The Nba

One for the Road?

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor should be euphoric. His frisky team stretched the heavily favored Sonics to five games in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs, even though Minnesota's best player, forward Tom Gugliotta, was sidelined with bone spurs in his right ankle. Taylor's coach, the underrated Flip Saunders, was terrific, deploying a small lineup that flummoxed Seattle. Taylor's $120 million forward, Kevin Garnett, came up big, and his point guard, Stephon Marbury, was at times so dazzling that fans in the Twin Cities are salivating over the team's future.

So why isn't Taylor smiling? Because he now must make some of the most critical decisions in the nine-year history of the team. Gugliotta, 28, will become a free agent on July 1; he wants at least $12 million a year to re-sign. Mar-bury, 21, has one season left on his deal but can negotiate an extension this summer; he told SI in January that he believes he's worth Garnett money, around $20 million a year.

So should Taylor sign the proven scorer and consummate pro (Gugliotta) at the risk of losing the player with the bigger future (Marbury)? Or should he let Googs walk and focus on keeping his playmaker, who would be far more difficult to replace? "I'd like to retain both," Taylor says. "What I'm hoping is they will see we have something worth building on, and endorsements and other positives will make it worth it to them to sacrifice some money for a winning team."

Don't count on it. The posturing has already begun. Gugliotta's agent, Richard Howell, says his client will test the free-agent market, and the Timberwolves will be merely "a candidate" to sign him. Marbury's agent, Eric Fleisher, says his client is amenable to signing an extension "if there is an agreement that makes sense for both parties." But Marbury's early-season comments about abhorring Minnesota weather and preferring to play in a bigger market still ring in management's ears. Taylor says he has no pecking order for the negotiations, but he adds, "In a sense, Tommy is a priority, because he's up now. Well be a little more cautious with Stephon."

Though Marbury has only scratched the surface of his potential, his one-on-one tendencies have frustrated his teammates and coaches. Then there is Fleisher, who handled Garnett's long and acrimonious negotiations last summer. Minnesota vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale vowed never to sit across the table from Fleisher again. Indeed, McHale will give way to Taylor's attorneys in the Marbury contract talks this summer, which will take place later rather than sooner.

"Last year Eric told us, 'Let's do it early,' " Taylor says. "So we came out with an offer, then watched the whole summer go by without any solution. We were left pretty vulnerable. So maybe we need to sit back and see how it goes for someone like [free agent] Damon Stoudamire, who has more experience. We set the market with Kevin Garnett. I don't think the Timberwolves want to do that again."

That strategy will not sit well with Marbury, who believes that he—not Garnett—is the team's best bet in crunch time. Minnesota has no intention of paying Marbury $120 million, even though he has hinted that he should be overcompensated to stay in a city he doesn't like. Taylor warns that Marbury's complaints should not be taken too seriously: "I've been with Stephon when he says, 'Gosh it's cold,' and then two days later, after a big win, he's saying, Wow, this is great.' He's young. For instance, he says he wants to play in New York, but the Knicks are so far over the cap, they never could afford him. He might find there are only about three teams that can pay him."

If Marbury doesn't sign with the Timberwolves this summer, it's likely that Minnesota will ship him elsewhere. According to sources, the T-wolves have already explored possible trades and have informed Marbury that he can forget about being moved to New York. " Minnesota will not be held hostage by Fleisher again," a Western Conference source says. "They'll deal Stephon before that happens."

Taylor has no regrets about making Garnett the centerpiece of his team. "Kevin is a person you can build a franchise around," he says, "not just because of his skills but also because of his leadership and character." The unspoken message here: Garnett was a reliable investment; Marbury isn't.