If you believe Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, do not expect to see a trade involving Kevin Garnett any time soon.

There has been talk that Garnett may be available this offseason, backed up by the fact that Garnett appears to be growing increasingly impatient with the direction of the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Garnett, however, has never gone as far as requesting a trade.

"I do not see that as a possibility," Taylor said Wednesday night addressing a potential Garnett deal. "As I stand here, I just don't see a possibility that makes sense."

Garnett, according to the Associated Press, said after a recent game against the Knicks that he didn't want to go through another losing season.

However, he also said he had faith in Taylor to make the right moves in the offseason to turn around a team that will almost assuredly miss the playoffs for a second straight year after making the Western Conference finals in 2004.

"I don't want to go through this any more," Garnett said. "I think I'm more deserving of a better team and I think the city's more deserving of a better team, coming in here having something that's going to be competitive and having us getting back to the Western Conference finals."

"But I do know you just can't blink and it's going to happen; you have to actually spend the time and effort. So, we'll see."

Owner Glen Taylor has said Dwane Casey will be evaluated at the end of the season, per the usual team policy. That Taylor hasn't come out and said definitively that Casey will coach the team next season doesn't bother the coach.

"He's never said anything less than talking about next year and what we need to do to get better, to improve the situation," Casey said. "I don't need a vote of confidence. It's his prerogative. If he doesn't want me here tomorrow, it's his decision to clean house. If he feels that way, I'll thank him for the opportunity and keep going, but Glen has talked nothing but about what we want to do next year to get better and improve our situation."

The talk among those on the outside looking in has been less about the Bulls reaching the playoffs than the likelihood they'll package those picks and players currently on the roster for a stud along the lines of Kevin Garnett or Paul Pierce, or get younger still by taking two first-rounders.

A deal gets tougher to make the worse the Bulls' own draft pick is. The current Bulls, of course, would like to drop in the draft order by earning the privilege of being stomped on by Detroit in the first round of the playoffs.

On Monday, Kevin Garnett said the Timberwolves "should at least give me that," that being the chance to play on a team with a chance to win a title. He stopped short of asking for a trade and expressed confidence that Wolves owner Glen Taylor would do the right thing.

Wolves VP Kevin McHale, through a team spokesman, declined to comment. Taylor did not return phone messages.

Every time a Stephon Marbury team plays the Wolves, talk of a reunion with Kevin Garnett is brought up by the media.

"I've never been opposed to a reunion," Garnett said on Sunday, "but I've always let him know that I'm going to be in 'Sota; he's always let me know that he's going to be in New York. So I guess we got a problem."

"Playing back with Kevin, that would be something that would be talked about forever," said Marbury, who has been booed whenever he has faced the Timberwolves at the Target Center since being traded.

It took Kevin Garnett all of one minute to answer a Thursday morning question when a reporter asked him at shootaround if he ever thinks about playing in the New York-New Jersey area. "No," Garnett said. "Not at all."

Kevin Garnett agreed with some postgame sentiment late Tuesday that this group of Wolves needs more playing time together, probably a training camp. But Garnett wasn't about to leave it at that.

"But you've got to add some pieces onto it too, man," he said. "You just can't bring this team back. You've got to add some major pieces to it, and I think we'll be very solid for next year."

Moments later, he added: "You have to add pieces to a team and keep a core together. We've yet to have a core. I'm probably the only consistent thing that's been around here. ... I feel like the city doesn't really know the team. Hopefully, they'll take heed to what happened this year and fix that this summer."

Minnesota guard Trenton Hassell is listed as day to day with a sprained left ankle and sprained left knee suffered on a bad landing during Tuesday night's game against Miami, the Associated Press is reporting.

Hassell had X-rays Wednesday morning, which were normal, the team said. He also had an MRI, which confirmed the sprains.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor offered a vote of confidence for coach Dwane Casey on Sunday.

Taylor said during halftime of a 95-89 victory over Sacramento that snapped a seven-game losing streak that Casey would be evaluated at the end of the season, per the usual policy.

The Wolves are 27-39 in Casey's first season as an NBA head coach.

"You wouldn't even think about it until the year was over," Taylor said of a coaching change. "At this point, I'm supporting him and trying to help him as best we can. I still think he's a good coach. We've had a tough season. He's learning. I don't think he would deny that, with young guys and stuff like that."

Former Iowa State standout player Fred Hoiberg on Saturday said he would be interested in discussing coaching opportunities with the Cyclones.

Athletic director Jamie Pollard former Cyclone star Gary Thompson are searching for a replacement.

Hoiberg said he'd welcome a call about the job.

"I've always wanted to come back and coach at Iowa State," Hoiberg said. "Sure, I'd love to sit down and talk to Jamie Pollard and Gary Thompson and see what their plans are."