That's the rumor but it appears it started bc of his agent. He's been on radio talking etc.. saying that Troy is being picked on, he doesnt know what everyone wants him to do (in his role that is), no one has talked to him (McHale basically called him a liar on this one) His agent said he's needed on this team and they should play him. If he's not needed, he needs to be traded. I THINK that's where that's coming from. Its HIGHLY unlikely that he would go ANYWHERE unless a quality backup PG comes in return. So short of a kidd deal why would you do a pg/pg trade?
NEW YORK -- Troy Hudson doesn't necessarily want to be traded. But the Timberwolves guard wonders who, among the team's coaches and management, has his back.
Though Hudson's agent, Bill Neff, told reporters Tuesday that the Wolves might consider trading the player if they are unhappy with his performance, Hudson said Wednesday morning he would like to stay with Minnesota. But he feels his bosses have lost confidence in him.
"I'm coming off an injury," Hudson said after the Wolves' shootaround at Madison Square Garden. "It would feel better just to have support from the inside, knowing that [I am] out there, playing injured, on one leg. That they would support a person like that, more than [saying] 'A guy goes around him.' Or 'This guy's not giving his all.' Or 'How could this guy drive past him? How could he not make that shot or turn the ball over?'
"It seems like the confidence level [in me] is not there. It's like, 'OK, he's not the old Troy. So he can't really help us.' That's how it feels."
Hudson was benched the entire game Wednesday night. His lack of trust surfaced after Sunday's victory over Washington at Target Center, when he played a season-low seven minutes and scored two points on 1-of-5 shooting. Third-stringer Anthony Carter had personal season highs of 20 minutes, eight points, three assists and four steals in a strong defensive effort.
Coach Flip Saunders expressed displeasure after games at Cleveland and San Antonio with shots taken too early in possessions and shaky defense, both of which Hudson was guilty of. But Neff felt his client was being singled out for the team's underachieving 16-10 record, which includes losses to Toronto, Chicago and a depleted Indiana squad.
" I don't think we've singled him out at all," Saunders said. "I think we've been pretty supportive. The bottom line is that, this is a no-mercy league. It's about producing in the present and not about what you've done in the past."
Forward Kevin Garnett chalked up Hudson's comments to "frustration" and added: "Whenever you have problems, you should always keep it in house. ... A lot of things can get done a lot more smoothly behind closed doors."
Saunders didn't see the need for Neff to get involved, adding: "If he doesn't have [NBA] League Pass [on TV], he should get it and watch it. It's pretty obvious."
Meanwhile, owner Glen Taylor, on the trip to New York, sided with Saunders. "I support the coach. I don't know what else [besides minutes] the coach has," Taylor said. "Troy is here for the long run, he just signed a new contract and I think it's very important that he gets in tune with the coach."
Hudson's situation is the latest of several brushfires around the team so far this season, including contract demands by Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell and the misdemeanor arrest of center Michael Olowokandi in Indianapolis on Thanksgiving. Saunders, however, did not think this one qualifies as a distraction.
" A distraction is when you step on the floor in practice and players don't have concentration," the coach said. "We haven't gotten to that point."
But Taylor did not sound happy with either the ride or the direction so far. "We could have played better," the owner said. "We could have a better record. We've lost some games [we should not have]. I think we've got to take care of whatever it takes, to get there. We have too good of a team to keep going the way we are.
"There have been a number of little distractions along the way. It is little distractions that can keep your team from being as good as it should be."
Steve Aschburner is at
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Hudson's agent suggests a trade
BY MIKE WELLS
Pioneer Press
NEW YORK — The agent for point guard Troy Hudson said Tuesday the Timberwolves should trade him if they continue to single him out for poor play.
"I just don't think it's right," agent Bill Neff said. "It's a negative situation. If they're going to continue not dealing with Troy squarely, I think they should try to move him."
Hudson was benched during Sunday's game against Washington, and it appears he has lost his backup job to Anthony Carter. After practice Monday, Wolves coach Flip Saunders and vice president of operations Kevin McHale criticized Hudson's performance this season. McHale said Hudson is making "15 percent" decisions on the court rather than the "90-95 percent play."
Neff said he hadn't talked to anyone in the Wolves' organization, but he did leave a message for McHale.
Reached at his home Tuesday night, McHale said, "I'm not letting an agent make a trade for me. I've talked to Troy numerous times. I like Troy, but before you can get better you have to look at yourself first. It's on the players to perform."
It would be surprising if the Wolves traded Hudson, considering what happened to them last season at point guard. The Wolves gambled and kept just two point guards on the roster, and that might have cost them a chance at reaching the NBA Finals because Hudson missed most of the season and starter Sam Cassell wore down in the playoffs.
Hudson has a clause in his new six-year contract that requires him to play at least 12 minutes a game and 65 games each season during the first four seasons of the deal. Hudson is averaging 18 minutes, and has played in all 26 games.
It's obvious that the biggest gap between Hudson and the organization has been communication. Hudson said nobody has told him what he should be doing when he's in the game. Saunders countered Monday by saying Hudson has been told "point blank" what he should do.
"I don't understand why they're panicking after 25 games; it's an 82-game season," Neff said. "They're trying to shorten the rotation, but it's my guy that's being singled out."
The biggest gripe within the organization about Hudson has been his defense and shot selection. Some believe Hudson, who is a scoring threat, is trying to get his offensive game going in attempt to stay on the court at the expense of getting his teammates involved.
"They know what type of player he is. He's not a John Stockton, he's a scorer like a Bobby Jackson, so I don't know why they would say something like that," Neff said. "They question his shot selection, but he's playing with the second team. It's not the same as two years ago because he's not playing with the first team like he was then."
Another complaint about Hudson is his health. Saunders wanted to put Hudson, who battled injuries on both ankles in 2003-04, on the injured list earlier this season.
"He basically played on one leg last season for them," Neff said. "Now that he's fully healthy, they're having problems?"
Hudson isn't the first player the Wolves have had trouble with this season. Cassell skipped the first day of training camp to show his displeasure about not getting a contract extension. Latrell Sprewell made national news complaining about his contract situation. And center Michael Olowokandi was arrested early Thanksgiving morning when he refused to leave a nightclub in Indianapolis.
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Mike Wells covers the NBA and the Timberwolves. He can be reached at
[email protected].
They know what type of player he is. He's not a John Stockton, he's a scorer like a Bobby Jackson, so I don't know why they would say something like that," Neff said.
I think that's laughable. Bobby is a tough defender and not afraid of anything.