[DanEboyParticipant]

Timberwolves could make bid for Thomas

By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
5 hours, 9 minutes ago

Buzz up! PrintAs the Chicago Bulls prepare to trade forward Tyrus Thomas(notes) before Thursday’s deadline, the franchise’s front office has suggested to prospective bidders that they have a solid offer of a middling first-round pick and expiring contracts, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets made bids for Thomas over the weekend, league sources said. The Nuggets have actively searched for a big man in recent weeks, working to pry younger (DeAndre Jordan(notes)) and older ones (Antonio McDyess(notes) and Ben Wallace(notes)) without success.

After losing out on Caron Butler(notes) to the Mavericks, Houston has gotten serious with bids for Thomas and Washington’s Antawn Jamison(notes), sources said.

More From Adrian WojnarowskiCavs remain leaders to land Stoudemire Feb 15, 2010 Mavericks to acquire Butler Feb 13, 2010 Nevertheless, here are two developments to watch with Thomas: Several league executives suggested the Minnesota Timberwolves could be a sleeper for him. Minnesota general manager David Kahn has been researching Thomas and has plenty of assets – three 2010 first-round picks, multiple second-rounders and a host of expiring contracts – to make it happen. Once the Timberwolves trade Al Jefferson(notes) this summer, they can re-sign Thomas and plug him into the frontline with Kevin Love(notes). Jefferson is expected to be traded for a talented, young small forward.

Trading for Thomas would be a way to get a long, athletic power forward with upside, and the Timberwolves could easily re-sign him this summer.

Here’s something else to watch: The Portland Trail Blazers were telling teams over the weekend they had a chance to acquire Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic(notes) and wondered whether teams might have an interest in obtaining him. This prompted several executives to suggest the Blazers were working on a three-team trade, including one Eastern Conference general manager who had been told the elements of the package included Thomas and Vujacic to Portland, the Bulls’ Kirk Hinrich(notes) to Los Angeles and the Lakers’ Adam Morrison(notes), another expiring deal and a first-round pick to the Bulls.

“What has, or will kill this,” one GM said, “is that Portland just won’t take Vujacic on.”

The Lakers guard is owed $5.5 million next season.

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The Clippers have made Al Thornton(notes) available, sources said, and are trying to package guard Sebastian Telfair(notes) in a deal with him or center Marcus Camby(notes). Several teams have inquired about DeAndre Jordan, but the Clippers have no plans to move him. …The Oklahoma City Thunder are a popular call for teams looking for a third team to aid in trades. …Despite some speculation, New Jersey Nets president Rod Thorn will not fire GM/interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe over what departed assistant Del Harris publicly insisted was a failed plan to get him promoted to head coach and Vandeweghe back to his GM duties. “Rod has too much compassion to do it,” one league executive familiar with Thorn’s thinking said. …Longtime Nets assistant Tom Barrise, who replaced Lawrence Frank for two games as interim coach, is the favorite to get the Fairleigh Dickinson University basketball job, a source said. Barrise has moved back upstairs into the front office. FDU is using an interim coach this season. …Best line of the week came from an NBA executive mocking self-absorbed agent David Falk for taking public credit for proclaiming something that was obvious to everyone: The NBA was headed for labor strife. Said the executive: “He also told Naismith to put the peach basket over the doorway.”

NBA reporter Marc Spears contributed to this report.

Adrian Wojnarowski is the NBA columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Send Adrian a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

[raps26Participant]

Tyrus is going to the nuggets.
How do u guys think this will help the nuggets?

[dmo21Participant]

i would like to hear peoples ideas on how these trades would look and who they would include.. So i am gonna take a stab at them and you guys can tell me what you think of them.
CHI- Thomas for DEN- Balkman, Allen, and Graham
WAS-Jamison for HOU- Scola, Lowry, Cook, 2011 2nd rounder
CHI- Thomas for MIN- Wilkins, Pavlovic, 2010 first rounder
POR gets Thomas(chi) and Morrison(LA) and LA gets Hinrich(chi) and CHI gets Vujacic(LA), Blake(por), and Webster(por)

well thats all i got

[Csharp3410Participant]

Brad Miller + Taj Gibson + 2011 Draft Pick
FOR
Amare Stoudemire + Jason Collins

Tyrus Thomas
FOR
Minnesota’s 2nd 1st Round Pick (Currently 16th), small expiring deal

Bulls Lineup

Rose,Kirk Hinrich
Sign either TMac,Ray Allen,Ginobli,Salmons,Matt Barnes, DRAFT Xavier Henry
Deng,James Johnson
Amare, Cheap FA or Draft Pick (Monroe,Brackins,Gani Lawal)
Noah, Cheap FA or Draft Pick (Pittman,Varnado)

Or just take best player available like Stanley Robinson,Damion James, Avery Bradley,James Anderson…move James Johnson to backup PF.

[M-DYMESParticipant]

As a T-Wolves fan, I really hope this trade goes down. While at first it may not seem like an ideal fit, you need to look at the T-Wolves future. Kahn realizes that Big Al is a huge asset to this team and could be something special, but he also feels the same way about K-Love. I think he may look to shop one (probably Al) next season. By getting Tyrus, they allow themselves to part with Big Al and insert Tyrus at PF next to K-Love. Previously, many complained about Big Al and K-Love not being compatible due to their lack of athleticism and defensive presence. Tyrus could be like a poor man’s version of Amare for the T-Wolves and would be a great fit next to whoever stays. Minnesota has 6 picks in the draft as it is and most likely would like to drop a couple of those for players who can make an impact on this team. Tyrus fits the mold perfectly.

Not to mention, Tyrus Thomas as a T-Wolf sounds pretty sick.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Would Tyrus Thomas be THAT much different than Ryan Hollins though?

I don’t know how acquiring Thomas would allow them to part with Kevin Love or definitely Al Jefferson. Either way… They’d be replacing a double double, Jefferson being a 20 and 10 guy, young power forward with an unproven power forward who’s done nothing in this league except show he’s athletic.

[doubledribblerParticipant]

I am still trying to figure out why anyone would give up anything than an expiring contract for Tyrus. Not only is his own contract expiring, but the Bulls don’t want him. There is a good chance that if he goes to a team like MN he will just leave after this year. A team like MN can take some gambles, but they probably don’t want to just give away first rounders that could end up helping them in the long run.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I think him getting traded to Portland is more of a possibility than Minnesota. Kevin Pritchard actually likes Thomas and Portland could use the frontcout help. This would be KP’s chance to get the player he once drafted for cheap. If it doesn’t work out, they’ll just let him walk at the end of the season.

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

wow so the wolves are gonna replace al jefferson with tyrus thomas… unless they got lebron for jefferson, kahn would and should immediately be fired… what a downgrade… big al still has a lot to prove… took gilbert like 4 years to get back and al will be back to form next season…

[quinceyhodges]

looking at that bulls lineup im wondering how much money do they have

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

Why on earth would the Twolves ever want to trade for Tyrus Thomas? What has the guy done in the NBA? Other then show athleticism and get a couple of cool dunks every here and there, I don’t see anything warrenting a 1st round pick or an asset. He’s good for about 8 points and 7 rebounds…the Twolves have plenty of 8 points and 7 rebound type guys…they need impact players. Something Tyrus Thomas is not and really hasnt shown he ever will be.

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