Gary Payton, along with Sam Cassell and Jason Caffey, are due to appear in a Canadian court on Monday to face assault charges stemming from an incident outside a Toronto strip club, according to court documents obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in April 2003 after a Bucks/Raptors game with Payton being charged with one count of aggravated assault causing bodily harm and two counts of simple assault.

Cassell, who now plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, is charged with two counts of simple assault, while Caffey, a free agent, faces one count of simple assault.

The Timberwolves expect Jim Stack to remain general manager. The Knicks reportedly have had interest in Stack. Knicks President Isiah Thomas is an old friend of Stack who brought him to Indiana when Thomas was coach.

Minnesota did hire Chapman, former Suns director of basketball operations, as a consultant for Tuesday's draft. Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale said Chapman will assist him in evaluating talent and that he's in negotiations with Stack on a contract extension.

Former Phoenix Suns' director of basketball operations and a 12 year NBA veteran Rex Chapman is set to join the Timberwolves' franchise as its General Manager. Chapman will serve as team vice-president, Kevin McHale's top assistant.

Chapman resigned from his position with the Suns less than two weeks ago in what he said to have been a "mutual decision."

He appears to have received a ringing endorsement from a former teammate of McHale's and current Celtics' vice-president Denny Ainge, who coached Chapman in Phoenix.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg said he will have heart surgery Tuesday at the Mayo Clinic to correct an enlarged aortic root.

Hoiberg told the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Friday that he should be able to play again, but he will consider retiring if his condition is life threatening.

"My world has been turned upside down,'' Hoiberg told the newspaper. "That's when priorities get set.''

The technical diagnosis is an aortic root aneurysm. That means there is a bulge in the root, where the artery meets the heart's aortic valve. He started getting hints of a problem in January and went to the Mayo Clinic, where he was diagnosed.

The 32-year-old played the entire 2004-05 season with the condition.

"Had I taken a significant blow to that area, it could have caused a rupture,'' Hoiberg said.

"I think back to last year, how disappointing it was for us not to make the playoffs. But for me personally, it probably was a blessing we didn't make the playoffs," he said.

Hoiberg said he has been told a full recovery is expected and should be back on the floor in three months. He said he is confident he can play three or four more years if everything heals correctly.

Minnesota Timberwolves vice president Kevin McHale has said that his program will be very busy this summer.

"We plan on doing a lot in free agency,'' McHale said.

They might be over the salary cap, but that will not stop them from trying to make a few upgrades this off-season.

When the free agent market opens July 1, McHale said he expects the few teams with cap space left to "eat up the Joe Johnsons and the Ray Allens,'' two of the marquee players who could be available.

Several sources confirmed that ousted Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders is the early favorite for the now open head coaching job with the Milwaukee Bucks.

If hired, Saunders would replace Terry Porter whose recent surprise firing shocked the NBA world.

Saunders was let go from the Minnesota Timberwolves toward the end of the season.  In 2003-04, he led the team to the Western Conference finals and a 58-24 record.
 
Bucks general manager Larry Harris would not comment about Saunders or any other potential candidates for the job on Wednesday.

"There are quality candidates, certainly," Harris said.

Dwane Casey will be officially introduced as Minnesota Timberwolves coach at a news conference Friday afternoon, NBA coaching sources have told ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

The Timberwolves would not confirm the report, but Stein reported Wednesday that the Wolves had commenced contract negotiations with Casey after offering their vacant coaching job to the longtime Seattle SuperSonics assistant earlier in the week.

Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale denied the report Thursday.

Casey, San Antonio Spurs assistant P.J. Carlesimo were the main finalists for the job. Stein reported Wednesday that Wolves star Kevin Garnett also had interest in playing for deposed Cleveland coach Paul Silas.

McHale has been looking for a coach to turn around a team that tumbled out of the playoffs this season after being in the Western Conference finals in 2004.

Minnesota Timberwolves is denying reports that the T-Wolves head coaching job has been offered to Seattle assistant Dwayne Casey.

"We haven't offered the job to anybody," said McHale, vice president of basketball operations. "Unless I missed it, and usually I'm involved in that, so we haven't got to that point, yet."

The T-Wolves are also in the process of extending the contract of general manager Jim Stack.

"Well you've hired five coaches so far," McHale said to a group of reporters, referring to several speculative reports this offseason. "You guys haven't been right yet, why would you be right right now?"

The Minnesota Timberwolves are currently negotiating with Seattle Supersonics longtime assistant coach Dwayne Casey after offering him the head coaching position.

According to NBA coaching sources, Casey beat out current San Antonio Spurs assistant P.J. Carlesimo for the job.

Casey is also a finalist for the Portland job and may still be available if the negotiations between him and the Timberwolves do not go as planned.

It has not been confirmed as to whether Latrell Spreewell's presence on the Minnesota roster influnced managment's decesion to choose Casey over Carlesimo.

On Tuesday, rumors began to fly that Sonics associate head coach Dwane Casey was about to be offered the Minnesota Timberwolves head coaching position.

Wolves owner Glen Taylor said the team will pick a new head coach by the end of the week.

So, is it going to be Dwane Casey?

Well, if it is, the Wolves are not saying much for now.

"Kevin McHale, Wolves vice president of basketball operations, denied that Casey had received an offer. "No," McHale said. "No."

Said Taylor, reached at his Mankato home: "I probably can't say anything."

Asked if the reported job offer was incorrect, Taylor said: "I choose not to comment."