The controlling ownership of the Timberwolves is in dispute, but head coach Chris Finch told Sports Headliners he’s optimistic about the organization’s willingness to pay the NBA luxury tax to retain core players and add talent.
“I am extremely confident everyone (among key players) is back. We’re very fortunate to have our top seven players under contract,” Finch said. ‘We’re coming off a great season. We have strong team identity —which we’re looking forward to being able to add to, not detract from.”
That was evidenced on NBA Draft night last month when the Wolves acquired the No. 8 overall selection in the first round from the Spurs by giving up future draft picks. Minnesota used the lottery pick to take Kentucky point guard Rob Dillingham. The higher selection increased the franchise’s expected luxury tax by millions of dollars, with Sportrac.com now reporting the luxury tax amount for next season at $105.6 million.
The luxury tax will, of course, be on top of reportedly at least $196 million for next season in committed salaries. “Yes, Glen (Taylor) and ownership have been extremely generous in their willingness to support this roster and the opportunity I think this roster has,” Finch said. “That was evident by our ability to be aggressive on draft night to move up. That doesn’t happen unless you have ownership’s backing.”
Ownership of the Wolves and Lynx is in flux with the legal dispute between long time majority owner Taylor and the Marc Lore, Alex Rodriquez, Michael Bloomberg group. A resolution is expected by fall, with perhaps a vote by NBA owners deciding the matter.
Unconfirmed reports last spring speculated the potential new majority owners wanted to slash payroll, resulting in reduced luxury tax imposed by the league. For now, Taylor remains the majority owner and apparently is willing to pay the tax for exceeding the league tax threshold of $170,814,000.
The organization’s willingness to spend additional monies is sweet music to long suffering Wolves fans. The team is coming off a 56-26 regular season where Minnesota won the second most games in franchise history. The Wolves advanced to the Western Conference playoff finals for only the second time in their history and first time in 20 years.
Minnesota will enter next season among the favored teams to win the NBA championship. “..We have every opportunity to punch through and be considered among those teams,” Finch said after noting the last six titles have been won by six different franchises.
The Wolves return starters Mike Conley Jr., Jaden Daniels, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Rounding out the top seven are Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander- Walker.
Towns, among the team’s veterans at age 28, will earn one of the NBA’s top salaries next season at $49,350,000, per ESPN.com. His uber talent as a 7-foot combo power forward-center is undeniable but his inconsistency and pricey paycheck have made him a subject of trade speculation if the basketball front office led by Tim Connelly is told to reduce payroll.
Finch (no surprise) is a KAT supporter and agreed with the suggestion he is underappreciated in this market. “Absolutely. KAT is a phenomenal player,” he said.
Finch also said KAT had a “great season” and is among the team’s most important and impactful players. More than anyone, the coach said, KAT was willing to take the lead role in making the partnership work between himself and 7-foot-1 center Rudy Gobert. The two put to rest a lot of the criticism and skepticism regarding whether “Twin Towers” could play together and help fuel a winning season.
“That, plus, I thought he (KAT) had… outstanding playoffs,” Finch said. “He had a lot of really…under the radar games that were important. He took the match up of (the Suns’ Kevin) Durant, he took the match up of (the Nuggets’ Nikola) Jokic. These are things that normally you wouldn’t have thought in the past that someone would ask of KAT, and in doing so has made a huge impact on our ability to win.”
The 19-year-old Dillingham, who only played one season at Kentucky before entering the NBA Draft, shows promise of being a major contributor off the bench. He has the kind of potential and rookie salary that the Wolves likely couldn’t afford with a similarly talented free agent or traded for player.
On Sunday, in the Wolves’ last Summer League game in Las Vegas, the 6-foot- 3 Dillingham had 25 points and 12 assists in a win over the Magic. He averaged 13.6 points, while Terrence Shannon Jr., who the Wolves selected at No. 27 in the NBA Draft, averaged 13.3.
“They both have NBA skillsets, NBA athleticism, speed and we’re excited about both of them,” Finch said. “And we’re excited about our other young players that haven’t had a chance yet. Josh Minott, Leonard Miller—these guys have an opportunity to earn minutes, too.”
Shannon, a 6-6 guard-forward, shares a skill with Dillingham of successful slashing to the basket. Both could provide valuable scoring off the bench next season, with Finch noting “they have a nose for putting the ball in the basket.” Minott and Miller, both forwards, have intrigued the Wolves with their talents since being added to the roster two years and one year ago respectively.
Finch expects Dillingham and Shannon to play extensive minutes in preseason games. Whether they can average double-digit minutes on the floor during the regular season will depend on understanding the team system and philosophy and executing. Finch added there are “non-negotiables” the coaching staff isn’t willing to accept and added “the first thing they gotta do, like any young player, is make sure they’re not hurting the team.”
There’s a “currency of trust” players must earn. Finch said his rookies will have to improve as the season progresses to achieve that trust.
Finch also said the Wolves not only like Dillingham and Shannon as players and also like their character. He believes they can handle the ups and downs of what awaits them as they start their pro careers.
As with all his players, Finch’s to-do list includes developing a one-on-one relationship with the two first round rookies. Let them know what’s expected and what they need to do.
Some of the relationship building comes away from basketball. “We try to meet them where they are,” Finch said. “We try to get comfortable with them. Who are the people in their lives? … And things they like to do off the floor. They’re all-important things that we need to know about them and learn. The best way to do that is learn them in a casual, comfortable environment.”