Andrei Kirilenko is opting out of his deal with the T’Wolves, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). The Russian will hit the open market rather than earn $10.22MM with Minnesota next season.
We’ve heard that the Wolves would like to bring Kirilenko back, but aren’t keen on a deal that would pay him $10MM+ per season. Kirilenko’s opting out may not be a sign that he is expecting a deal with an AAV beyond $10MM, but the 32-year-old could be seeking something in that neighborhood on a multi-year deal.
If the Wolves do not retain Kirilenko, they could be left with a decent chunk of cap space this summer. With AK off of the books, the Wolves have roughly $39MM in guaranteed salary for next season. Of course, the Wolves will have to commit a considerable amount of money to Nikola Pekovic if they decide to match his offer sheet. All indications are that the club wants to retain the 27-year-old.