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Geplaatst op 06-08-2015 03:23
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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Timberwolves have been engaged with the Trail Blazers for days in a back-and-forth dance to try and pry Nicolas Batum out of Portland. And its not quite over yet. The Timberwolves traded centre Brad Miller and two second-round picks to New Orleans and waived swingman Martell Webster on Friday, all in an effort to clear enough cap room to sign Batum to a four-year, $46.5 million offer sheet with incentives that could push the deal past $50 million. Once Webster clears waivers at 5 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, the Wolves can submit the signed offer sheet to the league. The Blazers will have three days to match the offer for the restricted free agent or let him leave for Minnesota. Portland GM Neil Olshey has been adamant that the Blazers will match any offer for the 23-year-old swingman and will not agree to a sign-and-trade deal to let him land in Minnesota. But Wolves president David Kahn said on Friday night that he remained hopeful they could work out a trade before Sunday to make it work. Absent a deal, Kahn said the Wolves would submit the offer to make the Blazers match it. The Wolves reached an agreement on the deal with Batum last week and have been trying to work out a trade ever since. "I take our commitment to him not only seriously, its a matter of honour," Kahn said. "When you make a commitment you have to follow through." Batum averaged 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in his fourth season with the Blazers, and the Wolves see him as the versatile, defensive-minded perimeter player they have been searching for over the past few seasons. "He very much is kind of a missing piece," Kahn said. "Were very hopeful that we can have him. But we understand what restricted free agency is." Portland does have all the leverage, but Batum told the Blazers last week that he wanted to play in Minnesota. His agent Bouna Ndiaye said that Batum feels more comfortable with Wolves coach Rick Adelman and badly wants to play in Minnesota. The Wolves are doing everything they can to make that happen. They used the amnesty clause on Darko Milicic on Thursday, then waived Martell Webster on Friday and will only have $600,000 of his $5.7 million salary count against their cap. Then they sent Miller and the two picks to New Orleans for a conditional second-round pick. Because of a buyout in Millers contract, the Hornets essentially bought two second-round picks -- the Brooklyn Nets No. 2 in 2013 and Minnesotas in 2016 -- for $848,000. Miller said at the end of the season he will retire, but is waiting to file paperwork until his buyout is completed. "All I can say is that I enjoyed my time in Minnesota a real joy I had there," tweeted Webster, who was limited by back injuries in his two seasons in Minnesota. "Thank you so much for what you gave me Minneapolis." Earlier this week, Olshey took a couple of shots at Kahn and the state of Minnesota when talking about a negotiation that has been dragging on despite Portlands insistence that it will end with Batum staying out West. When asked why Batum likes Minnesota so much, Olshey said he must really like mosquitos and frostbite. But Kahn said his dealings with Olshey on the phone have been cordial. "I dont have any issues with him," Kahn said. "We have absolutely no acrimony whatsoever toward the Trail Blazers. Absolutely none. "This player happens to be on the Trail Blazers. And we really like this player ... He really wants to be here. Theres absolutely nothing involved here beyond that." The situation could continue to drag on until Wednesday before reaching a resolution, if the Blazers use the maximum allowable time to make a decision on the offer sheet. If they do match, that means the Wolves are risking losing out on other possible free agent wing players, including Houstons Courtney Lee and O.J. Mayo of Memphis. The Wolves have also reached out to Boston big man Greg Stiemsma and Lakers power forward Jordan Hill in addition to reaching agreements with guards Brandon Roy of Portland and Alexey Shved of Russia. But Kahn did not seem concerned about the process hindering their ability to add other players. The Wolves simply feel that the possibility of adding Batum, however small that may be, is worth the wait. "We think that we owe it to ourselves to take the shot," Kahn said. "If they choose to match it, it leaves us with a significant amount of room under the cap for us to pursue other players." James Harden Youth Jersey .S. Open. The world No. 1 Djokovic, a former U.S. Open champ who lost to Andy Murray in last years marquee finale in Flushing, needed just 81 minutes to dispose of Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania in a one-sided 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 blowout. Corey Brewer Rockets Jersey . Mario Balotellis 54th-minute penalty secured a 2-1 win for Italy over the Czech Republic to seal first place in Group B, while Robin van Persies second-half double in a 2-0 win at Andorra guaranteed the Dutch top spot in Group D. http://www.therocketsofficial.com/Authentic-James-Harden-Rockets-Jersey/ .com) - Alejandro Canizares shot 6- under-par 66 on Thursday and grabbed a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. Sam Dekker Rockets Jersey . Lee threw eight sharp innings and Freddy Galvis had three hits to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night. Dwight Howard Authentic Jersey . Peguero homered and tripled starting in place of Suzuki in right field, and the Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 on Friday night. The struggling Suzuki, who had played in 255 consecutive games, was given a chance to rest. LAS VEGAS -- Kyle Drabek knew just who to call when he was demoted from the Toronto Blue Jays to the minor-league Las Vegas 51s. Former Cy Young Award-winner Doug Drabek -- his father. "He was telling me, You cant look at it as the worst thing in the world. Look at it as an opportunity to get better," Kyle said of his dads advice. Drabek will get his first shot to show that Sunday -- Fathers Day --when the 51s host their in-state rival, the Reno Aces. "Hes taught me pretty much everything I know," said Drabek. "So thats what Im going to try to do, work as hard as I can to get back up there and be successful." Pitching has been almost a constant in the life of the 23-year-old right-hander from Victoria, Texas. After tearing up the Eastern League last season at double-A New Hampshire, Torontos top pitching prospect bypassed triple-A Las Vegas and finished the year with three starts for the Blue Jays. This season Drabek, a key player in the trade that sent Roy Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010, enjoyed a fast start for Toronto going 3-0 with a 3.30 earned-run average in his first five starts. Then it all came crashing down. Drabek went 2-5 from that point with an inflated 7.38 ERA. His 52 walks (against 48 strikeouts) were the most in the majors and his season ERA of 5.70 was the third worst. After a 14-1 bludgeoning by Boston last Sunday, the Blue Jays decided it was time to send him down to work on his control problems. "Im very frustrated right now," Drabek said at the time. "I couldnt tell you the last real quality game that Ive had. Its frustrating walking people, giving up hits, not giving your team a chance to win." Those comments threw up a caution flag to Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I think those comments were pretty telling that he was trying to find himself a little bit. It was a matter of, was he going to hope to do well or did he know he was going to do well,&quuot; Anthopoulos told MLB.ddddddddddddcom. "I think the first thing is getting back to throwing strikes. Also, to be able to handle himself and relax when things get tough. Its a combination of things, but I think more importantly than anything else, if hes throwing strikes and getting ahead hes going to do well." Las Vegas pitching coach Tom Signore, who worked with Drabek in New Hampshire last year, said he would make a quick return to Toronto if Drabeks first bullpen sessions with the 51s were any indication. "I dont expect him to be here long. He doesnt belong here. He belongs up in the big leagues," Signore said. But the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League might not be the ideal place for a young pitcher to regain confidence. The presence of top-notched prospects, higher altitude and smaller parks could make things more challenging than life in the Eastern League, where Drabek tossed a no-hitter last year. Drabek said hes discounting such factors and instead focusing on regaining the form that made him the 18th overall pick by the Phillies in the 2006 draft. "There are some things Im trying to refine in my game. I need to be able to throw more strikes," Drabek said after a throwing session on Thursday. "Early on I was getting ahead of hitters and being able to stay ahead. But in my last three or four starts, it just seemed like Id get behind them, or if I was ahead Id let them right back into the count. Thats what got me in trouble, walking people. "I want to make sure I can get ahead of batters and stay there." But, of course, doing so at the Major League level, the level where his father pitched so effectively for 12 seasons. "I wish I could have stayed up there," Drabek said. "But I played with most of these guys last year and Im glad that I could come down here where I know a lot of people and can work with them. Im going to try as hard as I can to get back to the Big Leagues." cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' ' |
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