AN UNEVEN TRADE http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/14081916.htm Last summer's deal between the Wolves and Clippers so far has worked in the favor of Los Angeles, which appears playoff-bound with Sam Cassell's help. It doesn't take long to mull over the greatest trades in Los Angeles Clippers history. Snickering aside, though, the Clippers' acquisition of Sam Cassell from the Timberwolves ranks near the top. Cassell's playmaking and leadership has the Clippers headed to a winning record for just the second time since they moved to Los Angeles in 1984. So it's no wonder that general manager Elgin Baylor believes he made the right move last summer by sending point guard Marko Jaric to the Wolves in exchange for Cassell and a conditional first-round draft pick to boot. "It was a terrific trade," Baylor said. "I wouldn't say it was our best trade ever. I don't want to say that, because we traded for (Elton) Brand and we traded for Ron Harper. But, yeah, it has worked out well. It has been a great trade, but you have to see the end results. Hopefully, we'll continue to play like this." The Wolves, on the other hand, will have to mount a major turnaround to make the playoffs with just 20 regular-season games left, including Monday's road contest against the Clippers. It would be unfair to place the place the blame for Minnesota's struggles on one player. But there's no doubt that Jaric, the club's marquee acquisition last offseason, has had a disappointing first season with the Wolves. He was pulled from the starting lineup five weeks ago, in part because he's a 6-foot-7 combination guard who isn't completely comfortable at the point. Jaric was signed to a six-year, $38 million contract as part of the sign-and-trade deal with the Clippers, and it took just half a season for the Wolves to decide they needed to bring in another point guard via a January trade with Boston. Marcus Banks has taken over as the starter and is being auditioned the rest of the season to determine whether he might be Minnesota's point guard of the future. Back in Los Angeles, where the Lakers have always been kings, Cassell has made it cool to be a Clippers fan, which might be his biggest contribution to the franchise. He's nailed big shots in clutch situations, helped make Brand a first-time all-star and added swagger to a team that has always needed it. The Clippers are 11 games over .500 after their victory over Milwaukee on Saturday. Wolves owner Glen Taylor acknowledged that so far the trade hasn't worked out as he had hoped. "I think Sam is a closer, which is what we could have used right now," Taylor said recently. "Sam could do that. The results are Sam is probably having a better year than Marko is having." The statistics aren't even close. Cassell's averages heading into Saturday: 17.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 35 minutes. Jaric's numbers: 8.6 points, 4.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 29.6 minutes. Jaric has played better lately after struggling to adjust to his role coming off the bench. He scored 20 points, his most as a reserve this season, in Wednesday's loss at Utah. He hopes to compete for the starting role again. "I feel good because I'm going in the right direction, and I'm just going to continue to play good and get my old minutes and my old role," Jaric said. It remains to be seen whether Jaric can start again this season. The Wolves are committed to Banks the rest of the season and perhaps beyond if they can re-sign him as a free agent this summer. That would make Jaric an expensive reserve. "He played well in different stretches," Wolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale said about Jaric. "I like the guy. We just have to find a way to maximize his versatility. To me, it's not always playing him at the (point) against 6-foot guards. It's playing him at the (shooting guard and small forward positions) and moving him around and doing some stuff. I think Marko's a very good basketball player who can help our team." While Jaric adjusts to new a role with Minnesota, Cassell's influence with the Clippers really isn't surprising given he has generally played well in his first seasons with teams. In 2003-04, he helped Minnesota reach the Western Conference finals, the first time the franchise had been past the first round of the playoffs. "He's doing for them and Brand what he did for Minnesota and Garnett," Detroit Pistons coach Flip Saunders, who previously coached Cassell with the Wolves, told the Los Angeles Times. "He's got Brand playing at an MVP level because Brand has got confidence in the guy who's got the ball." The Wolves' decision to move Cassell involved several factors. He didn't do himself any favors before last season when he complained about the lack of a contract extension, which rankled Taylor. Then Cassell played in a career-low 59 games because of a right hamstring injury, and his numbers fell sharply to 13.5 points a game and 5.1 assists. Along the way, Minnesota didn't reach the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Saunders maintains that Cassell's decline last season was a result of his injuries and not his skill. At 36, Cassell has managed to play well at an age when some point guards might start to falter. But how much longer can he maintain this level of play and stay healthy? That's a question the Wolves considered when they traded him, Taylor said. The team believes the trade's value has to be measured after a few years rather than by one season. Cassell is in the last year of his contract and will be a free agent this summer. He has already indicated he would like to return to the Clippers and that he could handle a backup role behind Shaun Livingston if necessary. He might even get into coaching down the road. For now, though, he's enjoying his resurgence and doing it with his usual confidence. "Like I've said, I wouldn't trade Marko Jaric for Sam Cassell," Cassell told the Times. "It's nothing against Marko Jaric, but I know what I bring. I just wouldn't make that trade." --

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