Wolves work out Whiteside

The Wolves' search to fill their final two roster spots has brought free-agent center Hassan Whiteside to Target Center this afternoon for a workout.

The former second-round pick was released in July by Sacramento. The Wolves sent a scout to Houston to watch him play last week and now have brought him to Minneapolis in their search for another center, preferably one with some length and athleticism to complement Nikola Pekovic and Greg Steimsma.

He worked out with David Kahn, R.J. Adelman and Rob Babcock looking on.

Whiteside, 23, has played just 111 minutes in 19 career NBA games over the last two years.

That's partly because of knee and ankle injuries, partly because he's a thin 7-footer who has shot-blocking potential but little clue yet about how to play the NBA game.

Here's a HoopsWorld video interview done with him on Tuesday in Houston before he left for Minnesota and his Wolves workout.

Certainly, he's a project, but at this point the Wolves' options are limited.

They're almost right at the salary cap, so right now can only offer a league minimum contract to such players as Anthony Tolliver and Mehmet Okur unless they make a trade to clear salary from their current books.

Tolliver's agent continues to talk with Kahn and four other teams. Agent Larry Fox said Tolliver would like to return to Minnesota, but said he isn't waiting on the Wolves. But the other interested teams also aren't in position right now to offer Tolliver the kind of deal he is seeking, which is more than the minimum.

Tolliver is scheduled to return from China tomorrow after a trip there not to look for basketball employment but rather to visit manufacturers for some of his business interests.

"There's enough love in the NBA," Fox said. "Anthony will find the right place."

Training camp opens Oct. 2 in Mankato and players will be arriving these next couple weeks to work out together before camp officially begins.

Brandon Roy and Malcolm Lee already are in town and Chase Budinger tweeted this morning he was leaving San Diego, presumably on his way to his new home.

Before newcomers Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved get here, they will participate next week in the NBA's first Basketball Without Borders -- the league's outreach program with FIBA to grow the game globally -- ever held in Russia.

Wolves player development coach David Adelman also will participate in the three-day event in Moscow that also will include Denver's Timofey Mozgov and others.