“Nathan is a young project who likely will add depth to our roster at his position,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operation. “We were contemplating this trade prior to Kevin Love’s hand injury, so this move is not intended to replace Kevin in the short term by any means. That would not be fair to Nathan. Rather, this move provided us an opportunity to work with a young player with size, and later determine if he could be a fit for us.”
The Mavericks were pessimistic about being able to find a new home for the burly Australian, even given Jawai’s modest $736,420 salary, but injuries to Kevin Love and Al Jefferson have created a short-term need for size in Minnesota.
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Jefferson did not participate in Tuesday morning’s shootaround in Denver, where the Timberwolves were playing an exhibition. Team spokesman Mark Rosenberg says Jefferson is also fighting a cold, unsure if the star forward would suit up against the Nuggets.
Offering a more formal position to make McHale part of the staff, such as special consultant, would seem to be a natural move. The Mavs, though, see no need to force the issue. They prefer instead to simply leave the door open for a return whenever McHale wants to visit again, aware that McHale — who I’m told has not ruled out a return to coaching someday — favors work in television if he accepts any formal NBA job this season.
Yet McHale, according to Nowitzki, has promised the Mavs that he’ll return for an in-season refresher course “if we need him to come back.”