As expected, Brewer, Love get extensions

The Wolves exercised team options on Corey Brewer and Kevin Love but declined to offer Oleksiy Pecherov another year.

By JERRY ZGODA, Star Tribune

Last update: November 3, 2009 - 6:44 AM

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LOS ANGELES - The Timberwolves on Monday made a $3.7 million wager on third-year guard Corey Brewer's promise, his surgically repaired knee and an often iffy jump shot.

Wolves boss David Kahn exercised team options for the 2010-11 season on Brewer and second-year forward Kevin Love and declined to do so on third-year forward Oleksiy Pecherov.

Love's $3.6 million extension was certain, Pecherov's $2.3 million extension unlikely. Brewer's was the one that took some thought, and perhaps some faith.

Kahn said he extended Love and Brewer because he is convinced both players desire to be great. He did so also because he said Brewer will become a better shooter, the shortcoming in his game thus far.

"I do," Kahn said. "Not today. It'd be way too premature to suggest that he will ever become a natural shooter or prolific shooter. But as he and I have discussed very candidly, he has to become a reliable shooter in this league or he won't play."

Kahn waited until Monday's NBA deadline and informed all three players on the same day.

"I didn't really think about it," Brewer said. "It was either going to happen or it wasn't going to happen. I'm happy it happened, though. It's always good to know you have a guaranteed job. I like being here and I want to be a Timberwolf.

"I felt I needed to prove I could still play, because I didn't play for a whole year and the rookie year I had wasn't very good."

Waiting game

Kahn said he explained his decision to Pecherov on Monday because he didn't want him to be "discouraged" by it. Pecherov will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, when the team could still re-sign him.

"I'm not upset, not at all," Pecherov said. "I want to be here. Right now, it's just this season, which I'm going to be excited for. We'll see what's going to happen next summer. It's a long time from now."

Welcome home

Wolves coach Kurt Rambis returned to Staples Center for a game for the first time since he left the Lakers last summer.

"It's good to be home, it's good to sleep in my own bed, it's good to see the sunshine," he said. "I did have to ask somebody where the visitors' locker room was. I did not know where it was."

Spectator

Love this month will miss two games in Los Angeles (where he played his college ball at UCLA) and both games this season at Portland (his hometown) while his fractured hand heals.

"It's ironic how it happened these first three, four weeks," said Love, who is traveling with the team. "There's always next year, now that I have my contract extension."