The Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves have been exchanging trade proposals that include a possible three-way deal with the Suns that would send Stoudemire to the Bulls, a Western Conference executive said Tuesday night.

So far, nothing that the Bulls and Wolves have brainstormed has brought the Suns closer to moving Stoudemire. Nevertheless, one proposed deal would send Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas to Phoenix, along with the expiring contracts of Chicago’s Drew Gooden and Minnesota’s Jason Collins. Minnesota would receive the player it covets – Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich – and Bulls guard Thabo Sefolosha.
That three-way scenario remains improbable, but there are several possibilities between Chicago and Minnesota that are alive. The Bulls want expiring contracts and draft picks to dump Hinrich and forward Andres Nocioni. Chicago has shopped them separately to several teams, but sources say Minnesota has no interest in Nocioni.

However, sources say the Wolves and Bulls are discussing Hinrich and Sefolosha for Collins and Brian Cardinal.

Previews for tonight’s game at Miami:

Veteran guard Kevin Ollie participated in Tuesday morning’s shootaround, his first time back with the team since he fractured his elbow at Chicago on Jan. 3. He will be examined when the Wolves return home Thursday and hopes he’ll be cleared to practice.

He said his elbow feels “50 times” better than it did two weeks ago. McHale said he doesn’t expect Ollie to play in a game for at least 10 more days, but Ollie said “I sure hope” it’s sooner. “He says he feels really good, but everybody says that,” McHale said…

McCants went to the hospital before last week’s game because the team’s medical personnel suspected he had appendicitis. “He was just really, really sick,” McHale said of McCants, who remains the most likely Wolf to be traded by Thursday’s deadline.
But there still was one chair unfilled.

“There’s always an empty chair when Big Al’s not there to fill it,” Kevin McHale said.

McHale said he planned to text message Jefferson tonight to wish him well before he has surgery Wednesday in New York City to repair the anterior-cruciate ligament he tore nine days ago at New Orleans.
McHale didn’t seem nervous about Jefferson’s surgery, saying he expects the timetable for the 24-year-old to remain in the six- to eight-month range.

 

“They might find something else in there, but I doubt it,” McHale said. “It seemed to me it was a pretty clean ACL tear.”

Craig Smith made his return after two weeks’ away because of that cracked rib. He played 17-plus minutes and wore a protective vest that he said grew heavier and more cumbersome as he sweated and the game progressed.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are another team in an interesting position. Rashad McCants (who hits restricted free agency this summer) and Jason Collins have expiring contracts. And the team has another asset in Mike Miller.
Yet so far the Wolves haven’t packaged them together to add another major piece to their rebuilding effort. They won’t have enough cap room next summer to be major players, so the question arises: Why not make a move now?

They need help at both point guard and center. One rumored trade I’ve heard: McCants, Collins and Brian Cardinal for the Sixers’ Samuel Dalembert, who would give Minnesota shot-blocking and athleticism in the frontcourt. But is he worth the two years and $25 million left on his contract?
There remains the potential for the Kings to do a smaller deal as well, and sources said one such scenario exists with Minnesota. Third-year guard Quincy Douby ($1.4 million expiring contract) and veteran forward Mikki Moore ($5.8 million this season and only $2 million of $6.2 million next season guaranteed if waived by June 20) could go to the Timberwolves for guard Rashad McCants (expiring deal for $2.6 million).
Since taking over for Wittman, McHale has gone 13-19. He went 19-12 when he replaced Flip Saunders in 2005. McHale hates the travel involved with coaching, and while the Jefferson injury has given him an easy escape from the bench, he won’t speculate about his future with the organization he has led since 1995.
While the ping-pong ball watchers are excited by this news, those in the McHale as coach camp may not share their joy. It may not take any Mark Madsen three-pointers to increase the Wolves’ lottery chances this year, but a poor finish may just be what convinces McHale to hang up his clipboard. His distaste for the travel and media are well-documented, but he clearly has enjoyed coaching the team since his return to the bench. The smiles may be a bit more scarce this spring.