The Wolves' part in this Melodrama: They trade Corey Brewer to New York for third-year forward Anthony Randolph, Eddy Curry's expiring $11.2 million contract and $3 million cash from the Knicks.

The fine print: Curry is persona non grata for the Wolves. Expect him to be waived quickly at no cost after they get the Knicks' cash and swap Brewer's contract for Randolph's. The Wolves' presence, though, was crucial to the deal because by absorbing Curry's contract it saves Denver millions in luxury-tax penalties.

Why acquire Randolph, the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft? The Wolves have been interested since he was with Golden State last June, perhaps envisioning him as a Lamar Odom type in Kurt Rambis' system. He's 6-10-plus in his sneakers, has a 7-foot-3 wingspan, can play both forward spots and some center. He fits the Wolves' mold: Great skills, freakish athleticism and young (doesn't turn 22 until July), but there are questions about his motor, defense and strength. Like Michael Beasley and Darko Milicic, he's left-handed.

Why trade Brewer, the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft? The Wolves concluded he'll never shoot or handle the ball well enough to warrant a prominent wing spot on a contending team. They also apparently felt he wasn't the defender -- gambles too much, not great off the ball -- many Wolves fan thought he was. And he's set to become a restricted free agent.

The quote: "It'll be interesting to see how he handles the triangle. He seems more of an open-floor type, one-on-one type player, but I'm not the GM." -- Wolves forward Anthony Tolliver, who was Randolph's teammate in Golden State last season.

JERRY ZGODA