Rudy Gobert’s return to Utah as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves was bound to be emotional, and it was, just not entirely in a good way.
The former Utah Jazz center played his first game as an opponent at the Vivint Arena on Friday, five months after the mega-deal that sent him to the Twin Cities and seemingly started the Jazz’s rebuild in full force. The night had all the trappings of a longtime player return, from the tribute video to the reflections on a nine-season tenure in Salt Lake City.
Gobert opened the game with a dunk, but the controversy came when he closed it with a lay-up.
At that point, the Jazz were up 116-108 with fewer than 10 seconds left. Aggressive defense by Utah ended up leaving Gobert undefended with the ball under the basket. Rather than let time run out on a nice win for Minnesota, Gobert opted to drop in a simple lay-up.
Jazz fans didn’t appreciate the move, nor did Malik Beasley, one the many players traded from the Timberwolves in exchange for Gobert. After time expired, Beasley was seen giving Gobert a talking-to until the pair was separated.
Per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, Beasley criticized Gobert’s lay-up after the game:
“Just disrespectful. It’s one of the unwritten rules of basketball. I told him that.”
Meanwhile, Gobert said he was disappointed the hubbub prevented him from embracing former teammates and coaches, then implied Beasley was looking for attention, via the Tribune’s Eric Walden:
“I’ve been taught to play basketball to the last second. For me, there was never any intent to disrespect anybody. These guys who stepped in front of me, they weren’t going to do anything anyway. So, I didn’t get to shake hands with my guys. It kind of killed my moment a little bit, but it is what it is. Some guys just want attention.”
Gobert finished the game with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting with 13 rebounds, helping improve the Timberwolves to 13-12 after a disappointing, and alarming, start to his tenure. The Jazz fell to 15-13, their seventh loss in their last 10 games.
Rudy Gobert’s return to Utah had its ups and downs during Friday’s Timberwolve-Jazz game. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy Top247 2024 cornerback Kaleb Beasley has announced his commitment to Tennessee on Friday night. He was last in Knoxville a weekend ago where he soaked in the Vols victory over Alabama.
The four-star Beasley becomes commit No. 4 for Josh Heupel and his staff in the 2024 cycle and chooses to stay in-state over his other finalists in LSU, Notre Dame and Oklahoma.
“Tennessee was the best fit for me,” Beasley told 247Sports. “It really feels like home. The energy in Neyland is ridiculous. The connection I have with Coach Huepel and (Willie) Martinez really was a big part too. They are always checking up on me and my family and making sure we are ok.
“Tennessee made me feel like I was priority.”
The 247Sports Composite tabs the 6-foot, 179-pound Beasley as the No. 19 cornerback in his class and No. 171 prospect overall. The Vols rise three spots to No. 6 in the 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings.
“I feel Tennessee has a lot of momentum right now which is great because they haven’t did anything like this since 2016,” Beasley said. “It shows how Coach Heupel has changed the program around. I want to help build on this momentum to. I feel I bring a lot of different tools to the table that could help Tennessee.”
Beyond the coaches, Beasley felt he fit in with all the people in Knoxville.
“I would say the players,” he continued. “The players have kept it 100 with me ever since I’ve been getting recruited by Tennessee.They are always catching up with me and asking how I’m doing. Even some of the parents of the players keep in touch.”
Cole Beasley waited for the right opportunity to emerge. It finally did, in Tampa.
Two weeks later, Beasley is deciding to call it a day.
Beasley’s agent, Justin Turner, tells NFL Network that Beasley has retired from the NFL.
“He is ready to be with his family after playing in 11 seasons and it’s time to be a full-time dad and husband,” Turner said. (It’s hard not to wonder whether that message will register with the team’s starting quarterback.)
Beasley has made plenty of money in his career, upwards of $50 million. This year, the money simply wasn’t there, for whatever reason.
One team, we’ve heard, was willing to pay him $2 million and vowed that he’d have 85 receptions. So why offer him only $2 million?
In his second and final game with the Bucs, Beasley was on the field for four plays. He caught one pass for five yards.
Thursday’s agreement with Kyle Anderson will give the Timberwolves 15 players under contract, but they’re not done with offseason moves, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota remains in the market for another big man and has talked to the Jazz about Rudy Gobert, sources tell Krawczynski.
Although the Wolves used a first-round pick on Auburn’s Walker Kessler, they want to add a veteran center so there’s not too much pressure on Kessler to produce right away. They were interested in free agents JaVale McGee and Isaiah Hartenstein, but they both reached deals with other teams Thursday night.
Minnesota’s talks with Utah about Gobert began before the draft, but the Jazz are asking a lot in return for their perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. If the Wolves can’t work out a trade for Gobert, Krawczynski cites the Pacers‘ Myles Turner and the Hawks‘ Clint Capela as other options, although he adds that Minnesota’s talks with Atlanta haven’t gotten very far.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
The Timberwolves talked to the Spurs about Dejounte Murray but weren’t willing to meet the asking price, Krawczynski confirms. There was also skepticism that Murray would re-sign with Minnesota once his contract expires in two years.
Teams have been making calls to gather background info on Timberwolves wing Malik Beasley, but no deal is imminent, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Beasley, who will make $15.45MM next season, carries a team option for his $16.52MM salary in 2023/24.
Bruce Brown possibly could have made more than the $13+ million he’ll receive from the Nuggets over the next two years, but he believes he’s entering a good situation in Denver, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). A source tells Reynolds that “fit” was more important to Brown than money.
Vasilije Micic‘s representatives are pressing the Thunder to trade him, but Oklahoma City isn’t willing to give the European star up cheaply, according to Aris Barkas of EuroHoops. The Nuggets, Bucks, Bulls and Spurs have all expressed interest in Micic, Barkas hears.
With the NBA trade deadline around the corner, executives are working the phones aggressively, trying to hammer out deals that have been discussed for weeks.
Some teams are trying to bolster their rosters for the playoffs, while others are trying to sell off veterans and rebuild for the future.
Below is the latest intel gathered by HoopsHype on some of the top names mentioned on the trade market.
Nets and 76ers: James Harden and Ben Simmons
Brooklyn’s stance remains to keep James Harden and let him and Kevin Durant get healthy alongside a part-time playing Kyrie Irving and chase the championship this season.
“The Nets aren’t trading Harden,” one NBA executive said when speaking with HoopsHype. “He’s staying, and they’ll take their chances in the playoffs. Maybe they’ll look to trade in the summer. They gave up too much to get him and have to see it through this year.”
Leading up to Thursday, Brooklyn is looking to improve the team around its star-studded trio and has received calls on players such as Joe Harris and Nicolas Claxton. Harris’ value on the trade market has been affected by the possibility of a second operation on his ankle. Any team trading for Claxton would be able to have him enter the market as a restricted free agent by extending him a $2.23 million qualifying offer.
Without Harden going to Philadelphia, Ben Simmons is expected to remain with the 76ers. Philadelphia will assuredly circle the wagon on Harden again this summer. Should the 76ers fail to land Harden, other notable free agents like Bradley Beal could be in play, and the trade market will be broader, heading into a new season.
(Colleague Yossi Gozlan and I broke down all the trade scenarios between the Nets and 76ers in a 12-minute segment recently on the HoopsHype podcast).
Cavaliers: Caris LeVert and Collin Sexton
Cleveland got its top trade target for months, Caris LeVert, and reunited him with his former pick-and-roll partner, Jarrett Allen, from their time with the Brooklyn Nets.
LeVert is eligible for an extension with Cleveland after the moratorium and was acquired with the vision of the Cavaliers retaining him long-term.
Before acquiring LeVert, the Cavaliers also inquired about the availability of several guards, including Clippers guard Luke Kennard, league sources told HoopsHype. During a December episode of the HoopsHype podcast, Cavaliers beat writer Chris Fedor also cited LeVert, Joe Harris and Terrence Ross, among other names to watch. Eric Gordon was another trade candidate, but Cleveland was reluctant to part with a first-round pick for a 33-year-old player coming off two injury-riddled seasons.
With the acquisition of LeVert, some executives wondered what it meant for the future of Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton, Cleveland’s eighth overall pick of the 2018 draft.
Sexton, who failed to agree to a long-term extension with Cleveland before the season, is eligible for an $8.56 million qualifying offer that will make him a restricted free agent this summer.
While some teams have called to gauge Sexton’s trade value following his injury, the Cavaliers want to keep him. For Cleveland, a surplus of ball handlers and scoring looking ahead with Darius Garland, LeVert and Sexton isn’t a bad problem to have.
According to our HoopsHype salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan, Cleveland is currently projected to be $21.4 million below the luxury tax going into next season with 12 players. Thus, there’s a chance the Cavaliers retain Sexton and avoid the luxury tax.
Timberwolves: Malik Beasley
According to several rival executives who spoke with HoopsHype, there’s a belief that including a first-round pick in a trade offer could pry Malik Beasley from Minnesota.
Beasley’s name was mentioned as part of a potential package for Celtics guard Marcus Smart, and his salary makes him a prime trade candidate for salary matching purposes.
The Timberwolves own all their upcoming first-round picks but could look to stockpile more in an attempt to trade for Ben Simmons, whom Minnesota has coveted since he became available on the trade market.
When Beasley and his agent Brian Jungreis of Par-Lay Sports and Entertainment negotiated a four-year, $60 million deal with Minnesota, former Timberwolves general manager Gersson Rosas rolled out the red carpet for him as noted in a previous HoopsHype story.
However, Beasley has struggled in a sixth man role averaging 12.3 points on 37.8 percent shooting this season. Previously, he averaged 19.9 points on 44.9 percent shooting from the field and 40.6 percent from three-point range in 51 combined starts for the Timberwolves before this season.
Beasley is owed $32.08 million over the next two seasons, including a team option for the 2023-24 season, as noted on our HoopsHype Timberwolves salary page.
Spurs: Thaddeus Young
Several teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns have expressed interest in trading for Spurs forward Thaddeus Young, league sources told HoopsHype.
Young, 33, has openly stated that he’d like to play for a contender. He averaged 12.1 points on 55.9 percent shooting with 6.2 rebounds last season before being shifted to a reduced role on a rebuilding Spurs team this season after being acquired via trade.
The Suns and Spurs had previous discussions centered around Jalen Smith, Dario Saric and second-round draft pick compensation for Young, league sources told HoopsHype.
As our HoopsHype salary cap expert, Yossi Gozlan, previously noted on our podcast, any team that trades for Smith can’t re-sign him to a salary next season more than the amount he was supposed to get on his rookie-scale deal. This scenario puts any team who trades for Smith at risk of losing him if another team offers him more than $4.7 million.
The Timberwolves and Spurs had exploratory talks on a trade involving Taurean Prince and a second-round pick for Young, league sources told HoopsHype.
Prince suffered a left ankle sprain on Sunday. Before his injury, Prince averaged 17.5 points on a blistering 68.2 percent from three-point range with 6.8 rebounds in his last four games.
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Being unvaccinated is costing Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley quite a bit of money. Beasley reportedly received fines totaling nearly $100,000 for repeated violations of the league’s COVID-19 policy, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.
One of those instances reportedly came in August, on a day when league officials came to review the team’s COVID-19 protocols.
Some of Beasley’s $14,600 were doubled by the league, leading to Beasley paying near $100,000 in fines, per Mortensen.
Beasley was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday. Since Beasley is unvaccinated, he must miss 10 days if he tested positive for COVID-19. If Beasley was vaccinated, he could return after one negative COVID-19 test as long as he was asymptomatic.
The Bills have not revealed whether Beasley tested positive for COVID-19, but he will miss the team’s game against the New England Patriots in Week 16. Beasley was not listed on the team’s roster before the contest.
The game has massive implications, as the Patriots sit a game ahead of the Bills in the AFC East. A Bills win would result in a tie at the top of the division. Both teams would then have two games remaining to try and pull ahead. With a loss, it would be extremely difficult for the Bills to win the AFC East.
Cole Beasley will get paid for missing Week 16
Under the NFL policy, Beasley will still receive a paycheck in Week 16. That policy was put in place by both the league and the NFLPA. Beasley, who makes $4.7 million in 2021, will be paid $261,111 for Sunday’s game.
That policy could be changed next season. Several league executives reportedly believe unvaccinated players should not be paid if they miss games due to COVID-19, per Mortensen.
Beasley made headlines over the summer for calling out the league’s COVID-19 rules. Beasley, who is not vaccinated, called himself pro-choice when it came to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Tuesday marked the second time Beasley was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Beasley was also placed on the list in August, when he was deemed a close contact with someone who tested positive. Sunday will mark the first game Beasley will miss due to being on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Cole Beasley is still on the reserve/COVID-19 list and will miss Week 16. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
The Warriors might have to wait another year to inherit the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2021 first-round draft pick.
Already owning the NBA’s worst record by a solid margin, the league has suspended Malik Beasley for 12 games for conduct “stemming from charges in offseason,” the organization announced Thursday. Stadium’s Shams Charania first reported the news.
As Charania indicated in his report, Beasley is having a tremendous season, scoring 20.5 points per game on 40.6 percent shooting from 3-point range.
The Warriors received the protected draft selection in last February’s Andrew Wiggins trade. It is top-three protected in 2021 and would become unprotected in 2022 if Minnesota ends up inside the top-three picks in the ’21 draft lottery.
If the Timberwolves end up with the worst record, the Warriors would have roughly a 60 percent chance at ending up with the No. 4 or No. 5 draft pick courtesy of Minnesota.
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Given that the T-Wolves’ offensive rating nearly is 12 points higher when Beasley has been on the floor this season, it’s fair to assume they could suffer with the guard missing 12 games. Minnesota has 39 games remaining in the 2020-21 season.
Beasley was sentenced to 120 days in jail earlier this month after pleading guilty to a felony charge of threats of violence from September (h/t ESPN).
With a number of high-value prospects expected to be available early in the 2021 NBA Draft, potentially having two first-round picks would be huge for the Warriors’ front office.
We’ll see how Minnesota can weather the loss of one of its top scorers.
