MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Mark Blount will not join the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have given his agent permission to seek a new team for the veteran center.Blount will not report to training camp next week or participate in the preseason, the Timberwolves announced Wednesday. They said the decision was mutual. Blount will stay at his Miami home while agent Mark Bartelstein tries to find a team where his client can get more playing time.The 7-foot Blount was acquired in a trade with the Heat last month for guard Quentin Richardson, but the move was merely for salary cap purposes.
"I want to thank Mark for being understanding of our situation of having such a young team, and in particular many young big men that need playing time for their development," Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn said. "Given these circumstances, it would be extremely difficult to find a significant role for Mark, and he deserves the opportunity to be a part of someone's rotation for the upcoming season."
Blount has played nine years in the NBA with Boston, Denver, Minnesota and Miami. He was acquired by the Timberwolves in 2006 in a multi-player deal that sent Wally Szczerbiak to the Celtics, then traded to the Heat after 1 1/2 seasons. Blount played sparingly the last two years in Miami, appearing in only 20 games last season before being dealt back to Minnesota.
