Eleven-year NBA veteran Eduardo Najera has reportedly recovered from surgery he had in April to repair a fractured frontal lobe, and now has medical clearance to return to basketball this upcoming season. According to several reports, the Charlotte Bobcat free agent is now drawing interest from the Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets, and Houston Rockets to sign for the veteran’s minimum salary (one year, $1.2 million).

Kevin Love drives baseline on Eduardo Najera. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

In an Apr. 6 matchup between the Bobcats and Milwaukee Bucks, Najera was injured by an inadvertent elbow delivered by Jon Bruckman in the second quarter. Doctors on scene diagnosed the 36-year-old forward with a facial fracture, and was forced to miss the rest of the regular season. In 22 games last season, Najera averaged 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12 minutes per game.

If Najera is signed by Minnesota, he would provide solid perimeter defense to the forward position and some veteran leadership to a team that has only three players with at least five years of NBA experience.

There is also speculation that 6-foot-8 scrappy forward may retire and begin a career coaching basketball in the NBDL, according to Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com.

“I’ve actually been talking to Donnie (the Mavs GM and the owner of the D-League Texas Legends) for two years about someday going into coaching,” Eddie tells me. “Hey, if I’m going to retire, I’ve got to start doing something, right?”

“I live five minutes away from the (Legends headquarters in Frisco),” Eddie says. “I haven’t made up my mind yet. I’m going to visit with Donnie and with my family …But if we decide to go that way, it’s a good fit.”

I asked Najera about reports that Brooklyn, Houston and Minnesota are all interested in talking with him about extending his playing career.

“That’s flattering, but I don’t know anything about that,” he said. “My agent is handling that. I’m open to it, but …”

Najera ended the topic of returning to the NBA at that.

Eduardo Najera Info:

• Drafted 38th overall in 2000 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets; rights traded that same night to Dallas.
• Second Mexico native to play in NBA (Horacio Llamas); first ever to be drafted (University of Oklahoma).
• In 11 seasons, Najera has averaged 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game.
• Helped Dallas defeat Minnesota in the first round of the 2001-02 NBA playoffs.
• Played for Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Nets, and the Bobcats.

Robbie Hummel had high hopes of beginning his NBA career this upcoming season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the team’s off-season roster moves may have forced him play overseas. According to SB Nation Minnesota and Twitter, the former Purdue standout has agreed to begin his professional basketball career with Obradoiro C.A.B. of Spanish Liga ACB.

Robbie Hummel is reportedly putting his NBA dreams on hold to play in Spain during the 2012-13 season.

Minnesota made use of their second round draft pick by taking Hummel 58th overall with the hope that he could alleviate their scoring woes at the small forward position. During his five-year collegiate career, the 23-year-old averaged 14.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and shot 44.3 percent from the field. As training camp nears, Hummel understands the difficulty of earning a spot on the roster as a rotation wing player with Chase Budinger, Andrei Kirilenko, Dante Cunningham, and Derrick Williams vying for playing time at the forward positions.

“He can really shoot, and I think he has enough, he has some game, too,” President of Basketball Operations David Kahn said to NBA.com. “He’s not what I would call a flashy passer, but he’s steady. He’s got a beautiful shot with a quick release. In our league, if you can make shots on a consistent basis and you have a little size to you—and he’s 6-8, 6-8 ½—then you have a chance to make the league.”

Obradoiro C.A.B. has already announced their latest signing on the team's website, www.obradoirocab.com.

Playing time and development is necessary for any rookie, but for Hummel it is extremely imperative. Despite leaving Purdue ranked in the top ten for both points (1,772) and rebounds (862), Hummel did not gain much attention averaging 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds off of Minnesota’s bench during summer league play. Obradoiro C.A.B. is not a bad career move because it will allow the 6-foot-8 forward to earn more playing than he would in Minnesota, face European powers FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, and show his critics that his surgically repaired knee is nothing to worry about. Hummel will also join fellow Americans Deron Washington, Ebi Ere, and Bernard Hopkins on Obradorio C.A.B. as they try to improve the team’s 13-21 record from last season.

“I thought this season, particularly toward the end of the season, he started to show signs of his return to form from before the injury,” Kahn said. “Robbie was quite a player before his [right knee ACL] injury. Quite a player. In fact, if he hadn’t been hurt I think most people would agree he was a first round pick.”

The NBA’s summer checklist is nearly complete. First, the Finals were over before it truly started, and LeBron James finally hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time in his life. Second, the New Orleans Hornets drafted Anthony Davis and his trademarked unibrow as the first tandem in league history to be selected first overall in the 2012 NBA Draft. Thirdly, free agency is nearly complete, but the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets have already been labeled the biggest winners. The last major task that needed to be completed was the release of the NBA schedule and it is done.

Last Thursday night, the 2012 NBA schedule was released to the general public, and for the Minnesota Timberwolves it may be the most important season in recent memory. Head coach Rick Adelman and the Minnesota Timberwolves will begin their regular season against the Sacramento Kings at the Target Center on Friday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.  The most visible goal for the team is to earn a playoff berth and keep All-Star Kevin Love happy.

“I think sometimes Kevin thinks that he’s the only person here who wants to make the playoffs next year. I think we all are motivated to do so. It’s just the right time,” Minnesota’s vice president of basketball operations David Kahn told the Washington Post. “Provided we stay healthy we think that next season, that’s the year where this is within our reach.”

Brandon Roy was introduced as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

As soon as free agency began, Kahn enacted arguably his best, and riskiest, off-season acquisition plan since he joined the Minnesota franchise. Kahn’s two biggest free agent signings, Brandon Roy and Andrei “AK-47” Kirelinko, were players that missed the entire 2011-12 NBA season for separate reasons. Roy was thought to have accepted NBA retirement because of a degenerative knee issue, however, the former All-Star guard decided he could play at least two more seasons. Kirelinko, 31, left the NBA after the 2010-11 season to play for CSKA Moscow in his home country, Russia. Minnesota signed the former Utah Jazz forward last Wednesday to a two-year, $20 million contract.

Although these two players were not thought of as top-tier free agents, they are still former All-Stars. Before returning to Russia, Kirelinko was one of the best wing defenders in the NBA. In 2010-11, AK-47 held opponents to an efficiency rating of 12.2 as opposed to the NBA average of 15.0, according to 82games.com. Roy performed well in a limited role for the Blazers when he averaged 12.2 points and shot 40 percent from the field in 27.9 minutes in 2010-11.

The acquisitions of Kirelinko and Roy pleased Minnesota management, however, their biggest target was swingman Nicolas Batum. The 23-year-old initially signed a four-year offer sheet to become a member of the Timberwolves, but Portland GM Neil Olshey did everything he could to retain his forward. Minnesota believed the Frenchman could have impacted their team the same way Luol Deng, Andre Iguodala, and Gerald Wallace do for their teams. In the end, Portland matched Minnesota’s offer sheet and signed Batum to a $46.5 million deal.

“We think he can earn the contract that he signed,” Olshey said of Batum to HoopsWorld.com. “He took the offer sheet route. That was his prerogative. His agent did a great job, got him an above-market value deal probably; but Nicolas is 23 years old. He’s a building block. He’s part of the [Blazers] foundation.

By spending so much time trying to acquire Batum, Minnesota squandered opportunities to acquire free agents Courtney Lee (Boston Celtics), O.J. Mayo (Dallas Mavericks), Ronnie Brewer (New York Knicks) and Jordan Hill (Los Angeles Lakers). Fortunately, the team was able to add three other players to their bench from the free agent and trade market, Dante Cunningham, Alexey Shved, and Greg Stiemsma.

The Boston Celtics relinquished their rights to Greg Stiemsma (54) earlier this month allowing the center to join Minnesota.

Cunningham, 25, was acquired last Tuesday from the Memphis Grizzles in exchange for guard Wayne Ellington. The 6-foot-8 forward will provide added depth to the frontcourt after the team lost Michael Beasley, Brad Miller, and Darko Milicic this off-season. Stiemsma, who will be introduced to the media on Thursday, agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Timberwolves to help Minnesota’s big men guard the basket. After playing alongside Kirelinko on CSKA Moscow, Shved will begin his NBA career playing for Minnesota with a three-year, $10 million contract. Kahn told reporters that his 6-foot-5, 160-pound guard will not be called upon to be a consistent producer for the team this upcoming season.

“When he arrives we can make him stronger, but there are other skinny players in our league who’ve been successful,” Kahn said to the Washington Post. “I have very high hopes for him.”

Although Kahn and the Timberwolves acquired five key new players this month, the team also said goodbye to some familiar faces as well. Beasley, Miller, Milicic, Wesley Johnson, and Wayne Ellington will not be found on the opening night roster. Besides Miller, the other four players, two of whom were T-Wolves first round draft picks, were thought to have underachieved during their time with the team.

Minnesota’s acquisitions may not have been the splashiest, they should be able to get this young Timberwolves squad at least an eighth seed in the 2013 playoffs. Minnesota missed the playoffs last season because of late season injuries to guards Luke Ridnour and Ricky Rubio, and their wing players’ lack of scoring ability. The Timberwolves should be one of the NBA’s elite offensive teams in 2012-13 if Roy, Kirlenko, Chase Budinger, and Derrick Williams play to their potential. Hopefully, for Minnesota’s sake, July’s acquisitions will do their part to help the team play late into April 2013 and hopefully longer.

News & Notes:

• According to TwinCities.com, Minnesota owner Glen Taylor has “sort of” found an unidentified investor that is willing to eventually take over controlling interest of the franchise. The team was valued by Forbes to be worth $239 million, but Taylor has not stated an official asking price.
• Roy’s contract is reportedly worth $10.4 million over the next two seasons. The second season is unguaranteed.
• Guard Malcolm Lee will give up the No. 3 for No. 8 so his new teammate, Roy, will be able to wear No. 3. The number is significant for the new Minnesota guard because he wore it while playing for Seattle’s Garfield High School and the University of Washington.
• Stiemsma, 26, was a rookie last year for the Celtics and averaged 2.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game in 55 appearances.
• Cunningham averaged 5.2 points and set career-highs in field goal percentage (51.6) and rebounds per game (3.8).
• Williams has reportedly lost 15 pounds in order to fit better into the small forward position. In order to earn playing time at the small forward position, Williams will have to stop settling for jump shots and three pointers, be more aggressive on the boards, and pound the ball inside.
• The Timberwolves are considering re-signing forward Anthony Tolliver. Last season, the 27-year-old averaged 4.1 points and 3 rebounds, but missed 30 games due to a wrist injury.

After Thursday night’s announcement that 2011-2012 NBA champion Miami Heat will host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Oct. 30, basketball fans can finally mark the beginning of the league’s 67th season on their calendars. For the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise, this season will be one of the most important in its 24 years of existence. The pressure is on this young team to reach the playoffs after showing a lot of promise for the majority of last season before fading into the shadows after star point guard Ricky Rubio tore his ACL. If the team fails to reach the playoffs, Kevin Love may be the next small market All-Star to publicly demand a trade.

“My patience is not high,” Love said in an interview with Yahoo Sports. “Would yours be, especially when I’m a big proponent of greatness surrounding itself with greatness?”

“I don’t know if we will blow up the team again, if I’ll be moved,” the T-Wolves 2008 first-round draft pick said. “I don’t know…But something has to happen in Minnesota.”

Timberwolves management has assembled a good amount of talented players this off-season, but how they will play together will be seen first in November.

Schedule Highlights

• Opening Night: Minnesota will host the Sacramento Kings at the Target Center on Friday, Nov. 2. The Wolves begin their season at home for 12th straight year. Last year, Minnesota lost to the 2011-2012 Western Conference Champion Oklahoma City Thunder at home, 104-100.

• First Nationally Televised Games: The Toronto Raptors (Sunday, Nov. 4) and Brooklyn Nets (Monday, Nov. 5) will host the Timberwolves for their first back-to-back road trip of the season. Both games will be aired on NBATV.

• Minnesota will play 14 times on national television, which is the most since the 2005-2006 season.

• Minnesota will play on NBATV eight times and three times each on TNT and on ESPN. The Timberwolves’ three games on TNT are the most they have played on the network since the team played six during the 2004-05 season.

• Televised games against 2012 playoff teams: Nov. 28 at LAC (NBATV), Dec. 20 vs. OKC (TNT), Jan. 17 vs. LAC (TNT), Feb. 1 vs. LAL (ESPN), Feb. 6 vs. SA (ESPN), Feb. 22 at OKC (ESPN), Feb. 28 vs. LAL (TNT), Mar. 4 vs. MIA (NBATV), Mar. 10 vs. DAL (NBATV).

• Roy’s “Rip City” Return: Brandon Roy, the Portland Trail Blazers’s former three-time All-Star guard, is expected to take his first steps onto the Rose Garden’s hardwood as a visiting player on Friday, Nov. 23. This game will also mark the first time Minnesota plays against Nicolas Batum since he spurned the Timberwolves’ offer sheet this summer to rejoin Portland.

• Longest stint on the road – two four-game trips: Nov 23-28 (POR, GS, SAC, LAC) and Jan. 9-14 (OKC, NO, SA, DAL).

• Longest homestand – six games: Jan. 30 – Feb. 8 (LAC, LAL, NO, POR, SA, NYK).

• Wolves play 22 back-to-backs. They will play zero back-to-back-to-backs.

• Minnesota will play each Western Conference team four times except Sacramento (3), L.A. Lakers (3), Memphis (2), and Houston (2).

• 52 games are against Western Conference teams compared to 30 games versus the Eastern Conference.

• Final regular season game: @ San Antonio on Wednesday, Apr. 17.

]]> http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2012/07/27/minnesota-timberwolves-2012-13-schedule-highlights/feed/ 1 http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2012/07/23/braves-roughed-up-by-nats-in-9-2-loss/ http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2012/07/23/braves-roughed-up-by-nats-in-9-2-loss/#comments Mon, 23 Jul 2012 04:16:00 +0000 Jourdan Shepard http://www.prosportsblogging.com/?p=86789
Ryan Zimmerman belted two home runs and brought in three runs in Sunday’s 9-2 win against the Atlanta Braves to secure first place for the Washington Nationals. Braves starter Jair Jurrjens (3-4) was knocked around by the Nationals lineup from his first pitch until relief pitcher Luis Avilan was called to the pitcher’s mound to [...]]]>

Ryan Zimmerman belted two home runs and brought in three runs in Sunday’s 9-2 win against the Atlanta Braves to secure first place for the Washington Nationals.

Braves starter Jair Jurrjens (3-4) was knocked around by the Nationals lineup from his first pitch until relief pitcher Luis Avilan was called to the pitcher’s mound to put a stop to Washington’s 6-0 lead. In 2 1/3 innings of work, Jurrjens allowed nine hits and six earned runs, and failed to record a strikeout. Most of the damage Jurrjens suffered was caused by Zimmerman’s two home runs and Danny Espinosa’s double that scored Michael Morse.

The former 13-game winner may have thrown his last pitch as a Braves starter for some time, because of growing speculation that he may be sent to the minors for Randall Delgado or be replaced in the rotation for Atlanta trade targets Ryan Dempster or Zack Grienke. In his first four starts since returning from a stint in the minors, Jurrjens looked promising and posted a 3-0 record with a 2.13 ERA. However, Jurrjens has recently given up 17 hits and 14 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings for a 22.24 ERA. Atlanta has also lost his past two starts by a combined score of 18-2.

“I hope so,” Jurrjens said in response to whether the Braves will keep him in the rotation. “It’s two bad starts. I know it’s really two ugly ones, but since I came up I’ve been really dependable. I hope they give me a chance to prove myself again.”

(AP Photo/Cliff Owen) Jair Jurrjens leaves the mound after a disappointing Sunday afternoon outing against the Washington Nationals.

Sunday was a great audition for Jurrjens, 26, to to secure his position on the pitching staff and raise the spirits in a locker room that is losing confidence in the backend of the rotation.

“We’ve struggled with our consistency because we’ve struggled at the end of our rotation, and you saw it today,” Chipper Jones, who went 5-for-13 with a home run and five RBIs in the series, told the AJC. “It’s a little demoralizing when you’re in a dogfight for the division and you’re constantly fighting from behind.”

Jurrjens’ counterpart, Ross Detwiler (5-3), had a completely different experience pitching on Sunday for the Nationals. Washington’s offense recorded double-digit hits for the third time in the series, and allowed Detwiler to pitch comfortably during his outing. The 26-year-old scattered seven hits and allowed two runs in seven innings to earn his first win since May 3.

“They’ve been playing the best in the division. To win the first two and to get a split out of here, I think if I was them I’d feel deflated,” Washington manager Davey Johnson told ESPN.

The Braves came into their four-game series against the NL East-leading Nationals hoping to close the distance between the clubs in the standings, but they leave Washington, D.C. behind 3 1/2 games after splitting the series. Atlanta will begin their next series in Florida to face the Miami Marlins, who are looking to avoid a season-high sixth straight loss. Although they may not have achieved first place in the NL East, the Braves are only behind the Pittsburgh Pirates a few percentage points for the NL Wild Card lead, and their next 10 games are against the Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies.

The Atlanta Braves avoid the franchise’s first-ever sweep at Turner Field to the San Francisco Giants with a 3-2 win despite being outhit 9-3.

Entering Thursday’s game, the Braves (50-41) were 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position in the series, and three of their four runs were home runs. All three of Atlanta’s runs on Thursday came in the first four innings thanks to Freddie Freeman, David Ross, and Michael Bourn.

After the Giants manufactured a 1-0 lead using three singles in the second inning, Freeman responded with a solo home run (13) to right field on the first pitch he was offered.

(Getty Images) Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves is congratulated by Brian Snitker after hitting a second-inning home run against the San Francisco Giants at Turner Field.

“I finally got my swing where I want it to be, since I have confidence in my hand and my eyes,” Freeman, who recently recovered from vision and finger problems, told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. “It’s taken me awhile, but we finally got there.

The Braves first baseman has recently caught fire at the plate in his last 23 games hitting .349 with five homers and 19 RBIs.

Bourn aided Atlanta’s offensive efforts in the third inning with a triple to deep left field that scored Paul Janish from second base to take the lead 2-1. Ross pushed the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run (5) that landed in centerfield.

“Freddie’s homer I thought was much bigger than mine,” Ross told the AP. “Coming off [Wednesday night's 11-inning loss], it was nice to get the momentum back early in the game.”

Braves starter Tim Hudson (8-4) needed only those three runs to sustain the lead until he handed the ball off to Eric O’Flaherty after 7 1/3 innings. Hudson was extremely efficient throughout his outing as he only threw 53 pitches in the first five innings of the game and finished with 95 pitches. Atlanta’s workhorse scattered eight hits and struck out three Giants, but Melky Cabrera and Pablo Sandoval scored on his watch. Craig Kimbrel closed the game with his NL-leading 28th save of the season and 20th in a row.

Despite winning the first two games of the series 9-0 and 9-4, the NL West-leading Giants (51-41) acknowledge that they have had difficulty providing consistent offensive support for their pitchers since the second half of the season began.

“Really, when you think about it, since we’ve gotten into the second half we’ve gotten some wins but we’re not clicking offensively,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy told the Associated Press (AP). ”We have to do a better job of getting runners in.”

Starter Madison Bumgarner (11-6), relief pitcher Clay Hensley, and Bochy could only watch their fellow Giants leave seven runners in scoring position on base compared to Atlanta’s two.

“We couldn’t get a timely hit,” Bochy told the AP. “That was the difference in the game.”

Bochy’s pitchers did all they could for eight innings to enhance the team’s chances of sweeping the Braves in Atlanta for the first time since 1988 when the teams played at the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The Giants’ lefty walked off of the mound after seven innings giving up only three hits and striking out eight Braves, but allowed three runs, two earned. Hensley pitched one inning of shutout ball and coerced Bourn to strike out swinging to end the eighth inning.

This Giants’ loss ends Bumgarner’s streak of seven straight decisions with a win, which began on May 26.

“I didn’t give up a lot of hits today so I felt good,” Bumgarner said. “The homers killed me.”

Atlanta will now head to Washington, D.C. for a four-game series against the N.L. East-leading Nationals, who are ahead of the Braves by 3 1/2 games. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez will send Tommy Hanson (10-5) to the mound, while Atlanta’s offense will take on Stephen Strasberg (10-4).

Newly acquired pitcher Ben Sheets pitched six shutout innings in his first outing in two years to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 6-1 victory against the New York Mets on Sunday at Turner Field.

(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Ben Sheets #30 of the Atlanta Braves pitches to the New York Mets.

Sheets (1-0), who was signed on July 1 to a minor league contract, threw 57 of 88 pitches for strikes, allowed two hits, and struck out five Mets while giving up one walk to help Atlanta complete their three-game series sweep of New York. The former 1999 first-round draft pick’s latest outing was his first start on a major league mound since he pitched in a 2-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on July 19, 2010 when he was a member of the Oakland A’s. The right-hander missed the entire 2011 season after recovering from surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon and torn elbow ligament.

The Mets started Johan Santana (6-6), who has not beaten the Braves since Sept. 2, 2010, for the first time since July 6 when he twisted his ankle covering first base in an 8-7 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Santana, 33, pitched well until the fifth inning when he got shelled for six runs. Michael Bourn led off the scoring by bringing in Matt Diaz on an RBI-double, but the biggest blow came from a three-run homer by Freddie Freeman (12) that landed 433 feet from home plate and in the right field seats.

In the minds of Santana, pitching coach Dan Warthen, and Mets manager Terry Collins, home plate umpire C.B. Buckner is to blame for Atlanta’s offensive explosion in the fifth inning. Buckner created a questionable strike zone and allowed a very late timeout to Bourn on a slider that appeared to be a strike. On the next pitch, Bourn brought in the first run of the game with a double to left field. These events ignited tirades from both Warthen and Collins.

Following Bourn’s at-bat, Warthen left the dugout to talk to Santana and also scream at Buckner. Warthen was quickly ejected, but did not leave the mound before sharing words with crew chief Dale Scott. Collins came out to the mound to break up the verbal confrontation and also to share his thoughts. After things continued to escalate, bench coach Bob Geren headed to the mound to finally cool things off.

(Photo: Dale Zanine/US Presswire) New York Mets manager Terry Collins takes up a heated argument with crew chief Dale Scott in the fifth inning.

After Santana recorded the final out of the inning, the Mets starter jawed at Buckner as he crossed the third baseline and walked into the dugout. Buckner signaled to the pitcher to cut it out.

After his June 1 no-hitter against St. Louis, Santana has won three of his last seven starts, recorded a 5.45 ERA, and allowed opposing batters to hit 11 home runs. Sunday was the first time since 2000, Santana’s rookie season, that the 11-year-veteran allowed six-plus runs in consecutive starts.

With this latest win, the Braves have won seven straight contests, taken a 5-4 season series lead against the Mets, and improved to a season-high 10 games over .500, 49-39. Atlanta will remain at home to face Barry Zito (7-6) and the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

New York has lost five of its last six games and will travel north to Washington D.C. to face the N.L. East division leaders, the Washington Nationals.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ most recent attempt to acquire restricted free agent Nicolas Batum from the Portland Trail Blazers has once again been halted due to personal reasons. According to various NBA reports, the Blazers refuse to part ways with the French forward because of lingering ill feelings both sides have developed for one another following a 2010 draft-night trade.

Two summers ago, the Blazers and T-Wolves agreed to a trade that sent Martell Webster to Minnesota in exchange for Ryan Gomes

Martell Webster all smiles in a Timberwolves uniform.

and the draft rights to Luke Babbitt, Minnesota’s 2010 first-round draft pick. A few months later, Minnesota’s newly acquired swingman was required to have back surgery to repair a bulging disk, an injury that Portland was aware of before the trade according to an NBA source. The two teams have been quietly at odds following Webster’s surgery and are working on an agreement to compensate Minnesota.

Webster, who played a total of 93 games in two seasons for Minnesota, was officially waived by the Timberwolves on Friday in order to clear $5 million worth of salary cap space for Batum’s offer sheet.

“All I can say is that I enjoyed my time in Minnesota a real joy I had there,” Webster tweeted. “Thank you so much for what you gave me Minneapolis.”

Minnesota said it ease up in compensatory negotiations if Portland allowed Batum to sign with the T-Wolves.

Batum attempting a three-point field goal against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Timberwolves have repeatedly tried over the past week and a half to acquire the Frenchman by offering three future first-round draft picks and Derrick Williams, the second overall pick in the 2011 draft. Batum reportedly wanted out of Portland as recently as last winter after Portland offered an extension that would pay him $5 million per year. If an agreement is not reached tonight, Minnesota is prepared to offer Batum a four-year, $46.4 million offer sheet on Sunday.

Timberwolves general manager David Kahn sees the versatile, defensive-minded swingman as a key piece that could help the team earn a playoff spot next season after he averaged 13.9 points and 4.9 rebounds last season.

“He very much is kind of a missing piece,” Kahn told The Washington Post. “We’re very hopeful that we can have him. But we understand what restricted free agency is.”

Minnesota and Kahn are doing as much as possible to acquire Batum. They amnestied Darko Milicic on Thursday and parted ways with Webster. The T-Wolves also traded center Brad Miller, who plans to retire, and two second-round draft picks to New Orleans. The Hornets will buy out Miller for $848,000 and receive Brooklyn’s 2013 pick and Minnesota’s 2016 pick.

It is also reported that Portland owner Paul Allen believes Minnesota is pursuing a vendetta against his franchise, and it started with the news of the Timberwolves’ recent two-year, $10 million contract agreement with Brandon Roy.

Roy, a former Blazers All-Star and 2006 first-round pick, retired following the 2011-12 season because of a degenerative knee issue. After Roy’s retirement, Portland expected an insurance policy to cover the 27-year-old’s remaining $49 million salary over the next three years. However, once the new Minnesota guard plays this upcoming season, Portland is required to pay Roy up to $17 million, according to ESPN.

If the T-Wolves do not acquire Batum they risk losing other free agent wing players, like Courtney Lee and O.J. Mayo, to the open market. Minnesota has also reached out to big men Greg Stiemsma and Jordan Hill to fill out their front court.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have reached an agreement with Russian national team member Alexey Shved, according to the Associated Press’ sources.

The 6-foot-6 combo guard reportedly met with Minnesota president of basketball operations David Kahn to finalize discussions, but contract terms have not been announced. Kahn and Wolves owner Glen Taylor were unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Shved averaged 10.6 points, 3.0 assists, and shot 48.7 percent from behind the arc in 21 Euro League games last season for CSKA Moscow. He was once regarded as a teenage prodigy early in his career, but he went undrafted two years ago after clashing with Ettore Messina, a highly-regarded Russian basketball coach. The guard regained his status after playing for CSKA and the Russian national team.

(Photo Reuters - July 6, 2012) Russia's Alexey Shved (R) goes for a basket against Angola's Divaldo Mbunga during their 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Caracas.

Signing Shved allows head coach Rick Adelman to slot the 23-year-old in either guard position because of his ability to create off the dribble and play off the ball. Shved also allows Ricky Rubio ample time to rehabilitate his left knee’s torn ACL since it is unclear whether he will be able to start the 2012-13 season. With Brandon Roy intending to sign with Minnesota and Rubio, J.J. Barea, and Luke Ridnour already on the Wolves’ roster, the addition of Shved may force future roster movements.

Minnesota has until July 17 to make use of their amnesty clause and the most likely target on the roster is Darko Milicic. Amnestying the center would free Minnesota of $5.2 million worth of cap space for next season and allow the team to focus on trading or buying out Martell Webster and Brad Miller.

Webster, a restricted free agent, will be playing for $5.7 million next season, however, only $600,00 is guaranteed. Miller announced his retirement at the end of the 2011-12 season, but he is due a $5.1 million qualifying offer.

Absolving Miller, Milicic, and Webster will save Minnesota approximately $15 million.

The NBA announced on Tuesday that the Minnesota Timberwolves and three other teams have been chosen to play in the first-ever NBA Canada Series in October.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic skies over the Detroit Pistons' Greg Monroe for a hook shot.

Along with the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and Toronto Raptors, the T-Wolves will participate in a two-game series during the preseason in the Great White North in two locations, Winnipeg and Montreal. Minnesota will take on the Pistons on Oct. 24 at 7:00 pm CT in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre. Montreal’s Bell Centre will host the Knicks vs. Raptors game on Oct. 19.

“We’re extremely excited to be a part of the first-ever NBA Canada Series,” Timberwolves President Chris Wright told NBA.com. “The NBA’s outreach into Canada displays the league’s commitment to expand basketball in the country and further demonstrates that this is truly a global game. We look forward to our trip up north.”

The Wolves played their first international preseason game in the Dominican Republic in 2002 before playing games in Istanbul and London in 2007 for NBA Europe Live. Minnesota traveled to Paris and back to London in 2010 for NBA Europe Live. The team has also played in Tokyo for the 1999 Regular Season Opening Games.

In addition to their game in Winnipeg, the T-Wolves will play two preseason games at the Target Center against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 13 and the Israeli club Maccabi Bazan Haifa on Oct. 16.