Kevin McHale, vice president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves, said there is nothing to a story carried this week in the Journal News of Westchester, N.Y. It reported that the Wolves are involved in a three-team trade and could wind up with Jason Kidd of the Nets and Kurt Thomas of the Knicks in exchange for Wally Szczerbiak, Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson.

The story said the Knicks would send Thomas to the Nets and end up with Szczerbiak and New Jersey's Aaron Williams. The Knicks would also wind up with the Wolves' Cassell and Johnson.

Kidd, coming off knee surgery, has $90 million left on a $103 million contract he signed last summer.

However, while McHale wouldn't confirm it, other NBA sources report that the Wolves did have a strong interest in a deal for Kidd, but the Nets had no interest in dealing him.

'The Nets' interest in trading Jason Kidd has moved the Knicks closer to exchanging Kurt Thomas for Wally Szczerbiak, according to several NBA sources.'

In this scenario; the Knicks wouls send Kurt Thomas to the Nets and receive Wally Szczerbiak and Aaron Williams.

The Nets would get Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson with Thomas.

The Timberwolves are the team trying to get this done. Isiah Thomas also wouldn't mind having Wally Szczerbiak.

'Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has charged his GM, Kevin McHale, to acquire Kidd, according to an NBA executive involved in the talks, and the Nets' All-Star point guard has told management he would accept a trade to Minnesota. With Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles jettisoned in the purge ordered by new owner Bruce Ratner, and with the Nets staring at a series of bleak lame-duck seasons in the Meadowlands before moving to Brooklyn, Kidd wants out in the worst way.'

"But is anyone willing to take him and the $90 million after knee surgery?" said one NBA executive with knowledge of the talks. "I wouldn't buy a racehorse that couldn't run, even if it was the greatest racehorse of all time."

'To take on Szczerbiak and Williams, the Knicks would have to rid themselves of another salary in addition to Thomas'. Isiah Thomas is hoping against hope to convince someone to take Moochie Norris or Shandon Anderson off his hands.'

The Portland Trail Blazers aren't the only team discussing a Jason Kidd trade, as the Minnesota Timberwolves have thrown their chips at Rod Thorn.

Latrell Sprewell and Wally Szczerbiak would be included in the package for Kidd.

While Kidd, 31, desperately wants out of the dismantling Nets, he's determined to find his way to a championship contender. For that reason alone, the chance to unite with Kevin Garnett makes the Timberwolves a far more attractive destination than Portland. The Blazers and Nets have held discussions about a Kidd for Abdur-Rahim trade, but "nothing is near imminent," one source familiar with the negotiations said.

Other teams Kidd would want to play for are Dallas, the Lakers, San Antonio and Sacramento.

Thorn has long been intrigued with the Blazers' No. 1 draft pick in 2004, Coney Island high school star Sebastian Telfair, and ownership would love to have him in a Nets' uniform once the team moves to a new downtown arena in Brooklyn. Nevertheless, sources said, the Blazers are reluctant to trade Telfair, believing the most appealing scenario would be to let the teenage point guard learn as an understudy to Kidd.

"This has to make sense for us," Thorn said. "Jason would like to play for a team considered a contender to win a championship. If you look at our needs, they're at power forward, and if Jason doesn't play for us, at point guard."

Sprewell and Szczerbiak are small forwards, positions that don't address Thorn's desire to bring back replacements for power forward Martin and Kidd. Still, Sprewell and Szczerbiak could be important pieces of a package, if a third team could be lured into the conversations.

"If Jason was a free agent right now, would anybody out there give him $90 million?" one Western Conference official asked Wednesday. "The luxury tax in the fifth year of his deal at $20 million a season is going to be a killer for a capped-out team."

As a result of their first extended run into the NBA playoffs, mixed with the dynamic ability of point-forward Kevin Garnett, the Minnesota Timberwolves have seen a corporate sales increase of 20 percent.

TV and radio advertising, publications, promotions, and signage are at about $15 million and rising.  The lower bowl of the Target Center is also completely sold out for the first time in five years.

Now with the fans and the money in place, all eyes in Minnesota will be on the T-Wolves to make another serious run at an NBA title in 2005.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor still believes there is a chance of landing Karl Malone in Minnesota.  Karl Malone has stated that he wants to spend his 20th NBA season playing for a contender in hopes of obtaining his first championship ring.  

Says owner Glen Taylor, "I think that he wants to pick a team where he'll have more fun. That's why I want to meet with him. I think that he will like our team effort.

Other teams courting Malone include long shots Miami and Boston, and heavyweights Dallas and San Antonio.  At the moment the Spurs are considered the leading contender for the aging veterans services.

Last season Danny Ainge was the first GM to inquire with Karl Malone about his desire to leave Utah.  Malone of course went to the Lakers where he and Payton believed they would surely win NBA championships.

Now Malone is a free-agent again and the Celtics could be an unexpected destination.

The Celtics have let Malone know that they want him and would love to have him.  He would be able to play as many or as few minutes as he wants.  They can still pay him the MLE of about $5 million.  They have Gary Payton, who is Malone's partner in crime on their championship quest.

Free-agent guard Jon Barry is seeking a two year contract from the Minnesota Timberwolves, but they are only offering a one year deal.  Barry's options have diminished this past week as the Denver Nuggets will sign Greg Buckner.

There are a host of contender teams lobbying for Karl Malone, but it seems more and more likely that he will remaing with the Los Angeles Lakers.  

Shaquille O'Neal has actively recruited the Mailman, but an O'Neal associate said it was the center's belief that Malone eventually would elect to return to the Lakers. That possibility appears even stronger now that Malone's children have been enrolled in schools in suburban Los Angeles.

The Heat and Spurs can both offer him the NBA minimum of $1.1 million for the coming season. The Lakers could offer slightly more, while it appears increasingly likely that the Timberwolves are not to a factor.

Confident that he will regain 100 percent effectiveness on the court after two months of rehabilitation on his surgically repaired right knee, Karl Malone must now decide where he wants to play his 20th season.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was supposed to meet with Malone after his return from the Athens Games, however has yet to do so.

"I realize what coach Pop is going through," Malone said. "He stepped back and let me do my thing, and I'm going to do the same with him. When the time is appropriate, we will talk. I don't want anyone to think I'm stringing anyone along.

"If coach Pop calls today and says, 'We need to know something today,' out of respect for them I'll give them a decision. But I don't think they'd do it like that

The Timberwolves are also interested in Malone and rumors had coach Flip Saunders and Kevin Garnett paying the Mailman a visit.  There is now speculation, however, that the proposed visit was just that, a rumor.

The Minnesota Timberwolves rewarded two longtime executives with promotions today, hoping to solidify their business presence in their market and make the team as profitable as it is talented on the hardwood.

Team President Rob Moor was promoted to chief executive officer for both the Timberwolves and WNBA Minnesota Lynx. Moor enters his 11th season with the franchise.

To fill Moor's former position, owner Glen Taylor elevated Chris Wright to team president. Wright, a native of England, previously served as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Wright enters his 15th season with the Timberwolves.

"I'm excited and thankful for the tremendous opportunity to lead this championship-caliber organization, which includes such talented people as Kevin McHale, Flip Saunders and the best player on the planet, Kevin Garnett," Wright said. "One of my primary focuses will be to ensure that our organization is committed to the Fans First philosophy that we have in place. It is paramount that our patrons have the absolute best experience they can have when they come to a Timberwolves or Lynx game, or when they interact in any way with our organization. Our customers must remain at the center of everything that we do."