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On Tuesday, the two sides reached agreement on a multiyear deal to make that happen.
The unrestricted free agent agreed to return for a second season with the Timberwolves, who acquired him from Boston in the Kevin Garnett trade last summer and gave him his biggest chance yet to prove he belongs in the NBA.
The former lottery pick of Portland was billed as the latest point guard extraordinaire from New York City, the one who would take the torch from Stephon Marbury and join a star-studded group that includes the likes of Kenny Anderson, Mark Jackson, Kenny Smith and Lenny Wilkens.
Telfair was the subject of a hit documentary before he even left high school and signed a big shoe deal before he ever played a minute in the NBA. But Telfair had difficulty acclimating to the NBA game and staying out of trouble off the court during stints with the Blazers and Celtics.
When Randy Foye went down with a knee injury in the preseason last year, Telfair was thrust into the starting role with the Timberwolves and emerged as a capable game manager. He averaged a career-high 32.2 minutes and 5.9 assists per game to go along with 9.3 points just 1.85 turnovers.
Telfair ranked 10th in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio, but missed 22 games with assorted injuries.
McHale could have made Telfair a restricted free agent by offering him a qualifying offer, but didn’t want to risk paying the $3.5 million price tag that would have brought with it had Telfair taken a one-year deal.
So Telfair became an unrestricted free agent, meaning the Timberwolves did not have the right to match an offer made by another team. But McHale said all along that he wanted Telfair to return, and the point guard agreed to the terms of a new deal on Tuesday.
The Star Tribune of Minneapolis first reported the deal and a news conference was scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Telfair’s agent, Andy Miller, told The Associated Press that his client “is looking forward to contributing to bringing the Timberwolves back to the playoffs.”
The move gives the Wolves some much-needed depth at point guard. Randy Foye is the only other true point guard on the roster and the Timberwolves traded the versatile, but underperforming, Marko Jaric to Memphis on draft night.
Foye is healthy again and will assume the starter’s role, with Telfair the first and only real option off the bench at this point.
