This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
When last season ended, Kevin Love didn't hide the fact that he expected big changes to occur this offseason to upgrade the talent around one of the NBA's rising stars.
Now that he's returned to Minnesota with a gold medal around his neck and seen the new faces that Timberwolves president David Kahn brought in this summer to add some much-needed experience to one of the youngest teams in the league, Love can't wait to get to work.
"I have faith in this team," Love said on Tuesday. "I have faith in what we've done this offseason."
The Wolves signed shooting guard Brandon Roy, forward Andrei Kirilenko, big men Greg Stiemsma and Lou Amundson and Russian guard Alexey Shved in addition to trading for hard-nosed Memphis forward Dante Cunningham. The massive makeover adds maturity, grit and, if Roy's knees hold up, some fourth-quarter playmaking to a team that desperately needed all of those things.
The Wolves also jettisoned Darko Milicic, Anthony Randolph and Michael Beasley in an effort to inject more commitment to a locker room that Love thought didn't take the games seriously enough.
Around the league
Clippers • Forward Matt Barnes pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of unlicensed driving and resisting arrest. Superior Court Judge Burt Pines sentenced him to two years of probation. The judge also ordered Barnes to complete 30 hours of community service and attend 13 counseling sessions with a private therapist. Authorities say Barnes, 32, resisted arrest when a Manhattan Beach police officer attempted to take him into custody in July on an outstanding warrant for driving with a suspended license.
Bucks • Milwaukee signed free-agent guard Marquis Daniels, a nine-year veteran who spent the last three years in a reserve role with Boston. The 31-year-old has averaged 8.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 489 games.