Wally Szczerbiak probably could have his face plastered on billboards throughout Chicago had the Timberwolves ever pursued a rumored trade with the Bulls that would have delivered the sharpshooting forward to the league's third-largest market.

Szczerbiak, though, prefers being a semi-star in the Twin Cities, thank you very much.

"Thank God," he said Saturday, taking a break from warmups for the Wolves' game against the Bulls at United Center. "This team is going through a lot of tough times with its rebuilding. We're really on the up and up. I'm very happy where I am."

Had a deal been made, either before last season's trading deadline or over the summer -- Szczerbiak and possibly Anthony Peeler for Chicago's Marcus Fizer and Ron Mercer (or, in one version, Ron Artest) -- the third-year swingman might be scoring more but enjoying it less. But getting 25 shots and maybe 23 points per game, he said, would be a sorry substitute for the Wolves' strong start.