Wolves host draft workouts next week, Cousins gets "good vibe" from team, Ballow talks to SI.com's Thomsen about team's options and more
From the Timberwolves:
The Minnesota Timberwolves will host workouts for potential draft picks at Target Center next week. Over 40 prospects are scheduled to participate in the seven workout sessions and will be available to the media upon the conclusion of their workouts.
From Tom Noie/South Bend Tribune:
Over the last three weeks, Harangody has called six different places home - the South Bend condo he shared with former teammates Tim Andree and Ben Hansbrough, his parents' house in Schererville and an apartment and a hotel both in Chicago and in Los Angeles. His individual workout tour begins with a trip Tuesday to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Up next are stops in Chicago, Boston and Washington before another wave of auditions in early June.
From Jonah Ballow/Timberwolves site:
Jonah Ballow: Well that's good for the Minnesota Timberwolves, they do drop to four from the position they thought they would be in the second spot. Looking at the Minnesota Timberwolves and what their needs are in your mock draft you have one of those top four prospects Demarcus Cousins slotted at the number four position. Why do you think the Timberwolves go with Cousins there?
Ian Thomsen: Well, I think they'll just take whoever is left there. And I don’t see anybody beating out Cousins. And I also don't see him going any earlier as much because of need as anything. You know they've been playing Al Jefferson as center for quite awhile in Minnesota and his numbers have been very good but he's not a true center. And to bring in somebody with Cousin's size to compliment Kevin Love upfront and provide the size that enables Kevin Love to still rebound but also take advantage of his skills out on the perimeter offensively, I think works really well and then gives Minnesota an asset in Al Jefferson if they choose to trade him and if they wanted to I'm sure they could.
From Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune:
Cousins just might be the player the Wolves will have to decide upon if they keep that fourth pick and if the Nets choose Favors third overall.
He's huge, skilled, listed at 6-11 and just might be as gifted in a big man's way as perhaps Wall and Turner.
The Wolves will have to decide if Cousins is an NBA center and if they're worried about his maturity, temper and weight, three concerns about him during his one college season.
He interviewed with the Wolves on Wednesday.
"I believe Minnesota likes me a lot," Cousins said. "It was just a good vibe in the room."
From the Dan Patrick Show/SI.com (includes audio):
Minnesota Timberwolves president David Kahn joined the show to talk about the NBA draft. The T'Wolves ended up with the No. 4 overall pick in last night's lottery.
Kahn is not a fan of being at the draft lottery. "It's truly a hideous experience," Kahn said. "It's just the worse. First of all, they have you go early. You have no control of what's going to happen."
From Dan Patrick/SI.com (includes audio): DP Show Daily: Love unsure of future if T'Wolves take big man
DP: Of course, I don't want to get you in trouble with tampering rules. What does a team have to do to get a LeBron James? Like the Bulls. If you're LeBron aren't you going in to a situation similar to Cleveland?
KL: It's going to be tough. For us, we have to give up more than what we could really bargain for to get a guy like LeBron James or Dwyane Wade. There's so many guys in this free-agent class that we'd love to go for, but drawing somebody into Minnesota, let alone us having really a lot of cap space and a lot of young talent, that's really not going to be enough for a guy like LeBron James. He's not going to want to come to that 20-below weather for all that time and for a team that's rebuilding.
From Phil Miller/Star Tribune:
The Timberwolves can create as much as $25 million in space under the projected salary cap of $56.1 million, though it would mean declining the options on Ryan Gomes' ($4.2 million) and Nathan Jawai's ($1 million) contracts. Even by keeping that pair, the Wolves should have $20 million to offer to free agents if they choose.
In addition to the fourth pick in the draft, Minnesota owns Nos. 16, 23, 45 and 56. And if they pursue a trade, they figure to find plenty of interest in players such as Jefferson, Love, Gomes or Ramon Sessions. Or even European guard Ricky Rubio and center Nikola Pekovic, whose rights the Wolves hold."This is going to be a very tumultuous summer," Kahn said, "and not just for us. It will be a very volatile trading period heading into the draft."
From Star Tribune: Reusse vs. Souhan: Are the Wolves cursed? (VIDEO)
From RandBall: Wednesday (It's on Kahn now) edition: Wha' Happened?
From Seth Kaplan/Fox9 Sports: Take Your Hand Off The Panic Button- Timberwolves to pick 4th in 2010 NBA Draft