Timberwolves are interested in Brandon Roy. (Getty Images) |
For a guy who supposedly played his last game because of ongoing knee problems, Brandon Roy sure does generate a lot of interest on the free agency market.
Last week, Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers, Roy's former agent, publicly stated that his team had interest in signing Roy just days after Roy confirmed that he planned on making a comeback for the 2012-13 season. Roy, of course, was released by the Portland Trail Blazers in December 2011 using the amnesty clause and he was unofficially "retired" during the 2011-12 season.
In addition to the Warriors, Minnesota radio station ESPN1500 reported on Monday that the Minnesota Timberwolves are planning to make Roy a multi-year contract offer.
According to two league sources, the Wolves plan on making the three-time All-Star a two-year contract offer. The money is unknown.
Wolves assistant coach Bill Bayno, who got to know Roy well when he worked on the Portland bench in two separate stints in the last few years, has been the driving force in Minnesota's interest. He's done enough to convince head coach Rick Adelman that the risk is worth it. The last hurdle, sources say, was to convince president of basketball operations David Kahn. That apparently recently happened.
Later Monday, Yahoo Sports reported that as many as three more teams could be interested in Roy's services.
As ex-Portland Trail Blazer Brandon Roy plans his comeback to the NBA, the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves have emerged as serious suitors to sign the former All-Star guard, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Several teams could be willing to use their full-mid level exception for Roy, sources said.
Roy is an unrestricted free agent after clearing the amnesty bidding process. Roy posted career averages of 19.0 points, 4.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 35.6 minutes per game during five seasons with the Blazers.
The Timberwolves have been trying to fill their 2-guard hole for as long as anyone can remember. Last year, they played extended stretches with the dual point guard lineup of Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour to cover for the likes of Wesley Johnson and Wayne Ellington. They were involved in a bunch of trade rumors at the deadline but opted to hold tight before their season fell off a cliff when Rubio went down with a season-ending knee injury.
Roy's high basketball IQ, high character and playoff experience make him a fit just about anywhere but there are questions about the fit here when it comes to style of play. Minnesota is at its best when Rubio is moving the ball around and the Timberwolves played one of the league's fastest paces last season. Meanwhile, Roy favors a slow-down, halfcourt approach with the ball in his hands.
After so many seasons of operating with little-to-no expectations, the Timberwolves might now be in a situation where they feel they need to take that leap to the playoffs, after eight straight Lottery appearances and with the clock ticking on Kevin Love's future. Is Roy the answer? He could likely be helpful in a limited role. But he struggled to stay healthy and on the court playing big minutes for Portland and that's unlikely to change going forward. Regardless, Minnesota is a team to watch over the next three weeks.
The Bulls, Mavericks and Pacers all have holes at the two-guard as well. Chicago couldn't keep Rip Hamilton healthy, the Mavericks could see Jason Terry and Delonte West leave in free agency and the Pacers could see Leandro Barbosa do the same.