MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Timberwolves signed guard Darrick Martin to a 10-day contract on Friday.

This is Martin's third stint with the Wolves. He has played in 399 NBA games over five seasons with Minnesota, Vancouver, the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento and Dallas. Martin has averaged eight points, 1.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game.

His best season came in 1996-97, when he averaged 10.9 points and 4.1 assists with the Clippers.

This year, Martin played 20 games in the CBA with Yakima and Sioux Falls, averaging 18.3 points and 7.3 assists.

The Wolves were looking for some relief in the backcourt this week after backup point guard Troy Hudson reaggravated a sprained right ankle that has sidelined him for much of the season.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Sam Cassell has spent his career putting the ball in the hands of big scorers whose gaudy stats earned them All-Star appearances.

Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen all were beneficiaries of Cassell's play at point guard during stints with Houston and Milwaukee.

Now with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cassell's 11-season wait for an invitation to the All-Star game might finally be over.

Kevin Garnett is putting up double-doubles at his regular clip. Latrell Sprewell added a spark. But it's Cassell's leadership and stats that might be most instrumental to Minnesota entering Tuesday with the NBA's best record (31-12).

Players around the league know how good he is. But All-Stars are picked by fans and coaches.

``My peers don't have an opportunity to vote,'' Cassell said. ``They tell me: 'You an All-Star.'''

At 34, Cassell is playing some of his best basketball. He's making the most of his minutes in a banged-up backcourt, averaging a career-high 21.1 points and 7.5 assists.

He's also been fantastic in the clutch, shooting 55.2 percent in the fourth quarter over the last 30 games.

``All you have to do is follow his stats,'' Garnett said. ``He's been doing it in Houston, in the finals, in Milwaukee, wherever he's been.''

For his career, Cassell's averages are more than 16 points and six assists in 705 games. He's been to the conference finals three times and won two NBA championship rings with the Rockets in the 1990s.

``I always thought Sam was an All-Star-caliber player,'' said former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, whose lobbying made Cassell the 24th pick in the 1993 draft. ``He wanted the big plays.''

Cassell began his NBA career by backing up Kenny Smith and helping turn Houston into ``Clutch City'' with championships in 1994 and 1995.

In 1996, he was traded to Phoenix in a deal that sent Charles Barkley to Houston _ Tomjanovich said it was one of the most painful phone calls he's ever made. The Suns quickly dealt Cassell to Dallas for Jason Kidd. And after only two months, the Mavericks sent him to New Jersey.

Cassell spent two seasons with the Nets before being traded to Milwaukee in 1998. That's where he became part of his first ``Big Three'' with Robinson and Allen. All three were prolific scorers, but coach George Karl repeatedly criticized them for a lack of leadership and defensive effort.

Last summer, Cassell was traded to the Wolves along with Ervin Johnson. Sprewell was added a few weeks later, and a new ``Big Three'' _ along with Garnett _ was formed.

``Other than Tim Hardaway, he's probably the best point guard I've ever played with by far,'' Sprewell said. ``It's just nice to have somebody out there that can make shots.''

And Cassell is not afraid to take them.

``I don't mind missing the big shots,'' Cassell said. ``I don't mind you guys crowding around and killing me. ... 'Cause I'm going to tell you I'm going to take it again the next night.''

Sprewell drew the most attention when he arrived in Minnesota. But Cassell has been the more consistent scoring option behind Garnett, whose Wolves have lost in the first round of the playoffs for an NBA-record seven straight years.

Besides his scoring, Cassell also brings a swagger to the backcourt. The 6-foot-3 guard doesn't hesitate to drive the lane against big men, and he loves talking trash.

He's never been shy around the referees either. His sarcastic grin after a whistle is as much a part of his game as his soft, mid-range jumper.

``He's just always yapping,'' Tomjanovich said.

Most players who've been in the league 10 years already are past their prime. Cassell, apparently, is still getting better.

``His energy level looks really good,'' Tomjanovich said. ``The guy takes care of his body in the summer. He's a smart veteran.''

Wolves coach Flip Saunders, who'll coach the Western All-Stars this year, recently completed a letter campaign urging Western Conference coaches to vote Cassell to the roster as a reserve. The NBA will announced the results of the balloting on Feb. 3.

Cassell insists he only cares about leading the Wolves deep into the playoffs.

``I'm going to have fun no matter what,'' he said. ``If I make it, I make it. If I don't, I don't.''

On Thursday, Minnesota TimberWolves Owner Glen Taylor squashed rumors that injured forward Wally Szczerbiak was being shopped around

"He's a key part of this team and our future," Taylor said. "It's unfortunate he was hurt, but when he comes back, all of us are going to love him, because he's got that outside shot, and with the other players on this team, he should be even more important to us."

Timberwolves guard Troy Hudson (Sprained right ankle) practiced on Sunday and could play in today's game against New Orleans.

"It felt good today," Hudson said Sunday of the right ankle he severely sprained Oct. 23. "It's still a little sore, but it's at the point where I can still make my moves, use my quickness better than I could last time I tried to come back."

Hudson will be a game-time decision but he does expect to play.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Timberwolves signed free-agent guard Anthony Goldwire to a second 10-day contract Saturday.

Goldwire, who signed his first 10-day contract with the Timberwolves on Jan. 7, came to Minnesota from the CBA's Yakima Sun Kings.

In four games with the Wolves, Goldwire averaged 2 points, 2 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 11.8 minutes. He averaged 21.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 22 games with Yakima this season.

With a final and definitive buzzzzz of the doctor's saw, the last in a series of walking casts that have immobilized Wally Szczerbiak's left foot and his 2003-04 season fell away Thursday morning.

The Timberwolves' absent swingman wiggled his toes, flexed the foot, stood up and, though he didn't dare, felt as if he could jump for joy. A happy dance? Out of the question, especially with Mark Madsen in charge of that department now.

So Szczerbiak drove home, stepped out of his vehicle and marveled anew at how great it felt to feel . . . nothing.

"When I got out of the car, I could actually walk. It didn't tighten up when I was sitting there," Szczerbiak said from his home in Minneapolis, the pain gone (at least at that moment) from his strained plantar fascia muscle. His fifth NBA season still hasn't officially begun because of the foot injury that limited him to one preseason game. "It's just nice to be able to walk normally again," he said.

Now the big question: Is Szczerbiak going to have to tip-toe his way back onto the Wolves?

"That's going to be up to the coaches," Szczerbiak said. "I don't think they're going to allow the apple cart to get disrupted. It's going to be my job to adjust to how the team is going. The team isn't going to change for any one guy. It's up to us to fit ourselves back in."

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Timberwolves signed free agent guard Anthony Goldwire to a 10-day contract Wednesday and waived guard Keith McLeod.

Goldwire averaged 21.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 22 games with the Yakima Sun Kings of the CBA this year. Last season, he averaged 1.7 points and 5.7 minutes in 15 games with the San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards.

McLeod averaged 2.7 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 11.8 minutes in 33 games this season.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Still bothered by a strained right calf, Shaquille O'Neal was not in uniform for the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.

It was the second consecutive game O'Neal missed since sustaining the injury at Seattle on Friday. He arrived at Target Center with the team, but wasn't on the bench when the game began.

Coach Phil Jackson was asked if he was hopeful O'Neal could play in at least one of the Lakers' back-to-back road games. Los Angeles plays at Denver on Wednesday night.

``Hope is a long word ... I'm not hopeful,'' Jackson said.

Another of the Lakers' top foursome, Karl Malone, is on the injured list with a sprained right knee.

Forward Rick Fox, who's been out since having surgery on his left foot last May, is nearing a return.

``He's close to being back as a player, but he's not close to being back as an NBA player yet,'' Jackson said.

Could Oliver Miller and Keith McLeod be getting cut by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the next few days?

It seems like it is a possibility.

Saturday is the deadline for players with non-guaranteed contracts to be guaranteed for the season or waived but because Saturday doesn't as an official business day and it takes 48 hours to care waivers, it is possible that one or both of the two is waived to delay a decision on whether to guarantee their deals.

"Asked if teams ever waive such players, then sign them back on consecutive 10-day deals to delay the decision to guarantee, (head coach) Saunders said: "That's been done. . . . That's the business side of it."