The Wolves announced Monday that the team has extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents Ryan Gomes, Chris Richard and Craig Smith.
In related news, Sebastian Telfair and Kirk Snyder will both become unrestricted free agents after the June 30 deadline. That doesn’t mean the Wolves can’t sign either player to respective deals … But if another team makes an offer to Telfair and Snyder that the Wolves choose to match, neither player is obligated to re-sign with Minnesota.
From the Associated Press:
The Minnesota Timberwolves have extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents Ryan Gomes, Craig Smith and Chris Richard.
The moves were a formality the team had to go through in order to
retain its right of first refusal for all three players. That means the
Timberwolves will have the option of matching any offer from another
team.
retain its right of first refusal for all three players. That means the
Timberwolves will have the option of matching any offer from another
team.
From the Timberwolves site:
Former Sixth Man of the Year and Rookie of the Year Mike Miller will be introduced at Target Center on Tuesday afternoon.
The Mitchell, S.D. native – who has said he’s very happy to be coming
to Minnesota – will be joined by Wolves Vice President of Basketball
Operations Kevin McHale.
to Minnesota – will be joined by Wolves Vice President of Basketball
Operations Kevin McHale.
Now, four years later and apparently done with his third team (drafted by Portland, traded to Boston in the Theo Ratliff deal, traded to Minny in the Kevin Garnett trade), the critics were right. At this point in his career Telfair is smarter than we was as a rookie, but he still can’t shoot, can’t finish very well, and is regarded as too small to be a forceful player. He is a decent leader, but can players follow a point guard who can’t get it done?
Someone will probably sign Telfair to be their second or third point guard, but unless he drastically improves he’ll likely be out of the league in a short time.
Kevin Love is exactly what the Timberwolves need, an articulate face for the franchise; no offense to Big Al Jefferson, who is a great player but suffers from "the mumbles." Al will do all the work, and Kevin Love will talk to the world about it. In all honesty, Kevin Love moves the Minnesota Timberwolves a lot closer to the playoffs than anyone is giving him credit for, paired with Mike Miller. The Wolves are a team to watch. It may not be this year because the West is so packed, but inside two years the Timberwolves are back in the playoffs, anchored by Big Al and Kevin Love.