http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9707 After moving Kevin Garnett before the start of last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves spent the majority of last year living in relative mediocrity. Nobody across the league expected much from them, and there wasn't really much that came from one of the more depleted rosters in the NBA. However, after some tinkering this summer the Wolves clearly are in better shape than they were a year ago, ready to move past the KG Era and start fresh with something new, and quite possibly something promising. Players Added In Draft Kevin Love: Selected fifth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies and then moved in a large deal for Minnesota's pick, original pick, O.J. Mayo. Grade: A- Mayo was really the only guy Minnesota could've taken with the third pick and gotten value out of the selection. Luckily that value turned into the guy they really wanted in Kevin Love, as well as another valuable piece in Mike Miller. Love is exactly the kind of gritty, fundamentally sound player the Wolves need, and he should make for a very talented part of a scary frontcourt alongside Al Jefferson. Nikola Pekovic: First selection of the second round by Minnesota, but will stay in Serbia this season. Grade: Incomplete I've heard that Pekovic is very good, but we'll have to wait a little bit longer to see if he's really NBA material. Free Agents Re-Signed Sebastian Telfair: Signed a mutli-year deal this summer to back up Randy Foye Grade: D+ It says something about the market for point guards when a guy with Telfair's track record can garner a mutli-year extension. The Wolves needed a backup point guard, mostly because their starter this year (Foye) isn't even a true one. Apparently they thought a guy who already knew the system would be the best bet, but it's pretty easy to disagree. Ryan Gomes: Signed a five-year, $21 million deal to remain in the Twin Cities. Grade: B+ Gomes is a very solid young player who for four million dollars a year is a great value. His teammates love him, he's extremely active in the Minnesota/St. Paul community, and his talent on the court is unquestionable. It was nice to see him get locked up long-term with the Wolves. Craig Smith: Re-signed for 2 years after his first deal with the Wolves expired. Grade: B- Smith isn't going to blow anybody out of the water, but he's a reputable bench guy that adds some depth to the frontcourt. With the addition of Love, however, it's not clear exactly how much the team is going to need him. It all depends on who stays healthy. Players Acquired Via Trade Mike Miller: Acquired in the draft-deal that brought Miller, Love, Jason Collins, and Brian Cardinal to Minnesota in exchange for Mayo, Antoine Walker, and Marko Jaric. Grade: A+ Miller is one of the most underrated shooting guards in the league, and considering how little the Wolves gave up to get him, his acquisition was a resounding success before the guy even played a game. He'll be a huge hit in Minnesota. Jason Collins: Acquired in same trade as Miller. Grade: C Though he's not anything close to a star player, he's a relatively consistent bench player who hurts nothing by being there. Average guy, average grade. Brian Cardinal: Acquired in same trade as Miller. Grade: D Kudos to Kevin McHale for unloading Marko Jaric's elephantine contract, but rescinded kudos for taking back Cardinal's. Even with his bloated bucks on the salary cap, this deal was still a huge win for the Wolves considering they got the best player in the deal (Miller) and the guy that actually wanted to draft in the first place (Love). Rodney Carney: Along with Calvin Booth, was traded from Philadelphia for cap space used to sign Elton Brand. Grade: B One of the more athletic young guys in the league, Carney was an expendable up-and-comer for Philly the last two seasons. Hopefully a change of scenery gives him more opportunity to shine, but he'll be locked into a tough rotation with Rashad McCants and Corey Brewer. Calvin Booth: Acquired in same trade as Carney. Grade: D+ Booth's been around the league and never really has stuck with any franchise. If he were worth much more than cap space in a trade, he might have had better luck sticking with someone. Business To Be Done With all the trades the Wolves have done already it doesn't seem likely anything big and splashy is left for them to do. They've got a couple of free agents left from last year's roster, but the team already has fourteen guys definitely on the roster for next year. Will Chris Richard, Michael Doleac, or Kirk Snyder be on the roster next year? That's about all Minnesota has left to decide. Total Offseason Grade: B It's hard to call Minnesota's overhaul a coup, but they definitely made some nice moves and upgraded their roster without giving up much at all. They'll win more games than they did last year, and it seems as if they're definitely on the up-and-up. They don't have KG anymore, but they do seem ready to turn a new page in the team's history. --

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