| The Timberwolves made their debut on
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| | place with a solid record of 50-32.
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| November 3, 1989 losing to the Seattle
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| | However, in the playoffs the Wolves fell
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| Super Sonics on the road 106-94. Five
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| | in the first round again losing to the
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| days later they would make their home
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| | Portland Trail Blazers in 4 games.
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| debut at the Metrodome losing to the
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| | Guard Malik Sealy was killed in a car
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| Chicago Bulls 96-84. Just two nights
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| | accident in the summer of 2000. Also in
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| later the Wolves would get their first
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| | that season, a free agent deal signed by
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| win, beating the Philadelphia 76ers at
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| | Joe Smith was voided by the NBA, who
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| home 125-118 on November 10th. The
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| | ruled that the Timberwolves violated
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| Timberwolves, led by Tony Campbell with
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| | proper procedure in signing the contract.
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| 23.2 ppg, went on to a 22-60 record,
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| | They stripped the T-Wolves of three draft
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| finishing in 6th place in the Midwest
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| | picks, fined them $3.5 million and
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| Division. Playing in the cavernous
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| | suspended general manager Kevin McHale
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| Metrodome, the expansion Timberwolves
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| | for one year. (Smith would eventually
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| drew over 1 million fans including the
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| | sign with the Detroit Pistons before
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| 3rd largest crowd in NBA history at
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| | re-signing with the T-wolves in 2001.)
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| 49,551 on April 17, 1990 that saw the
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| | Despite the trouble the Wolves made the
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| Timberwolves lose to the Denver Nuggets
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| | playoffs for the 5th straight season with
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| 99-88 in the final home game of the
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| | a 47-35 record. However, in the playoffs
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| season.
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| | the Wolves were eliminated in the first
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| The next season the team moved into the
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| | round again by the San Antonio Spurs in 4
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| Target Center and won 29 games. They
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| | games in the spring of 2001.
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| fired their head coach Bill Musselman.
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| | 2002-2003 seemed to look up for the
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| Over the next several years, the
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| | Wolves. Kevin Garnett had a great season,
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| franchise encountered mediocrity and even
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| | finishing 2nd in MVP voting while
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| a near relocation in 1994 before NBA
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| | averaging a solid 23.0 ppg and 13.4
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| owners rejected the team's move to New
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| | rebounds per game as the Timberwolves
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| Orleans. Glen Taylor bought the team and
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| | finish in 3rd place with a 51-31 record.
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| named Kevin McHale general manager.
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| | With home court advantage for the first
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| Building a Contender In 1995, the
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| | time facing the three-time defending
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| Timberwolves selected Kevin Garnett in
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| | champion Los Angeles Lakers. After being
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| the draft, and Flip Saunders became
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| | blown out at home in Game 1 the
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| coach. Christian Laettner was traded
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| | Timberwolves had a chance to take a 3-1
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| along with Sean Rooks to the Atlanta
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| | series lead as they led heading into the
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| Hawks for Andrew Lang and Spud Webb.
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| | 4th quarter of Game 4 in Los Angeles.
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| Also, first round pick Donyell Marshall
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| | However, the Lakers came back to win the
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| was traded the previous season for Golden
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| | game on the way to winning the series in
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| State Warriors' forward Tom Gugliotta,
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| | six games, as the Timberwolves were
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| who was earlier traded himself from
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| | eliminated in the first round for the 7th
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| Washington for Chris Webber. These trades
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| | straight year.
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| paved the way for rookie Kevin Garnett to
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| | In 2003, the Timberwolves made two
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| become the go-to player inside. Garnett
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| | stunning offseason moves, trading away
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| went on to average 10.4 ppg in his rookie
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| | forward Joe Smith and injured guard
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| season as the T-Wolves finished in 5th
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| | Terrell Brandon in a multi-player deal
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| place in the Midwest Division, with a
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| | for Ervin Johnson, Sam Cassell and
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| 26-56 record.
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| | embattled guard Latrell Sprewell.
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| In 1996, the T-Wolves added another star
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| | During the 2003-04 NBA season, the
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| player in the draft, swapping Ray Allen
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| | Timberwolves became the team everyone
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| to the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to
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| | wanted to beat. They finished as the
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| Stephon Marbury, the 4th overall pick.
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| | season as the top seed in the Western
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| The addition of Marbury had a positive
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| | Conference with a record of 58-24, and
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| effect on the entire team, as Kevin
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| | beat the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento
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| Garnett and Tom Gugliotta became the
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| | Kings in the first two rounds of the NBA
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| first Wolves to be selected to the
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| | playoffs before losing to the Lakers in
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| All-Star team. Gugliotta and Garnett led
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| | the Western Conference finals. Kevin
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| the Timberwolves in scoring as the team
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| | Garnett finally earned his first MVP
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| made the playoffs for the first time in
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| | award with 24.2 points per game and 13.9
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| franchise history with a record of 40-42.
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| | rebounds per game.
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| However, in the playoffs the Timberwolves
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| | In the 2004-05 season, the Wolves kept
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| made a quick exit as they were swept by
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| | the same team from the previous season.
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| the Houston Rockets in 3 straight games.
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| | The team was plagued with contract
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| The T-Wolves also decided to change their
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| | disputes and the complaining of key
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| image by changing their team logo and
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| | players Latrell Sprewell, Sam Cassell,
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| colors, adding black to the team colors
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| | and Troy Hudson. Coach Flip Saunders was
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| and replacing the original logo with a
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| | replaced in midseason by GM Kevin McHale,
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| logo featuring a snarling wolf looming
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| | who took over the team for the rest of
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| over a field of trees. While at the time
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| | the season. The Timberwolves finished
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| the new logo was roundly criticized in
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| | 44-38, and missed the playoffs for the
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| the Twin Cities sports media, its
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| | first time in eight years.
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| appearance accompanied a much improved
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| | During the 2005 Offseason, Kevin McHale
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| product on the court, so criticism was
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| | and the Wolves started their search for a
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| relatively short-lived.
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| | head coach. McHale interviewed Seattle
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| In 1997 Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury
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| | assistant coach Dwane Casey, San Antonio
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| established themselves as two of the
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| | Spurs assistant P.J. Carlesimo, former
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| brightest rising stars in the NBA.
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| | coach John Lucas and Wolves assistants
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| Garnett averaged 18.5 ppg and 9.6
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| | Randy Wittman, Sidney Lowe and Jerry
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| rebounds per game, while Marbury averaged
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| | Sichting, among others.
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| 17.7 ppg and dished out 8.6 assists per
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| | On June 17, 2005, the Timberwolves hired
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| game. Despite losing leading scorer Tom
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| | Dwane Casey as the new head coach. This
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| Gugliotta for half the season the
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| | will be Casey's first head coaching job.
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| Timberwolves went on to post their first
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| | He will be the Wolves' 7th head coach in
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| winning season at 45-37 making the
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| | their 16-year history.
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| playoffs for the 2nd straight season.
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| | In the 2005 Draft, the Timberwolves
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| After dropping Game 1 on the road to the
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| | selected Rashad McCants, a shooting guard
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| Seattle Supersonics in the playoffs the
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| | from North Carolina with the 14th overall
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| Timberwolves earned their first
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| | pick of the 1st round. The Timberwolves
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| postseason win in Game 2 winning in
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| | also selected Bracey Wright, a guard from
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| Seattle 98-93. As the series shifted to
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| | Indiana with the 17th pick of the 2nd
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| Minnesota the Timberwolves had an
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| | round (47th overall).
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| opportunity to pull off the upset as they
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| | During the offseason, they traded
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| won Game 3 by a score of 98-90. However,
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| | All-Star Sam Cassell and a protected
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| the Wolves dropped Game 4 at home as the
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| | future first round draft pick to the Los
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| Sonics went on to win the series in 5
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| | Angeles Clippers for Marko Jaric and
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| games.
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| | Lionel Chalmers. They also signed free
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| In 1998, a year after signing Kevin
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| | agent Nikoloz Tskitishvili.
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| Garnett to an unprecedented 6-year, $126
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| | On January 26, 2006 the Wolves traded
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| million contract, the Timberwolves were
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| | forward Wally Szczerbiak, centers Dwayne
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| used as the poster child of irresponsible
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| | Jones and Michael Olowokandi, and a
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| spending as the NBA endured a 4-month
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| | future first-round draft pick to the
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| lockout that wiped out the season. With
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| | Boston Celtics. In return they received
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| an already cap heavy payroll the Wolves
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| | forward/guard Ricky Davis, center Mark
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| were forced to let Tom Gugliotta walk
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| | Blount, forward Justin Reed, guard Marcus
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| away and trade Stephon Marbury fearing
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| | Banks, and two second round draft picks.
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| both would seek deals similar to
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| | In a separate trade on the same day, the
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| Garnett's. In the 3-team midseason deal
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| | Timberwolves traded Nikoloz Tskitishvili
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| that sent Marbury to the New Jersey Nets
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| | to the Phoenix Suns for a 2006
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| the Wolves got Terrell Brandon in return.
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| | Second-Round Draft Pick. Television
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| The Wolves made the playoffs for the 3rd
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| | broadcasters for the Minnesota
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| straight season by finishing in 4th place
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| | Timberwolves are Tom Hanneman and Jim
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| with a 25-25 record. In the playoffs the
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| | Peterson. Chad Hartman is the voice of
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| Timberwolves were beaten by the San
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| | the Wolves on radio station KFAN.
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| Antonio Spurs in 4 games.
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| | The Timberwolves selected Brandon Roy
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| In 1999, the Timberwolves drafted Wally
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| | with the 6th pick in the 2006 NBA draft.
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| Szczerbiak. He had a solid season
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| | They then traded him to the Portland
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| finishing 3rd on the team in scoring with
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| | Trail Blazers for Randy Foye and cash.
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| 11.6 ppg. Led by Kevin Garnett, who
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| | They also selected Craig Smith with the
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| averaged 22.9 ppg and 11.8 rebounds per
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| | 36th pick, Bobby Jones with the 37th
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| game, the Timberwolves enjoyed their
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| | pick, and center Loukas Mavrokefalidis
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| first 50-win season finishing in 3rd
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| | with the 57th pick.
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