Source: Blount to be traded or waived, won't get locker
Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:36 pm
http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolve ... anchO7DiUr
Wolves deal Richardson to gain options
Last update: August 14, 2009 - 12:06 AM
The Timberwolves late Thursday night traded newly acquired Quentin Richardson to Miami and brought back former Wolves center Mark Blount in another David Kahn move that has everything to do with salary-cap bookkeeping and cost-saving and nothing to do with this season's roster.
The Wolves traded away veterans Blount and Ricky Davis to the Heat in October 2007 in a deal that brought Antoine Walker and a 2009 first-round pick, which Kahn -- the new president of basketball operations -- then dealt on trade night two months ago to Denver for a future first-round pick.
This time, he brings back Blount's expiring $7.96 million salary slot in exchange for Richardson's $9.35 million expiring contract.
Don't expect Blount to get a locker stall, much less his Wolves uniform back. Kahn will either save nearly $1.4 million by waiving Blount outright instead of Richardson or use his expiring contract in another trade.
The Wolves acquired Richardson last month in a 3-for-1 swap that sent Craig Smith, Sebastian Telfair and Mark Madsen to the Los Angeles Clippers. It was a move to get the team out of paying Telfair $2.7 million for the 2010-11 season and to create open roster spots for Kahn to make other moves. Kahn, it turns out, had no interest in Richardson playing for the Wolves this season, either.
JERRY ZGODA