(Click HERE for the complete story from ESPN)
Busy day Wolves fans. The Wolves just signed Darko Milicic to go with the earlier signing of Pekovic. Darko gets a 4 year deal for $20 million. Really, not terrible by today’s standards for big men. Very luckily for us, the fourth year is only partially guaranteed. I can live with that. Also, Darko wants to be here (lead the league in smiles hooray!), he plays above average defense, is a superb passer, and has legitimate seven footer size. He could potentially be the Wolves best center. Ever.
Now we only have about $5 million of cap space, after using nearly all of it in Kahn’s “Fourth Window of Opportunity” to acquire Martell Webster/Darko/and Pekovic. Make your own decisions on that. But if Kahn wants Rudy Gay/David Lee/Pecherov (joking), then it is going to have to be via a Sign and Trade with Big Alco Jefferson’s contract. Or he gives Jefferson away for an entirely unguaranteed contract like Hayward from Dallas, and then signs a free agent. Getting rid of Al for nothing (or S&T), allows us to acquire someone for a max of approximately $16 million or so. A little more or less depending on how we fill out the end of the roster.
Good luck.
From ESPN:
The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed with free agent Darko Milicic on a four-year deal, his agent, Marc Cornstein told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The contract is worth $20 million and the fourth year is only partially guaranteed, sources close to the process told ESPN.com.
Free agents can’t formally sign contracts until July 8.
The deal for Milicic is extraordinary considering that in February he wasn’t playing and said he was giving up on the NBA and returning to Europe.
The deal is the second for the Wolves in the first 24 hours of free agency. Earlier this morning, the team agreed to a four-year, $13 million deal with their 2008 second round-pick, Nikola Pekovic.
With the two moves, the Timberwolves spent $33 million to shore up their middle.
The Milicic and Pekovic deals severely cut into the Wolves’ cap room this summer. Starting July 1, with $13 million under the cap, Minnesota now has a little under $5 million left to use on remaining free agents.