The pro basketball career of former Garfield High and University of Washington basketball star Brandon Roy apparently is not over yet.
Roy agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth $10.4 million Thursday evening with the Minnesota Timberwolves, despite having retired from the Portland Trailblazers in December with chronically sore knees damaged by an absence of cartilage.
Roy, 27, has been receiving treatments over several months and reports of his return began surfacing recently. The Oregonian first reported the signing, which will become official Wednesday.
After a stellar four-year career at Washington, where he was named a first-team All-America, Roy was drafted by Minnesota in 2006 but traded the same night for Villanova guard Randy Foye. Former T-Wolves GM Kevin McHale was heavily criticized for the deal, but the condition of Roy’s knees was a factor then.
In 2010-11, McHale’s fears started to come true when Roy averaged just 28 minutes and 12.2 points, shooting 40 percent from the field. Removing the remaining $63 million on his contract via an amnesty clause, Portland declared him an unrestricted free agent.
Team president David Kahn, a former sportswriter in Portland, and coach Rick Adelman visited Roy in Seattle last week to make a hard push for him. Roy is also close with Wolves assistant Bill Bayno, who coached him in Portland. Roy will likely back up a young backcourt.
2 Comments
Even if Brandon Roy only plays 20-25 minutes a game as a backup for the T-Wolves, he’s a bargain. There’s so much more to what this guy brings to a team than points, boards and assists. What he brings to a locker room alone makes him worth having around…Roy is a leader.
Good luck, Brandon. We’ll miss having you in the Northwest, but I hope you can get your career back and that you help a team with a lot of young players become winners.
Even if Brandon Roy only plays 20-25 minutes a game as a backup for the T-Wolves, he’s a bargain. There’s so much more to what this guy brings to a team than points, boards and assists. What he brings to a locker room alone makes him worth having around…Roy is a leader.
Good luck, Brandon. We’ll miss having you in the Northwest, but I hope you can get your career back and that you help a team with a lot of young players become winners.