Written by SG
| 27 September 2007
Don't be surprised if the Timberwolves trade guard Trenton Hassell to the Dallas Mavericks within days.
The Wolves' low payroll probably won't last long
because they hope to sign forward Al Jefferson, the key to the Garnett
trade, to a long-term extension. Jefferson could command a near-maximum
contract after averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds in 2006-07, his
third season in the league.
The Wolves also are expected to pursue a new deal with forward Craig Smith, who was a steal in the second round of the 2006 draft. Smith should get a significant raise next summer as a free agent.
In the short term, the Wolves must trim the roster.
There are 16 players under contract after center John Edwards was added
this week. Edwards is a long shot to make the regular-season roster. He
will provide depth during the exhibition season while Smith and Mark
Madsen recover from injuries.
Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune conducted a Q&A with Randy Wittman in which the coach discussed a young team post-Garnett and his expectations for the season:
The only expectation is that we're going to compete every night. If we
can get them to play hard every night with the talent I think they
have, then we can be competitive. I don't think I can put a win-loss
record on it. Our goal is to make the playoffs. We're going out every
night to win. That's what I want these guys to believe. They're going
to hear from the media and everybody else that they're the worst team
in the league. I don't believe that. I truly don't. I don't want any of
these guys believing it. This is a chance for us to become a young team
that grows together.
KSTP sports-talk host Matt Thomas is no longer a candidate for
the Timberwolves' radio play-by-play position. According to Thomas,
station officials and the Wolves met to talk about potential options
that would satisfy both sides -- the Wolves are heard on BOB 106-FM --
but could not come to an agreement.
He went on record saying he's had three or four deals on the table over the past month, but without any results.
Of
course, that's no surprise. He has drained his old teammate Danny Ainge
— the Celtics president — of all possible deals as a consequence of the
Garnett deal. The rest of the league appears to be amused by McHale,
with only the potential to confuse or rip him off the true reason to
listen. Maybe Randy Foye and Rashad McCants have value, but that's
about it. Essentially, the relief of the pressure surrounding the
Garnett deal has now been replaced by reality. And nothing about it is
pretty.
They show us some Gerald Green team shoes, tell us
what he’s going to do at the dunk contest and show us a shoe related to
it, but we’re sworn not to say (it is, though, spectacular).
The Miami Herald reported on its website that the Heat is talking to the Timberwolves about trades that would involve Ricky Davis and Trenton Hassell. Davis will be a free agent at the end of this season, and there are a lot of reasons the Wolves would entertain the right offer. The Heat has two players with contracts that expire at the end of the year -- the type of contracts the Wolves are looking for -- in guard Jason Williams ($8.9 million) and center Michael Doleac ($3.2 million).
