<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Glen Taylor said he didn't set out to trade Sam Cassell this offseason. But when the opportunity presented itself, Taylor didn't oppose the move, either. The Timberwolves' owner said he wanted his team to enter October's training camp free of distractions and didn't like the "threat" he received within the last month from Cassell and his agent. "They actually came to us and said re-sign him or trade him," Taylor said Thursday. "My response was I should wait until (Cassell) comes into camp and see what kind of shape he's in and go from there." That didn't appeal to Cassell, Taylor said. The Wolves traded Cassell on Friday to the Los Angeles Clippers in a package deal for guard Marko Jaric. Taylor said the trade was made to help the Wolves improve defensively and get younger and more athletic on the perimeter. Any friction with Cassell was not the impetus for the trade, Taylor said, but it certainly didn't endear the player to the owner. "I didn't like that we were already kind of doing the little threat thing," said Taylor, referring to the implication that Cassell might hold out if not given a contract extension. Last summer, coming off a 2003-04 season in which he averaged 19.8 points a game, Cassell complained about not getting a contract extension. He reported a day late to training camp after skipping the team's media day and first day of pre-camp workouts. "I talked to Sam a couple times (this summer) on the phone, and it was more along that line, let's get back into camp and see how it goes," Taylor said. "And Sam was more like, 'I really want an extension.' " Said Cassell's agent, Charles Tucker: "I certainly never threatened Glen. We talked. If Sam is part of your future, he'd love to be here. If not, then he has the right to move on." Cassell was quoted as saying Wolves star Kevin Garnett was upset about the trade. Taylor refuted that notion. Taylor said Garnett likes to be informed of the team's philosophy and the reasons behind changes. "I'm not saying he's elated or he's unhappy," Taylor said. "He just inquires why we're doing it. I understand. I've talked to a number of players about it. As a whole, our team understands why we're making the move. They're not upset with it, but nobody likes to lose a friend. Kevin is on board. He knows we need defensive players."</div> Source
