Regardless of whether or not the Wolves make the playoffs, Randy Wittman will definitely be back as head coach next season, according to team owner Glen Taylor.
Wittman is the third coach the Wolves have had since Flip Saunders was fired two years ago.
Taylor said he is not in the mood to change coaches for a while.
"Randy had a three-year contract as an assistant coach to assist [fired coach Dwane] Casey when he came back from Orlando," Taylor said. "I redid his contract, paying him a bonus now that he is a head coach."
The Timberwolves struggled on Sunday to beat the Boston Celtics, who now have lost 18 consecutive games, winning on a last-second shot by Ricky Davis.
Taylor said the team's erratic play continues to be a puzzle.
"I can't see how we beat a team like Phoenix and then continue our inconsistent ways" he said.
At the present, he added, there are no deals cooking to improve the team.
On another subject, Taylor said the buyout of Eddie Griffin's contract is now in the hands of lawyers, and will take some time to resolve. But Griffin will not be brought back to the team.
Twins open wallet
Twins owner Carl Pohlad was on the phone Sunday congratulating Joe Mauer on signing a four-year contract that will pay the catcher $33 million over four years, with some incentive bonuses that could increase his pay.
Mauer's signing was possible because Pohlad has given General Manager Terry Ryan permission to increase the payroll to $70 million.
Meanwhile, Mark Pieper, the agent for first baseman Justin Morneau, has turned down a deal similar to Mauer's. For now, Morneau will be paid $4.5 million for this season, a deal he agreed to earlier this month. Because of a difference in service time, Morneau can't become a free agent until after the 2010 season while Mauer could have become free a year earlier.
And just a reminder for those who campaigned for the Twins to draft pitcher Mark Prior instead of Mauer back in 2001: The injury-plagued Prior might start in the minor leagues this season.
While excited about Mauer's signing, Pohlad said he was shocked when he was first informed that there's a chance the new ballpark might not be built because of the outrageous demands of the landowners of the site near Target Center.
"It is going to be very difficult to compete with other franchises if we don't get the stadium deal done," said Pohlad, who couldn't understand how a ballpark deal could progress so far without control of the land.
He made it clear he wasn't going to add to the $100 million the club is contributing to the project.
Payroll jumps
sports
resize text 
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters
