Barcelona's number one goal is to sign Marcelinho Huertas, but they could turn back to Ricky Rubio if they are unsuccessful.

Huertas wants to join Barcelona and has a deal in place with them, but Caja Laboral holds his rights and the decision is ultimately up to the team.

If Rubio re-signs with Barcelona, he would return to the NBA as soon as a lockout is resolved.

Darko Milicic would seem to be a good candidate to look for a contract in one of Europe’s top leagues. But, with three years left on his Timberwolves contract, that’s not happening.

“We're no exploring it,” Milicic’s agent, Marc Cornstein, told Sporting News on Wednesday. “Because he is under contract, because he has three years left, it’s a totally different scenario than for some other players who are free agents.”

Milicic, who is still only 26, averaged 8.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks last season, and started all 69 games he played for Minnesota, his fifth NBA team.

He will not be playing for Serbia in this summer’s EuroBasket tournament, and though he is not currently considering a spot with a European team, he hasn’t entirely ruled it out.

Timberwolves All-Star Kevin Love has been involved in the team's search for a new coach.

“I have definitely been asked by David Kahn what I thought about the situation, and I gave my two cents,” Love said in an interview with The Big Lead on Tuesday. “I told them I think we need a coach to help us grow and win in tough situations and learn how to win. A guy who is going to be able to work with young guys and go through the growing pains to help us become a better team. There were a few names thrown out to me prior to the interview process, and they’ve all interviewed so far.”

Love said the Timberwolves, who are reportedly interested in Bernie Bickerstaff, Rick Adelman, Don Nelson, and Larry Brown, would need to hire a coach prepared to coach an uptempo style of play.

“We’re going to be a team that wants to run and be up-tempo,” Love said. “And we want to play hard-nosed defense. We’re going to make mistakes, and hopefully he can work with us [while we're] making mistakes and growing over time.”

Former Houston coach Rick Adelman discussed the Timberwolves coaching job with President of Basketball Operations David Kahn at some length by telephone last weekend but didn't visit Minnesota as scheduled, according to sources with knowledge of the team's search to replace the fired Kurt Rambis.

He is among a list of candidates that include Don Nelson, Bernie Bickerstaff, Mike Woodson and Terry Porter. All four interviewed in person with Kahn, owner Glen Taylor and in some cases the team's minority owners last week.

The Wolves also are expected to interview Larry Brown and perhaps one or two other coaches in this first phase of interviewing.

Ricky Rubio is preparing for the EuroBasket while at the same time gearing up for a life-altering move from his native country to the United States, where he will begin his NBA career with the Minnesota Timberwolves once the lockout is resolved.

A man who has already collected an Olympic silver medal, a European gold, ACB and Euroleague honours and played in a FIBA World Championship is not phased by much, and he is trying to bring his usual calm to this latest adventure.

"I approach it with more hope than fear, and with great respect for things," he said.

"I have a huge desire to live this experience, both on the court and off it. I have never moved house before. I have never had that change. I want to have that change of culture, though I don't want to lose the connection to family that I have."

Rubio can expect the changes to be big, both on and off the court.

"I think it will be physically harder than Europe - I will need to do more weights," he said of the NBA's playing style.

After interviewing Rick Adelman and Don Nelson over the weekend, the Timberwolves intend to interview Larry Brown and possibly one or two others in this first phase to replace fired coach Kurt Rambis.

When the Wolves will interview Brown, who has coached teams to both NBA and NCAA titles, is uncertain because of a recent death in his family, according to a league source with knowledge of the team's search.

If they do, they will have interviewed two coaches among the top six all time in NBA career victories. Nelson is No. 1 with 1,335. Brown is No. 6 with 1,098.

The Wolves so far have interviewed Bernie Bickerstaff, Terry Porter, Mike Woodson, Adelman and Nelson.

According to league sources, former Houston coach Rick Adelman will be the fourth candidate to interview with the Wolves when he comes to town tomorrow to see David Kahn and owner Glen Taylor.

Adelman has known Kevin Love for years and his hiring would be a big step toward convincing Love to sign a long-term contract extension.

Love and Adelman's son played on the same Lake Oswego, Ore., high school team and Adelman saw nearly every game Love played during his senior season.

Portland assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff will interview with Minnesota on Friday for their open head-coaching position. He is the third candidate to interview this week, after former Phoenix Suns head coach Terry Porter and former Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Woodson.

Bickerstaff has extensive head-coaching experience, with stops in Denver, Seattle, Washington and Charlotte over the last twenty years.

Derrick Williams, who the Minnesota Timberwolves selected with the second overall pick in last month’s NBA Draft, has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Under Armour.

The move is another indication of Under Armour’s aggressive move into the basketball market, as the Baltimore-based athletic apparel and shoe brand two weeks ago announced a marketing deal with Bobcats rookie Kemba Walker.

The company also counts Bucks guard Brandon Jennings and Grizzlies guard Grievis Vasquez among its NBA endorsers.

The Minnesota Timberwolves laid off at least 11 business side employees on Tuesday, many of them in the sales department, as the effects of the NBA lockout start to sink in across the league.

A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press of the moves. The person requested anonymity because the Timberwolves are not discussing personnel matters.

So far, the basketball side of the operations have been spared, with president of basketball operations David Kahn bringing in Mike Woodson on Tuesday to interview for the head coaching opening.