Just as the Wolves made it a priority to give Gomes, Craig Smith and
Sebastian Telfair new contracts so they could be a part of the Al
Jefferson-led core now supplemented by draft-night acquisitions Mike
Miller and Kevin Love, Gomes has prioritized community outreach as part
of his status as an NBA player.
 
"When you’re a pro athlete, you have to take on some types of responsibilities," Gomes said.
 

He wanted to hold a news conference to discuss his new deal on the
north side of Minneapolis at Fairview Community Center, where he
donated the first of several automated external defibrillators that his
nonprofit – Hoops for Heart Health – is dedicated to distributing
across the country. 

 
 
 
"Ryan’s got a tremendous basketball IQ," McHale said. "We now, as an organization, have to take his strengths and play to them."
 
Those strengths, he noted, come not so much from the numbers but in the heart Gomes shows each game.
 
"This isn’t fantasy basketball," McHale said.
"Statistics mean nothing; you’ve got to win. I think Ryan would be the
first one to tell you, if his statistics went down and the wins went
up, he’d be just as happy. … He just brings a level of basketball IQ,
maturation, understanding, accepting, a real professional level to the
team, which is great for such a young guy."
 
 
 
Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune on Gomes’ contract:
The contract guarantees him $7.3 million — $3.5 million this coming
season, $3.8 million in 2009-2010 — for the next two seasons. The
Wolves have the option to renew the contract after the second and third
seasons; Gomes has the option after the fourth. The team’s option
starting in two seasons could allow it to clear additional salary-cap
space for a potentially bountiful free-agent class in 2010. It will
approach a $22 million deal if Gomes plays all five seasons.