http://www.twincities.com/timberwolves/ci_7004702?nclick_check=1 As the Timberwolves prepare to open practice Saturday, Kevin McHale and Randy Wittman addressed five key topics. Here's what McHale, vice president of basketball operations, and the coach said Tuesday during a media luncheon: 1. On the odds of another trade happening: McHale said the possibility remains he will make more trades before the regular season starts Nov. 2. But it doesn't appear that any deals are imminent. McHale said after trading Kevin Garnett to Boston in July that he wanted to make more moves. "We're talking to some teams," McHale said. "It's been a slow, slow month. We have three or four deals that are just kind of laying around, just kind of waiting (on other teams to move forward). We've continued to talk all summer long." 2. On Juwan Howard's trade request: McHale said he explored trade possibilities involving forward Juwan Howard, below, who reportedly asked Wolves owner Glen Taylor to be traded. But McHale said nothing made sense for the Wolves, who are prepared to move forward with Howard if an attractive trade can't be made. Wittman said the media have mischaracterized Howard's situation. Wittman said Howard was upset and disappointed that Garnett was traded but stopped short of saying Howard requested a trade. "He did voice displeasure of Kevin going," Wittman said. "He looked forward to playing with Kevin. I think it was a little bit more of dejection of Kevin not being here." 3. On injured forwards Craig Smith and Mark Madsen: McHale said Smith, below, left, could miss three weeks after he sprained his left ankle during a workout Monday. It wouldn't be surprising if Smith is sidelined for some or all of training camp in Europe. But the second-year forward is expected to make the trip when the team leaves Saturday for Istanbul, Turkey. Madsen's recovery from surgery on his right pectoral muscle is on schedule and proceeding well, Wittman said. Madsen could return by November. 4. On contract talks with Al Jefferson and Chris Richard: The team remains hopeful that it will sign Jefferson, the key player acquired in the Garnett trade, to a contract extension. McHale said he'd like to get a deal done before Oct. 31. If the parties don't reach an agreement by that deadline, the signing must wait until after the season, when Jefferson will become a restricted free agent. Also, McHale said the Wolves extended a qualifying offer earlier this month to Richard, their second-round pick who has yet to sign a contract. Richard cannot join the team in Europe if he does not sign. "Hopefully he'll be a part of this team for a long time," McHale said. 5. On the team's youth movement: Now that the Wolves are in full-scale rebuilding mode, it's possible veterans such as Ricky Davis, Trenton Hassell and Mark Blount might not play as much as they did last season. Would those players be comfortable adapting to a reduced role? "That's going to play itself out," Wittman said. "If it does play out that way, yeah, I think they're going to have to. We're going to go with the guys that deserve to play. We're going to play guys that play hard every night. We're going to establish that right from the start." --

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