SAN DIEGO – One of many players convinced the NBA’s milk and honey would flow forever or for at least another year, Shabazz Muhammad is back with the Timberwolves for a fifth pro season, playing on a league minimum contract after he turned down tens of millions of dollars from them last fall.
The NBA’s new $24 billion television contract produced unrestrained free-agent spending by some teams in summer of 2016. But just one year later, the spigot dripped dry for many players, including Muhammad, who were left mulling only one-year offers from salary-cap strapped teams.
Muhammad was raised in Los Angeles, but he turned down offseason overtures from Lakers basketball bosses Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka, who was his former agent, as well as bigger salary-cap exception offers from other teams.