jordan shoes-Timberwolves sign Stiemsma to 1-year deal

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Greg Stiemsma reportedly have agreed on a one-year deal that will move the second-year center from Boston. The deal is thought to be worth between $2 million and $3 million.

Stiemsma, 26, averaged 2.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 55 games for the Celtics last season.

He was a restricted free agent who had received a $1.05 million qualifying offer from Boston. The Celtics reportedly couldn't offer more than their bi-annual exception of $1.95 million.

He is expected to add depth to the Wolves' interior, behind Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic.

re 5 n i ��K zK place C.J. Watson and appear close to signing Marco Bellinelli to augment a bench that also lost John Lucas III. But with the Bulls finally receiving Asik's three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet from the Rockets on Sunday, the writing is on the wall.

In the wake of Derrick Rose's knee injury, the Bulls have made their decisions. Whether they are interpreted as basketball or financial is in the eye of the beholder.

On the one hand, the Bulls will enter luxury-tax territory for the first time in franchise history. But they will do so after letting Asik walk for nothing, an asset Forman repeatedly said he would match any offer for throughout last season.

Plus, the team's biggest star beyond Rose in posting the NBA's best record in back-to-back seasons was its depth, its Bench Mob. That unit, save for Taj Gibson, whose extension is next on the docket, has been dismantled.

Management will say its financial decisions are cloaked in basketball reasons. With Rose out until likely March, next season is a treading-water season. So instead of depth being the secondary star, the Bulls hope to add a legitimate one alongside Rose.

With Hinrich, Belinelli, Radmanovic and Mohammed all signing short-term deals, the plan to clear major salary-cap space in 2014 will remain intact. That's also when Luol Deng's contract expires, Nikola Mirotic could come over from Real Madrid and Carlos Boozer likely will be a victim of the amnesty provision.

But there are no guarantees in free agency, as the 2010 pursuit of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh proved. Plus, the Bulls have sold hope and financial flexibility before — remember when the non-guaranteed deals of Watson and Brewer were billed as trade chips? — and failed to act.

Something to watch closely for whether this makeover is basketball- or financial-based will be if the Bulls cash in the $5 million trade exception acquired in the Korver trade to the Hawks.

If the Bulls sign Hinrich to any portion of the midlevel exception and Belinelli to the biannual exception, their payroll can't exceed $74.3 million. Thus, matching Asik would be impossible.