Wolves Updates 6/23

The Star Tribune’s Jerry Zgoda will host a live NBA draft chat on Tuesday (time is either 12pm CST or 2pm CST, I can’t tell).

From Don Seeholzer/Pioneer Press:

Neither player is likely to fall to Minnesota at the sixth overall selection, but the Wolves are among a number of teams that have been talking to the Memphis Grizzlies about a trade for the No. 2 pick.

The Wolves said they would try to reschedule DeRozan for later this week, but with Thursday’s NBA draft fast approaching, that seems unlikely.

DeRozan, who is expected to be available at No. 6, reportedly became ill after working out Sunday in Memphis and flew home to Los Angeles.

A group of late first- and second-round prospects, led by North Carolina guard Wayne Ellington, is scheduled to work out at Target Center this morning.

Rounding out the foursome are center Aron Baynes (Washington State), guard Sergey Glady (Ukraine) and forward Darren Kent (Kansas State).

From Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune:

The Timberwolves on Monday worked to speak with Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet and Spanish guard Ricky Rubio as they continued to explore trade options before Thursday’s NBA draft.

Wolves basketball boss David Kahn is believed to be seeking another high draft pick to go with the team’s current No. 6 position and was lined up next to explore drafting Rubio after he left a Monday workout in Sacramento.

Thabeet, a 7-2 shot blocker, or Rubio, a precocious, flamboyant point guard, would fill one of the team’s two biggest positions of need.

From Kyle Nelson/DraftExpress:

With two first round picks and five draft picks in total, the Timberwolves have the chance to infuse their roster with young talent and add depth in a few key areas. It seems as though they are set on drafting a point guard with the sixth overall pick, although there is a possibility they try to move up to improve their options. With their other picks and considering that much of their underachieving bench is approaching free agency, there are a number of different directions that they can pursue. While their bench is a bit thin across the board in terms of talent, they could use the most help in the post, where they lack depth at the center position. Adding another talented swingman who can create his own shot probably wouldn’t hurt either. The Timberwolves could get better immediately if they make the right decisions and definitely are a team to watch on draft night.

From Don Seeholzer/Pioneer Press:

Evans and Holiday were the highest-rated prospects at Friday’s group workout at Target Center, and Flynn was the purest point guard of the bunch, although undersized and a streaky shooter.

Then there’s Curry, son of former NBA player Dell Curry. Stephen Curry didn’t work out for the Wolves, but he would give them a ticket-selling draw on top of his physical skills.

“There’s one thing you hang your hat on with him, and that is, given the right situation, he’s going to flat-out make shots,” Fraschilla said. “People downgrade his junior year, but they forget that he was on a team where he was so much better than everybody else; he had to factor in every possession up the floor whether his bad shot was better than a teammate’s good shot. For a guy that is an unselfish scorer, that can really weigh on you.

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Wolves Updates 6/23

Alan Draper

Alan Draper

Alan Draper