More from RealGM
 Minnesota Timberwolves WiretapTimberwolves LinksNews Archive
NBA News
Unhappy Sprewell Sends Wolves MessageThe internal bickering has already started in Minneapolis, with key forward Latrell Sprewell showing his displeasure towards the Timberwolves for failing to work out an extension. Sprewell said Friday he doesn't plan on rushing back from his ankle injury, and he indicated it wasn't an accident that he missed the team's kickoff luncheon Thursday at the Target Center. Sprewell also indicated that there hasn't been any communication with Wolves officials in the past week about a possible contract extension, an issue he believes should have been resolved in July. "There's been nothing said," he said. "I'm just going to see what happens." Sprewell then missed what was supposed to be a mandatory gathering for the kickoff luncheon, then when asked if he was trying to prove a point, Sprewell said, "Yeah, you can say that." Point guard Sam Cassell, currently battling the flu, was also absent from the gathering. Sprewell set a Nov. 3 deadline last week to get an extension done or he said he would leave via free agency at the end of the season. Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Wally Wants to Become a KnickWally Szczerbiak spends his summers back home in Cold Spring Harbor, cruising around the Long Island Sound on a boat, golfing with buddies at Bethpage Black and training at local gyms. "I just enjoyed life on Long Island," he says. His privileged lifestyle would be nearly perfect if Szczerbiak could arrange to live and work in the New York area year-round and play for the team he grew up supporting. That dream almost became a reality over the summer before trade talks between the Knicks and Timberwolves broke down. For Szczerbiak, the deal was like the big fish that got away. "The Knicks are an exciting opportunity. They've always been an exciting team that I would love to play for. That's home for me," said Szczerbiak, who scored 20 points in the Timberwolves' 102-82 preseason win over the Knicks last night in Sioux Falls, S.D. "But right now camp is going well. I'm happy that I'm healthy and that I can compete at a high level again. I want to help the Timberwolves win the championship." However, training camp has gotten off to an ominous start. Sam Cassell, upset over his contract, which doesn't expire until after next season, staged a one-day holdout. His name already has surfaced in a multi-team deal for Jason Kidd, a Garnett favorite. On Thursday, Latrell Sprewell criticized Wolves management for not offering him a contract extension. And Szczerbiak, who missed the first 53 games last season with a foot injury and then returned as a reserve, does not see himself as a sixth man. "I've made it known that I'd like to start," he says. Minnesota has some interest in the Knicks' Kurt Thomas, but the T-Wolves turned down an offer of Thomas and Moochie Norris for Szczerbiak because the Wolves don't want Norris' contract. "That would have been a great move for us," Sprewell said of Thomas, one of the few former Knicks he still keeps in contact with. "He would be perfect for this team. No question." New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Sprewell Unhappy Without Contract ExtensionLatrell Sprewell's latest antagonist is the Minnesota Timberwolves' front office and their owner Glen Taylor, who has yet to finalize a contract extension that Sprewell believes should have been completed in July. With 12 days until Minnesota's Nov.3 season opener against the Knicks, Sprewell yesterday issued a warning to the team: "If they don't do anything before the season it could lead to potential problems. "They're not showing the interest that they want to keep me," Sprewell added. "For what I've done and Sam (Cassell) have done for the organization, I think it would be somewhat of a smack in the face if they don't step up and get something done. If not, I would take it as it's time for me to go somewhere else." Sprewell, 34, is scheduled to make $14.6 million this season and is hoping to receive a three-year contract extension worth $40 million. The Wolves are believed to be offering a deal for approximately $30 million over three years, but Sprewell made it clear yesterday that he's "not trying to take a pay cut. "A lot of other guys out there are not even doing as well as I am and are still making as much if not more," he said. The Wolves are trying to exercise fiscal responsibility while trying to contend, and many feel they could win the NBA title in June. Sprewell is a major reason why Minnesota, which had never won a playoff series before last season, advanced to the Western Conference finals, where the Wolves lost to the Lakers in six games. "That's where I'm coming from," Sprewell said. "This team has never gotten out of the first round. We come here, we do what we have to do and we almost get to the Finals. If they're not going to take care of us ... it's a slap in the face. "People will smile in your face and then stab you in the back. That's the nature of the business." Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Timberwolves Oct 2004 Archive
|
