Euroleague star Nemanja Bjelica is in serious discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves on an approximate three-year, $12 million-plus deal, but the two sides have been exploring all options, league sources told RealGM. Bjelica, 27, has moved toward breaking into the NBA after being named the Euroleague MVP this past season. At 6-foot-10, Bjelica is a skilled forward who could play three positions at the NBA level. Nevertheless, the Timberwolves likely need to make further moves to incorporate Bjelica and allow him to transition with confidence in his role. Around the league, there’s active trade interest in the Serbian forward, sources said. - See more at:http://basketball.realgm.com/wireta...scuss-Three-Year-Deal-While-Exploring-Options
Wolves' way now clear to sign EuroLeague star Nemanja Bjelica EuroLeague MVP Nemanja Bjelica on Wednesday exercised an option in his contract with his Turkish team that allows him to leave for the NBA and clears the way for the Timberwolves to sign a player they drafted in the second round five years ago. Bjelica exercised his reported $1.3 million “out” clause — partly paid by the Wolves — just hours after his contract expired with the Fenerbahce Ulker team in Istanbul. He did so on the same day NBA teams collectively and astoundingly threw money by the hundreds of millions at free agents — everyone from three-time All-Star Kevin Love staying in Cleveland and Tyson Chandler headed to Phoenix to role players such as Al Farouq Aminu and Amir Johnson changing teams — in a flurry of deals during the opening hours of free agency. And this is before the big money really hits next summer, when the NBA’s new $2.4 billion television contract begins. Barring a trade, the Wolves’ only expected moves during this year’s free-agency period are signing Bjelica to a three-year contract likely to be worth at least $12 million (and possibly more) and re-signing unrestricted free agent Kevin Garnett to a new contract that probably will pay him between $6 million and $8 million for limited minutes and boundless mentoring. The Wolves will use a good chunk of their $6 million-ish mid-level exception — an annual salary exception granted to teams over the salary cap — to sign Bjelica, who is from Serbia but has played in Spain and Turkey most recently. Bjelica’s arrival will add yet another big man to a roster already top-heavy with centers and forwards. The Wolves already have highly paid and injury-prone Nikola Pekovic, No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns, Gorgui Dieng, Adreian Payne, Anthony Bennett and presumably Garnett and still-to- be-signed Robbie Hummel. - See more at: http://www.startribune.com/wolves-way-now-clear-to-sign-euroleague-star/311355261/
