Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said he continues to support Kevin McHale, the team's vice president of basketball operations, through what has been a difficult season on the court for the franchise.

McHale has drawn criticism for the Wolves' 24-31 record this season and a series of personnel moves that haven't sparked the team toward a run at the playoffs.

"He has my confidence because I've worked with him all these years," Taylor said.

imberwolves forward Kevin Garnett was fined $5,000 by the NBA on Monday for throwing a basketball into the stands in a win over Memphis.

Garnett accidentally hit a fan when he tossed the ball away in the third quarter Sunday. He was reacting in frustration after being called for an offensive foul, and was ejected from the game.

Medical personnel examined the fan, who was wheeled from the court on a gurney to boos and later walked with his family and arena personnel to a back room. His condition wasn't immediately available, although he appeared to be uninjured.

Garnett said Sunday that he didn't intend to throw the ball into the stands, but was trying to get a delay-of-game call.

"By no means was I trying to hit a fan," he said.

Ricky Davis was also fined $5,000 by the NBA for kicking a basketball into the stands in a loss to Denver on Friday.

Wolves superstar Kevin Garnett was ejected during the third quarter of Minnesota's home game against Memphis after tossing the ball into the stands, inadvertently hitting a fan in the face.

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the fan received medical attention and a chorus of apologies from Garnett and team officials after the game.

Garnett said he was frustrated with a foul called against him with 8:20 remaining in the quarter as he tried to make a steal against Pau Gasol. Less than a minute later, Garnett received a technical foul from official Bob Delaney and was ejected.

"I thought the call that was before that was sort of a cheap call," Garnett said. "I just came down and was frustrated. By no means was I trying to hit a fan. If anything, I was trying to get a delay of game. Unfortunately, that happened. I apologized to the little girl and her father."

Garnett said he was surprised by the ejection, though NBA rules stipulate a player must be ejected if he throws a ball into the stands.

"I wasn't trying to put it in the stands," he said. "It was one of them delay-of-game kind of tosses. I didn't know if it passes a certain mark and it goes into the seats that you get ejected. I felt like (expletive) after that because I hurt my team. I should have had a little more control than that."

Garnett continued: "I just tossed it. I really didn't even look at where I tossed it, I was so (expletive) mad."

"He just kind of took the ball and swung it like that, but it wasn't real hard," said St. Paul resident Kevin Zenk, who was seated behind the man who was hit and said he was a witness. "It just caught the gentleman in front of me just to the right of his nose in the face. He had a little girl next to him, and (the ball) didn't touch the little girl at all."

Fans booed the man as he was wheeled away from the court.

"He overreacted, in all of our view," Zenk said. "I kind of figured the Oscars were next week, but I don't know if the nominations are all in. He played it up."

Dwane Casey wasn't pleased with a story in Friday's New York Daily News that mentioned that New York Knicks President Isiah Thomas, according to "several league sources," is planning to make a run at acquiring Wolves forward Kevin Garnett.

"Whoever it is in the papers talking about trading for our guy, it's as close to tampering as you can get," Casey said. "But you can't prove anything. I'm sure New York can't control it just like we can't control what you guys may talk about. It's not good when you talk about trading our star player, the face of our franchise."

Shawn Marion started hearing a rumor last week that he would be traded for Minnesota's Kevin Garnett. He got calls to the point that he wondered whether it was true.

"It's frustrating," Marion said. "Me being in the situation how I am and how I approach this game and what I do for this team, it's frustrating just to hear that. It's always my name.

"Even though (Suns staffers) came and told me I wasn't going to be traded, I had to approach them first. I didn't like that."

"Shawn Marion's not going anywhere," D'Antoni said. "Arguably, he's a MVP candidate. Oh, yeah, let's trade him. That'd be stupid."

Earlier this season Minnesota coach Dwayne Casey came out and said there would be no trades, and then the next day Wally Szczerbiak and Michael Olowonkandi were wearing Celtics green.  Could it be a case of d?j? vu for the Wolves?

"There are a lot of phone calls going back and forth between the teams and different people, but there's nothing that's going to happen or close to happening," Casey said.

"I don't know if there's anything out there right now that's really going to help us improve our team that much," he said. "Our No. 1 thing is developing these guys, jelling these guys, (and to) keep working."

With four point guards and a number of teams on the lookout for someone at that position, there is a chance something may be struck.  One player who believes he?s a potential candidate to be dealt is former starter Marko Jaric, who is still bitter about his benching.

'Definitely I am a candidate," to be traded, Jaric said after Wednesday's practice. "If you don't play for the last two weeks and you go from the starting lineup to not playing ? as much as people say they want you here, something's wrong, obviously."

Asked if any deals might be in the works for Jaric, his agent, Bill Duffy, said merely, "No."

Executives and personnel experts around the league questioned the odd coupling of Stephon Marubry and Steve Francis, and said Larry Brown was not in favor and suggested yesterday's deal was part of a risky long-term strategy by Isiah Thomas to trade for superstar Minnesota forward Kevin Garnett this summer.

One NBA general manager said Thomas sold Knicks owner James Dolan on a strategy to stockpile as many marketable assets as possible to make a play for Garnett, who has grown increasingly restless with the Timberwolves, who now might be ready to consider trading him.

Brown is said to have favored trading Hardaway's contract to Portland for center Theo Ratliff and small forward Darius Miles to fill the Knicks' need for more defense, rebounding and shot-blocking. But Thomas gambled on Francis, a strategy that could blow up in his face if Minnesota refuses to trade Garnett.

"Isiah has put a lot of talented players on their roster, but it remains to be seen if they fit together," the NBA GM said. "Chemistry is important. The Knicks have a lot of firepower, but Larry likes to play defense. Francis doesn't seem like his type. Larry wants hard-nosed players."

Dime Magazine reported on Wednesday night that they have been hearing that the Lakers are making a late push for Kevin Garnett.

Any such scenario would likely include Lamar Odom, who has been having a disappointing season, as well as young center Andrew Bynum.

Gregg Popovich had a good relationship with Latrell Sprewell when both were in Golden State. When the Spurs discussed trying to trade for Sprewell three summers ago, assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said he would have no problem reuniting with the player who choked him.

"He's a fantastic competitor," Popovich said. "We've talked about him, and he's somebody I've thought about for a long time. But at this point we're not sure if taking on another person even makes sense or if he'd even be willing to do something like that."

Tim Thomas also is a possible player that the Spurs can sign if he is bought out by Chicago.

The Knicks also reportedly have talked to the Timberwolves about exchanging Quentin Richardson, who rarely plays, for Marko Jaric, currently pouting after losing his starting spot to Marcus Banks.