Spurs' talks for Andrei Kirilenko end without deal
Yahoo! Sports | Jul 10
exploration of acquiring free-agent forward Andrei Kirilenko in a sign-and-trade agreement with the Minnesota Timberwolves has passed without completion, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
The Spurs seriously considered a multiyear offer for Kirilenko, but Minnesota general manager Flip Saunders has shown little, if any, inclination to assist him in securing a significant financial contract elsewhere, sources said.
San Antonio envisioned Kirilenko, a 6-foot-9 forward, as an ideal fit for its system. He's a gifted scorer, passer and shot blocker, and is able to defend multiple positions.
There were possible combinations of Spurs assets that appealed to the T'wolves, but ultimately Minnesota was unable – or unwilling – to take back the contracts on what could've been an $8 million to $9 million annual salary agreement for Kirilenko, league sources said.
The Spurs reached agreement with two free agents, guard Marco Belinelli and forward-center Jeff Pendergraph. The Spurs lacked the salary-cap space to make a run at Kirilenko without the use of a sign-and-trade.
The T'wolves wanted to keep salary-cap flexibility to make several free-agent signings, including Kevin Martin and Chase Budinger. The T'wolves are still chasing Denver Nuggets free agent Corey Brewer, sources said.
Kirilenko opted out of the $10 million owed him in the final year of his contract and has been searching for a multiyear deal.
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