Sid Hartman:Taylor confident Sprewell will return - NBA

Some NBA experts say they wouldn't be surprised if the San Antonio Spurs tried
again to pick up Latrell Sprewell after losing out to the Wolves last year

Sprewell has an option to renew his contract, calling for $14.6 million for the
2004-2005 season.

Wolves owner Glen Taylor says he is confident Sprewell was happy playing here a
nd will return next season.

"He's our player right now, so he is assured of $14.6 million," Taylor said. "I
wouldn't think that he would want to play on a team unless it was a winning te
am. I think that cuts it down pretty much."

Sprewell will be 34 in September. So the question is: Would another team give h
im a multiyear contract at that age?

Taylor said he hasn't been in contact with Sprewell's agent, "but I'm just sayi
ng that he looks pretty happy. I would be surprised if he left us."

Trenton Hassell is a restricted free agent, which means the Wolves can try to m
eet any offer. Fred Hoiberg is a unrestricted free agent, but he is so happy he
re that it would be a complete shock if he left the Wolves.

"I just don't see a problem," Taylor said about signing Hoiberg and Hassell. "I
know all this stuff can change, but I just don't think those guys should be a
problem. We had a good run. Those guys were here."

Point guard Troy Hudson, who has a player option to remain with the Wolves, mig
ht be a different story. Hudson's option is for $2.7 million and his agent want
s to negotiate. So look for Hudson to declare himself a free agent in the next
day or two.

"I have been around the league too much and I want to remain here," Hudson said
last week.

Said Taylor: "We'd like [Hudson] to stay here. If he leaves us, then we've got
to use that mid-level exception for that point guard position. Even if we got h
im back, all we're doing then is offering him that. Then we've used up the mone
y. That seems kind of foolish on our part."

The only extra money the Wolves can spend on a player next year and stay under
the salary cap is the mid-level exception, which is $4 million to $5 million.

They would like to use that money to add a physical inside player such as Brad
Miller of the Kings.

Coach Flip Saunders always has wanted to carry three point guards, so don't be
surprised if Darrick Martin is signed to join Sam Cassell and Hudson.

Not expected back are Gary Trent and Oliver Miller. Cassell, Kevin Garnett, Mar
k Madsen, Ervin Johnson, Wally Szczerbiak, Ndudi Ebi and Michael Olowokandi are
signed for next year.

Taylor will pay about $15 million in luxury tax this year. With Garnett's salar
y decreasing from $28 million to $16 million next season, the luxury tax proble
m could be solved.

"I'm betting that I won't have to pay any [luxury tax]," Taylor said. "And ther
e's a good chance that there may not be one at all on anybody."

One thing about Taylor: He will spend the money to win like he did this year, w
hen the team lost $15 million.

Rest assured if Kevin McHale and company find the right player to help the Wolv
es win the whole thing, that man will be signed.

Jottings

The Twins definitely will take Gophers lefthander Glen Perkins if he is availab
le with the 22nd pick of the first round in the June 7 draft.

If Gophers women's basketball coach Pam Borton has talked about another college
job, as has been reported, it is news to Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi
, who would normally hear first from another college that would ask for permiss
ion. Borton is signed for two more years. Maturi hopes to reward her somehow, b
ut said there were limits to what he could do. . . . At the Big Ten meeting las
t week, the athletic directors talked about asking the NCAA to go back to 12 fo
otball games, the limit played a couple of years ago.

Members of the Wolves summer league team that will compete with several other N
BA teams in July will include 2003 Wolves first-and second-round draft choices,
Ebi and Rick Rickert; former Gopher Jerry Holman; Kirk Penney, who was in trai
ning camp with the Wolves last fall; former Texas Tech center Kasib Powell and
Rich Melzer, the former Wisconsin-River Falls forward. Former Gophers forward M
ichael Bauer worked out with the Wolves, but isn't likely to be a member of the
summer team.

The Gophers' home basketball game scheduled for this season with Bobby Knight's
Texas Tech team has been moved to the 2004-2005 season. . . . Gophers faculty
representative Richard Weinberg, who has been hailed for the great job he has d
one representing men's athletics in the conference, was honored Wednesday by be
ing presented with the "President's Award" one of the great awards given to sch
ool faculty.

Former Gophers wrestler Brock Lesnar has contributed $25,000 to the Gophers wre
stling program. As a thank you, wrestling coach J Robinson has named Monday's g
olf tournament at Miesville Country Club the Brock Lesnar golf tournament. For
information, call the Gophers wrestling office.

Former Gophers forward Quincy Lewis is back from an outstanding basketball seas
on in Spain and hopes to land a job in the NBA next season. . . . Dusty Rychart
had such a great season playing basketball in Australia that his agent, John W
olf, has negotiated a three-year contract calling for $450,000. . . . Wolf just
came back from Turkey, where he watched former North star Khalid El-Amin perfo
rm for Besiksata, where he was named the MVP in the Turkish Basketball League.
Wolf said if El-Amin isn't signed by an NBA team, he has an offer for El-Amin f
or $250,000 from a team in Italy.

The knee Gophers running back Marion Barber III injured in the spring game has
healed 100 percent. . . . Ernie Wheelwright IV, the outstanding Gophers wide re
ceiver from Columbus, Ohio, and the MVP in three Ohio high school all-star game
s, has improved his grades enough to be eligible to earn aid after paying his o
wn way his freshman year. Wheelwright should provide the Gophers with another o
utstanding receiver this fall.

Frankie Viola, the son of former Twins pitcher Frank Viola, will play for Alexa
ndria of the Northwoods League this summer. In fact, the senior Viola will be t
here to throw out the first ball June 6.

The Target Center had six big crowds with Blink 182 and Cypress Hill on May 18
and ending with the sold-out Timberwolves game the following Wednesday and the
sold-out Saturday game with the Lakers. . . . Former Twins third baseman Gary G
aetti is now a coach with New Orleans, a Class AAA farm team of the Astros.


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