MINNEAPOLIS -- Tom Gugliotta finally made up his mind Saturday, allowing Joe Smith and the Minnesota Timberwolves to move on.
After two days of confusion and one more round of discussions with Wolves owner Glen Taylor, Gugliotta decided to leave Minnesota for Phoenix and a six-year contract worth about $60 million, about $27 million less than he could have had in Minnesota.That baffled the Wolves, who gave Gugliotta a chance to revive his career four years ago and then made the biggest contract offer anyone in the NBA could have just two weeks ago.
"This whole thing has been confusing, not only for us but I'm sure for him," coach Flip Saunders said.
And for Smith, too.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 draft, Smith agreed Friday to a relatively paltry one-year, $1.75 million contract in exchange for his own chance to re-establish himself as one of the NBA's bright young players. But he put off signing the deal -- "Joe said, 'Let's everybody wait,"' Kevin McHale said -- until he was certain there was no chance of Gugliotta staying put.
"It was a relief, but going by their word I kind of forgot about (Gugliotta's situation)," Smith said. "I'm just trying to focus on getting better here and not worrying about who was coming back. I just had to make sure I was comfortable here."
Smith still hadn't officially signed even after participating in some drills during both practices Saturday. But McHale, Minnesota's vice president of basketball operations, said the contract was "on the fax as we speak" after the night workout concluded. He guaranteed that Smith would play for the Wolves this season.
Taylor talked Saturday with Gugliotta and his agent, Richard Howell, who had wanted the Wolves to help his client find an option other than Phoenix. Neither Taylor nor Howell returned telephone messages Saturday.
Still, the hand-wringing over who would play power forward in Minnesota -- Gugliotta, Smith or both -- apparently was resolved. That left the Wolves with one of the most improved teams in the league despite the loss of Gugliotta, who was an All-Star two seasons ago before a foot injury cut his season in half a year ago.
The addition of Smith, Malik Sealy, Dean Garrett and Bobby Jackson has given Minnesota more talent, more depth and more speed than they had last May, when they nearly knocked off Seattle in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs without Gugliotta.