Minnesota T-Wolves Blog – Page 93 – NBA Blog

Timberwolves re-sign Sebastian Telfair

Minnesota Timberwolves Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale today announced the team has re-signed free-agent guard Sebastian Telfair. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Sebastian showed a lot of growth as a point guard and decision-maker last season and bringing him back was a priority for us this offseason,” McHale said. “He gives us another experienced playmaker in the backcourt and I look forward to his continued development.”

The Timberwolves acquired Telfair on July 31, 2007 in a trade with Boston. In his lone season with Minnesota, the 6-0 guard averaged 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and a career-high 5.9 assists per game, finishing the season ranked 10th in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.20-to-1). Telfair appeared in 60 games for the Wolves, starting 51, before missing the final 21 contests with a sprained left ankle.

Originally selected by Portland with the 13th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Telfair played two seasons with the Blazers before being dealt to Boston in a draft-night trade on June 28, 2006. In his four seasons with the Blazers, Celtics and Wolves, Telfair has appeared in 274 games, posting career averages of 7.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Wolves to keep Craig Smith

The Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jerry Zgoda) reports: Craig Smith is the first of the Wolves’ own free agents to reach an agreement with the team, coming to terms on a two-year deal he will sign when he is expected to join the summer-league team in Las Vegas today. Now how, or if, Smith will play in the remaining three games is uncertain, but since the summer team’s practice days all have passed, it wouldn’t make much sense for him to travel from his home in Los Angeles to Vegas if he wasn’t going to play at least a game.

2008-09 Salary Cap set to $58.680 million

The National Basketball Association today announced that the Salary Cap for the 2008-09 season will be $58.680 million. The new Cap goes into effect immediately as the league’s “moratorium period” has ended and teams can begin signing free agents and making trades.

The tax level for the 2008-09 season has been set at $71.150 million. Any team whose team salary exceeds that figure will pay a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $71.150 million.

The mid-level exception is $5.585 million for the 2008-09 season and the minimum team salary, which is set at 75% of the Salary Cap, is $44.010 million.

For the 2007-08 season, the Salary Cap was set at $55.630 million, the tax level was $67.865 million and the mid-level exception was $5.356 million.

In Mayo-Love deal Wolves unload two horrid contracts

The Boston Herald (Mark Murphy) reports: Kevin McHale has said he wants to set things right in Minnesota before he steps down, and judging from what he has brought onboard thanks to Memphis’ all-out desire for Mayo, this may be his best move yet. In sending Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric, Greg Buckner and the rights to Mayo to Memphis for Love, Mike Miller, Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal, the Timberwolves unloaded two horrid contracts that were about to take up $15.8 million of cap space alone next season (Jaric and Walker) and one malcontent (Walker). In return the ’Wolves get Miller, who may be the best shooter that organization has ever had, a solid post defender in Collins, and what they are now selling as a great locker room guy in Cardinal.

Timberwolves to work Eric Gordon out Monday

Eric Gordon (Ht. 6-4, Wt. 215) was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year this season and earned Second Team All-America honors from the NABC and Third Team All-America honors from the Associated Press. He led the Big Ten in scoring with 20.9 points per game while also ranking fifth in free-throw percentage (.834) and 10th in steals (1.3). He topped 20 points in 19 games and scored a career-best 33 in his Indiana debut, the most ever by a Hoosier in his first collegiate game.

Apr. 16: Wolves 110, Bucks 101

The AP reports: Randy Foye scored 10 of his career-high 32 points in overtime to help the Minnesota Timberwolves finish a forgettable regular season on a winning note, 110-101 over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. In what might have been the end of Larry Krystkowiak’s only full season as coach, the Bucks blew a 16-point third-quarter lead and let Foye and the Wolves blow by them in extra time. Milwaukee (26-56) closed by losing eight straight and 12 of 14… Bogut had 24 points and 15 rebounds, and rookie Ramon Sessions scored a career-high 25 points to go with 14 assists… Al Jefferson finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds in the game.

Apr. 15: Pistons 115, Wolves 103

The AP reports: Flip Saunders only cares about one more thing in the regular season. He wants his Detroit Pistons to get through Wednesday’s game in Cleveland without an injury… Tuesday, Detroit got 55 points from the reserves, including 20 from Jarvis Hayes and nine each from three others. “We’re having a good time out there right now,” said Richard Hamilton, who led the starters with 18… Billups added 17 points and six assists against his former team, while Al Jefferson led Minnesota with 30 points.

Apr. 12: Wolves 114, Grizzlies 105

The AP reports: In a game pitting two of the NBA’s worst teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves came out with confidence and showed more desire than the Memphis Grizzlies. Kirk Snyder had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Al Jefferson added 21 points and 10 boards, and the Timberwolves beat the Grizzlies 114-105 on Saturday night… Ryan Gomes was the third Minnesota player with a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Rashad McCants led Minnesota with 23 points and Randy Foye scored 16. Snyder’s points, on 9-of-11 shooting, were a season high and the rebounding total was the best of his career… Mike Conley led Memphis with a career-high 25 points, while Rudy Gay finished with 22. Hakim Warrick scored 16 points, and Andre Brown added career highs of 13 points and 18 rebounds.

Apr. 11: Wolves 102, Magic 101

The AP reports: Ryan Gomes made a pair of free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining to give the Timberwolves a 102-101 victory over the playoff-bound Orlando Magic on Friday night, snapping a six-game losing streak… Minnesota’s Randy Foye had a game-high 25 points and reserve Rashad McCants added 19. Turkoglu scored 23 points to lead the Magic, who were just 8-for-21 from the field in the fourth quarter. Dwight Howard had 20 points and 14 rebounds for his 68th double-double of the season, tying Shaquille O’Neal’s franchise record set in 1992-93, and Rashard Lewis added 18.

Apr. 9: Hornets 122, Wolves 90

The AP reports: Chris Paul helped the New Orleans Hornets stay atop the Western Conference and set a team record for wins, too. Paul had 19 points and 16 assists, and the New Orleans Hornets bounced back to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-90 Wednesday night. Peja Stojakovic scored 24 points and David West had 22 for the Hornets, who scored just 66 points in a loss to Utah on Tuesday and looked sluggish through the first half against Minnesota… Rashad McCants had 23 for the Timberwolves, who have lost six straight. Randy Foye scored 20 points for Minnesota, but just four of those came in the final three quarters. The win gave the Hornets a franchise-best 55 wins, beating the record set in 1996-97.