Free Agent Frenzy: Timberwolves Looking at Luol Deng, Pau Gasol, and Others

Luol Deng Full Highlights 2016 Playoffs R1G6 at Hornets - 21 Pts, 2 Blks.

Free agents are flying off the board left and right. Let"s look at a few names that have been tied to the Wolves.

Free agency is in full swing and the Minnesota Timberwolves have been in talks with many players. Below are players the Wolves have been linked to as of this writing as well as some pros and cons in regards to if the Wolves should sign them or not. I also rate whether or not the Wolves should sign the player with a grade of 0 being "absolutely not" and 5 being "they should have signed them yesterday."

Pau Gasol

Pros: The biggest strength that Gasol would add would be his veteran presence. The Wolves are still an extremely young team and Gasol could help them learn the ropes a la Kevin Garnett, but in a much calmer way. Karl-Anthony Towns could learn a lot from Gasol, including how to best utilize his passing and finesse on offensive; imagine a world in which Towns spent his first two seasons in the league learning from future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol!

Cons: Ok, I admit, I kind of grasped at straws to find pros for signing Gasol. The fact of the matter is that he doesn"t really solve any of the Wolves" current deficiencies, other than rebounding. He isn"t much of a defensive stopper and doesn"t really stretch the floor. Add in the fact that he will be turning 36 in a few days and I just can"t see his fit with the Wolves.

Should the Wolves sign?: 1.5. There are worse people to sign on a one-year deal, but I think the Wolves would be better off spending their money elsewhere.

Luol Deng

Pros: What"s not to like about Deng? He can play both the three and stretch four and would help significantly improve the Wolves" defense, as evidenced by his 105 defensive rating and 6.4 defensive win shares last season. Deng is also a pretty good rebounder for his size as he pulled down 15.4% of the Miami Heat"s defensive rebounds last season. Basically, he would address all of the major needs the Wolves have this summer.

Cons: The biggest knock against Deng is his age; he is 31, but won"t turn 32 until next April. Deng"s age perhaps places him just outside of the Wolves" perceived timeline, but if he only signs a deal for two or three years his increasing age shouldn"t cause much concern. By the time Deng"s starting days are past him, his contract will be winding up and will be off the books.

Should the Wolves sign?: 4.5. I think Deng should be one of the players the Wolves really target this summer. I understand the concern about his age, but he would undeniably make the team better. Wins can help with development just as much as playing time.

Brandon Bass

Pros: The greatest thing Bass could provide to the Wolves is roster depth. Bass can play as both a power forward and an undersized center. Roster depth is definitely something the Wolves have lacked in the past couple of seasons, especially at the power forward and center positions. Bass would provide exactly that.

Cons: Signing Bass just wouldn"t move the needle much for me. He doesn"t stretch the floor at all (only 55 three-point attempts in his 11 years in the league), and doesn"t play defense either (defensive rating of 111). He is also 31 years old. Outside of depth, I don"t know if Bass can provide much for the Wolves that would improve the team.

Should the Wolves sign?: 2. Like Gasol, I think the Wolves would be better off spending their money elsewhere, but if they do sign Bass I guess it isn"t the end of the world.

Kris Humphries

Pros: Humphries is a good rebounder (21.5 defensive rebounding percentage last season) and a decent defender (104 defensive rating) at the four, both of which are needs for the Wolves. He would provide much needed bench depth as well. Humphries doesn"t do anything spectacular, but he also doesn"t do anything exceptionally bad, either. He"d be a consistent bench player for a team that desperately needs that. Plus, he"s ONE OF US!

Cons: It"s hard to imagine that the signing of Humphries would help the Wolves improve all that much. He doesn"t provide a huge impact when he"s on the court (remember he doesn"t do anything great or bad), so I think the Wolves would be better off giving his minutes to Bjelica and, to a lesser extent, Gorgui Dieng and Towns.

Should the Wolves sign?: 2.5. Humphries would be a better signing than Gasol and Bass, but not by a whole lot.

Anthony Tolliver

Pros: Like Bass and Humphries before him, Tolliver would provide much needed depth to the Wolves front court; a team could do worse than having Tolliver as their third or fourth power forward.

Cons: Tolliver is 31 and wouldn"t figure to play a whole lot. Because of that, I guess there really aren"t many cons to signing him, but I think the Wolves money would be better off spent elsewhere first.

Should the Wolves sign?: 2. The signing of Tolliver just wouldn"t move the needle or make the Wolves that much better.

Courtney Lee

Pros: Lee is a career 38.4% three-point shooter and is an underrated defensive wing stopper. Like Bazemore, he could either come off the bench and be a great sixth man or start and play well next to Wiggins. There is a reason why many teams are interested in his services.

Cons: Like Deng, Lee is 31, so his age is his biggest weakness. Lee also can"t really play any position offensively other than the two, which limits him some. His career three-point percentage may also be a little misleading as he has never attempted more than 3.7 attempts per game for an entire season.

Should the Wolves sign?: 4.5. Lee is basically a cheaper, older Bazemore, but he is a better three-point shooter and provides less defensive versatility.

Willie Reed

Pros: Reed is 26 years old and is intriguing. He only played roughly 10 mpg last season for Brooklyn, but his per 36 numbers are impressive; he averaged 15.4 pp36 and 10.3 rp36 as well as an offensive rating of 116, numbers similar to what he averaged in the D-League. Though, admittedly, the sample size was rather small.

Cons: Reed is 26 and has only played one season in the NBA. Chances are he is already at the beginning of his peak, meaning his growth will probably only occur over the next two or three seasons. I would like the signing of Reed more than that of Gasol, Bass, and even Humphries because of his intriguing (though possibly deceptive) per 36 numbers, but the Wolves should probably focus elsewhere first.

Should the Wolves sign?: 3. Reed could probably be had for very cheap, so taking a flyer on him wouldn"t be all that bad.

The Wolves watched a lot of players go elsewhere yesterday, for better or worse. We"ll see what happens today.

Source: http://www.canishoopus.com/2016/7/2/12086372/free-agent-timberwolves-looking-at-luol-deng-pau-gasol-and-others

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Germany vs Italy: Mesut Ozil convinced past failings won"t hinder his country in Euro 2016 quarter-final

GERMANY VS ITALY LIVE - UEFA Euro 2016 Live Today Nouveau Stade de Bordeau - UEFA EURO Quarter-final

Arsenals Mesut Ozil has no concerns over Germanys historical travails against Italy as two of Euro 2016s top sides prepare to do battle in Bordeaux.

Germany have never beaten Italy in their eight competitive meetings and on four occasions it has been the Azzuri who have eliminated their opponents from major tournaments.

Ozil was in the side that fell 2-1 to a Mario Balotelli-inspired Italy in 2012, scoring a late penalty in a defeat that nearly cost Joachim Low, a World Cup-winning coach two years later, his job.

But Germany looked in formidable form the last time these two countries met in March, Ozil once more netting from the spot but this time in a commanding 4-1 win, though it came against a largely second-string Italian side that included several players who failed to make Antonio Contes squad.

And Ozil is more focused on Germanys recent success than their disappointing tournament record against Italian sides.

History says we have never beaten Italy at a major tournament and always failed this test, but as professionals we will try to win and aim to play in a different way, he said.

We proved we can do it in the friendly. Were concentrated on ourselves. We can beat anyone and we want to beat them.

Though Italy have been among Euro 2016s most impressive performers, defeating Belgium in their opening game and eliminating Spain in the round of 16, Conte has acknowledged they face their toughest test yet against a side he believes are the most complete team in the world.

It was a big compliment, Ozil said. We are aware of our strengths and play as a team whether defending or attacking. Whats important tomorrow is achieving what our coach asks us to do.

We have quality, but not just that. We also have experience and a good mixture of talented players who all have the same objective.

We knew from the start of the tournament that wed be facing strong sides, so we have the energy and belief to achieve certain objectives.

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Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/euro2016/germany-vs-italy-mesut-ozil-convinced-past-failings-wont-hinder-his-country-in-euro-2016-a3286401.html

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Jeremy Lin and Nicolas Batum are off the table for the Rockets

A Conversation with NBA Player Jeremy Lin 26.Jun,2016

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Nicolas Batum was always a long shot for Daryl Morey and the Rockets if they even ever really wanted him and his agreeing to a a five-year, $120 million contract with the Hornets just hours after free agency began sealed the deal.

But Jeremy Lin was thought to be a simple solution to the Rockets point guard depth problem. Both sides seemed open to a reunion, and Mike Conleys expected return to Memphis left Lin as arguably the best point guard on the board.

Except hes no longer on the board. Just 10 hours after free agency began, Lin and the Brooklyn Nets have come to terms. Linsanity is back in New York, not in Houston, and the Rockets options for adding depth behind, or in front of, Patrick Beverley have thinned.

$12 million a year for Jeremy Lin, who turned 28 in August, is an incredibly reasonable contract in this offseason where Batum is signing for $22.5 million a year and Timofey Mozgov, a 30-year-old career-long scrub, is signing four year deals for $16 million per.

Good for Lin, whose insane fans made his tenure in Houston insufferable for Rockets fans (on this site in particular) and gave us a bad taste in our mouth by association. It makes sense that he didnt want to wait out a period of everyone else getting paid, seeing who the Rockets, or other teams that could have vied for his services, would add.

But now the Rockets have very few options. Mike Conley remains available, but last word is the Rockets havent been able to secure a meeting with him. After that, the options are something like Brandon Jennings, Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo and flotsam. Pure flotsam.

At the wing, after Batum and (the obviously-not-coming-to-Houston Kevin Durant), the options are not quite as thin, but still thin. At least there, the Rockets appear to have a plan. They met with Kent Bazemore last night, one of the best options on the market seriously, you guys and hopefully Morey can close that deal and bring Baze to the Rockets meeting with Al Horford today.

Source: http://www.thedreamshake.com/2016/7/1/12078596/jeremy-lin-nicolas-batum-nba-free-agency-rumors

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Cleveland Indians earn franchise-record 14th straight win in 19 innings

Cleveland Indians - Jacobs Field Magic

Matthew Florjancic, WKYC6:36 PM. EST July 01, 2016

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor hits a single during the first inning in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. (Photo: Nick Turchiaro, Custom)

It took 19 innings, but the Cleveland Indians extended their winning streak to a franchise-record 14 games with a 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre tonight.

After multiple chances to break open Friday afternoons game against the Toronto Blue Jays, including a bases loaded situation against infielder Ryan Goins, the Indians got a solo home run from designated hitter Carlos Santana off of second baseman Darwin Barney in the top of the 19th. Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer ended the game by setting down the

Early on in the game, the Indians missed opportunities to take a lead, as they left three runners on base over the first two innings against the Blue Jays, but they cashed in on a chance in the top of the third.

With Santana on second base after smashing a lead-off double to dead center field, second baseman Jason Kipnis followed with an RBI single that gave the Indians a 1-0 advantage over the Blue Jays.

Although the Indians took the lead in the top of the third inning, they went down in order in each of their next three at-bats.

Despite surrendering the lead, the Indians had an opportunity to go back in front of the Blue Jays when they left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning.

After right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall led off with a single to left-center field, the Blue Jays retired two straight Indians. However, left fielder Rajai Davis reached on an error and Santana followed with a walk to load the bases. But Kipnis flew out to deep center field for the final out of the inning.

The Indians again had a chance to take the lead in the top of the 10th inning when Kipnis reached base after getting hit by a pitch from Toronto reliever Joe Biagini. After Lindor struck out swinging, designated hitter Mike Napoli smacked a single to center field. However, shortstop Jose Ramirez lined out to center for the final out of the inning.

In the top of the 15th, the Indians had runners at first and third with one out, but Napoli grounded into a five-four-three double play that ended the threat.

The Indians led off the top of the 16th inning with back-to-back singles from Ramirez and Chisenhall, but a pop out to shortstop, strikeout and lineout to third base ended Clevelands chances at retaking the lead over the Blue Jays.

While the offense struggled to generate runs, starting pitcher Josh Tomlin did his best to keep the Blue Jays off the board, despite having to work out of bases-loaded jams in back-to-back innings.

Through the first three innings, Tomlin allowed two hits, but stayed out of trouble by striking out five of Torontos first seven batters, including the first three of the game, the last of which led to a pair of ejections for the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays shook off the emotions and threatened in the bottom of the fourth inning when designated hitter Devon Travis looped a single over the head of Kipnis into right field. Then, after left fielder Michael Saunders struck out looking, catcher Russell Martin smacked a single to right field that moved Travis over to third base.

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki walked to load the bases, but Tomlin induced an inning-ending groundout to second base from first baseman Justin Smoak.

In the Blue Jays next at-bat, center fielder Kevin Pillar and second baseman Darwin Barney got back-to-back singles to right and center field, respectively. Then, right fielder Ezequiel Carrera dropped down a sacrifice bunt that moved both Pillar and Barney to second and third with just one out.

After intentionally walking third baseman Josh Donaldson to again load the bases, Tomlin struck out Travis and got Saunders to line out to center field to end the threat for the second straight inning.

Although Tomlin kept the Blue Jays at bay for the first five innings, they broke through in the bottom of the sixth. With no on and two out, Smoak took the first offering from the Indians starter over the wall in left-center field to knot the game at 1-1.

Source: http://www.wkyc.com/sports/mlb/indians/cleveland-indians-toronto-blue-jays/261768045

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How Well Do You Know "Valley of the Dolls"?

Drake - Too Good (ft. Rihanna)(Lyrics)

3:10 PM PDT 7/1/2016 by Sarah Gidick

Jacqueline Susanns groundbreaking first novel Valley of the Dolls which was adapted as a film in 1967 is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

When the book debuted in 1966, it sold four million copies in its first week and 6.8 million copies in the first six months, according to publisher Grove Atlantic. Since then, the book has sold more than 31 million copies and is offered in 30 foreign editions, joining the ranks of To Kill a Mockingbird and Gone With The Windas timeless bestsellers.

On July 4, the publisher will release a limited-edition Valley of the Dolls hardback ($27) and paperback edition ($16)with a forward by Simon Doonan.

OK, its time to sparkle! Test your Valley of the Dolls knowledge and take our quiz below.

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/valley-dolls-quiz-908075

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Blink-182"s Top 10 Songs

Left Alone - blink-182

This feature originally ran in February 2015. Were revisiting it in anticipation of Blink-182s upcoming album, California.

What is it about 20-somethings? asks the title of a New York Times Magazine article published in 2010. The subtext to that question is another question: Why are people in their 20s finding it so hard to grow up? The answers range from changing social mores to an uncertain job market, but maybe its even simpler than that. Maybe a new generation of so-called millennials is finally starting to understand a line they heard in a song back in 1999: Nobody likes you when youre 23.

If youre a sociologist searching for Ground Zero that time when the 20s shifted from a life stage of emerging adulthood to one of prolonged adolescence an album called Enema of the State isnt the worst place to start. Gleefully irreverent and self-consciously juvenile, that recordwas most peoples introduction to Blink-182, a Southern Californian pop-punk band whose members refused to act their own age. At the prime of their career, Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and Travis Barker who replaced original drummer Scott Raynor in 1998 were twentysomethings stuck in a strange dream of high school that never quite ended. Its a story thats all too familiar these days and one that most people would even find sort of pathetic. But Blink beat the odds and found a way to make it cool, largely by appealing to a younger generation of music fans who simply didnt know any better. Talk to those fans today, and theyll recall with misty eyes theroller rink they were at when they first heard Whats My Age Again? or the hours they spent plunking outthe opening riff of Dammit on guitar.

The boys of Blink-182 never seemed to care much about their place in music history, their minds preoccupied with botched relationships and brainstorming sexual puns for their next album title. But they found one anyway. Nearly two decades on, many of Blinks biggest fans are stumbling into their own versions of adulthood and realizing the appeal of extended adolescence. Perhaps its fitting that, at the same time, Blink is struggling to move forward and might even be over as a band. Last week, Hoppus and Barker abruptly announced that they were parting ways with DeLonge, and a messy public battle ensued. It justified suspicions that 2011s Neighborhoods was a halfhearted comeback and that the band had truly run its course years ago when they broke up the first time in 2005. Its hard growing up; its even harder to admit it when youre finally there.

But before music history finally turns the page on Blink-182, weve decided to compile the very best songs from the bands 20-plus-year career. They might make you cringe, or they might make you cry, but in any case, theyll take you back to a time when growing up felt more like an option than a rite of passage.

Collin BrennanAssociate Editor

Source: http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/06/blink-182s-top-10-songs/

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Novak Djokovic voices Olympics Zika concern after Day, McIlroy withdrawals

2016, Day 3 Highlights, Novak Djokovic vs Adrian Mannarino

If an "uncertain" Jordan Spieth or any other golfers are looking at tennis before deciding whether to compete at the Olympics, they may well give Rio de Janeiro a miss.

Jason Day and Rory McIlroy are among the golfers to have already withdrawn from the Olympic tournament, citing the fear of contracting the Zika virus.

Many tennis players" enthusiasm for the Olympics appears to have softened, too, although in most cases, that has little or nothing to do with health risks.

"I"ve been trying to reach out to Brazilian friends and acquaintances, [to] get information ... When I get more, I"ll be able to make my final decision."

Novak Djokovic

The changing mood in a more established, albeit relatively-recently-added, Games discipline could be another negative influence on the thinking of golfers who are deliberating whether to travel or not.

It has often been said that golf, which is new to the Games this year, should be guided by tennis on how a sport can prosper inside the Olympic movement.

After all, there are great similarities between tennis and golf -- both are individual sports, with global tours, and four traditional peaks each season in the majors.

The parallels between the sports have been acknowledged by key figures within the Olympic movement; Antony Scanlon, the International Golf Federation"s Olympics head, even told ESPN last February that "for our athletes it will be less of a journey than it has been for tennis".

Australian Bernard Tomic will be playing an ATP event in Mexico during the Olympics.Adam Pretty/Getty Images

But, if you look beyond some of the leading tennis players, there doesn"t appear to be the same commitment to the Olympics that there was four years ago in London, when Andy Murray won the men"s singles gold medal.

It"s true that Murray will be motivated to defend his title, while Roger Federer will want the only big singles prize missing from his collection of titles.

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, has the opportunity this season of becoming the first man to accomplish the golden slam -- winning the four Grand Slams and the Olympic in the same year.

He is understandably keen to play in Rio, and hasn"t been shy about saying so. He"s officially on the Serbia team, too, but the world No.1 told a media conference at Wimbledon this week that even he is concerned about Zika.

• Golfers might believe that the Olympics aren"t worth the hassle for multiple reasons, but the Zika virus is the only excuse that gives them a free pass, Jason Sobel writes.

• Rory McIlroy believes the spate of withdrawals from this summer"s Olympics is not embarrassing for golf because players would rather win major championships.

• Jason Day will skip the Olympics because of concerns about the Zika virus, costing golf its No. 1 player as it returns from a centurylong absence at the Games.

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"I"ve been getting more and more information about it," he said. "Last few days I"ve been trying to reach out to as many Brazilian friends and acquaintances that I have, [to] get as much information [as possible].

"When I get more information, I"ll be able to make my final decision. But for now, I"m planning to go."

For some of the other players, even for those who would have had an outside chance of winning a medal, the Olympics simply aren"t a priority.

One of the most engaging storylines this tennis season has been the emergence of Dominic Thiem, who is the newest member of the top 10, and yet the 22-year-old Austrian won"t be in Rio as he doesn"t consider tennis to be a true Olympic sport.

Ernests Gulbis, a former French Open semifinalist, seems to be thinking along similar lines, with the Latvian saying recently that the Olympics looked like "tennis tourism".

He is ineligible after playing insufficient Davis Cup matches, but was unhappy anyway that ranking points wouldn"t be on offer in Rio, as they were in London.

John Isner, of the United States, also won"t play in Rio and has expressed a similar grievance. "The fact that they have no points, to be honest, was a pretty big factor," he said. "Obviously the Olympics is not about the money, but no points I think hindered me a bit."

Jordan Spieth is "uncertain" whether he will play at the Olympics.Rob Carr/Getty Images

The lure of a medal just isn"t enough to get some to Brazil and while no-one is stressing the lack of a financial incentive, that could be a factor.

Australian Bernard Tomic will be playing at an ATP event in Mexico rather than the Games. In a statement, he cited his "extremely busy playing schedule, and now my personal circumstances" for his absence.

Another young Australian, Nick Kyrgios, will be missing from Rio after falling out with the Australian Olympic Committee. While Kyrgios said that playing at the Olympics "had been a dream since I was a kid", he wasn"t making himself available after the committee "chose to publicly and privately disparage" him.

South Africa"s Kevin Anderson and Spain"s Feliciano Lopez also won"t be there. The tennis tournament in Rio has been described in some quarters as "the fifth Grand Slam", but for a number of tennis players, that appears to be anything but the case.

Source: http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/16644363/novak-djokovic-voices-olympics-zika-concern-day-mcilroy-withdrawals

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