Minnesota Timberwolves exercise options on five players
Five members of the Minnesota Timberwolves officially have a place to play next year, as the team exercised contract options for five players on Monday 1 November, including forwards Michael
Beasley and Kevin Love, guards Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington, and centre Kosta Koufos.
The fourth-year option was exercised for Beasley, Love, and Koufos while the third-year option was exercised for Flynn and Ellington.
Forward Corey Brewer will enter the 2010-11 season as a restricted free agent as the Timberwolves declined to pick up his fifth-year option. With many players competing for the same position,
the Timberwolves want to see how Brewer’s season develops before committing him to another year.
The Timberwolves are 2-1 on the season after two losses to the Sacramento Kings and the Memphis Grizzlies with a win against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Love had a breakout season last year when he averaged 14.0 points and 11.0 rebounds. Now entering his third year in the NBA, Love, the fifth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, has recorded
a double-double in each of the Kings’ games so far this season.
Beasley, the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, has career averages of 14.3 points and 5.9 rebounds. He was acquired from the Miami Heat over the summer.
Selected 23rd overall in the 2008 NBA Draft, Koufos has seen limited minutes as an NBA player. Averaging just 8.7 minutes, he has career averages of 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds.
Flynn was the sixth overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft and has been recovering from off-season hip surgery so far this season. But he did have a promising rookie campaign, averaging
13.5 points and 4.4 assists in 81 games last year.
Ellington, the 28th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, has averages of 6.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 79 career games.
The Timberwolves have been one of the worst teams in the league for the past five years, not managing to win more than 33 games within this span. They haven't made the play-offs since
the 2003-04 season.
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