Since early last season, there has been conjecture that the Minnesota Timberwolves could trade Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks. Reasons: Towns is from New Jersey. Knicks president Leon Rose used to be his agent. Gersson Rosas, who was the Wolves’ top basketball executive, now works for the Knicks. Towns will make $49.3 million next season and, get this, $62.1 million for the 2027-28 season, when he’ll be 32 years old. The Wolves’ luxury tax this year is expected to be at least $25 million. The Wolves have a younger, much less expensive replacement in fan-favorite Naz Reid. The Wolves gave up four future first-round draft picks for Rudy Gobert in 2022 and have none until 2028, when they have just one. Until Thursday, the Knicks had eight first-round draft picks. That was, however, until they traded five of those picks to the Nets for Mikal Bridges. Also last week, they signed forward Ogugua Anunoby to a $212.5 million, five-year contract. Bottom line: Towns isn’t going to the Knicks after all, at least not for draft picks.
Look for negotiations to begin Monday for a $64 million, eight-year guaranteed contract for Wild defenseman Brock Faber, 21, the former Gopher who last week finished second in Calder Memorial Trophy (NHL rookie of the year) voting. For finishing second in voting, Faber, from Maple Grove, gets a $150,000 bonus from the NHL that doesn’t count against the Wild’s salary cap.
Zeev Buium, the Denver U defenseman the Wild took at No. 12 in the first-round of Friday’s NHL draft, was the No. 4-ranked prospect by The Hockey News.
Among five NFL first-round draft picks who haven’t signed yet, two — J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner — are from the Vikings. Still unsigned is No. 1 overall pick, QB Caleb Williams of the Bears. The draft’s No. 8 overall pick, QB Michael Penix, taken two spots ahead of McCarthy, last week signed a $22.8 million, four-year deal with the Falcons. He’ll get a $13.5 million signing bonus. It’ll be interesting whether he gets his bonus up front or in deferred payments.
Cam Christie, drafted No. 46 overall on Thursday by the Clippers, joins another ex-Gophers guard, Amir Coffey, signed for $3.94 million next season with the Clippers. Christie, who doesn’t turn 19 for three more weeks, can expect a two-way contract in the $600,000 range per year.
St. Paul’s Sean Sweeney, the top Dallas Mavericks assistant, remains a serious prospect for the Detroit Pistons’ head coaching job.
It was Nashville coach Andrew Brunette who was able to get ex-Wild teammate and assistant coach Darby Hendrickson to sign the other day with the Predators.
Texas A&M-bound left-hander Max Arlich from East Ridge is believed to be the only pitcher to throw two consecutive Class 4A state championship complete-game victories while allowing no earned runs.
On Monday in Boston, Cretin-Derham grad Joe Mauer will be inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame. On July 21, Mauer will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. On the evening of July 20, the Pohlad family, which owns the Twins, will host a party for Joe, his family, former teammates and club officials at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown. A program will feature Twins Hall of Famers, including Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield, Jack Morris, Rod Carew, Bert Blyleven, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Jim Thome and David Ortiz. Among former front office officials attending will be Terry Ryan, Billy Smith, Jim Rantz and manager Ron Gardenhire. Nearly two dozen former teammates will be in Cooperstown to honor Mauer, including Justin Morneau and Glen Perkins.
Mauer, at 41, is the youngest living Baseball Hall of Fame member. Willie Mays, until his recent passing, was the oldest at 93. Now it’s Luis Aparicio at 90. Hall of Fame former Twins Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat are 85.
Speaking of Mays, with assistance from local baseball historian/Twins official scorer Stew Thornley of Roseville, we learn that the baseball icon, then 20 years old, rented a room in May of 1951 at 3616 4th Ave. near the Hosmer Library in Minneapolis, about 10 blocks from Nicollet
