An NBA source close to the situation tells Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com that restricted free agent forward Nicolas Batum will not return to the Portland Trail Blazers “under any circumstances for a variety of reasons.”

Batum is said to have informed the team of his wishes. He visited the Minnesota Timberwolves this week and reportedly was offered a four-year, $45 million deal. That’s a far cry from the extension the Blazers offered Batum during the season, with a salary of around $6 million per year.

“Batum never wants to play in Portland again,” the source said, “and has determined that Minnesota is the best for him and his family.”

The 23-year-old Frenchman averaged 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds last season, his fourth in the NBA. He has started 202 of his 255 career games.

Brandon Roy has narrowed his comeback list to five teams. (Sam Forencich/Getty Images)

Former Blazers guard Brandon Roy will attempt a comeback with one of five teams, Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday: the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers or Minnesota Timberwolves. Wojnarowski added that some of those teams are “privately willing” to offer him a deal longer than one year. From the report:

Roy and his agent, Greg Lawrence of Wasserman Media Group, are likely to host officials from most, if not all, of the teams in Roy’s hometown of Seattle, sources said. Each of the finalists have connections that intrigue Roy, sources said.

On Monday, ESPN Radio in Minneapolis reported that the Timberwolves were prepared to offer Roy a two-year contract. That would interest Roy, along with the chance to play alongside forward Kevin Love and point guard Ricky Rubio. Wojnarowski reported that Roy is also intrigued by the possibility of playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas or alongside Derrick Rose in Chicago. And the Pacers offer a young, rising core of players and new general manager Kevin Pritchard, who drafted Roy in Portland.

Before the 2011-12 season started, Roy retired because of degenerative knees. Doctors advised him that he would be risking his long-term health if he kept playing. But Roy recently confirmed his intention to make a comeback next season, tweeting under friend and former college teammate Will Conroy’s account.

Wojnarowski previously reported that Roy made strides in his recovery through the platelet-rich plasma therapy procedure that Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant popularized.

Roy was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in the 2006-07 season, and he is a three-time All-Star. But he played in only 47 games and averaged 12.2 points in the 2010-11 season before he retired.

The Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves have expressed interested in trading for Jamal Crawford. (Sam Forencich/Getty Images)

The Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves have shown strong interest in trading for Portland Trail Blazers guard Jamal Crawford, reports CSNNW.com‘s Chris Haynes (via Pro Basketball Talk‘s Kurt Helin).

Crawford averaged 14 points per game off the bench last season, his first with Portland. The 32-year-old Crawford has played 12 seasons in the NBA and won the Sixth Man of the Year award for the 2009-10 season for his play off the bench with Atlanta Hawks.

Boston and Philadelphia, both playoff teams this season, likely want Crawford to add an extra scoring punch to their second units.

Haynes reports that Minnesota was close to acquiring Crawford before the trade deadline. The Timberwolves have also reportedly wanted to add veterans to their young roster. On Tuesday, Minnesota traded the No. 18 pick in the draft to the Houston Rockets for forward Chase Budinger.

Crawford can opt out of his contract until Friday, and if he isn’t traded by then, he is expected to do so and become a free agent.

The Houston Rockets have traded forward Chase Budinger to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 18 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, according to multiple reports on Twitter.

The Houston Rockets have traded Chase Budinger to Minnesota for the #18 pick. Confirmed.

—
Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 26, 2012

Houston has also included the rights to Israeli Lior Eliyahu in the deal to Minnesota, a source said.

—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 26, 2012

The Rockets now own the No. 14, 16 and 18 picks in the first round of the draft. It is believed that Houston is trying to put together a package to trade to the Orlando Magic for center Dwight Howard.

ESPN.com reported Sunday that the Rockets wanted to acquire a pair of top-10 picks they could then use as part of a deal for Howard. That report said Sacramento’s No. 5 pick and Toronto’s No. 8 pick were available. Houston, with its three first-round picks, may have enough ammunition to acquire both picks if it is willing to include point guard Kyle Lowry.

The wisdom of a trade for Howard has been questioned, as NBA.com’s David Aldridge reported there is “not a chance” Howard would sign a long-term contract with the Rockets. Still, it appears the trade of Budinger likely has a larger acquisition as its end goal.

Budinger averaged 9.6 points in 22.4 minutes per game last season, his third in the NBA. The 24-year-old Budinger had spent his entire career with Houston.

Former All-Star Brandon Roy is receiving interest from many NBA teams as he attempts a comeback. (Sam Forencich/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves are all interested in signing free agent guard Brandon Roy, who will attempt to make a comeback this season, reports Yahoo! Sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski.

Roy retired before the 2011-12 season because of degenerative knee issues that had slowed his career. The former Portland Trail Blazers guard has made progress though, using a platelet rich plasma therapy procedure that Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant popularized, Wojnarowski reports.

Roy has been working out for months and is prepared to make a full comeback this season. Roy averaged 19 points per game in his five years with Portland, twice making the All-Star team.

Wojnarowski reports that many teams are expected to offer Roy their mid-level exception, though it was reported yesterday that Minnesota will offer Roy a two-year contract.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are prepared to make Brandon Roy a two-year contract offer. (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Timberwolves are preparing to offer free-agent guard Brandon Roy a shot at a comeback, getting ready to present him with a two-year contract offer. ESPN Radio 1500 in Minneapolis reported Monday night that Timberwolves general manager David Kahn “has genuine interest in making Roy a permanent fixture in Minnesota.”

Before the 2011-12 season started, Roy retired because of degenerative knees, as doctors told him he would be risking his long-term health if he kept playing. But a little more than a week ago, he confirmed his intention to make a comeback next season, tweeting under friend and former college teammate Will Conroy’s account.

Roy had already been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, but the Wolves are the first team set to offer a reported contract.

Wolves assistant coach Bill Bayno is the link between Roy and Minnesota. From the ESPN report:

Bayno, who got to know Roy well when he worked on the Portland bench in two separate stints in the last few years, has been the driving force in Minnesota’s interest. He’s done enough to convince head coach Rick Adelman that the risk is worth it. The last hurdle, sources say, was to convince president of basketball operations David Kahn. That apparently recently happened.

Roy was the 2006-07 NBA Rookie of the Year, and he is a three-time All-Star, but he already faced signs of his knee troubles in 2010-11, as he played in only 47 games and averaged 12.2 points.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Jamal Crawford is in an interesting position: He knows he will be playing elsewhere next season. The Blazers are trying to find an acceptable trade partner for Crawford, but if they are unsuccessful, Crawford can opt out of his contract and become a free agent.

Should that happen, Alex Kennedy of HoopWorld.com reports that Crawford will have no shortage of suitors. League sources tell Kennedy that the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves are among the teams expected to pursue Crawford.

Crawford, 32, has career averages of 15.3 points and 3.9 assists, but he’s been below those figures in each of the past two seasons as he transitioned into a bench player.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love joked on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday night that he wasn’t worried about making the men’s basketball team for this summer’s London Olympics.

He said he wasn’t sure if he would even need to try out.

“I don’t know if I have to because they always need at least one token white guy,” Love said. “So I think that I have a pretty good shot of making it.”

Love also talked about a famous Twitter incident from his rookie season. Love broke the news that Minnesota coach Kevin McHale was stepping down.

“I got a phone call from Boston great Kevin McHale, who was my coach for the second half of my rookie year in Minnesota,” Love said. “He mentioned that he was leaving the team. So for me, I thought, I’m going to put this on Twitter. It actually kind of broke ground, broke news for the first time anyone had ever done it.

“It’s funny … I didn’t realize I was in a position of power actually.”

Love left Twitter for about two years before returning. He now has nearly 285,000 followers and is more careful with what he posts.

“They put so many rules and restrictions, and I think I actually had a lot to do with that,” Love said. “You have to let the media do their job.

“So there’s certain protocol to it. For us, we have to be safe about what they say, or Mr. Stern’s going to come knocking on our door with a pink slip or a slip that’s going to give us a pretty hefty fine.”

There’s been an outpouring of support from all over the sports world today for Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert, both of whom went down today with season-ending ACL injuries. None of the well-wishers was quite as sincere as this one: Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio, who also tore his left ACL this season.

I feel the pain. So sorry for DRose and Shumpert. Wish u a speedy recovery.

—
Ricky Rubio (@rickyrubio9) April 29, 2012

Rubio went down in mid-May with a torn ACL and LCL. He had reconstructive surgery to repair the knee on March 21, but it’s still unclear when he’ll be ready to return.

Rubio averaged 10.6 points and 8.2 assists per game for the Wolves as a rookie this year. With the young Spaniard in the lineup, the Wolves were contenders for a Western Conference playoff berth; without him, they finished the season with 20 losses in their last 25 games.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are already without rookie sensation Ricky Rubio for the rest of this season, and now it appears they’ve got more bad news on the injury front — Kevin Love suffered a head injury during tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets, and he will not return.

Official report from T-Wolves locker room: Kevin Love out for remainder of the game with a head injury.

—
Denver Nuggets (@denvernuggets) April 12, 2012

Love was attempting to take a charge from Denver’s JaVale McGee late in the first quarter, but he took an elbow to the head instead, and he went tumbling to the floor. Love needed assistance leaving the Pepsi Center floor.

Love has been the heart and soul of the Timberwolves this season, leading the team with 26.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. Once considered a contender for the Western Conference playoffs before Rubio went down, the Wolves have since slipped to 25-33, 12th in the conference.

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio had reconstructive surgery on March 21 to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, and now he says he’s unsure about returning for training camp in September, according to the Associated Press.

“I don’t know when I’m going to come back,” Rubio said. “The first thing that I want to make sure is when I come back I’m 100 percent. I don’t want to put a date on it, because it depends on how my knee feels.”

Rubio averaged 10.6 points and 8.2 assists per game for the Wolves in his rookie season, leading them into contention for a Western Conference playoff berth. They’ve since fallen out of the running, going 4-13 in his absence.

The former No. 5 overall draft pick is dying to get back out there.

“You just have to be strong and do your best to try to come back even harder,” Rubio said. “I love basketball. I love playing basketball, and I’m going to do my best to play again.”

Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic will be out several days with an ankle injury, according to the Associated Press. He reportedly is experiencing bone spurs in his ankle.

Pekovic hopes to return Friday against the Boston Celtics.

On the season, Pekovic is averaging 13.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio will have reconstructive surgery today on his injured left knee.

Surgery here I come!!! // Hoy es el dia, me operan dentro de un ratito// Ara m'operan, fins despres :)

—
Ricky Rubio (@rickyrubio9) March 21, 2012

Rubio tore his anterior cruciate ligament on March 9 with 16 seconds left in the game against the Los Angeles Lakers.  The rookie point guard will not return this season as ACL injuries typically take about nine months to heal.  The Timberwolves, however, are optimistic he will return at full strength next season.

In the 41 games this year, Rubio was averaging 10.6 points, 8.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.  Without the flashy play of their Spanish rookie, the Timberwolves (23-24) are trying to stay in the playoff picture as the Houston Rockets (25-22) currently fill the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have set a date for Ricky Rubio’s surgery — the rookie point guard will go under the knife this coming Wednesday to repair the torn ACL in his left knee, the team announced today.

Rubio sustained the injury when he collided with Kobe Bryant in the final 16 seconds of the Wolves’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last Friday. He had to be helped off the floor. The team announced the following day that he was done for the season.

Rubio’s surgery will be performed by Dr. Richard Steadman at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, Rubio appeared in 41 games this season and averaged 10.6 points, 8.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds.

The Los Angeles Lakers are close to a trade involving Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley, according to the Orange County Register.

The three-team trade could force the Lakers to give up their back-up point guard, Steve Blake, as well as a first round draft pick to the  Portland Trail Blazers. Portland would, in turn,  send guard Jamal Crawford to Minnesota.

“This is the first time I have heard this name today.”  Lakers head coach Mike Brown told reporters about the potential trade.

Beasley, who played at Kansas State University, was chosen second overall in the 2008 NBA draft. Despite questions about his commitment, the 23-year old Beasley would bring athleticism and youth to an aging Lakers team.

The Los Angeles Lakers are close to acquiring forward Michael Beasley as part of a three-team trade that would send Jamal Crawford to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Steve Blake to the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.

Lakers getting Beasley, Jamal Crawford to Minnesota and and Steve Blake to Portland is getting close, the News Mitch Lawrence reports

—
Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) March 15, 2012

Beasley, 23, is averaging 11.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this year for Minnesota – his worst statistical year since being drafted second overall in 2008 by Miami. Crawford, 31, is averaging 14.2 points and 3.7 assists per game for Portland. Blake, 32, is averaging 5.8 points and 3.6 assists per game off the bench for the Lakers this season.

The Los Angeles Lakers rejected a trade offer from the Minnesota Timberwolves that would send forward Michael Beasley to Los Angeles in exchange for a first-round draft pick, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard.

Twolves offered Beasley to Lakers for LA's best 1st round pick 2012. LA said No b/c it doesn't want to pay the added luxury tax, source says

—
Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) February 29, 2012

According to Broussard, the Lakers rejected the trade to avoid paying added luxury tax. The Lakers have one of the highest payrolls in the league (around $88 million) and are already due to pay $18 million in luxury taxes this season, according to Broussard.

Beasley, 23, was the second overall pick by the Miami Heat in the 2008 NBA Draft but was traded to Minnesota prior to last season. This season, he is averaging 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Timberwolves.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly interested in Los Angeles Lakers All-Star center Pau Gasol, a source has told Fox Sports.

Minnesota is believed to be looking for a top-level center to play alongside star power forward Kevin Love and emerging point guard Ricky Rubio. The Timberwolves would reportedly be willing to give up rookie Derrick Williams, who currently plays behind franchise star Kevin Love. Williams was considered one of the top players in last year’s NBA draft.

According to Fox, the Timberwolves are hoping that Minnesota would be an enticing place to play for Gasol because he would get to play alongside fellow Spaniard Ricky Rubio.

The Timberwolves are currently 14-16 on the season. While they are in last place in the Northwest Division, they are currently only two games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard, Ricky Rubio has been named Western Conference Rookie of the Month, according to the team’s official website.

This is the first honor of Rubio’s career and is the fourth Rookie of the Month honor in franchise history. Rubio currently ranks fifth among rookies in scoring with 11.4 points per game, first in assists with 8.9 per game, and first in steals with 2.24 per game.

In the 11 games that Rubio has started for the Wolves they have won seven and lost four. They are currently in fifth place in Northwest Division of the Western Conference, with a 10-11 record.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and All-Star forward Kevin Love have reached terms on an agreement for a contract extension, sources have told ESPN.

It is believed the deal is worth $60 million for four-years, with a potential player option in the final year of the deal.  Sources told ESPN that Love will likely sign the contract after today’s shootaround in Dallas.

The two sides had until Wednesday at midnight to complete a deal before the NBA’s contract extension deadline.

The 23-year-old is averaging 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the Timberwolves this season. Last year he led the NBA by averaging 15.2 rebounds per contest.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and center Kevin Love have agreed to a four-year contract extension, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Love, 23, is currently earning $4.6 million this season, and the extension will be worth $62 million over four years.

In his fourth year in the league, Love is averaging 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds per game.

With the contract extension deadline nearing for NBA teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves are still working to come to an agreement with star power forward Kevin Love.

One source with knowledge of the negotiations told the Star Tribune that the team has offered the All-Star a maximum contract that would pay him $78 million over five years. Another source, however, told the paper that the team hasn’t adjusted their initial four-year, $61 million offer.

If the two sides to not reach an agreement by Wednesday night’s deadline, Love can become a restricted free-agent following this season.

The 23-year-old is averaging 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the Timberwolves this season. Last year he led the NBA by averaging 15.2 rebounds per contest.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are likely to offer Kevin Love  a $60 million, four-year deal according to the Pioneer Press.

Although team president David Kahn has not yet commented on a potential contract extension for Love, the Pioneer Press reports that the team will likely offer him an extension within the next eight days.  Love can become a restricted free agent after this season unless the Timberwolves officially offer him an extension before Jan. 25.

If Love chooses not to sign the extension, he can return for the 2012-13 season for $6.1 million and become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Love, the club’s leading scorer, is the fifth highest paid player on the team, earning $4.3 million for the 2011-12 season.  Currently, he is second in the NBA with 14.3 rebounds a game.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley will miss at least three games with a sprained right foot, according to NBA.com.

Beasley was injured in Friday night’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had an MRI on Saturday, which revealed no broken bones, according to NBA.com.

Beasley, 22, was averaging 12.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this season for Minnesota. Drafted second overall in the 2008 draft by the Miami Heat, Beasley was traded to the Timberwolves in July 2010 for second-round picks in 2011 and 2014.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have yet to offer star power-forward Kevin Love a contract extension, reports Peter Vecsey of the New York Post.

According to Vecsey’s source, if the Timberwolves fail to give Love an extension offer by Jan. 15, the All-star will refuse to re-sign with Minnesota long-term. Love will be a restricted free-agent this coming offseason, but will be an unrestricted free-agent in 2013.

Love, 23, is currently averaging 25.4 points and 15.2 rebounds per game through five games with the Timberwolves this season. Last year Love scored 20.2 points and grabbed 15.2 rebounds per contest, earning his first-ever All-Star appearance.

Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade said he was impressed by rookie phenom Ricky Rubio during their narrow 103-101 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves Dec. 30, according to Fox Sports North.

“The kid has something. He has that Steve Nash capability,” Wade told FSN. “They’ve got a gem in him. He’s going to be great for them.”

Rubio finished with 12 points and 12 assists in the close loss to the Heat. The 21-year-old rookie, in his first year with the Timberwolves after being drafted fifth overall in 2009, has dazzled the NBA early on with his creative passes on the court.

Despite not starting any of the Timberwolves’ first four games this season, Rubio leads the team’s guards in minutes per game. So far he is also shooting a strong 57.1 percent from the field, while averaging 9.5 points and 7.3 assists per game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are finalizing a four-year deal with J.J. Barea that is believed to be valued at $19 million, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

Barea, 27, played a large role in the Dallas Mavericks 2011 NBA Championship run, earning at least 15 points in each of the series’ final two games. The undersized guard averaged 9.5 points and 3.9 assists in just 20.6 minutes per game in the regular season for Dallas last year.

Barea will join a back court of Luke Ridnour and Ricky Rubio in Minnesota. The Timberwolves finished with an NBA worst 17-65 record last season, however many believe that their talented young roster will allow them to compete in the Western Conference soon.

Barea went undrafted in 2006 after a successful career at Northeastern University. The Puerto Rican native has played for the Mavericks since signing with them in 2006.