months back, Chris Paul was traded to the Washington Wizards and then quickly rerouted in a separate deal to Golden State. Because Paul was the only salary going back to the Warriors, he was legally allowed to be traded. This must be taken into consideration when proposing potential trade ideas.
With Holiday potentially on the move in the coming days, let&rsquo;s take a look at some potential deals for the 33-year-old.
Realistic Trade Destinations
BOSTON CELTICS
Celtics receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Al Horford, Dalano Banton (salary guarantee increased to $1,009,853 to satisfy trade rules), 2024 GSW top-4 protected first-round pick, 2025 BOS first-round pick, 2026 BOS first-round pick swap, 2024 CHI/DAL/NO (most favorable) second-round pick, 2026 MIN/NO/NYK/POR (most favorable) second-round pick
By trading away Marcus Smart this summer, the Celtics lost the key cog to their juggernaut defense. Despite not having a Defensive Player of the Year award, Holiday would probably serve as an upgrade to Smart on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, helping the Celtics compete against the new-look Bucks in the East. If they wish to enter the Holiday sweepstakes, they would need to trade Malcolm Brogdon ($22,500,000), whom they were close to dealing to the Clippers in July. Along with Brogdon, they would have to sacrifice either Al Horford ($10,000,000) or Robert Williams III ($11,571,429) to make the salaries work. They have all of their own draft picks to trade as well as the Golden State Warriors' pick in 2024, which they got from the Smart trade.
MIAMI HEAT
Heat receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, 2027 MIA first-round pick, 2029 MIA top-14 protected first-round pick, 2028 MIA first-round pick swap, 2024 MIA top-50 protected second-round pick, 2026 LAL second-round pick, 2027 HOU/IND/MIA/OKC/SA (least favorable) second-round pick
Missing out once again in their pursuit of a star third option to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Miami could use an upgrade like Holiday to their seemingly incomplete roster. Holiday would provide a must-needed scoring punch and would fit seamlessly in Miami&rsquo;s hard-working culture. While their Lillard trade package was highlighted by Tyler Herro, they likely wouldn&rsquo;t use him in any trade for Holiday. Their salary going out in a deal would come from Kyle Lowry&rsquo;s expiring salary ($29,682,540) and some combination of younger players like Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($3,510,533), Nikola Jovic ($2,352,000) and Haywood Highsmith ($1,902,137). While they are somewhat restricted in terms of draft assets, they can offer up to three first-round picks if they amend their 2025 first-round pick they owe the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have three second-rounders to offer as well.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Knicks receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Khem Birch, 2024 DAL top-10 protected first-round pick, 2024 DET top-18 protected first-round pick, 2024 WAS top-12 protected first-round pick
Spurs receive: Evan Fournier, 2026 MEM top-42 protected second-round pick, 2027 NO/POR (less favorable) second-round pick
The Knicks may be holding out for when the next superstar &ndash; i.e. Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell or Giannis Antetokounmpo (although maybe not anymore?) &ndash; asks for a trade. While New York may be focused on further down the line, acquiring a player like Holiday could allow them to boost their roster right now without giving up enough capital to harm their future superstar pursuits. A Knicks trade that would not harm their trove of draft assets would have to send out RJ Barrett ($23,883,929), who potentially fits Portland&rsquo;s rebuilding timeline. Jrue could line up as the team&rsquo;s starting shooting guard alongside Jalen Brunson, while Josh Hart would play more minutes at small forward to mitigate the loss of Barrett. Evan Fournier&rsquo;s large salary ($18,857,143) would also have to be in any deal for the Knicks to take in Holiday. Portland wouldn&rsquo;t want to acquire both Fournier and Barrett as that would push them over the luxury tax, therefore they would likely route Fournier to another team (like San Antonio).
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Clippers receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2030 LAC first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
The Clippers may have been given an olive branch with a player like Jrue Holiday becoming available, as he's an impact player at a price they can afford. It also provides an alternative for the Clippers to land a third star while avoiding the potential drama/issues that could come with acquiring a player like James Harden. The Clippers have a lot of high-salary veterans they could use to get to Holiday&rsquo;s number like Norman Powell ($18,000,000), Marcus Morris Sr. ($17,116,279), Nicolas Batum ($11,710,818) and Robert Covington ($11,692,308). They would probably like to keep Terance Mann, who they seem to not want to include in a potential Harden trade, although his $10,576,923 could be useful. Portland could view their unprotected picks in 2028 and 2030 as some of the best draft assets they could receive due to their aging stars and lack of postseason success.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
76ers receive: Jrue Holiday
Clippers receive: James Harden, 2024 NYK second-round pick, 2029 PHI second-round pick, 2030 PHI second-round pick
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed to satisfy trade rules), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2029 PHI first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
Amidst the James Harden debacle, Daryl Morey has remained steadfast in getting a formidable return if they choose to trade the disgruntled All-Star. A reunion with Jrue Holiday, who played in Philadelphia from 2009 to 2013, certainly should get Morey and the Sixers' attention. Holiday would certainly upgrade their defense while being a good support and influence on Tyrese Maxey. The Trail Blazers would have little interest in taking a direct package from Philadelphia, which would almost certainly be headlined by Harden ($35,640,000). Harden's desired destination, the Clippers, should still be interested in acquiring him, but may be more interested in trading for Holiday directly. Portland would likely get a similar package to what they would receive if they traded directly with the Clippers, potentially leaving Philadelphia out to dry. The Sixers would have to incentivize the Clippers by trading some draft capital to take Harden instead of Holiday.
Honorable Mentions
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The Warriors are a logical Holiday destination in terms of fit and trade assets. A trade package would have to send the newly acquired Chris Paul back to Portland or a third team along with a young player like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski, plus a draft pick. Given that coach Steve Kerr has talked all summer about bringing Paul into the fold, it would be pretty surprising if the team pivoted from the future Hall-of-Famer just before training camp. If the Warriors do choose to jump in the Holiday waters, they could quickly move to the front of the line.&nbsp;
TORONTO RAPTORS
Toronto was considered the favorite to acquire Lillard at one point, with a package that was likely headlined by OG Anunoby and draft assets. In order to acquire Holiday, they would need to use a similar package, albeit with less draft capital involved. It seems as though the Raptors were being coy about potentially dealing Anunoby for Lillard, according to <a href="https://torontosun.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors/options-for-raptors-with-damian-lillard-trade-dream-done" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun</a>. If Masai Ujiri was unwilling to include Anunoby in trade discussions before, it&rsquo;s unlikely he will do so for a player like Holiday.&nbsp;
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Holiday would be a near perfect fit alongside Anthony Edwards in the Wolves' backcourt and would greatly improve their defense. However, Minnesota simply doesn&rsquo;t have the right salaries or draft assets to realistically get to Holiday&rsquo;s number unless they are willing to part ways with Karl-Anthony Towns. Even if Tim Connelly was willing to deal Towns for Holiday, the trade may not be what Portland is looking for with the 2015 No. 1 overall pick&rsquo;s five-year supermax extension beginning next season. The idea of paying supermax money to Towns will likely be a turn off for Blazers GM Joe Cronin.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Orlando is probably the most fun dark-horse destination for Jrue. While Markelle Fultz has been a suitable lead guard when healthy, Holiday would bring a championship-level veteran presence that could be useful for Orlando&rsquo;s young squad. The question with the Magic is whether they would actually pursue a deal that would accelerate their timeline with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, as well as whether they would part with draft capital that they could potentially use down the line in future trades.

With the Blazers looking to flip Jrue Holiday, Blake Stern breaks down several teams that make sense as a trade suitor.

NBA trade rumors: Examining potential destinations for Jrue Holiday

As an NBA fan, there's a special thrill in discovering diamonds in the rough who exceed all expectations relative to their draft slot.
The NBA Draft isn't an exact science, and there are many examples of prospects who slip through the cracks and become franchise-changing players.&nbsp;
Today, let's look back on some of the biggest draft steals in NBA history.
Nikola Jokic, No. 41 overall in 2014
Coming from Serbia, Nikola Jokic was relatively unknown entering the 2014 NBA Draft. When the Denver Nuggets snagged the versatile big man with the No. 41 overall pick, nobody could have expected him to become a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP and one of most skilled centers of all-time. Jokic is the lowest-drafted MVP in NBA history and it isn't close, since every other Most Valuable Player was a top-15 pick. Just to give you an idea of how overlooked Jokic was entering the NBA, Nuggets GM Tim Connelly wasn't asked a single question about Jokic during his post-draft press conference back in 2014. Every question from the assembled media was about Jusuf Nurkic or Gary Harris, causing Connelly to comment, "So, no one wants to ask about our second-round pick Nikola Jokic? We are really excited about him.&rdquo; Perhaps the lack of buzz was due to the fact that Jokic was selected during a Taco Bell commercial.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
As the broadcast mentioned, Nikola Jokic was the No. 41 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. But let&rsquo;s not forget that Jokic was selected during a Taco Bell commercial. 😅 <a href="https://t.co/m8zm1kxZDt">pic.twitter.com/m8zm1kxZDt</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1667343901374521347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Giannis Antetokounmpo, No. 15 overall in 2013
Entering the 2013 NBA Draft, there was a bit of buzz about Giannis Antetokounmpo given his length and athleticism, but he was incredibly raw. Some scouts and executives had seen him play overseas, but the competition was deemed to be weak. Nobody knew what to expect from the young, lanky project from Greece. The Milwaukee Bucks decided to draft him with the No. 15 overall pick, and their gamble paid off spectacularly. Antetokounmpo developed into a generational talent, winning multiple MVP awards and leading the Bucks to their first NBA championship in decades. What makes Giannis slipping to No. 15 look even worse is the fact that many players who went ahead of him ultimately struggled, including Anthony Bennett (No. 1), Cody Zeller (No. 4), Alex Len (No. 5), Nerlens Noel (No. 6), Ben McLemore (No. 7), Trey Burke (No. 9), Michael Carter-Williams (No. 10) and Shabazz Muhammad (No. 14).
Kobe Bryant, No. 13 overall in 1996
In 1996, the Charlotte Hornets selected a teenage Kobe Bryant with the 13th pick and immediately traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac. This move was undoubtedly one of the biggest draft blunders in NBA history, as Bryant became one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. His work ethic, talent and competitive spirit allowed him to become a five-time NBA champion, an NBA MVP and one of the game's all-time greats. While <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/revisiting-the-starstudded-1996-nba-draft-kobe-bryant-ray-allen-steve-nash-allen-iverson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the 1996 NBA Draft was loaded</a>, players like Todd Fuller, Samaki Walker and Vitaly Potapenko had no business being drafted before Kobe. It's worth noting that Bryant was the first guard to enter the NBA straight out of high school, which scared some teams off.
Draymond Green, No. 35 overall in 2012
Draymond Green slipped to the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft because he was viewed as a "tweener" without a clear-cut position. However, Green's success helped eradicate that term, as teams started seeing the value in versatile players who could fill multiple roles. Green's defensive prowess and basketball IQ have been instrumental during the Golden State Warriors' dynastic run. With his fiery leadership and two-way impact, Draymond is widely regarded as the Warriors' heart and soul. Also, his resume is incredible: four NBA championships, a Defensive Player of the Year award, four All-Star appearances, two All-NBA selections and eight All-Defensive Team nods.&nbsp;
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Kawhi Leonard, No. 15 overall in 2011
One of the most shocking storylines during the 2011 NBA Draft was Kawhi Leonard slipping outside of the lottery. Finally, the Indiana Pacers drafted Leonard with the 15th overall pick and quickly traded him to the San Antonio Spurs for George Hill. It didn't take long for Leonard to make the teams that passed on him look foolish. Right away, Leonard made an impact with his lockdown defense and improved jumpshot. He played a huge role in the Spurs' 2014 title, taking home the Finals MVP award. Leonard just kept getting better and better until it became clear that he was a superstar and one of the game's most dominant two-way threats. Now, he's a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-NBA selection, as well as a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
Manu Ginobili, No. 57 overall in 1999
Manu Ginobili spent the first few years of his career playing overseas, where he was very successful. While he was drafted with the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Ginobili would ultimately remain abroad until the 2002-03 NBA season when he finally joined the Spurs as a 25-year-old. Ginobili's fearless style of play and exceptional basketball IQ turned him into a key cog in the Spurs' dynasty. Ginobili became a four-time NBA champion, an Olympic goal medalist, a Sixth Man of the Year and a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. Not bad for someone who was nearly Mr. Irrelevant!
Isaiah Thomas, No. 60 overall in 2011
Speaking of Mr. Irrelevant, Isaiah Thomas was the 60th and final pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. Thomas thrived in Sacramento and had a brief stint in Phoenix, but he played his best basketball in Boston. At the height of his stint with the Celtics, Thomas averaged nearly 30 points per game &ndash; becoming a two-time All-Star and a fan favorite. Thomas is the ultimate underdog, from his draft-day story to his 5-foot-9 frame. Thomas proved his doubters wrong and became one of the league's most exciting scorers before injuries impacted his game.
Gilbert Arenas, No. 31 overall in 2001
Gilbert Arenas slipped to the 31st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, where he was ultimately selected by the Golden State Warriors. Despite slipping into the second round, Arenas' terrific scoring ability allowed him to become one of the most exciting guards of his era. His time with the Wizards was particularly memorable, as "Agent Zero" was a three-time All-Star during his stint in Washington. It's worth noting that Arenas played so well as a second-rounder that the NBA added <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/03/hoops-rumors-glossary-gilbert-arenas-provision-4.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Gilbert Arenas Provision</a> in the CBA, which made it easier for teams to keep talented second-rounders or undrafted players who hit restricted free agency after breaking out.
Steve Nash, No. 15 overall in 1996
Selected with the 15th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash was not an immediate superstar. However, with his exceptional court vision and terrific work ethic, he transformed himself into one of the most skilled point guards of his generation. While leading the Suns' high-octane offense, Nash won back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006. In addition to being a two-time NBA MVP, Nash would become an eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, five-time assist champion, first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

Alex Kennedy looks back on some of the biggest draft steals in NBA history, including Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and more.

Hidden gems: Examining the 9 biggest draft steals in NBA history

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets delivered the type of disciplined performance that&rsquo;s a prerequisite for lasting a long time in the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/hub/NBA">NBA playoffs</a>.
The Minnesota Timberwolves sure aren&rsquo;t there yet.
Jokic had his seventh career triple-double in the playoffs with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists and the Nuggets beat the Timberwolves 120-111 on Friday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t want to give them life,&rdquo; said Jokic, the two-time reigning NBA MVP who led the league with 29 triple-doubles this season. &ldquo;We wanted to be the aggressor. We wanted to punch them first.&rdquo;
Michael Porter Jr. had 25 points and nine rebounds and Jamal Murray added 18 points and nine assists as Denver withstood another dashing game by Minnesota&rsquo;s Anthony Edwards to send a loud crowd of white-shirt-wearing fans home from another frustrating postseason loss.
&ldquo;Proud of the group,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. &ldquo;They handled their business like they&rsquo;re supposed to, like mature teams do.&rdquo;
Edwards scored 36 points to raise his series total to 95, Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points after totaling only 21 points over the first two games and Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolves, but a defensive lapse here and a rushed 3-pointer there was enough to seal their fate against this Nuggets team finally healthy enough for another run at the NBA finals.
&ldquo;Our decision-making on offense just kind of let us down,&rdquo; coach Chris Finch said.
Bruce Brown had 12 points to lead Denver&rsquo;s 29-10 edge in bench points, and the Nuggets shot a hard-to-beat 57% from the field.
Game 4 is here Sunday.
&ldquo;No disrespect to the T-wolves, this is about us, but we don&rsquo;t want to go back to Denver,&rdquo; Malone said.
With the Nuggets holding their first&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-timberwolves-nuggets-jokic-towns-4ec031b561ee7e896afa55babef29c8a">2-0 lead</a>&nbsp;in nine playoff series under Malone, their&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1649584858472255488" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">message from the coach</a>&nbsp;was to keep the throttle on full and not give the underdog Wolves extra confidence.
The&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-2023-nuggets-timberwolves-jokic-gobert-6da46af7c27abab7fea5dff20d507093">Western Conference&rsquo;s top team</a> shot like its seeding depended on it and outjumped the Wolves for just about every long rebound. The Nuggets had two 9-0 runs in the first half and started the second quarter by making 12 of their first 16 shots on their way to a 13-point lead.
Edwards, who had 41 points in Game 2 for the franchise playoffs record, single-handedly&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1649603367663194112" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">brought the Wolves back</a>&nbsp;with the kind of starburst only players like him are capable of.
After a bad pass by Towns was picked off by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Edwards hustled for the block and quickly converted a Euro-step layup on the other end. The Wolves kept up the momentum and cut the lead to 61-55 right before halftime. They were still within six points at the end of the third quarter.
The Wolves&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/timberwolves-thunder-playin-game-36422410495a643d80585f68e74f55db">won their play-in game</a>&nbsp;here a week ago on the backs of Towns and Gobert, the unlikely big-man pairing they created when former Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly bolted for the same job in Minnesota and swung a blockbuster trade for Gobert.
The Wolves attacked the basket better than they did in the first two games, and Towns drew Jokic&rsquo;s fourth foul with 5:51 left in the third quarter, but the 7-foot Serb is just too skilled &mdash; and too much of a load &mdash; to get beat that way.
&ldquo;The offense looks a little different when &lsquo;Joke&rsquo; isn&rsquo;t out there, but we&rsquo;ve been making it work,&rdquo; Porter said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve just got a lot of dudes who can do a lot of different things.&rdquo;
SCREEN SHOT
Finch, asked before the game about Jokic&rsquo;s impact on making space for Murray and his shot, took a subtle swipe at how he feels Jokic &mdash; who has 14 fouls in the series &mdash; is officiated.
&ldquo;He does a really good job of screening, and moving and screening at the same time, those types of things,&rdquo; Finch said in his best deadpan.
Gobert made light at his introductory news conference last summer of Finch&rsquo;s allegations of his illegal screening with Utah.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Caldwell-Pope had 11 of his 14 points in the second quarter. ... Murray, who went 10 for 20 from deep in the first two games, was 1 for 6.
Timberwolves: Towns, who shot 8 for 27 from the field in the first two games, went 10 for 17. He&rsquo;s 5 for 16 from 3-point range in the series.

Jokic had his seventh career triple-double in the playoffs, and the Nuggets beat the Wolves 120-111 on Friday night to take a 3-0 lead.

Jokic has triple-double, Nuggets beat Timberwolves for 3-0 lead

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Myles Turner scored 24 points, Tyrese Haliburton had 15 points and 14 assists and the Indiana Pacers ran away from the Orlando Magic in the second half for a 121-108 victory on Saturday night.
Indiana shot 59% in the second half and won for only the fourth time in 21 games.
&ldquo;That was one of the better games we&rsquo;ve played in a while, on the road,&rdquo; coach Rick Carlisle said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve played some good home games, but it&rsquo;s been a while (more than two months) since we&rsquo;ve won on the road.&rdquo;
Bennedict Mathurin scored 19 points and Jordan Nwora had 18 for the Pacers, while Jalen Smith added seven rebounds and five blocks.
&ldquo;Jalen Smith and Nwora really were exceptional off the bench,&rdquo; Carlisle said.
Franz Wagner led Orlando with 21 points. Paolo Banchero scored 19 points and Markelle Fultz 18. The Magic struggled with their shooting, going 6 for 29 from 3-point range and finished the game at 38.9% overall.
Both teams shot below 40% in the first half, while the Pacers blocked nine shots, including four by Smith.
Andrew Nembhard, Buddy Hield and Haliburton hit 3-pointers in a 17-2 run to open the second half that put Indiana up by 68-54.
&ldquo;We knew we were due for a big quarter there,&rdquo; Haliburton said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if the first half was as much them doing a good job on us defensively or us not playing our brand of basketball. But we were able to do that in the third and that was big for us.&rdquo;
Mathurin, Nwora and T.J. Connell sparked another rally that stretched the lead to 19 points with 7:51 left in the game, and a 3-pointer by Mathurn pushed the Pacers&rsquo; lead to 21, their largest of the game.
&ldquo;Our second unit really helped us today,&rdquo; Haliburton said. &ldquo;They have been struggling of late, just getting comfortable playing with each other. I thought they were really good today.&rdquo;
The Magic, who are just behind the Pacers in the conference playoff race, never recovered from the start of the second half.
&ldquo;I think something happened that we can&rsquo;t let happen,&rdquo; Wagner said. &ldquo;After a couple of shots being missed or us not getting what we wanted, we let it affect how we played on the other end. That&rsquo;s when they made that run.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pacers: Indiana&rsquo;s last road win was Dec. 23 at Miami. . . . The Pacers had 34 assists on 48 field goals. . . . Turner, who tied his career high with 40 points against Boston on Thursday night, had only two points until hitting a 10-footer with 3:24 left in the first half. ... Nwora finished the game with a plus-minus of 17.
Magic: F Jonathan Isaac, who played a season-high 16 1/2 minutes Thursday night, was held out of the game due to &ldquo;injury recovery management.&rdquo; ... Newly acquired C Goga Bitadze had six points and four rebounds in his first minutes with Orlando after Wendell Carter Jr. left the game with three fouls in the first quarter. . . . Carter shot 1 for 11 while taking down a game-high 11 rebounds in 18 minutes. . . . Gary Harris opened the game&rsquo;s scoring with a 3-pointer, but never made another shot in eight filed goal attempts.
UP NEXT
Pacers: At Dallas on Tuesday.
Magic: At New Orleans on Monday.

Myles Turner scored 24 points, Tyrese Haliburton had 15 points and 14 assists and the Pacers beat the Magic 121-108 on Saturday.

Myles Turner, Tyrese Haliburton help Pacers beat Magic 121-108

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; UCLA came in way too cocky, according to coach Mick Cronin, and it nearly cost the Bruins.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 26 points and fourth-ranked UCLA rallied in the second half to beat Stanford 73-64 on Thursday night, improving to 14-0 at home this season.
&ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t ready for the fight,&rdquo; Cronin said, adding: &ldquo;They dug it out tonight.&rdquo;
The Bruins got outplayed in the first half, then built a lead in the second half only to fall behind again before closing out their 22nd consecutive home victory dating to last season &mdash; the nation&rsquo;s longest current streak.
&ldquo;We did come in a little overconfident. Sometimes that happens,&rdquo; Jaquez said. &ldquo;It was also good to get checked by Stanford in the first half and realize we&rsquo;ve got to stay humble and composed. This is the time of year anything can happen. I said in the huddle, &lsquo;We got an opportunity and let&rsquo;s not mess this up.&rsquo;&rdquo;
Jaylen Clark added 16 points for the first-place Bruins (22-4, 13-2 Pac-12), who have won five in a row overall.
Michael Jones scored 15 points to lead Stanford (11-15, 5-10), and Harrison Ingram added 13. Maxime Raynaud had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Spencer Jones, the Cardinal&rsquo;s leading scorer at 13.7 points per game, was held to six.
The Bruins burst out to start the second half, outscoring the Cardinal 16-4 to take a 43-36 lead. Clark stole the ball from Michael O&rsquo;Connell and dunked, then he hit a 3-pointer before Jaquez completed a three-point play to cap the spurt.
&ldquo;This is my last year and I realized I&rsquo;ve only got so many games left, so I&rsquo;m going down swinging,&rdquo; said Jaquez, who made 9 of 11 free throws and had nine rebounds and three assists.
Stanford responded with a 14-2 run, including 12 in a row, to go back in front, 50-45. Michael Jones scored seven straight points and Spencer Jones dunked.
The Cardinal had five players in foul trouble in the second half: O&rsquo;Connell, Michael Jones, Spencer Jones, Ingram and Raynaud. O&rsquo;Connell fouled out in the closing seconds.
Four times the Bruins clawed within one. Clark grabbed a defensive rebound and streaked down the court to dunk and put UCLA ahead, 58-57.
After Ingram&rsquo;s jumper cut the Bruins&rsquo; lead to one, Will McClendon hit a high-arcing 3-pointer in front of UCLA&rsquo;s bench that extended their lead to 63-59. UCLA made all eight of its free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Stanford controlled the first half and led 31-27. The Cardinal were better than the Bruins in shooting (48%), rebounding (22-15), bench points (10-5) and paint points (22-12). Stanford was in front for 17 1/2 minutes of the half, and its largest lead was eight points.
BIG PICTURE
Stanford: The Cardinal came into Pauley Pavilion full of confidence, having beaten then-No. 4 Arizona last week for their first win over a top-four team since 2007. But they couldn&rsquo;t make shots in the closing minutes against the Bruins&rsquo; defense.
UCLA: The Bruins have four games remaining until facing their last ranked opponent of the regular season, No. 8 Arizona at home on March 4. They figure to have no problem against last-place California before going on their final road trip.
SITTING TYGER
Cronin kept Tyger Campbell and Amari Bailey on the bench to start the second half.
&ldquo;It would have been bad coaching to start them,&rdquo; Cronin said. &ldquo;They didn&rsquo;t have a basket, deflection or rebound (in the first half).&rdquo;
Campbell re-entered with 16 1/2 minutes remaining. He hit a big 3-pointer that cut the Bruins&rsquo; deficit to one and also fed McClendon for his critical 3 when UCLA led 60-59. Dylan Andrews also got 13 minutes of playing time and scored three points.
&ldquo;It was amazing to see Will and Dylan coming off the bench to make plays for us,&rdquo; David Singleton said. &ldquo;For those guys to step up big in games like this, we really showed the depth of our team.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Stanford: Visits Southern California on Saturday.
UCLA: Hosts California on Saturday.

“We weren’t ready for the fight,” Bruins head coach Mick Cronin said, adding: “They dug it out tonight.”

No. 4 UCLA rallies to beat Stanford 73-64 behind Jaquez

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; D&rsquo;Andre Gholston hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Missouri a stunning 86-85 victory over No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday night.
With 4.2 seconds left in the game and the Volunteers (19-6, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) leading 85-83, Santiago Vescovi missed a free throw. His second attempt was waived off when Tobe Awaka committed a lane violation, setting up a final chance for the Tigers (19-6, 7-5).
Gholston took the inbounds and dribbled up the court before taking an off-balance contested 3-pointer from about 30 feet that swished through the net at the buzzer for the win. He was mobbed by his teammates after hitting the shot.
Tennessee came back from a 17-point deficit early in the second half and led the last 7:11 of the game.
NO. 3 ALABAMA 77, AUBURN 69
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Rylan Griffen scored 16 points, Mark Sears added 15 and Alabama held off a big challenge from its in-state rival Auburn.
The Crimson Tide (22-3, 12-0 Southeastern Conference) remained the only Power 5 team without a league loss. Sears and Griffen helped Alabama overcome an off shooting performance from star Brandon Miller, who had 13 points but missed all seven 3-point attempts.
Wendell Green Jr. had 16 of his 24 points in the second half for Auburn (17-8, 7-5).
STANFORD 88, NO. 4 ARIZONA 79
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Spencer Jones scored all 18 of his points in the second half for Stanford and played a key role in neutralizing Pac-12 leading scorer Azuolas Tubelis, as the Cardinal stunned Arizona.
Stanford (11-14, 5-9 Pac-12) beat a ranked team for the first time this year and a top-five team for the second time in two seasons. Arizona (22-4, 11-4), hoping to stay a half-game behind UCLA for the conference lead, had a seven-game win snapped.
Courtney Ramey scored a season- and game-high 26 points for Arizona. Tubelis was held to four points and did not have any rebounds.
Stanford&rsquo;s Michael O&rsquo;Connell scored a team-high 22 points, helping the Cardinal outshoot the Wildcats 61% to 46% from the field.
NO. 5 TEXAS 94, WEST VIRGINIA 60
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Sir&rsquo;Jabri Rice scored 24 points in just 17 minutes in Texas&rsquo; win over West Virginia.
Texas (20-5) remained in first place in the Big 12 at 9-3, while West Virginia (15-10, 4-8) lost for the sixth time in its last seven games against the Longhorns.
Rice, a guard who transferred this season from New Mexico State, was nearly perfect. He converted 5 of 6 field-goal attempts, including 4 of 5 3-pointers and all 10 free throws.
Emmitt Matthews led West Virginia with 13 points.
NO. 8 VIRGINIA 69, DUKE 62, OT
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Armaan Franklin scored 23 points, including a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left, to lift Virginia over Duke in overtime.
Kihie Clark added 16 points and Ben Vander Plas 13 for the Cavaliers (19-4, 11-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who won despite a 9 for 22 performance from the free-throw line.
Duke (17-8, 8-6) seemed poised to win when Kyle Filipowski drove on the final play of regulation and two defenders contested his shot. The officials initially whistled a foul, but waved it off after a lengthy review. Jeremy Roach led the Blue Devils with 16 points.
NO. 9 KANSAS 78, OKLAHOMA 55
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Wilson scored 18 points, and Kansas rolled past Oklahoma.
Wilson, who entered the day leading the Big 12 with nearly 21 points per game, bounced back from a two-point outing against Texas on Monday.
Dajuan Harris scored 16 points and Kevin McCullar added 13 for the Jayhawks (20-5, 8-4 Big 12).
Jalen Hill scored 14 points and Otega Oweh added 11 for the Oklahoma (12-13, 2-10). Grant Sherfield, who leads the Sooners with nearly 17 points per game, was held to 10 on 4-for-14 shooting.
NO. 10 MARQUETTE 89, GEORGETOWN 75
WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; Kam Jones, Oso Ighodaro and Tyler Kolek each scored 14 points to lead a balanced scoring attack for Marquette in its win over Georgetown.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 11 points and Chase Ross added 10 for Marquette (20-6, 12-3 Big East), which moved into first place in the conference.
Jay Heath scored 18 points to lead last-place Georgetown (6-20, 1-14), which has lost five straight after ending their league record 29-game conference losing streak on Jan. 24.
OKLAHOMA ST 64, NO. 11 IOWA ST 56
AMES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; John-Michael Wright scored 19 points and Oklahoma State rallied past Iowa State.
The loss was the Cyclones&rsquo; fourth in five games.
Bryce Thompson added 12 points for the Cowboys (16-9, 7-5 Big 12) in their fifth straight win.
Aljaz Kunc scored 13 for Iowa State (16-8, 7-5).
TEXAS TECH 71, NO. 12 KANSAS STATE 63
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) &mdash;De&rsquo;Vion Harmon scored 20 points, including a crucial driving basket in the final minute, as Texas Tech upended Kansas State.
The Red Raiders (13-12, 2-10 Big 12) held the Wildcats to two field goals in the game&rsquo;s final four minutes.
Kansas State (19-6, 7-5) edged as close as one point throughout the second half, but Tech answered with key baskets to maintain the lead. The Wildcats were led by Markquis Nowell&rsquo;s 18 points. Desi Sills added 12 points.
NO. 14 BAYLOR 72, NO. 17 TCU 68
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash; Adam Flagler scored 28 points, with 16 in a row for Baylor during the stretch when the Bears overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half and then held on to beat TCU.
LJ Cryer had 23 points for the Bears (19-6, 8-4 Big 12), who on Jan. 4 at home against TCU blew a 17-point lead in an 88-87 loss. They have won nine of their last 10 games.
Damion Baugh had 16 points and 10 assist for TCU (17-8, 6-6).
NO. 15 SAINT MARY&rsquo;S 81, PORTLAND 64
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Logan Johnson had 34 points, six rebounds and six assists as Saint Mary&rsquo;s handled Portland on the road.
Alex Ducas added 18 points and six rebounds for the Gaels (22-5, 11-1 West Coast Conference) and Aidan Mahaney contributed 10 points and five assists.
Kristian Sjolund led the Pilots (13-15, 5-8) with 12 points, and Juan Gorosito and Tyler Robinson each added 10 points.
NO. 18 INDIANA 62, MICHIGAN 61
Trayce Jackson-Davis had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 21 points and Indiana held on for a win over Michigan.
Freshman Jett Howard was short on a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, leaving the Wolverines without a point for the final 5:12.
The Hoosiers (18-7, 9-5 Big Ten) trailed by 11 in the first half and for much of the second, but went ahead for good with 2:58 left when Hood-Schifino made two free throws for their last points.
Michigan (14-11, 8-6) fell to 0-4 against teams in the AP Top 25, losing each game by five or fewer points.
Hunter Dickinson scored 16 points, Kobe Bufkin had 14 points and Howard added 12 for the Wolverines.
NO. 19 MIAMI 93, LOUISVILLE 85
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Nijel Pack scored 22 points in Miami&rsquo;s win over Louisville.
Five days following its dominant 22-point home win over Duke, Miami (20-5, 11-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) could not shake off the conference&rsquo;s last-place team until Pack&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 2:44 remaining made it 82-72. Pack shot 8 of 14, including 4 of 9 on 3-pointers.
Isaiah Wong and Norchad Omier finished with 21 points each and Jordan Miller added 10 for the Hurricanes, who are 14-0 at home.
El Ellis scored a career-high 33 points and had five assists while Jae&rsquo;Lyn Withers finished with 18 for the Cardinals (3-22, 1-13).
ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 73, NO. 20 PROVIDENCE 68
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; David Jones scored 16 points and AJ Storr added 15 for St. John&rsquo;s, which beat Providence.
Joel Soriano had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Red Storm (15-11, 5-10 Big East).
Bryce Hopkins equaled a career best with 29 points for the Friars (18-7, 10-4).
NO. 22 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 92, BOSTON COLLEGE 62
BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Jarkel Joiner scored 26 points and D.J. Burns Jr. added 18 with 10 rebounds to lead North Carolina State over Boston College.
Terquavion Smith scored 17 points for the Wolfpack (20-6, 10-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), giving him 1,000 points for his career.
Quinten Post scored 20 points for Boston College (12-14, 6-9).
NO. 23 CREIGHTON 56, NO. 21 UCONN 53
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Trey Alexander scored 17 points to lead Creighton past UConn after the Huskies had what would have been a tying 3-pointer erased on video review in the final seconds.
Creighton (17-8, 11-3) is a half-game behind Big East-leading Marquette with its eighth straight win. The Huskies (19-7, 8-7) lost for the first time in four games.
Adama Sanogo had 17 points and 10 rebounds for UConn.
ILLINOIS 69, NO. 24 RUTGERS 60
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) &mdash; Coleman Hawkins scored 18 points and Illinois held Rutgers scoreless for more than 10 minutes in the second half to rally for the win.
Illinois (17-7, 8-5 Big Ten) trailed 47-41 with 14 1/2 minutes left before Hawkins&rsquo; 3-pointer started a 19-0 run. Hawkins hit four consecutive shots &mdash; including a 3 &mdash; and gave the Illini the lead for good at 48-47.
Rutgers (16-9, 8-6) missed 15 straight shots during its drought.
NO. 25 SAN DIEGO STATE 82, UNLV 71
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Adam Seiko scored all 18 points on 3-pointers and Matt Bradley added 17 points for San Diego, the Mountain West Conference front-runner that beat UNLV for its third straight win and seventh in eight games.
The Aztecs (20-5, 11-2 MWC) buried the Runnin&rsquo; Rebels in a blizzard of 3-pointers and slam dunks, including during a 14-0 run midway through the first half, to sweep the season series and top UNLV the fifth straight time. Keshad Johnson scored 11 of his 14 points in the game&rsquo;s first 6 1/2 minutes and Nathan Mensah had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Elijah Harkless scored 24 for UNLV (16-9, 5-8) before fouling out with 2:05 to go. Keshon Gilbert added 19 for the Runnin&rsquo; Rebels, who didn&rsquo;t get their first assist until two minutes into the second half.

A recap of Saturday's action in men's college hoops includes numerous upsets in the top-15.

Three-pointer at buzzer lifts Missouri over No. 6 Tennessee

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray hit a go-ahead floater with 55.9 seconds remaining, Nikola Jokic broke Denver&rsquo;s record for assists on the way to his 14th triple-double of the season, and the Nuggets rallied for a 122-118 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
Jokic finished with 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds as he navigated foul trouble. The two-time reigning NBA MVP passed Alex English for the most assists in team history. Jokic has 3,686 career assists in 568 games &mdash; English recorded 3,679 over 837 games in a Denver uniform.
Jokic's teammates made sure to appreciate the achievement.
&ldquo;We clapped a little bit,&rdquo; said Murray, who finished with 28 points. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a lot of passes. That&rsquo;s pretty impressive.&rdquo;
English thought so, too.
&ldquo;I knew that eventually my all time assist record would be broken. I&rsquo;m honored to see that it&rsquo;s 2 time, I mean 3 time MVP of the NBA do it. Congrats big fella,&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexEnglish_2/status/1615942186310463488">English posted on his Twitter account</a>.
Never one to dwell too much on individual accolades, Jokic said he appreciated this particular mark.
&ldquo;When you have a lot of assists, it just shows that you&rsquo;re a good team player,&rdquo; said Jokic, whose teammates plan to sign the ball for him. "That&rsquo;s something I want to be. I want everybody to remember me as a guy who was a really good team player.&rdquo;
Murray took over down the stretch to help the Western Conference-leading Nuggets win their 15th straight at home.
The Nuggets trailed 118-115 when Murray hit a <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1615947258775891969">3-pointer with 2:05</a> remaining to tie the game. Then, he nailed a driving floater to give Denver a lead it didn't relinquish.
Bruce Brown finished with 16 points for a Denver team playing the second game of a back-to-back. Nuggets coach Michael Malone remained in the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocol for a second straight game. David Adelman filled in as acting head coach.
&ldquo;Winning ugly. Winning pretty. Who cares?" Adelman said. &ldquo;Good team win.&rdquo;
Adelman compared the combination of Murray and Jokic to a modern-day version of John Stockton and Karl Malone. Given the way Jokic passes, though, it's hard to say who would represent who.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think Stockton can score like me,&rdquo; Murray cracked. &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re very unique, because they try to guard us in so many different ways.&rdquo;
Jaden McDaniels led seven Minnesota players in double figures with 18 points. The Timberwolves led by 10 early in the second half.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m mad. I&rsquo;m mad as hell we lost because I played bad,&rdquo; said Anthony Edwards, who was 7 of 17 from the floor, including 0 for 4 from 3-point range, and finished with 16 points. "I could have helped us, for sure.&rdquo;
It was an eventful first quarter for Jokic, who had a basket taken away on review (shot-clock violation) and an offensive foul rescinded courtesy of a challenge. He still had 13 points in the period and five assists, including a full-length pass to Brown for a dunk.
&ldquo;He has a John Stockton kind of mind in a 7-foot body,&rdquo; Adelman said.
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: F Kyle Anderson finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds. ... C Naz Reid had 17 points as he started with Rudy Gobert sidelined by a sore groin. ... G Austin Rivers (bruised knee) was inactive.
Nuggets: F Jeff Green (broken hand) has started playing 1-on-1 and is &ldquo;trending the right way,&rdquo; Adelman said. ... Aaron Gordon added 12 points.
FAMILY CIRCLE
Nuggets veteran guard Ish Smith played for coach Rick Adelman when he was a rookie with Houston in 2010.
Now, he's a reserve on the bench for Adelman&rsquo;s son.
&ldquo;Small world,&rdquo; Smith cracked. &ldquo;I always tell (David), &lsquo;You&rsquo;ll be a head coach soon.' This is a great audition for him. Guys are playing hard.&rdquo;
EASY GOING
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch appreciates the easygoing demeanor of Tim Connelly, the president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves. Connelly had a similar role with Denver &mdash; and helped build the team to where it is today &mdash; before leaving last spring.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s always telling me to have fun, which is simple but hard to sometimes maintain,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s always really positive.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: Host Toronto on Thursday night.
Nuggets: Host Indiana on Friday night.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Jamal Murray hit a go-ahead floater with 55.9 seconds remaining, and the Nuggets rallied for a 122-118 win over the Timberwolves.

Murray, Jokic help Nuggets rally past Timberwolves 122-118

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Destiny Littleton scored 18 points with six assists as Southern California pulled off a program-defining victory Sunday with a 55-46 upset victory over No. 2 Stanford.
Okako Adika scored 11 points with 11 rebounds, while Taylor Bigby and Kayla Williams added nine points each as the Trojans set the tone with their defense and held on late to end a 14-game losing streak against the Cardinal, who had won 51 straight against unranked opponents.
It was USC&rsquo;s first victory over Stanford (17-2, 5-1 Pac-12) since the 2014 conference tournament. Cameron Brink scored 11 points with 14 rebounds for Stanford, which saw its 12-game winning streak come to an end.
USC (13-4, 3-3) held Stanford to four points in the first quarter, its low for any period this season.
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA 81, MISSOURI 50
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Aliyah Boston had 20 points and 10 rebounds for her 71st career double-double and South Carolina won its 24th straight by beating Missouri.
Boston&rsquo;s 11th game with double-figure points and rebounds moved her with one of program-record holder Sheila Foster &mdash; and kept the Gamecocks perfect at 18-0 and 6-0 in the Southeastern Conference.
Zia Cooke added 16 points and Ashlyn Watkins 13 for the Gamecocks.&nbsp;
Missouri (14-5, 3-3) lost its third straight after opening SEC play with three consecutive victories. Lauren Hansen finished with 14 points to lead the Tigers.
NO. 4 UCONN 65, GEORGETOWN 50
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Aaliyah Edwards scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as UConn opened up a close game against Georgetown in the second half.
Huskies leading scorer Azzi Fudd left the game in the first half when she appeared to reinjure her right knee. Fudd was playing in just her second game back after missing the previous eight after hurting that knee in December.
Dorka Juhasz had 13 points for the UConn (15-2, 8-0 Big East), and Nika Muhl and Lou Lopez Senechal each added 12.
Brianna Scott led Georgetown (8-9, 1-7) with 11 points.
NO. 5 LSU 84, AUBURN 54
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese had 23 points and 15 rebounds to maintain her streak of double-doubles in every game this season, and LSU improved its program-record best start to 18-0 with a win over Auburn.
Jasmine Carson scored 18 points, and Alexis Morris had 12 points and 10 assists for LSU, which led the entire way to end up 6-0 in Southeastern Conference play &mdash; winning each of those by 19 or more points.
Precious Johnson scored 13 points and Kharyssa Richardson added 10 for Auburn (10-7, 0-5), which lost its fifth straight since opening SEC play.
NO. 6 INDIANA 93, WISCONSIN 56
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 29 points and Yarden Garzon added 19 to help Indiana run to a 93-56 win over Wisconsin.
Indiana (16-1, 5-1 Big Ten) shot 55% from the field, including 8-for-20 from beyond the arc, while its defense held Wisconsin (6-12, 2-5) to 35% shooting.
The Badgers had no answers for Holmes, who shot 11-for-15 from the field in her 26 minutes.
Wisconsin was led by Brooke Schramek&rsquo;s 13 points and Serah Williams&rsquo; 10.
NO. 7 NOTRE DAME 72, SYRACUSE 56
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) &mdash; Olivia Miles scored 13 of her game-high 23 points during the second half of Notre Dame&rsquo;s win over Syracuse.
Dara Mabrey chipped in 15 points for the Irish (14-2, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who were coming off a dominant 86-47 victory over Wake Forest on Thursday. Miles also had seven boards and seven assists.
Dyaisha Fair&rsquo;s 14 points led the way for the Orange (13-5, 4-3), who entered Sunday on a three-game winning streak.
NO. 8 UCLA 87, CALIFORNIA 70
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Freshman Londynn Jones had 18 points and Charisma Osborne added 17 to lead UCLA past Cal.
UCLA star freshman Kiki Rice had a double double with 15 points and a career-high 12 assists.
The Bruins (15-3, 4-2 Pac-12) trailed by as many as 12 points in the first quarter but came back. Cal played well on the road and kept it close until the fourth, when UCLA, trailing by two points, went on a 12-2 run.
Kemery Martin had a game-high 23 points for the Bears ((10-7, 1-5).
NO. 9 MARYLAND 80, RUTGERS 56
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) &mdash; Diamond Miller had 17 points, six rebounds and five steals, and Maryland forced 17 first-half turnovers in a victory over Rutgers.
The Terrapins (14-4, 5-2 Big Ten) rebounded from a loss at No. 6 Indiana earlier in the week. Brinae Alexander led Maryland with 20 points, surpassing 1,000 for her career, and Abby Meyers added 14 with three steals.
The Terps beat Rutgers (8-11, 2-5) for the second time in 14 days. The Scarlet Knights turned the ball over 22 times in the first meeting, and they had 23 on Sunday against Maryland&rsquo;s pressing defense.
Kaylene Smikle scored 21 points for Rutgers and Chyna Cornwell contributed 15.
NO. 10 UTAH 80, NO. 14 ARIZONA 79
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Alissa Pili scored 27 points, including the winning free throws with 0.3 seconds left, to lead Utah past Arizona.
Pili went 11 of 16 from the field, while Gianna Kneepkens finished with 20 points and seven rebounds for the Utes (15-1, 5-1 Pac-12). Issy Palmer added 10 points.
Cate Reese tallied 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead Arizona (14-4, 4-3). Jade Loville finished with 17 points and Esmery Martinez and Shaina Pellington chipped in 10 apiece for the Wildcats, who lost their second straight game.
NO. 22 NORTH CAROLINA 56, NO. 11 N.C. STATE 47
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Kennedy Todd-Williams scored eight of her 15 points in the fourth quarter, Destiny Adams scored all of her eight points in the final 4 minutes and North Carolina beat rival N.C. State.
Alyssa Ustby added nine points and a career-high 18 rebounds for North Carolina (12-5, 3-3 ACC).
Jakia Brown-Turner led N.C. State (13-4, 3-3) with 14 points and Camille Hobby scored 13 in a game that saw 10 lead changes and six ties through the first three quarters.
TEXAS 68, NO. 15 IOWA STATE 53
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; DeYona Gaston scored 17 points and Shaylee Gonzales had five of her 11 in a game-breaking 13-0 run in the fourth quarter and Texas defeated Iowa State.
Izzi Zingaro&rsquo;s layup to open the fourth quarter pulled the Cyclones within 52-49 but they went scoreless for the next 6:17, missing five shots with five turnovers as the Longhorns increased the defensive pressure.
Sonya Morris added 11 points for the Longhorns (13-5, 4-1 Big 12 Conference), who have won 10 of 11 since a 5-4 start knocked them out of the rankings.
Ashley Joens scored 21 points for Iowa State (11-4, 3-2) and grabbed six rebounds to become the Cyclones&rsquo; all-team leading rebounder.
NO. 16 DUKE 65, GEORGIA TECH 47
ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Celeste Taylor scored 13 points, Elizabeth Balogun added 12 and Duke overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Georgia Tech for its 11th straight win.
The Yellow Jackets managed only six of their 19 second-half points in the fourth quarter and Duke (16-1, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) did not allow a point in the final 5:45 of the game, outscoring Georgia Tech 9-0 down the stretch.
Kayla Blackshear led Georgia Tech (9-9, 0-7 ACC) with 14 points. She made 7 of 10 shots and grabbed eight rebounds. Tonie Morgan added 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.
WEST VIRGINIA 74, NO. 18 BAYLOR 65
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) &mdash; Madisen Smith and Ja&rsquo;Naiya Quinerly scored 17 points apiece, Jayla Hemingway added 15 points and 14 rebounds and West Virginia&rsquo;s defense forced seven fourth-quarter turnovers in its win over Baylor.
West Virginia (12-4, 3-2 Big 12) has won three consecutive games and improved to 4-22 all-time against Baylor.
Sarah Andrews hit four 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs added 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Caitlin Bickle scored 10 points for Baylor (12-4, 3-1).
WASHINGTON STATE 85, NO. 21 OREGON 84, OT
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Bella Murekatete scored 20 points, Jessica Clark scored six of her career-high 14 in overtime and Washington State defeated Oregon for its first win over a ranked team since 1998.
Washington State won despite giving up a 14-point lead in the final four minutes, allowing the tying free throws with 0.1 left in regulation and surviving an Oregon shot in the closing seconds of overtime. The Cougars never trailed in the extra session, which started with a Clark layup for a 78-76 lead.
Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 17 points for Washington State (13-3, 3-3 Pac-12 Conference), Johanna Teder had 15 and Ula Motuga had 14 with 10 rebounds.
Endyia Rogers scored 33 points, making 6 of 8 3-point attempts, for Oregon (13-5, 4-3), Chance Gray added 22, Te-Hina Paopao 11 and Grace VanSlooten 10.
NO. 24 ILLINOIS 70, MINNESOTA 57
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Makira Cook scored 20 points, Genesis Bryant added 18 and Illinois celebrated its first game as a ranked team in 23 years with a win over Minnesota.
Brynn Shoup-Hill and Adalia McKenzie both added 13 points for the Illini (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten Conference), who haven&rsquo;t had a winning season since 2012-13, haven&rsquo;t made the NCAA Tournament since 2003 and were last ranked on Nov. 27, 2000.
Alanna Micheaux scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Golden Gophers (8-10, 1-6), who have lost five straight. Micheaux was 11-of-16 shooting, her teammates 12 of 46 (26%).

A recap of Sunday's top-25 action in women's college basketball includes the Trojans' first victory over the Cardinal in nine years.

USC topples No. 2 Stanford, its first vs Cardinal since 2014

Nekias Duncan thoroughly breaks down all five teams in the Northwest Division ahead of the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 NBA Season Preview: Northwest Division

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Anthony Edwards said he's &ldquo;willing to do whatever it takes to make it right&rdquo; with the LBGTQ community and Minnesota Timberwolves fans following the homophobic remarks he recently made on social media.
Addressing reporters at Timberwolves media day on Monday, his first public appearance since the NBA <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-nba-sports-kevin-durant-1d513d7924e8199c789d9739ca74c324" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fined him $40,000</a> for his now-deleted video clip on Instagram, Edwards apologized again for the disparaging, profane comment he made about what he assumed to be the sexual orientation of a group of men he filmed on a sidewalk outside a vehicle he was riding in.
&ldquo;Man, I respect everybody. I know what I posted was immature, and I&rsquo;m sorry for that if I hurt anyone,&rdquo; Edwards said. "I&rsquo;m working to be better.&rdquo;
Edwards said he would be OK having a gay teammate if someone came out and would try to clamp down on homophobic language in a locker room if he heard it.
&ldquo;For sure. I'm taking it as far as I can. That's not who I am,&rdquo; Edwards said.
After ranking 19th in the league with an average of 21.3 points per game last season and helping lead the Timberwolves back to the playoffs, Edwards in his second year flourished into a true star and fan favorite who consistently brought a youthful energy and a charming confidence to the court and off of it.
Following the trouble he stirred up earlier this month, Edwards found himself in the strange and sudden position of being an unpopular figure.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of messed up, because I want people to love me, man. I don&rsquo;t want to give nobody a reason to hate me or talk bad about me, so I felt bad for myself and for what I said about people for sure,&rdquo; said the 21-year-old Edwards, who was the first overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and coach Chris Finch both had stern conversations with Edwards after the social media post.
&ldquo;It just makes me think before I do everything now, pretty much," Edwards said.
Said Connelly: "He&rsquo;s disappointed in his own actions. He&rsquo;s disappointed that he put himself in that position, and hopefully he&rsquo;ll continue to grow and we&rsquo;ll continue to educate these guys on the importance of being really positive community members and respectful of all people that we&rsquo;re lucky enough to have in our community.&rdquo;
BONJOUR, RUDY
Media day for the Timberwolves has often been accompanied by some kind of off-the-court distraction, with the sudden firing of president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas (2021) and the trade demand made by star Jimmy Butler (2018) the most recent examples.
This time, the Edwards situation overshadowed some of the arrival of Rudy Gobert, the veteran center and defensive ace who was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-utah-jazz-nba-sports-26b3c07948dc5cd6e28b8f7da887517f">acquired this summer</a> from the Utah Jazz for four players and five first-round draft picks.
Gobert recently returned from the EuroBasket championship, where his France national team lost to host Spain in the gold medal game in which he had only six points and two shots.
&ldquo;You learn from the losses. You learn from the wins. For me, just learn how to finish the job. We had a really good tournament, but we fell short at the end,&rdquo; Gobert said.
PATIENT RUSSELL
Playing this season on a salary of more than $31 million, point guard D'Angelo Russell has returned to training camp with an upbeat attitude, a new pick-and-roll partner in Gobert &mdash; and as a <a href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1574419596387520512?s=20&amp;t=YBy0s1HmslFrRdF9UVckzg">new dad</a>.
After an up-and-down season, and a first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies &mdash; a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-9d7a219a489c09c76fcd763eeed7041d">six-game loss</a> &mdash; that left much to be desired, Russell did not receive a contract extension. But the eighth-year veteran didn't get traded, either.
&ldquo;The money&rsquo;s in free agency, so if that&rsquo;s what you&rsquo;re about, tap into it. No frustration," he said. &ldquo;The organization has treated me as great as it could possibly go, and the people here now have obviously showed their love toward me and how much they want me to be here. That&rsquo;s all I can ask for.&rdquo;
MISSING TOWNS
Karl-Anthony Towns was absent from media day with an unspecified illness, but he was not expected to miss the first practice on Tuesday.
STRONG IMPRESSION
Versatile forward Kyle Anderson was the most accomplished of the role players signed in free agency. The ninth-year veteran came from the Grizzlies, not coincidentally, after both parties made a positive impression on each other during the playoffs.
&ldquo;The fans were awesome and then the team played with tenacity,&rdquo; Anderson said. "Looking back at it, it was just like, &lsquo;Wow, Minnesota was all in.&rsquo;&rdquo;
&nbsp;

Anthony Edwards hopes to get past "immature" remarks and help lead the Minnesota Timberwolves back to the playoffs.

Wolves' Edwards 'working to be better' after homophobic post

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; The Minnesota Timberwolves reprimanded star guard Anthony Edwards on Monday for homophobic comments he made on an Instagram video and <a href="https://twitter.com/theantedwards_/status/1569043807085236224">later apologized for</a>.
&ldquo;We are disappointed in the language and actions Anthony Edwards displayed on social media,&rdquo; president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said in a statement distributed by the team. "The Timberwolves are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming organization for all and apologize for the offense this has caused to so many.&rdquo;
In the since-deleted post, Edwards recorded a group of men on a sidewalk from a vehicle he was inside and made a disparaging, profane comment about what he assumed to be their sexual orientation. He posted an apology on Twitter on Sunday.
&ldquo;What I said was immature, hurtful, and disrespectful, and I&rsquo;m incredibly sorry. It&rsquo;s unacceptable for me or anyone to use that language in such a hurtful way,&rdquo; Edwards tweeted. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no excuse for it, at all. I was raised better than that!&rdquo;
Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo and Kobe Bryant are among the NBA players who've been disciplined by the league in the past for anti-gay language.

“We are disappointed in the language and actions Anthony Edwards displayed on social media,” Wolves president Tim Connelly said.

Wolves reprimand Edwards for homophobic social media remark

Alex Rodriguez was standing near his courtside seat, oblivious to a few fans who were snapping a quick photo of the baseball great as they walked by.
He was watching the Minnesota Timberwolves warm up instead.
Rodriguez &mdash; currently part of the Timberwolves' ownership group, with plans in place for he and business partner Marc Lore to assume control from Glen Taylor and become primary owners next year &mdash; said Wednesday that he's enjoying his transitions from baseball to basketball and from player to executive, and noted that he's still learning.
&ldquo;I mean, I come at it from a different perspective, being in baseball for about a quarter of a century, and now it&rsquo;s interesting to take my experience from Major League Baseball, from broadcasting and now being here as an owner," Rodriguez said in an interview with The Associated Press before watching Minnesota's Summer League game in Las Vegas against Milwaukee. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been great. The NBA has welcomed me with open arms."
And the Wolves haven't exactly been sitting around idly since Rodriguez and Lore started their ownership process.
Minnesota has been one of the biggest stories in the league this offseason, first by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-denver-nuggets-nba-sports-01f9383665c7795641b297252d91d72f">luring executive Tim Connelly</a> away from the Denver Nuggets to take over as president of the Timberwolves. Then came the trade &mdash; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-utah-jazz-nba-entertainment-sports-30765f1caacff7e3e99aa0674dee7ffb">acquiring Rudy Gobert from Utah</a> for a slew of players and draft picks, a move that created perhaps the top frontline in the NBA with Gobert playing alongside Karl-Anthony Towns.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s all about the fans in Minnesota. I think they deserve a winner," Rodriguez said. &ldquo;They deserve consistency, they deserve continuity. And I think across the board, we&rsquo;ve seen that. ... If you&rsquo;re a fan, there&rsquo;s a lot to cheer for. There&rsquo;s a lot to be excited about. And I think when you can forecast predictability, it&rsquo;s good for the energy of the town."
Taylor agreed to sell the Timberwolves for $1.5 billion last year to Lore and Rodriguez. Lore became Walmart&rsquo;s e-commerce chief in 2016, when the retail giant bought his Jet.com startup in an attempt to boost online business.
Rodriguez hit 696 home runs over 22 major league seasons, with the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. His last season on the field was 2016, marking the end of a career that was tainted by performance-enhancing drug use he later admitted to. He has invested in an array of businesses outside of basketball, serves as a trustee at the University of Miami &mdash; the baseball stadium there bears his name, even though he never played for the Hurricanes &mdash; and now finds himself learning a new game.
But he already speaks of it like a seasoned pro, talking about what Wolves guard D'Angelo Russell can do in pick-and-roll situations, how he thinks Gobert &mdash; a three-time defensive player of the year &mdash; is underrated offensively and why it was important to extend coach Chris Finch's contract this past spring.
It's busy, and that's what he wants.
&ldquo;Team ownership is 365, 24/7," Rodriguez said, &ldquo;I knew that (NBA Commissioner) Adam Silver and his team were great, but they&rsquo;re even better than what they project. His senior management team, all the way through, they&rsquo;re really incredible, they add tons of value. And I think they&rsquo;re great at welcoming people, whether you&rsquo;re a player, media, owner, executive into the room, and they know how to do that better than anyone."

"It’s been great. The NBA has welcomed me with open arms," Alex Rodriguez said.

Wolves co-owner Alex Rodriguez says NBA has welcomed him

The Minnesota Timberwolves have officially pushed their chips to the middle of the table. Under new management (Tim Connelly) and new ownership (Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore), the new-look Timberwolves are ready to make a splash within the reloaded Western Conference.
On July 1, Minnesota pulled off arguably their biggest trade in franchise history, securing three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz for a haul of assets. The Timberwolves sent Utah all of the following for their All-Star center: Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler (who was just selected in the first round), 2023 first-round pick, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 pick swap, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick (top-five protected). It's a massive price for Minnesota to pay, and the Jazz simply couldn&rsquo;t refuse the franchise-changing package.
Minnesota hired Connelly away from the Denver Nuggets earlier this offseason, giving him equity and a five-year deal worth around $40 million. It didn't take long for the new president of basketball operations to put his fingerprints all over the Wolves' roster. Connelly has long admired Gobert, and he actually drafted him back in 2013 before shipping his rights off to Utah in a draft-night deal. Gobert would blossom into one of the most dominant defensive forces in recent NBA history &mdash; singlehandedly transforming the Jazz into an elite unit on that end of the court.
Once Gobert arrived in Minneapolis, there were some questioning his long-term fit alongside fellow star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who just inked a new supermax extension this week. However, the Timberwolves feel this duo can transcend the current small-ball movement within the Association, with Gobert serving as the accelerant that Minnesota has needed to make a deep postseason run.
&ldquo;[Gobert] doesn&rsquo;t inhibit anything we have presently, he makes them better,&rdquo; Connelly said during Gobert&rsquo;s introductory press conference on Wednesday. &ldquo;He augments what we have presently. So, when you look at fit, it&rsquo;s not just about talent, it&rsquo;s about kinda developing a team. When you see KAT and you see [D&rsquo;Angelo Russell] and you see [Anthony Edwards], he&rsquo;s just going to make them better without kinda putting a roadblock on some of the natural progression we&rsquo;ve seen the last couple of years. Collectively, all those things are very hard to find. And when we were able to pull the trigger, we were excited to do so.&rdquo;
Minnesota now has the infrastructure to be scheme-versatile, throwing out different lineup combinations to throw off opposing defenses. With an offensive mastermind like Chris Finch coaching a terrific defensive anchor in Gobert, many people seem to be underselling the immediate impact of this acquisition around the organization.
With the Gobert-Towns duo presenting mismatch problems on a nightly basis and the Wolves&rsquo; current defensive infrastructure, this squad has a ton of potential. Defense-first wings such as Taurean Prince, Jaden McDaniels and Kyle Anderson will log heavy minutes alongside Gobert, Towns and Edwards. After boasting the NBA's 9th-ranked offense and 13th-ranked defense last season, Minnesota will be even scarier as a balanced, two-way threat going forward.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
On Wednesday, the Wolves&rsquo; braintrust spoke glowingly about the impact that Gobert will have on a franchise that has only had one 50-win season over the last 20-plus years.
&ldquo;It was the perfect fit at the perfect time for the organization,&rdquo; Finch said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not often you get the chance to add somebody who brings such a level of professionalism, maturity and experience alongside a young core who fits seamlessly into what we need &mdash; and what we need most.&rdquo;
The Timberwolves have coveted a piece like Gobert, who can turn certain weaknesses (such as their rebounding and defense) into strengths. The equity Gobert provides can go unnoticed, but the possession-by-possession value will be felt immediately by Minnesota.
&ldquo;When you look at players of Rudy&rsquo;s abilities, they don&rsquo;t become available very often," Connelly said. "I think he&rsquo;s a seamless fit both culturally and on the court in terms of what he can bring to us as a player and as a person. We&rsquo;re trying to develop winning ways. We&rsquo;re trying to develop a sustainable team and enjoy winning at the highest level. He&rsquo;s seen that. He&rsquo;s seen it at the [French] national team. Obviously, [as a] multi-time Defensive Player of the Year. This guy is going to be a Hall-of-Famer. I&rsquo;ve been in the NBA a long, long time and there&rsquo;s only been a handful of those types of calls [for] those types of players that you think can become actionable.
"We gave up some really good players. We lost some guys that were unbelievably impactful, kinda changing this culture. We saw how fun last year was. So, it&rsquo;s never easy. You don&rsquo;t want to be dismissive of the guys you give up, obviously a lot of draft capital, but when you get a call, the one we got about Rudy, pretty quickly you realize how unique the situation is and you want to be as aggressive as possible.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/rrud.jpg" alt="" width="651" height="388" />
That aggressiveness has helped propel Minnesota forward, and it's possible that the Wolves could improve their win total by double-digits next season (after winning 46 games last year). Take a quick look at the Timberwolves&rsquo; projected rotation, which doesn&rsquo;t have many holes.
Starters: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert
Second Unit: Jordan McLaughlin, Jaylen Nowell, Taurean Prince, Kyle Anderson, Naz Reid
The Wolves can roll nine deep within their rotation, and they have three potential All-NBA players within their starting lineup. Minnesota's two-way potential is off the charts, and it's possible that the addition of Gobert can help the Wolves ascend to a level of success they haven&rsquo;t experienced since the Kevin Garnett era.
If Gobert's impact on the Jazz is any indication, Minnesota could become a regular-season juggernaut with a top-tier defense. Over the past two seasons in Utah, Gobert carried the NBA&rsquo;s best defensive unit. With Gobert off the court, Utah plummeted into the bottom third of the Association in defensive rating.
Gobert 2021-22 On/Off DefRtg: 104.5 DefRtg (1st), 112.3 DefRtg (20th)
Gobert 2020-21 On/Off DefRtg: 100.9 DefRtg (1st), 112.8 DefRtg (22nd)
Simply put, it's incredible that a single player could have such an enormous impact. Having Gobert will make life a lot easier for the Wolves' other players and Finch.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a defensive microcosm unto himself,&rdquo; Finch said of Gobert. &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re going to have to build a system that&rsquo;s flexible enough to be able to take on the different looks we&rsquo;re going to see. Some of that&rsquo;s going to happen as we go along; some of that we prepare for. Offensively, I don&rsquo;t see a whole lot changing, honestly.&rdquo;
When Gobert first learned of Minnesota&rsquo;s interest, he was surprised because of Towns&rsquo; presence. However, the more he thought about the potential pairing alongside KAT, Gobert loved the idea. He's excited about this new challenge and environment. Gobert told his agent that he needed a day or two to think about it. But later that night, as Gobert put it, he realized that playing next to a generational offensive talent in the frontcourt would be the most exciting possibility for his career.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to be very unique,&rdquo; Gobert said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s going to be another team that&rsquo;s going to be able to bring to the table what we bring to the table. And my goal [is to] make Karl a better player on both ends and make his life easier, allow him to be better than he already is. I think his presence is going to do the same for me.&rdquo;
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The Gobert-Towns duo will force teams to pick their poison on either end, and a coach like Finch will quickly figure out how to exploit those leaks on a consistent basis. Also, the potential for Edwards and Russell&rsquo;s games to blossom alongside Gobert can&rsquo;t be overlooked. Minnesota is betting on Edwards to take the leap to superstar, and his recent postseason performance suggests that he&rsquo;s ready to do so. Russell should also see much easier looks and improve his efficiency, especially in the pick-and-roll thanks to Gobert&rsquo;s in-action gravity effect.
This a gamble that is going to play out over the next four years in Minnesota, but it's rare for a small-market team to have a trio of stars. The Wolves aren't afraid to spend money in order to take the next step as a franchise; in 2025-26, Gobert and Towns will make a combined $99.5 million, and that doesn't include Edwards' upcoming rookie-scale max extension.
When the Timberwolves began exploring serious trade discussions to add another star-caliber player, Gobert was the target who stood out most.
&ldquo;A couple weeks ago, we put names on the board that we thought were elite guys, guys that were difference-makers,&rdquo; Connelly said. &ldquo;[It's] a very small list &mdash; we have a couple of those guys on our team. When you&rsquo;re able to add a difference-maker and not trade a guy in that kinda similar tier, it&rsquo;s rare. So, when we started having those discussions more specifically, his name kept popping up.&rdquo;
Like all trades, it will take years before we know whether the Wolves made the right move. The decision to go all-in is all about opportunity cost, and Minnesota simply felt that Utah's asking price was worth it.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When you add a guy like Rudy, it&rsquo;s hard not to get excited and it&rsquo;s hard not to be overly risk-adverse and throw your chips in a bit,&rdquo; Connelly said.
Don&rsquo;t sleep on the Timberwolves next season. After adding Gobert, they are poised to have an elite unit on both ends of the court, making Minnesota a very dangerous dark horse in the Western Conference.

With their blockbuster trade for Rudy Gobert, the Minnesota Timberwolves have pushed their chips to the middle of the table.

Timberwolves make aggressive push for greatness with Rudy Gobert trade

Rudy Gobert reads Twitter comments, so he&rsquo;s aware that Minnesota fans didn&rsquo;t like him very much during his first nine NBA seasons. And he also heard Timberwolves coach Chris Finch complain regularly about the way he sets screens.
Those perspectives are probably going to change.
&ldquo;Now we&rsquo;re on the same side, so I&rsquo;m excited,&rdquo; Gobert said.
So is Minnesota, with good reason. The Timberwolves announced the acquisition of Gobert at a news conference in Minneapolis on Wednesday, when the trade that they agreed to make with the Utah Jazz last week could finally become official. It took four players, five first-round picks &mdash; including one made last month &mdash; and the option of swapping another pick to get the French center to Minnesota, and the Timberwolves still feel like they got the better of the deal.
&ldquo;We think that he fits perfectly inside of what we already do," Finch said.
In a league that has become increasingly positionless, where small-ball reigns at times, the Timberwolves now have two of the league&rsquo;s very best big men in the same lineup with a three-time defensive player of the year in Gobert playing alongside All-NBA performer Karl-Anthony Towns.
&ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t inhibit anything we have presently,&rdquo; Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly said. &ldquo;He makes it better. He augments what we have presently. So, when we look at fit, it&rsquo;s not just about talent. It&rsquo;s about kind of developing the team ... and he&rsquo;s going to make it better.&rdquo;
The Utah-Minnesota trade was executed shortly after the NBA&rsquo;s moratorium on most offseason player movement and contract signings was lifted on Wednesday.
Many of the deals, such as Memphis&rsquo; Ja Morant and New Orleans&rsquo; Zion Williamson getting rookie extensions worth at least $193 million over a five-season span from 2023-24 through 2027-28 &mdash; both now official &mdash; were agreed to last week, but couldn&rsquo;t be completed until that moratorium ended.
Also now signed: <a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-wizards-nba-sports-bradley-beal-926200389e0727e5854808758e7aa599">Bradley Beal&rsquo;s new deal in Washington,</a> a five-year contract worth $251 million for the Wizards&rsquo; franchise player.
&ldquo;Today represents such a special moment in my life,&rdquo; Beal said.
Williamson signed his extension on his 22nd birthday.
&ldquo;Just want to say thank you all for believing in me, just giving a kid like me a chance to showcase my abilities and help bring the team hopefully multiple championships,&rdquo; said Williamson, who has missed most of his first three NBA seasons with injuries but got a max extension anyway. &ldquo;Most of all, I thank you all for really sticking with me the past year.&rdquo;
The final agreement in the Utah-Minnesota deal was this: Gobert to the Timberwolves for Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, the rights to newly drafted Walker Kessler, Minnesota&rsquo;s 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 first-round picks and a 2026 first-round pick swap.
Jazz owner Ryan Smith said Gobert &ldquo;will forever be a part of us.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Rudy Gobert had a huge impact on this franchise and the entire state of Utah during his nine seasons with the Jazz,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;One of the greatest defensive players in NBA history, Rudy will forever be considered one of the most significant players to wear a Jazz uniform. His love for and impact on this community are impossible to overstate.&rdquo;
The Jazz saw coach Quin Snyder step down last month after eight seasons and hired former San Antonio and Boston assistant <a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-antonio-spurs-boston-celtics-utah-jazz-nba-sports-49409ee9335b18228e63b319c30786a0">Will Hardy to replace him.</a> Then came the Gobert trade, ending an era in Utah. No team in the Western Conference has won more regular season games over the last six seasons than the Jazz, but the success never carried over into the postseason. Utah made the playoffs in each of those six years, not getting past the second round.
&ldquo;The window for winning is not always big,&rdquo; Gobert said. &ldquo;For us in Utah, that&rsquo;s kind of what happened. I think the organization felt like that. We had maybe passed that window that we had over the last few years. I think it&rsquo;s still going to be a very competitive team. It just felt like with all the assets that they could get for me, it was better for them to go that way.&rdquo;
The Timberwolves might be the opposite. They haven&rsquo;t seen the second round in nearly two decades, and are betting that Towns, Gobert, Anthony Edwards and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell can become a core to change all that.
&ldquo;The goal is to win a championship,&rdquo; Gobert said. &ldquo;I came here for that. I didn&rsquo;t come here just to be a good team. I came here to try to take this team to the finals and accomplish that.&rdquo;

The Timberwolves announced the acquisition of Rudy Gobert at a news conference in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

Rudy Gobert arrives in Minnesota after 9 seasons with Utah

Mac McClung scored 17 points in 16 minutes, Paris Bass added 15 and the Los Angeles Lakers opened the California Classic with a 100-66 victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday.
Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 14 points and Cole Swider added 13 for the Lakers, who never trailed in the first summer league game of the season.
Also getting into the act for Los Angeles: Shareef O&rsquo;Neal, the son of Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal, who won three of his four titles as a member of the Lakers &mdash; and his fourth as a member of the Heat. Shareef O&rsquo;Neal had six points and six rebounds in 16 minutes for the Lakers.
Javonte Smart scored 13 points for Miami, while Haywood Highsmith and Kyle Allman Jr. each finished with 11. The Heat shot only 28% from the field.
First-round pick Nikola Jovic scored three points on 1-for-6 shooting for Miami. The No. 27 overall pick signed his rookie contract earlier Saturday.
&ldquo;We just didn&rsquo;t get in a good rhythm,&rdquo; Jovic said. &ldquo;I think tomorrow will be a lot better.&rdquo;
KINGS 86, WARRIORS 68
No. 4 pick Keegan Murray had 26 points and eight rebounds, leading Sacramento past Golden State 86-68 in the second game on Saturday.
The Kings announced shortly before the game that Murray had signed his rookie contract. He didn&rsquo;t disappoint, making 10 of 14 shots from the floor, 4 of 5 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;The confidence grew throughout the game and my teammates kept giving me the ball,&rdquo; Murray said.
Neemias Queta scored 12 points and Alex O&rsquo;Connell finished with 10 for the Kings. Elijah Brown, the son of new Kings coach Mike Brown, got into the game toward the end for Sacramento.
Gui Santos scored 23 points for Golden State. Payton Willis added 12 for the Warriors &mdash; who played with Stephen Curry, now a four-time NBA champion and the MVP of this past season&rsquo;s NBA Finals, looking on from the stands.
UPCOMING
The California Classic is one of the events preceding the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, the one in which all 30 teams participate.
Only the Lakers, Heat, Golden State and Sacramento compete in the California Classic, which concludes Sunday with a two-game slate. Miami plays Sacramento and Golden State plays against the Lakers.
The Salt Lake City Summer League &mdash; featuring Memphis, Philadelphia, No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City, and host Utah &mdash; runs Tuesday through Thursday.
Summer League in Las Vegas opens Thursday night, with No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero set to play in the first game when Orlando takes on Houston.

The California Classic is one of the events preceding the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, the one in which all 30 teams play.

Lakers top Heat, Kings top Warriors at California Classic

We have even&nbsp;more fireworks, folks!
The Utah Jazz, following a disjointed and disappointing 2021-22 campaign, ripped off the proverbial band-aid in regards to their star duo. Donovan Mitchell is still in Utah; Rudy Gobert is on the move.
Gobert has been shipped to the Minnesota Timberwolves for quite the haul: Jarred Vanderbilt, Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Leandro Balmaro, 2022 draftee Walker Kessler, three unprotected first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027), a first-round pick swap in 2026 and a top-five protected first-round pick in 2029.
Whew. Got all that?
It was part two of the Pick Acquisition Plan for the Jazz, following Royce O'Neale being sent to the Brooklyn Nets for a 2023 first-rounder. The Jazz are equipped with all kinds of pick flexibility to go trade shopping in an effort to build around Mitchell. Or, if they really want to tear the sucker down, they can push the big red button with Mitchell too. We know teams like Miami would be interested in that.
For the Wolves, this represents their first player swing of the offseason. They made waves earlier in the offseason cycle, hiring Tim Connelly away from the Denver Nuggets for a hefty bag&nbsp;and&nbsp;equity. Adding Gobert to the roster comes with the forfeiture of draft control for the forseeable future, but it's a trade-off the Wolves were willing to make for one of the NBA's best centers &mdash; and to acquire him without giving up any of their core pieces aside from Vanderbilt.
WHAT HE BRINGS
It starts on the non-glamour end of the floor.&nbsp;
To be frank, there isn't an interior defender in the league like Rudy Gobert. He's a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, and he put together a campaign worthy of consideration for a fourth award last season. The blocks are nice; he's averaged at least 2.0 blocks per game in every season of his career aside from his rookie campaign. He's able to swat shots without getting himself into foul trouble; including the playoffs, Gobert has fouled out just four times in the last three seasons.
Beyond the blocks and strong contests, Gobert's presence alone shifts an opponent's shot profile. Per Cleaning The Glass, enemy offenses have seen their rim frequency drop by at least five percentage points with Gobert on the floor in five of the last six seasons. It's been especially absurd over the last two seasons: a 7.6% dip in 2021, and a 7.8% dip last season.
In other words: teams are typically afraid of challenging Gobert in the paint.
(Anthony Edwards looms as a pretty loud example, as he claimed Gobert doesn't put fear in his heart last season. Now, he doesn't have to! They're teammates!)
Gobert's ability to protect the paint should make life easier on everyone else. If the Wolves continue to dial it up with Karl-Anthony Towns showing high in ball screens, they'll have Gobert behind the action to clean things up. Vanderbilt was a borderline All-Defensive team candidate in my eyes, in part because of his work as a weakside rim protector. Swapping him out for Gobert is quite the enhancement.&nbsp;
On the other end, Gobert is a prolific screener and lob threat. Only Nikola Vucevic set more on-ball screens (3,429) than Gobert did last season (3,165), and his partnership with Mike Conley was one of the NBA's best, per Second Spectrum.
D'Angelo Russell, provided <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-dangelo-russell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he isn't moved</a>, could create a similar partnership. Remember, he hasn't played with a roller like this since his time with Jarrett Allen. Edwards simply hasn't had this kind of target. Spread pick-and-rolls with Gobert as the screener and Towns spaced at the wing should put defenses in a bind.
When he isn't directly involved in action, Gobert doesn't just bide his time. He's a willing pin-in screener off the ball, effective for occupying help defenders and giving his ball-handler an extra kick-out option when necessary. If nothing else, Gobert will make himself available at the dunker spot for dump-offs.&nbsp;
The Jazz averaged a little over one point per possession when running a ball screen while having a player occupy the dunker spot, a top-three mark in the NBA, per Second Spectrum. The Wolves were in the middle of the pack (0.94 PPP, 16th). Swapping out Vanderbilt for Gobert could provide a bump in that area &mdash; if not for the buckets, then for the foul drawing when rising up. How many non-Jazz fans knew that Gobert ranked just outside the top 10 in free throw attempts per game (6.7) last season?
Even zooming out from the particulars, having Gobert and Towns means having an elite big on the floor at all times with some staggering. They will have some sense of stability up front versus the variance of Naz Reid (still a fan!) trying to hold down the fort with Towns on the bench.
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QUESTION MARKS
The big question surrounding this trade concerns the amount of picks that Minnesota sent to Utah, but we're going to keep this one on the basketball court.
Gobert still has to prove himself as a self-creator. He's seen his on-ball picks switched at a higher rate in each of the past three seasons: from 5.2 per 100 possessions in 2019-20, to 8.5 in 2020-21, to 8.7 last season, per Second Spectrum. A lot of that is due to the lack of respect Gobert garners as a post-up threat.
There's room for a "he-didn't-get-the-ball-enough-on-deep-seals" argument; but, as my <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dunker Spot</a> cohost Steve Jones Jr. has pointed out, Gobert doesn't always seal mismatches with oomph. He's shown that he can abuse smaller players on the glass, but he's gotta put the ball in the hoop.&nbsp;
Defensively, it's fair to question what it's going to look like in crunch time. While I'd respect Chris Finch for closing games with Kyle Anderson and Gobert up front for maximum aptitude, Towns is going to be on the floor. That could get a little dicey if teams decide to go small.
The hope is that the Towns-Gobert pairing becomes a juiced version of the Al Horford-Robert Williams III duo in Boston. But with all due respect, Towns isn't Horford as a switch defender &mdash; or an in-space defender at that.
And what helps that particular pairing work is the personnel around them. Marcus Smart and/or Derrick White at the point of attack; Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are stout on-ball defenders. We've seen what a guy like Grant Williams can do. Looking at what the Wolves have on the perimeter... it ain't that, either.
Vanderbilt and Beverley are gone. Jaden McDaniels has stud potential on the defensive end, but it's fair to question everyone else. Russell is a more reliable off-ball defender and half-court direction-giver than he is at the point of attack. There's a lot of variance to what Edwards provides on defense right now; he'll have to grow up fast, but it's encouraging that he seems to want to.
But even with those question marks, it's hard to argue against the Wolves making themselves a better team with this deal. Gobert is a defense unto himself, and his screening prowess should pry some things open on the other end.
There's plenty of time for the Wolves to make free-agent or trade moves to solidify the rotation. They'll need to in order to make this work.

Nekias Duncan breaks down Rudy Gobert's fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves following Friday's blockbuster trade.

Examining how Rudy Gobert fits with the Minnesota Timberwolves

Walker Kessler will bring a 7-foot-1 presence and prolific shot-blocking ability to Minnesota, a welcome complement in the post to star Karl-Anthony Towns even if his playing time is limited during his debut NBA season.
The Timberwolves didn't just draft him to patrol the paint and guard the pick-and-roll. He has upside as a scorer, too.
&ldquo;High school year, I didn&rsquo;t know what defense was. I was just a stretch big, skilled big, offensive player. That&rsquo;s all I did," Kessler said Tuesday as the Timberwolves introduced him and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-brooklyn-nets-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-593af6be6946d7b04a4f1165a20db4dc">fellow draft picks</a> Wendell Moore Jr. and Josh Minott at Target Center.
Kessler began to unlock his potential as a freshman at North Carolina. After transferring to Auburn <a href="https://auburntigers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/walker-kessler/17817">last year, he flourished</a> as a rim protector. The Tigers had plenty of scorers, so he <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-mens-college-basketball-college-basketball-auburn-763495adcf82fc1a05d3280219c03726">carved out his own role</a> and won two national defensive player of the year awards while leading the country with a program-record 155 blocked shots. Kessler had two <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-auburn-tigers-mens-basketball-allen-flanigan-auburn-college-basketball-bb813ae7d03f938450467a1004a8f3f4">points-rebounds-blocks triple-doubles</a>.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to get a little bit bigger. Oftentimes last year, we&rsquo;d start small and get smaller,&rdquo; coach Chris Finch said.
Kessler has a soft touch around the hoop and shot 70% from inside the arc, his overall shooting rate dragged down by a 10-for-50 performance from 3-point range that Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly briefly needled him about during the news conference.
&ldquo;Oftentimes when the shot went up, you see the bench putting their hands up," Connelly said. &ldquo;Teammates know. Coaches know. They spoke highly of both his ability to make shots and, more importantly, his work ethic behind trying to improve as a shooter."
He has bloodlines on his side, for sure. Kessler's father, Chad, and uncle, Alec, were both NBA draft picks after <a href="https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1490017661140574216">standout college careers</a> at Georgia in the 1980s. Kessler&rsquo;s older brother, Houston Walker, also played for the Bulldogs from 2013-17.
Alec Kessler, who died at age 40 in 2007 after collapsing during a pickup game, is the second-leading scorer in Bulldogs history. He was the No. 12 overall selection in 1990 by the Miami Heat, for whom he played four seasons before becoming an orthopedic surgeon.
Chad Kessler was a fifth-rounder and a preseason cut by the Los Angeles Clippers, accelerating his entry into the medical field. He's currently a <a href="https://www.georgiaboneandjoint.org/staff/chad-m-kessler-m-d/">back, neck and spine doctor</a> in Georgia.
The birthplace of both Chad and Alec? Minneapolis. That's where their father and Walker's grandfather, Jay Kessler, played college ball for the Gophers in the early 1960s after growing up in southwest Minnesota.
&ldquo;God works in mysterious ways," Walker Kessler said, &ldquo;so to be here now is really cool."
Playing with Towns will be, too. The Wolves can offer Towns another supermax extension this summer after he was a third team All-NBA selection this season.
&ldquo;I know he worked hard for it. I know he&rsquo;s excited, so I think it&rsquo;ll be a special moment for him and for this organization,&rdquo; Finch said.
The Wolves will likely look largely the same for next season coming off their seventh-place finish in the Western Conference. Free agency will be more about finding complementary players, just like Kessler and Moore will be, for Towns, Anthony Edwards and other valued youngsters like Jaden McDaniels and Jaylen Nowell.
&ldquo;We can talk about this draft class, we can talk about free agency, but the one thing we know for sure is that the internal development of Ant and Jaden and Jaylen, those three guys in particular, will be the single biggest driver of how far we can go next year," Finch said.

Walker Kessler will bring a 7-foot-1 presence and prolific shot-blocking ability to Minnesota, a welcome complement to KAT.

T-wolves welcome rookie Kessler's defense, size and upside

Bookmark this page and we'll keep you up-to-date on every NBA rumor. We'll continue updating this tracker over the next 24 hours.

NBA Rumor Tracker: Compiling the latest news and intel

It&rsquo;s Christmas in late June for NBA fans.
The 2022 NBA Draft is hours away, and the rumor mill is churning. BasketballNews has compiled every major rumor to keep you up-to-date on the latest rumblings around the Association.
If you missed yesterday's NBA Rumors Notebook with updates on Malcolm Brogdon, John Collins, Gordon Hayward and more, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-rumors-draft-2022-news-reports-atlanta-hawks-malcolm-brogdon-new-york-knicks-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check that out here</a>.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s jump into the juicy intel.
Kevin Durant will request trade if Kyrie Irving leaves Nets
On Wednesday, ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped this blockbuster nugget in his <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/34130810/how-kyrie-irving-contract-talks-change-kevin-durant-long-term-commitment-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN+ story</a> detailing the the uncertainty surrounding the Nets and Kyrie Irving. Woj said that the star point guard has a huge leverage play in negotiations: Irving knows that if the Nets refuse to sign him to a long-term extension, Kevin Durant will soon follow him out the door in Brooklyn. Wojnarowski said the Nets are aware of this situation, so their front office is trying to walk this tightrope.
Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/kyrie-irving-latest-more-trade-talk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added on Substack</a> that he&rsquo;s heard Irving and LeBron James have been in contact recently, potentially about reuniting on the Los Angeles Lakers. Wojnarowski relayed on NBA Today that the Lakers are considered "the biggest threat" to acquire Irving outside of Brooklyn too. Also, Stein said don&rsquo;t rule out the Miami Heat as a possible suitor via sign-and-trade.
The Irving drama has already created a negative impact on the Nets&rsquo; free-agency plans. Wojnarowski said on NBA Today that Brooklyn is having a hard time retaining their own free agents, plus Durant isn&rsquo;t recruiting potential names to the Nets as well.&nbsp;
"In previous offseasons, rival agents and players would tell you of Durant's eagerness in talking to potential free agents. So far, that hasn't been the case with him, sources say," Wojnarowski <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/34130810/how-kyrie-irving-contract-talks-change-kevin-durant-long-term-commitment-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote on ESPN+</a>.
Durant has also been putting pressure on the Nets to sign Irving long-term, per Wojnarowski.
All of a sudden, the possibility of the Nets breaking up feels very real. Could we actually be looking at a scenario where Durant is requesting a trade over the next few weeks? If Irving's contract situation isn&rsquo;t resolved soon, it sure feels like it.
OG Anunoby joining Jerami Grant in Portland?
According to <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1539759808907284480" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Sports&rsquo; Chris Haynes</a>, the Portland Trail Blazers aren&rsquo;t done trying to make massive moves to improve their roster. After acquiring Jerami Grant for a bargain price on Wednesday, Haynes relayed that Portland is offering the Toronto Raptors the No. 7 overall pick in today's NBA Draft in exchange for versatile wing OG Anunoby.
There has been persistent smoke surrounding Anunoby in trade talks over the last few weeks, and now things have kicked into overdrive.
If the Blazers are able to land Anunoby alongside Grant, it&rsquo;s a dream wing pairing to place alongside the high-usage backcourt of Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. Assuming Portland also re-signs Jusuf Nurkic, they could become a playoff contender once again.
Deandre Ayton, Suns heading for a split?
Deandre Ayton may have played his final game with the Phoenix Suns. Even though things seemed to be heading in this direction after the Suns' shocking postseason exit, Wojnarowski confirmed Wednesday on NBA Today that the organization doesn&rsquo;t view&nbsp; their former No. 1 overall pick as a max-level player. Woj added that Phoenix plans to engage in serious sign-and-trade discussions surrounding Ayton.
Keep an eye on the Detroit Pistons as a potential landing spot for Ayton, especially after the Grant trade went down. The Pistons now have more than $40 million in cap space, which means they can offer Ayton a max contract without any hiccups. According to <a href="https://theathletic.com/3379072/2022/06/22/jerami-grant-blazers-pistons-deandre-ayton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s James Edwards III</a>, Detroit is &ldquo;heavily expected&rdquo; to pursue Ayton.
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Will James Harden opt in?
Wojnarowski mentioned on NBA Today that James Harden was likely to exercise his $47 million player option for next season and sign a short-term extension with the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden&rsquo;s new deal with Philadelphia will come in at a figure slightly below the max, as Woj relayed on ESPN2. This lines up with <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10038916-latest-nba-intel-sources-say-james-harden-will-sign-short-term-extension-with-sixers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a recent report</a> from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
Philadelphia has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-trade-rumors-draft-2022-news-reports-atlanta-hawks-malcolm-brogdon-new-york-knicks-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already been linked to Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker</a> this offseason, so we'll see if the 2018 Houston Rockets are planning a reunion. Would adding Gordon and Tucker be enough to put Philadelphia over the top in the Eastern Conference?
The Sixers are also shopping the No. 23 overall pick, Matisse Thybulle and Danny Green, per <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10038916-latest-nba-intel-sources-say-james-harden-will-sign-short-term-extension-with-sixers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer</a>.&nbsp;
Thunder planning blockbuster trade to move up draft?
<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/34121058/2022-nba-mock-draft-projecting-all-58-picks-based-latest-intel-scouting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to ESPN&rsquo;s Jonathan Givony</a>, the Oklahoma City Thunder are aggressively trying to trade up from No. 12, with their primary targets being Purdue&rsquo;s Jaden Ivey and Kentucky&rsquo;s Shaedon Sharpe.
The Thunder are hoping to come out of this draft with two of the top prospects; OKC also has the No. 2 and signs seem to point to them taking Chet Holmgren.&nbsp;
Could you imagine Oklahoma City trotting out a core that features Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Holmgren and either Ivey or Sharpe? That&rsquo;s simply unfair.
Hawks pursuing Dejounte Murray trade?
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039635-latest-nba-offseason-rumors-san-antonio-spurs-discussing-dejounte-murray-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Bleacher Report&rsquo;s Jake Fischer</a>, the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks have discussed a deal that would involve swapping Dejounte Murray and John Collins. Fischer noted that the price for Murray to leave San Antonio would be &ldquo;Jrue Holiday-like&rdquo; in terms of the return. If that&rsquo;s the case, the Spurs would likely have to part with multiple first-round picks to land the versatile guard.
The Athletic's Chris Kirschner joined BasketballNews' Twitter Spaces last night and confirmed that these talks are ongoing, but added that a deal isn't close. He has also heard that the asking price for Murray is significant.
With this coming out of nowhere, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise to see the Spurs be a very aggressive team during tonight's NBA Draft.
Knicks all-in on Jalen Brunson?
Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/kyrie-irving-latest-more-trade-talk?sd=pf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Wednesday that the New York Knicks are viewed as a real threat to sign Jalen Brunson, if they can clear the necessary cap space. The Knicks are trying to offload the expiring contracts (if you count their 2023-24 team option) of Alec Burks, Kemba Walker and Nerlens Noel. Wojnarowski added later in the day on ESPN2 that New York will be aggressive in clearing said space.
Stein dropped another Knicks-related note involving underrated rim protector Mitchell Robinson. <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nba-draft-forecast-trades-aplenty?sd=pf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Stein</a>, the Knicks are expected to re-sign Robinson, which may close the door on potential draft options like Memphis&rsquo; Jalen Duren or Duke&rsquo;s Mark Williams at No. 11 overall.
Yesterday, ESPN&rsquo;s Brian Windhorst mentioned on NBA Today that New York has been unwilling to include No. 11 in any trade talks involving Pacers point guard Malcolm Brogdon. The availability of Brogdon continues to be a hot topic, which included <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10038623-latest-nba-intel-sources-expect-zach-lavine-to-re-sign-with-chicago-bulls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer reporting</a> that league executives believe Brogdon is the Knicks' backup option after Brunson.
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Pacers accepting rebuild?
On ESPN's NBA Mock Draft Special on Tuesday, Wojnarowksi said that the Pacers plan to reshape their roster and move toward a rebuild under head coach Rick Carlisle. Woj added that Indiana is hopeful to add a second lottery selection since there are multiple prospects they like in that range.
The full expectation is that Brogdon will be moved soon. However, when it comes to Myles Turner's future, the Pacers may wait for better offers or hold onto him long-term. Both Brogdon and Turner have constantly popped up in trade rumors, and that likely isn't changing until there's a resolution.
Indiana deciding on a full-scale rebuild opens up a lot of roster possibilities, and it further suggests that Brogdon, Turner and maybe even Buddy Hield could be on the move. Leading up to the draft, Indiana continues to be one of the most active teams on the trade market.
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039635-latest-nba-offseason-rumors-san-antonio-spurs-discussing-dejounte-murray-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer mentioned on Wednesday</a> that the following teams have shown interest in a Turner trade: the Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets.
D&rsquo;Angelo Russell staying in Minnesota?
Speaking of the Timberwolves, another interesting tidbit was shared on Wednesday morning by <a href="https://theathletic.com/3363956/2022/06/22/dangelo-russell-future-timberwolves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s Jon Krawczynski</a>: Minnesota has not come close on any potential trades involving D&rsquo;Angelo Russell or any other players. Russell is on the final year of his contract, but his season ended with some fourth-quarter benchings in favor of Jordan McLaughlin during the playoffs.
Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly <a href="https://twitter.com/JonKrawczynski/status/1539694720108085248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> on Wednesday that the organization is &ldquo;super open&rdquo; to trading the No. 19 pick. Connelly added that they would welcome a win-now piece in exchange for the top-20 selection.
Cavs open to trading back?
According to <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/06/cleveland-cavaliers-getting-trade-offers-for-the-no-14-pick-in-2022-nba-draft-sources-say.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com</a>, the Cleveland Cavaliers are open to trading back from No. 14 overall. This lines up with what <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-bradley-beal-bobby-portis-nicolas-batum-lakers-nets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported</a> earlier this week. Scotto added that the Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks have called about the No. 14 pick.
Holding the final pick in the lottery, Cleveland could fetch a solid return on the trade market. The Cavs are reportedly hoping for a future first-round pick, but they&rsquo;re open to adding a win-now role player in a trade-back scenario as well.&nbsp;
If the Cavaliers are able to move back while also improving the top of their rotation, it would be a huge win for the up-and-coming team.
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Suns shopping Jae Crowder?
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039635-latest-nba-offseason-rumors-san-antonio-spurs-discussing-dejounte-murray-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Fischer</a>, the Suns have reached out to rival teams to gauge Jae Crowder's trade value. Over the last two seasons, Crowder has played a pivotal role in the Suns&rsquo; historic turnaround. However, with a looming extension for Cameron Johnson, it could make sense to clear more playing time for he and Mikal Bridges on the wing.
Phoenix has no picks tonight, but they are rumored to be interested in getting into the draft. While they have looked into buying a second-round selection, perhaps trading Crowder could get them into the first round.
If the Suns send Crowder to Philadelphia for the No. 23 pick and Danny Green&rsquo;s non-guaranteed salary, would that make sense for both sides?
Wizards listening on Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10039635-latest-nba-offseason-rumors-san-antonio-spurs-discussing-dejounte-murray-trades" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Fischer</a>, the Wizards are open to discussing Kuzma and KCP in deals. Earlier in the week, Wojnarowski listed Washington as one of the most active teams in trade discussions.
After a strong season with the Wizards, Kuzma could provide a strong return. KCP&rsquo;s expiring contract would be a strong match with Indiana for Malcolm Brogdon, which has been rumored for several days.
Blazers, Pelicans draft preferences
Closing out the notebook, here are two draft-related notes. First up, if the Portland Trail Blazers stay put at No. 7, they are reportedly fans of Dyson Daniels and Shaedon Sharpe, per <a href="https://theathletic.com/3377254/2022/06/22/nba-mock-draft-trades-rumors-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s John Hollinger</a>. Both Daniels or Sharpe could be real complements on the wing alongside Lillard, Grant and Simons. If Portland nails their lottery pick, they are set up to potentially rebound in 2022-23.
The New Orleans Pelicans&rsquo; top choices at No. 8 are Daniels and Arizona&rsquo;s Bennedict Mathurin, per <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/please-dont-aggregate-this/id1618992995" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fischer on his podcast</a>. If neither Daniels nor Mathurin are on the board, New Orleans would be more inclined to listen on potential trade-back scenarios.
Buckle up, folks, as this is going to be a crazy day! BasketballNews will keep you updated on all the latest NBA news and rumors.
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The 2022 NBA Draft is hours away, and the rumor mill is churning. Here are all of the latest rumblings from around the Association.