Blake Stepp, the Gonzaga superstar who saw a dominant regular season get washed away by a dismal performance in the NCAA tournament, was taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves as the 59th pick overall.

Minnesota could be a good fit for Stepp as he likes to run, and can hit the open shot.  ?The Mayor? Fred Hoiberg has done well with the Timberwolves, giving hope to the phenom from the Northwest who boasts a similar style of play.

Paul Ladewski is among the many who believe Wally Szczerbiak should be a Chicago Bull. Why? The Timberwolves don't seem to need him and he's the type of player Paxson would love.

Paxson has inquired about Al Harrington, the Indiana Pacers forward. The question is, is Harrington a sixth man, or is he a starter? With Jermaine O'Neal at less than full health in the Eastern Conference finals, Harrington had the chance to show his stuff but was a large disappointment. Either way, he would be an upgrade over Chandler and Davis at power forward.

What would Szczerbiak bring here? A pure shooter and potential gate attraction. When was the last time the Bulls had either one of them? Have Hinrich deliver the ball to Wally World on the wing, and I bet the one-time All-Star becomes an instant 20-point scorer.

Sam Cassell had surgery Tuesday to repair torn cartilage in his hip, and his agent said the Minnesota Timberwolves point guard will recover in plenty of time for training camp.

Cassell's agent, Charles Tucker, said letting the hip heal on its own was an option. But they decided to get it taken care of now.

"Because he's got so many skills, he'll still be able to be play strong for five years," Tucker said Tuesday by phone, shortly after the two left the hospital.

"It's like having a rock in your shoe. You can move the rock around where it can feel better, but the problem is you've still got a rock in your shoe. Once you take the rock out of your shoe, then you can be sure that it won't get you at a certain time."

After nine weeks of sorting through candidates and hunting for the right fit, the Toronto Raptors have picked Rob Babcock to be their new general manager.

Rob Babcock was the vice-president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves.  He will replace Glen Grunwald.

Babcock was one of Toronto's original candidates and is expected to be introduced as early as Monday.

The Raptors? brass reportedly met with Julius Erving for nearly three hours on Thursday night in Toronto but then made the call to pick Babcock.

The Raptors had interviewed five candidates for the post.  Both Babcock and the Nuggets? Jeff Weltman were brought back for a second session with Toronto?s ownership.

Then the process slowed down and the Raptors began to take criticism for their lack of focus and speed in the search.

Babcock has close ties with Jack McCloskey, the man who has been serving as the Raptors? interim GM.

"He's got plenty of hands-on experience," said one person with knowledge of Babcock's work history. "He's a good guy, too."

There is concern among Raptor ownership about Vince Carter?s reaction to the decision.  Carter was close with Erving and had expressed a preference for Dr. J to get the job.

Along with Carter?s reaction, Babcock will have his hands full and his schedule packed.  The Draft is right around the corner on June 24, and he will need to decide who will be the head coach of his new team.

The summer has officially begun for the Timberwolves with point guard Troy Hudson has opting out of the final year of his contract to test free agency.

Hudson's agent Bill Neff said he informed Wolves general manager and vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale of the expected decision Wednesday.

"It doesn't preclude us from going back [to Minnesota]," Neff said.

A Timberwolves spokesman said team officials weren't available for comment.

"If they're aggressive with him, they have a shot," Neff said.

The San Antonio Spurs may try again to pick up Latrell Sprewell after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs.

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

Wolves? owner Glen Taylor says he is confident Sprewell was happy in Minnesota and 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 team. I think that cuts it down pretty much."

Sprewell will be 34 in September so there is doubt about whether a team would offer him a multi-year deal this off-season.

Among Larry Bird, Joe Dumars, Mitch Kupchak and Kevin McHale, there are enough championship rings to fit 10 different fingers.  

These elite NBA champions are now running the four teams that advanced to the conference finals ? the Pacers, Pistons, Lakers and Timberwolves, respectively.
     
Why?  Because the NBA is different from other leagues, where complicated and distinct facets of the game, such as the NFL?s complex defensive schemes, make GM-ing in those sports an impossible task without specialized knowledge and experience.  

Dan Marino quit twenty days into the job as head of the Miami Dolphins football operations.  But in the NBA, ex-All Stars are having success, and the trend toward hiring them to run teams is growing.  

Most aspects of the game are interchangeable and from point guards to centers, if you know one position, you know them all.  Plus these legends demand instant respect among their players, a rare commodity in today?s climate of very young, very unproven talent earning millions of dollars.