No surprise except at maybe the timing, but...

The Wolves today announced they have waived the three-time All Star guard, ending their brief and failed experiment with him after just five games played last season.

Incoming president of basketball operations Flip Saunders wiped away the whole glorious BRoy era -- waiving the former superstar with bad knees while also clearing buddies Will Conroy and Steve Gordon from the scouting payroll -- in his first full week on the job this week after he replaced David Kahn last week.

Why waive him now rather than keep his contract -- which has one more non-guaranteed year at $5 million plus -- on the books in case they can use it in a bigger trade?

Obviously, Flip concluded that it had little or no value.

The Wolves signed Roy last summer to a two-year, $10 million-plus deal after they "won" the free-agent sweepstakes for him.

He also had discussions with such teams as Dallas, Chicago, Golden State and Indiana, but signed with the Wolves after Kahn, owner Glen Taylor, coach Rick Adelman and the team's athletic trainer flew to Seattle to woo him. They also later brought pal Conroy to training camp and kept him on the team early in the season before waiving him and bringing him back in a special-assignment scouting position.

Roy, 28, stayed healthy through training camp, but played just those five games early in the season before needing yet another knee procedure and never played again, even though he kept saying he intended to return to action.