Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said he hopes to sign
forward Al Jefferson to a contract extension before the Oct. 31
deadline, but if a deal isn’t reached he anticipates matching any offer
Jefferson would receive next summer.
 
Jefferson would become a restricted free agent after
this season if an extension isn’t finalized and could field offers from
other teams. Taylor said Tuesday he hopes to keep Jefferson for a long
time, but he wants to be prudent financially as well.
 
Taylor said the front office would prefer to get a
deal done before the deadline, but he is being more cautious, having
been burned in the past with other contracts.
 
Also:
Taylor said he plans to offer an extension in the
neighborhood of five years and $50 million to $60 million.