Minneapolis/St. Paul – With All-Star forward Kevin Love representing the team in New York, the Minnesota Timberwolves were awarded the ninth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft at tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery. The 2013 NBA Draft will be held on June 27, 2013 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and broadcast by ESPN at 6:00 p.m. CT.

Originally slated to draft in the ninth position, the Wolves entered tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery with an 81.31 percent chance of remaining ninth, making it statistically the most likely result. The Wolves came into tonight with a 6.11 percent chance at landing a top-three pick, and a 12.58 percent chance of moving back. Minnesota will select ninth for the first time in franchise history.

NBA All-Stars who were chosen ninth in their respective NBA Drafts include Joakim Noah (2007 – Chicago), Andre Iquodala (2004 – Philadelphia), Amaré Stoudemire (2002 – Phoenix), Shawn Marion (1999 – Phoenix), Dirk Nowitzki (1998 – Milwaukee) and Tracy McGrady (1997 – Toronto).

Along with the ninth overall pick, the Wolves also hold the first round pick of Memphis (26th). In addition, the Wolves have two second-round picks, the 51st (Brooklyn’s selection via New Orleans) and 59th (Oklahoma City’s selection) overall draft choices.

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has waived guard Brandon Roy.

“We wish Brandon and his family all the best in the future,” said Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders.

During the 2012-13 NBA season, Roy appeared in five games with the Timberwolves, and averaged 5.8 points, 4.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game. Roy signed with the Timberwolves as a free agent on July 31.

“We are thrilled to have Flip back with the Timberwolves organization,” Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said. “Flip is one of the more experienced and creative minds in basketball. He knows what it takes to win in the NBA and we are confident that he will do what is necessary to lead us to a return to our best days as an organization.”

Saunders, 58, served as head coach of the Timberwolves from 1995-96 – 2004-05. He led the club to eight consecutive playoff appearances and a Western Conference-best and franchise-best 58-24 record in 2003-04 — a season that concluded with a berth in the Western Conference Finals. During his tenure in Minnesota, Saunders won NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month honors four times (April ’04, Feb. ’03, Jan. ’01, Jan. ’00) and coached the Western Conference squad during the 2004 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Saunders’ time with the Timberwolves represented the best years in franchise history, and placed him as the organization’s all-time winningest coach. He posted a winning record in six of his eight full seasons as head coach, compiling an overall record of 411-326 (.558).

“I’m excited to be back with the Timberwolves and want to thank Glen Taylor for this opportunity,” Saunders said. “My goal is to help the Wolves achieve the success that we experienced during my first tenure with this organization. We have a strong nucleus in place and will look to add assets that will allow us to make the playoffs and eventually compete for an NBA championship.”

Saunders’ time with the Timberwolves organization began on May 11, 1995 when he was named general manager. As general manager, Saunders assisted in all aspects of the basketball operations department, including player acquisitions, scouting and player development. Saunders added the title of head coach on Dec. 18, 1995, replacing Bill Blair.

After a successful stint with the Timberwolves, Saunders took the coaching reins of Detroit where he led the Pistons to three consecutive Central Division crowns from 2005 to 2008. In three seasons at the helm, Saunders finished with a record of 176-70 (.715), including finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference twice (2005-06, 2006-07). Saunders most recently spent two-plus seasons (2009-10 – 2011-12) as the head coach of the Washington Wizards. Overall, Saunders has seven 50-win seasons to his credit as an NBA head coach, with four Conference Finals appearances in 11 trips to the postseason.  

Prior to his time in the NBA, Saunders directed three different teams to seven consecutive seasons of 30 or more victories in the CBA, two CBA Championships (‘90, ‘92) and earned a pair of CBA Coach of the Year honors (‘90, ‘92). Saunders’ CBA experience includes stops with the Rapid City Thrillers (1988-89), La Crosse Catbirds (1989-94) and Sioux Falls Skyforce (1994-95). Saunders also served as the general manager of the Catbirds from 1991-93.

Saunders’ coaching career also includes stops at Golden Valley Lutheran College, the University of Minnesota and the University of Tulsa. Saunders was an All-America basketball player at Cuyahoga Heights High School in Cleveland. He continued his basketball career at Minnesota, where he started in 101 of his 103 career games.

Saunders was born February 23, 1955, in Cleveland, Ohio. He and his wife, Debbie, have four children: Ryan, Mindy and twins, Rachel and Kimberly.  

“We want to thank David for all of his efforts the past four years with our basketball team,” said Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor. “These are always difficult decisions, but at this time, we believe it is in the best interest of our organization to make a change. We wish David all the best in the future.”

Love has missed the past 47 games after breaking the third and fourth metacarpal in his right hand at Denver on Jan. 3. He underwent surgery on Jan. 15 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Love originally suffered a fracture of his third and fourth metacarpal in his right hand on Oct. 17 while working out, and missed the first nine games of the season.

For the season, Love played in 18 contests and averaged 18.3 points and 14.0 rebounds.

For the week, Pekovic averaged 25.0 points, on 58.9% shooting, and 8.5 rebounds per contest as the Wolves went 3-1 with wins over Boston, Milwaukee and Detroit. The 6-11 center led the Wolves in scoring in all four games, tallying at least 20 points in each, including 29 in Minnesota’s 110-100 victory over the Celtics on April 1. Later in the week, Pekovic poured in 24 points and went 12-of-16 from the free-throw line vs. Toronto, with both totals representing a career best. His 20-point, 13-rebound performance to close the week helped Minnesota to a 107-101 win over the Pistons, which marked the 1,000th career victory for Wolves’ head coach Rick Adelman.

For the season, Pekovic is averaging a career highs in scoring (16.4 ppg), rebounding (8.9 rpg), assists (0.9 apg), steals (0.7 spg), blocks (0.8 bpg) and minutes (31.8 mpg). Pekovic has tallied a team-leading 26 double-doubles and 11 20-point/10-rebound efforts this season. He has pulled in an offensive rebound in 72 consecutive games – the second-longest active streak in the NBA (Kevin Love – 75).

Love has missed the past 47 games after breaking the third and fourth metacarpal in his right hand at Denver on Jan. 3. He underwent surgery on Jan. 15 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Love originally suffered a fracture of his third and fourth metacarpal in his right hand on Oct. 17 while working out, and missed the first nine games of the season.

For the season, Love played in 18 contests and averaged 18.3 points and 14.0 rebounds per game.

Adelman, 66, has served as head coach of five NBA teams: Portland (1988 – 94), Golden State (1995 – 97), Sacramento (1998 – 2006), Houston (2007 – 11) and Minnesota (2012 – current). Some of his coaching highlights include: two NBA Finals appearances (1990 and 1992 with Portland), four Western Conference Finals (1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92 with Portland and 2001-02 with Sacramento) and four division titles (1990-91 and 1991-92 with Portland; 2001-02 and 2002-03 with Sacramento).

Adelman’s teams have reached the NBA playoffs in 16 of his 21+ seasons as a head coach, and he holds an all-time playoff record of 79-78 (.503 winning percentage). He is one of only five head coaches in NBA history to win 60+ games in a season with two different teams (Portland and Sacramento). Adelman has been runner-up for the NBA Coach of the Year award four times.

Adelman began his coaching career at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon, where his teams amassed a 141-39 record over six seasons (1977-83). Chemeketa won or shared in three Oregon community college championships and one regional title.

NBA Head Coaches to have Registered 1,000 Career NBA Head Coaching Victories:

Coach                     Seasons       Wins     Losses          Winning PCT

Don Nelson             31                1,335     1,063           .557

Lenny Wilkins        32                1,332      1,155           .536

Jerry Sloan              26                1,221     803              .603

Pat Riley                 24                1,210     694              .636

Phil Jackson            20                1,155     485              .704

Larry Brown           26                1,098     904              .548

George Karl            24                1,088     727              .599

Rick Adelman       22                1,000     703              .587

NBA Head Coaches – Fastest to 1,000 Wins:

Coach                    Game      Date                      Opponent         Final

Phil Jackson           1423        Dec. 25, 2008        vs. Boston         92-83

Pat Riley                1434        Nov. 1, 2000          vs. Orlando       105-79

Jerry Sloan             1663        Dec. 11, 2006        vs. Dallas          101-79

George Karl           1679        Dec. 10, 2010        at Toronto         123-116

Rick Adelman      1703        Apr. 6, 2013          vs. Detroit        107-101  

Larry Brown          1762        Jan. 13, 2006         vs. Atlanta        105-94

Don Nelson            1790       Dec. 29, 2001        vs. Atlanta         113-97

Lenny Wilkens       1838       Mar. 1, 1996          vs. Cleveland    74-68

Quotes from Around the League on Wolves Head Coach Rick Adelman:

“I’ve said it many times, I think he’s the most underrated coach in the league… Even the guys that he’s coached in the past that are on other teams now, they still do the things that he taught them offensively. He’s very creative in that sense… He’s one of those guys, he doesn’t try to get the camera. He couldn’t care less. He just wants to do his job and go home. And he does it well. - San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich

“Coach Adelman has been one of the best in dealing with this generational pull, and at the same time he’s become one of the most creative offensive minds that this game has ever known. He truly and is simply one of the best coaches in the history of the game, and I hated coaching against him because I knew he was going to pick us apart. He’d find a way to exploit what we were doing defensively. When you get to 1,000 wins, you’ve been around a long time and you’ve been on both sides of the equation. You’ve had a lot of wins, and you’ve had a lot of losses. So, I think that’s one thing about longevity in this league. There aren’t a lot of coaches that can hang in there for 20-25 years.” - Miami Heat team president Pat Riley

“He sees the game within the game, and he sees where the league is going and he’s making adjustments before everybody else makes adjustments. The whole thing comes down to, as you get older, it’s the ability every year to deliver a team of excellence and improvement. The betterment, I think, he plays a system that makes his players improve in the league. The development of excellence year in and year out is a tremendous compliment. I’m happy that he’s going to get there, and I’m sure he’s going to get there this year. - Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl

“I think Rick is probably one of the most underappreciated coaches in all of basketball. I think he’s a Hall of Fame coach, I really do. Everywhere he’s gone, he’s won. He just kind of does it under the radar, I don’t know if he’s easy to work with or not. I just know he’s a really good coach.” - Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers

“It couldn’t happen to a better guy. He has a unique style of coaching. He’s been able to get his players to play the game he wants without any problems with the players. The players seem to buy into his system, and that’s helped him get to where he is today. A thousand wins is a great achievement. That means Rick has done it with different teams and different talent. That’s the mark of an excellent coach. No matter where he’s gone, he’s been successful.” - ESPN Radio Analyst Dr. Jack Ramsey

“I don’t know how to say it, but I’m so happy to be with that coach. It seems like he knows everything. I feel comfortable with him. It’s something that he has and you can’t explain it. Once you are on his team, he’s giving you advice, it’s like a clinic every single day…He lets us play and that’s pretty cool for me. I like when I’m out there and playing like it’s a playground and it’s the NBA. It’s fun. He deserves it, especially this year. He stayed with the team and he has all my respect for that. We just want to make a run here and give him good news.” - Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio

“I think one of the greatest parts about him is that it’s not about him. It’s never about him. It’s definitely a big deal to him that he’s coming up on a thousand wins, but you’d never know it. He always lets it be the players’ team. It’s all about us. It’s all about us getting better, and it’s never about the notoriety about him.” - Timberwolves forward Kevin Love

“When he’s talking, everybody is listening. Every time he’s talking, you want to listen. Every advice he’s giving you is very valuable. He’s not the guy who is going to repeat (his message) five times trying to put it into your head. He said it once, and if you don’t get it, that means you don’t want to listen.” -Timberwolves forward Andrei Kirilenko

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and Timberwolves President Chris Wright will be presented the award on-court prior to Minnesota’s game vs. San Antonio at 7:00 p.m. Established in 2003, the Award is available on an annual basis to individuals, groups and families who have met or exceeded requirements for volunteer service and have demonstrated exemplary citizenship through volunteering. As a Certifying Organization participating in the Award program, LTF confers the award to recognize the outstanding achievements of its volunteers.

“We appreciate the Timberwolves’ leadership and the countless hours of dedicated work from their players,” said Dr. Jon Lim, president of LTF. “The Timberwolves have had a significant impact on our communities and helped our efforts to develop the next generation of American leaders through giving, education and basketball opportunities. They should truly be proud of all that they have accomplished.

America’s volunteers work to make our communities stronger and safer. As a Certifying Organization for the Award program, LTF is proud to be aligned with this prestigious volunteer award, and we are especially proud of our volunteers who have made volunteer service a central part of their lives.”

These recipients of the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD are role models for all Americans,” President Barack Obama said. “Each volunteer hour contributed makes a difference in improving the quality of life for others, and I encourage everyone to contribute to our community by volunteering. Volunteers bring us closer together as families, as communities and as a Nation, through their commitment.”

Kirilenko, 31, spent last season in Russia playing for CSKA Moscow where he led his team to the EuroLeague Final, a VTB League Championship and a first-place finish in Russia’s domestic league, the BEKO PBL. In 17 Euroleague games, Kirilenko averaged 14.1 points on .598 shooting (.417 from three), to go along with 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.9 blocks. He was named 2012 Euroleague MVP and 2012 Euroleague Best Defender for his efforts.

Before signing with the Timberwolves this summer, Kirilenko led Russia to the country’s first-ever Olympic medal in men’s basketball, earning the bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In eight contests, Kirilenko averaged 17.5 points, on .540 shooting, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks in just under 34 minutes per game.

Kirilenko has enjoyed a resurgence with the Wolves this season, appearing in 41 games and averaging 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks in 34.1 minutes per game. His 51.0 percent field goal mark is the highest of his career and he is on pace to post his best scoring, rebounding, steals and assist figures since the 2005-06 season.

The FIBA Europe Men’s Player of the Year Award is handed out annually to the player that performs the best for his sports club and/or national team throughout the year. All European players, regardless of where they play in the world, qualify for the award. Players do not have to play in any FIBA competitions at all in order to qualify. The winner receives the prize after winning a vote of both the fans and a panel of basketball experts, media members, and coaches from 25 different countries.

FIBA Europe will announce at a later date its plans for when and where the award will be presented to Kirilenko.

FIBA Europe 2012 Men’s Player of the Year Voting Results:

Player Fan Voting Expert Voting Accumulated Ranking

Player                            Fan Voting         Expert Voting                  Accumulated Ranking

Andrei Kirilenko              10754              356                              0.1728

Pau Gasol                      10266              348                              0.1687

Vassilis Spanoulis          11439              305                              0.1504

Tony Parker                    11696              237                              0.1197

Marc Gasol                    6547                124                              0.0631

Danilo Gallinari               14066              30                                0.0281

Goran Dragic                  5475                48                                0.0274

Marcin Gortat                 10939              35                                0.0271

Nikola Pekovic               7483                40                                0.0259

Ömer Asik                     8892                17                                0.0168