The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has exercised the fourth-year option on forwards Michael Beasley and Kevin Love and center Kosta Koufos. The team has also exercised the third-year option for guards Wayne Ellington and Jonny Flynn.
Beasley, acquired this summer from Miami, has appeared in three games for the Wolves, averaging 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. The second overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, Beasley owns career averages 14.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 162 games.
Love, the fifth overall pick in the 2008 draft by Memphis, was acquired by Minnesota on draft night and has played each of his 144 career games in a Wolves uniform. Love has career averages of 12.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, including 14.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game in three contests this season. Love has recorded double-doubles in each of his three games this season and in 68 of his 144 games overall.
Minnesota acquired Koufos this summer in the deal that sent Al Jefferson to Utah. Originally selected with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 draft, Koufos has appeared in 87 career games, averaging 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
The Timberwolves added Wayne Ellington with the 28th overall pick in the 2009 draft. Ellington has started each of the first three games for Minnesota this season, averaging 10.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. In 79 career games, Ellington has averaged 6.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 42.2 percent from behind the arc.
Flynn, the sixth overall pick by Minnesota in last year’s draft, started each of the 81 games he appeared in as a rookie last season. He averaged 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a rookie before missing the season finale with a hip injury that ultimately required offseason surgery.
The Wolves will play LeBron James and the Miami Heat tomorrow night (Tuesday) in Miami. The game can be seen on WFTC My29 with tip-off at 6:30 p.m. This is the first of 12 Timberwolves games that will air on WFTC My29 this season.
