After Acquiring Delonte West, Timberwolves Waive Him To Save Money

The Minnesota Timberwolves obtained Sebastian Telfair and Delonte West from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ryan Hollins and Ramon Sessions last week, but as expected, only Telfair figures to suit up for them in the season ahead. On the team website this morning, Minnesota announced it has waived West.

The move has nothing to do with West’s talent and everything to do with saving money. His $4.5 million salary for the 2010/11 season would have become fully guaranteed if still on the roster by Thursday. Waiving him now means he’s owed just $500,000 this season, and makes him an unrestricted free agent. The Wolves save $4 million, in other words, and avoid having to handle his ongoing legal problems stemming from weapons charges in Maryland.

West, who can play either guard position, is a six-year veteran. He owns career averages of 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.

The Minnesota Timberwolves dealt Ramon Sessions, the 24-year-old point guard whom they signed to a fair free-agent contract just last summer, and Ryan Hollins to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair. The Wolves are expected to waive West and may look to dump Telfair as well. Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports isn’t impressed with GM David Kahn’s latest move:

I mean, I wish there were a better way to express how I’m, quite literally, shaking my head right now. You either lose the offense for stretches to pump up [Sessions’] worth, or you trade him straightaway. You don’t waste his and your fans’ time for an entire year denying minutes to the best guard on your roster, only to trade him (after his trade value has dropped considerably), for absolutely nothing.

And Delonte West, with Sebastian Telfair, is “absolutely nothing,” considering this context.

Indeed, Dwyer believes the Wolves could have gotten more for Sessions if they played him more last year. And he’s not the only writer who believes Kahn sold low with this trade. Mplax of Canis Hoopus, SB Nation’s Timberwolves blog, used this most recent deal to evaluate Kahn’s track record of “maximizing” the Wolves’ “assets.” The takeaway, after a thorough rundown?

He only “found” two good trades (IMO, and one of those was a minor trade and was a stretch to call “good”) and a few good staff signings (which really haven’t even panned out yet), other than that all he did was do the obvious deal.

If there’s a method to Kahn’s madness, the NBA blogosphere certainly doesn’t see it.

Jerry Zgoda of StarTribune.com is now reporting that the deal also includes Ryan Hollins, who will be sent from Minnesota to Cleveland, as well as draft considerations.

Confirmed: Timberwolves trade Sessions and Hollins — two guys Kahn signed last summer — and 2013 2nd rd pick to Cavs for West, Telfair

Zgoda also writes that the Wolves plan to waive Delonte West, who has had legal issues over the past few seasons.

West will be waived, Telfair likely will be traded or bought out of last yr of 3 yr deal Timberwolves originally signed him to