Here are some of the top items on the Wolves' to-do list now that owners and players have agreed on a new labor deal:
1. Hire assistant coaches: The Wolves now finally will officially fill new coach Rick Adelman's staff. The list: Former Milwaukee and Phoenix coach Terry Porter, the former Wolves guard who played for Adelman in Portland and interviewed for the head coaching job in July as well as Adelman's former Houston assistants Jack Sikma and T.R. Dunn, former Portland assistant Bill Bayno and Adelman's son, David. Son R.J. will assume a front-office player personnel position.
2. Sign draft picks Derrick Williams and Malcolm Lee: It's a formality since both players' salaries basically will be determined by the new collective bargaining agreement.
3. Wheel and deal: A wild free-agency period will begin same day training camps open, Dec. 9. We'll see how much the new system will help smaller-market teams. Unrestricted free agent Tyson Chandler laments it might prevent him from re-signing with NBA champion Dallas, but it gives the Wolves a fighting chance to sign an athletic starting center and an influential veteran. Adelman wants a dependable veteran badly. Unrestricted free agent Shane Battier played for him in Houston and fits the description perfectly. The Wolves have plenty of combo forwards but don't have anything approaching a leader like that.
4. Organize training camp: They will have two weeks rather than a month to prepare.
5. Play preseason games: They will probably play at least two games -- not eight -- in a home-and-home series (Milwaukee most likely)
JERRY ZGODA.