Canis Hoopus

An open thread for optimists. Good vibes. Every Friday. This tradition isn’t back for just a one-time thing, but every week! There’s plenty to feel good about this week. Here are some easy ones off the top of the dome: The Timberwolves did not lose a bunch of draft picks to illegal dealings. The Timberwolves have a competent front office. The Lynx are still the number one team in the WNBA. Naphessa Collier played/is playing in the FIBA World Cup this weekend. It’s a three-day weekend upcoming.

A few years ago, I came on this site to write about Nickeil Alexander-Walker and how he was worth believing in for the Minnesota Timberwolves. That piece eventually got back to Nickeil and he thanked a Canis staffer at his introductory press conference, saying it meant the world to him. Now I am decidedly not as bullish on today’s topic as I was on NAW a few years ago.

In the early 2000s, the Minnesota Timberwolves committed one of the biggest scandals in NBA contract history. The confusion first started when forward Joe Smith, a former first overall pick, signed a small deal with the Timberwolves. WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 25: Joe Smith #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards on January 25, 2003 at the MCI Center in Washington, DC.

Olivia Miles Wins 4th Straight ROTM πŸ…πŸ…πŸ…πŸ Is there really anything new you can say? In one of the most heralded franchises in the WNBA, featuring a slew of Hall of Fame players, Olivia Miles has become the first rookie in franchise history to win four Rookie of the Month awards.

Asst Coach Daniel Brady Join Wolves Staff šŸ“‹ After his most recent season as the third assistant coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Daniel Brady has been hired to join Head Coach Chris Finch's coaching staff next season. The Vipers made it to the second round of the G League Playoffs last season. Brady was a former Division I collegiate basketball player for University of Missouriā€“Kansas City back in 2010.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Timberwolves fans and fans across the country. This has been perhaps the single most active offseason in Minnesota Timberwolves history. Between the trades of Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the move for LaMelo Ball, and the eventual signing of Jonathan Kuminga, there is an absolute glut of potential new storylines to watch. There are other candidates, to be fair.

Are you tired of trying to parse through Canis Hoopus articles (and the very important comments) on your tiny cell phone? Accidentally “fat-fingered” another annoying targeted app that popped up? No longer must we endure this. Today, the SB Nation app is live, and it’s the best way to follow the Timberwolves. You can download it by searching SB Nation for iOS or Android. A year ago, our overlords made some big changes to our community, including offering fewer ads and the addition of the Feed.

The Minnesota Lynx had something happen to them on Sunday afternoon that has only happened one other time this season, and last occurring around the 4th of July. The Lynx fell to the Atlanta Dream 89-81 on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, losing their second straight game. The last — and only — other time that happened this season was back in early July when Minnestoa lost to New York on July 3 and Connecticut on July 6.

The Minnesota Lynx have had an extended break since their most recent game, a loss to the second place Golden State Valkyries. Though that result keeps Golden State mathematically alive to challenge Minnesota for the number one seed, the Lynx still remain in the driver’s seat with just five games left on their docket. Two more wins would lock in their top position. There is a clear plateau on the opposite side of the playoff bracket.

On another inauspicious evening in the NBA offseason, Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, was wide awake. As first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Minnesota traded Josh Green and cash to the Utah Jazz for Cody Williams and John Konchar. Charania followed up by sharing that Konchar, a 30-year-old wing rebounding specialist, will see his $6.2 million contract waived-and-stretched, incurring roughly $2 million in dead cap space for the next three years.