NBA Free Agency: T-Wolves sign Roy, possibly Batum

After taking the year off, Brandon Roy wants to return to the NBA. And he will, with the team that originally drafted him.

And you thought waiting two years for the arrival of Ricky Rubio was tough. Try waiting six years for a player that you drafted and traded (in the same night), who became a three-time all-star and one of the best shooting guards/closers in the game of basketball, all while your team wilted away to just about nothing. Yes folks, Brandon Roy is coming to the Twin Cities after having five superb, but injury-filled seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. Roy and the Wolves agreed to a two year, $10.4 million deal Thursday night.

At the time, Wolves GM Kevin McHale was cautious of keeping Roy because he knew the fabulous shooting guard had bad knees and his career wouldn’t last long. That’s why he traded Roy for Randy Foye, now with the Los Angeles Clippers, on draft night back in 2006. Roy made McHale look foolish for the first few seasons, enjoying a few trips to the All-Star Game and numerous playoff appearances. Roy was a big-time player for the Trail Blazers and Foye was a disappointment for the Wolves. The decision to trade Roy and then have Roy reach stardom, ultimately led to the firing of McHale.

But we thought McHale would have the last laugh.

Roy decided to “retire” before the start of this past season due to his bad knees after enduring an injury-plagued 2010-2011 season.

A once-promising career was forced to come to an end. Or so we thought.

Thanks to the knee procedures done on famous athletes such as Alex Rodriguez and Kobe Bryant, platelet-rich plasma injections treat knee arthritis. Once a knee degenerates, it basically goes dead and that’s what happened to Roy. With the platelet-rich plasma injections, doctors can so-to-speak “inject life” back into the knee. It regenerates a certain body part where the injection is made. In simpler terms, “it helps the body heal itself.” A better explanation can be found by clicking here.

If Roy is 75-80% of what he used to be, it will be an immediate upgrade from who the T-Wolves were using at the shooting guard spot. Nonetheless, Roy will help the Wolves.

Also, the Wolves have agreed to terms with restricted free agent Nicolas Batum, another Trail Blazer. From what I have read, Portland has every intention of matching the Wolves offer but Batum’s agent has told management to be weary, “. . . his choice, his heart went to Minneapolis.” Batum’s deal is believed to be worth $45 million over the next four years. Batum can’t sign the contract until July 11th, and when he does, Portland will have three days to match it.

Signing Batum would put the Wolves in a good position to make the playoffs next season.

They are still looking to sign some more free agents, too, possibly O.J. Mayo.

Let this be clear: the Wolves are making strides.