Negotiations with restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic have dragged on for well over a month now with no apparent end in sight. That has done little to diminish Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders' confidence that a deal will ultimately come together. The contract talks with one of the best offensive centers in the game are "moving in a positive direction," Saunders said on Monday. The Timberwolves have offered Pekovic a four-year deal worth roughly $48 million. Because Pekovic is a restricted free agent, the Wolves have the right to match any offer he receives from another team. But the longer the summer goes, the less likely it appears that Pekovic will get a substantial offer from anyone else.
