Ricky Rubio the most notable exception, the Timberwolves' draft years during the bygone David Kahn Era are littered with selections who played all too briefly in Minnesota, never at all or, depending on your perspective, far too long.

But there remains a flickering flame from a time that offered now long-ago-traded Jonny Flynn, Wesley Johnson, Derrick Williams, Wayne Ellington and Lazar Hayward to never-weres Henk Norel, Paulao Prestes and Tanguy Ngombo.

His name is Nemanja Bjelica, a second-round choice (35th overall) taken with a pick acquired from Washington by a 2010 draft-night trade.

Now matured and toughened four years later, Bjelica is aimed at the NBA perhaps as early as next season because of a breakout season he is having in Euroleague play and the hiring of a powerful American agent, Arn Tellem.

Last publicly seen in these parts in June 2010, Bjelica arrived in Minneapolis with newly selected Hayward and Johnson for an introductory news conference the day after the draft. Each held up his new Wolves jersey in the traditional pose for photographers, Bjelica on the left, Hayward in the middle, Johnson on the right.

Hayward long ago was traded away to Oklahoma City, brought back to the Wolves later on a 10-day contract and soon thereafter waived. The Wolves sent a first-round pick they still owe Phoenix just so the Suns would take Johnson's contract in July 2012.

The last hope from that year's draft is a 6-10 Serbian who's something of a point guard placed into a power forward's body.

A skilled playmaker who is a power forward of the stretch variety, Bjelica helped lead Serbia to the title game at last summer's FIBA World Cup in Spain, where his country took home a silver medal — its first such medal in world championship play since it was part of Yugoslavia — after it lost to Team USA.

He scored, for his Turkish club Fenerbahce Ulker, a buzzer-beating layup that defeated Rubio's former Barcelona team and is delivering the kind of season that has caught Wolves president of basketball operations/coach Flip Saunders' attention.

"He has proven it this year," Saunders said. "He has taken his game to another step up, to where he's ready to come over here. He has potential because he's 6-10 or 6-11, but he's very skilled. He's a guy we'll definitely follow."

Bjelica signed a three-year deal with his Turkish team in summer 2013 that includes a buyout clause not believed to be prohibitive if he wants to come to the NBA next season. Chicago last summer signed European prospect Nikola Mirotic to a three-year, $17 million deal, a contract that probably sets Bjelica's price at somewhere approaching $5 million a year, if not more.

The Wolves have deemed Bjelica not ready for the NBA until now, partly because Kevin Love was their power forward previously and then because Saunders did not foresee ample playing time on a team that had just traded for power forward Thaddeus Young and Anthony Bennett. Young's future is uncertain: This summer he can opt out of his contract's final year, due to pay him $9.7 million next season.

Bennett's future as the team's power forward of the future is no sure thing, either, judging by his uneven play this season.

"The only reason we haven't brought him over earlier is because of some of the veterans we have," Saunders said. "It wouldn't have benefited him here."

But last summer and this season in Turkish and Euroleague play is changing that opinion, whether the Wolves sign him to play with Rubio, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine or use his rights as a piece in a bigger trade.

"We've seen him and we'll continue to see him," said Saunders, who has had European scout Zarko Durisic see Bjelica play this season. "He wants to come over, he's ready to come over. We'll take another good look at him this spring."

Jerry Zgoda's short takes

New colors and new look for Love's new start

Even after these four months, Kevin Love's appearance in a Cleveland No. 0 jersey last week against the Timberwolves might still have struck some fans in these here parts odd.

Not so with some of Love's friends and peers around the NBA the first time they saw him wearing Cavaliers wine and gold.

"To be honest, it didn't," Oklahoma City superstar Kevin Durant said. "I don't know, I'm just glad he's out of the West. It didn't feel too awkward. Kevin has been a friend of mine since I was 14 years old. To see him out there playing as hard as he could … he's changing up his role. You can tell he's a pro. That's what pros do. They adapt. That's what he's doing over there in Cleveland. I'm happy to see his success."

Durant's Thunder teammate, Russell Westbrook, was slightly more succinct — as he tends to be — when asked about his former UCLA teammate.

"No, I mean, he found a new home," Westbrook said. "It's definitely not strange. He's all good."

Just putting the pieces together?

Love's Cavaliers have had an eight-game winning streak and are 18-11 after a 5-7 start, but they've also lost by 28 points at home to Atlanta, lost in LeBron James' return to Miami on Christmas Day and have left plenty of questions about their defensive tenacity, particularly now that veteran Anderson Varejao is out for the season with a torn Achilles' tendon.

"They're figuring it out, that's what new teams do," Durant said. "It happens. It's part of the process. I know fans and the media expect things to happen so quickly, but it's a marathon. That's how every player views this league. You want to get better at the right times."

Parting words

Love on his departure from Minnesota and his floundering former franchise: "Time heals all wounds. They'll be OK. I know it's tough right now. They have like a three-year plan. But they have a great coach, and they have a great, great solid foundation for the future."

Wolves' week ahead

Tuesday: 8 p.m. at Utah, FSN

Thursday: 7 p.m. vs. Sacramento, FSN

Saturday: 7 p.m. vs. Utah, FSN

Player to watch: DeMarcus Cousins, Kings

He averaged 26 points as well as 11 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals in his three games since returning from viral meningitis.

Voices

« I told him welcome back to the NBA. We've been missing him for about a week. »

Wolves guard Mo Williams on rookie Andrew Wiggins' 27-point night Tuesday against the team that traded him two months after it drafted him.