Substitute Timberwolves Vice President Kevin McHale in the Marlon Brando role in "On the Waterfront." Plop him in the back seat of that old taxi next to NBA Commissioner David Stern, filling in for Rod Steiger. Paint the whole scene in lustrous, 1950s black-and-white and, why, it's remarkable how well one of the most famous speeches in movie history still works.

"Remember that night in the Garden you came down to my dressing room and said, 'Kid, this ain't your night.' . . . You remember that? 'This ain't your night.' My night?! . . . I coulda been a contender."

It wasn't the Wolves' night Wednesday. Almost every other team got its moment to shine in the NBA draft's first round.

But the Wolves had to wait until No. 52, late in round two, to select Michigan State point guard Marcus Taylor.

By that time, Stern had flipped the keys to deputy commish Russ Granik. TNT mouth Charles Barkley was nodding off or scouting the stands at Madison Square Garden for drinking buddies. It was last call, the lights were coming up and only then were the Wolves getting asked to dance.

Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News reports: FC Barcelona, Efthimios Rentzias' team in Spain, decided against picking up an option on his contract yesterday, clearing the way for him to open negotiations with the Sixers.

"They had to notify me in writing by 6 p.m. [yesterday] if they were exercising their option," said Keith Glass, Rentzias' agent. "That didn't happen."

Instead, Barcelona was required to pay Rentzias a buyout fee that will net him nearly $200,000. Had he remained in Spain, his contract for next season would have been worth nearly $1 million.

"I think the people over there think he'll still re-sign with them, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen," Glass said.

"I hope things work out," Sixers general manager Billy King said via e-mail. "They look good right now."

In other news: NBA teams can begin speaking with free agents Monday, and players can begin signing July 16. It remains to be seen whether the Sixers consider either Boston forward Rodney Rogers or Minnesota guard Chauncey Billups as priorities.

"Rodney thinks a lot of Philly, and wants to stay in the East," said James "Butch" Williams, Rogers' agent. "I think Philly is one place he'd seriously consider."

Andy Miller, Billups' agent, said, "From our perspective, Philadelphia would be on a short list. If they don't call, I'll call them. I will definitely inquire."

Billups, who opted out after the second year of a three-year contract, is thought to have an interest in returning to Denver, his hometown.

The Timberwolves were gimpy at point guard before. They are seriously limping now.  Chauncey Billups has opted out of the final season of his three-year deal and will become a free agent on July 1.

Also in other moves the Timberwolves have taken the first step in trying to keep starting center Rasho Nesterovic on their roster.

Team vice president Kevin McHale said Tuesday the Wolves have made a qualifying salary offer to Nesterovic, a restricted free agent, meaning the team has the right to match any other team's offer beginning July 1.

As well as this unless you have been on Mars you would know that the NBA Draft has been completed, the Wolves picked up Michigan State point guard Marcus Taylor.

Steve Aschburner of the Star Tribune reports that after their loss to Dallas in the playoffs, Chauncey Billups urged management to keep the team intact next season and said he planned to fulfill the final year of his contract. Now, Billups has changed his mind.

Billups has opted out of the third year of his contract and will be a free agent on July 1st. Because the Wolves are over the salary cap and Billups qualifies as an "early Bird" free agent under NBA rules, the maximum the Wolves could offer him is a six-year deal, beginning at the average player salary (about $4.5 million) and totaling $35.4 million.

Had he played the 2002-03 season under his current deal -- for $2.7 million -- he would have been eligible to re-sign with the Wolves for seven years, for any amount up to the NBA's maximum salary for sixth-year players (more than $10 million in the first season).

Billups said after the playoffs, ?The only way you get better is if you stay together. Hopefully, we will all be back in this locker room next year." But his increased production in the playoffs and uncertainty about Terrell Brandon?s knee injury might have increased his market value.

The Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves have both applied to switch from the western conference to the east.

The concept is that with the Hornets moving to New Orleans, it makes more sense for them to be in the east.  Less travel, Lower costs, more natural rivals.

The Memphis Commercial-Appeal's Ron Tillery smokes this one out pretty quickly, though.  He runs through all the arguments and trashes them.

He says this plea has nothing to do with saving money, and everything to do with getting softer competition.

He also sees the league?s 30th franchise coming to Charlotte soon.  When that happens, New Orleans will join Memphis and Minnesota in the east.  Charlotte will be the fifteenth team in the east.

So what happens if Jay Williams doesn?t make it to the Bulls?? Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune speculates what plan ?B? may be.

Everyone thinks the Rockets will choose Yao Ming with the fist pick in the draft. This would leave the Bulls to choose Williams with the second pick. While the Rockets have said repeatedly that they want to take Ming, they have yet to say they will take Ming. If they decide negotiations with the Chinese Government won?t be productive, they could make Williams number one. What do the Bulls do then?

They could offer point guard Jamal Crawford and the #2 pick for Cleveland point guard Andre Miller. The Cavs have said that Miller isn?t on the block, but most around the league believe Cleveland could be coaxed into letting him go to avoid paying him the max when his rookie contract expires.

Whether the Cavs would accept Crawford and the second pick for miller is unknown? but Smith sees another option for the Cavs.

The Clippers would love to have Miller as their point guard, and they have lots of young talent and picks to offer in trade. Smith suggests the Clippers send Keyon Dooling, Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles or Corey Maggette along with the #8 and #12 draft picks to Cleveland for Miller, Lammond Murray and the Cavs? #6 pick. This would allow the Cavs to offer one of the players and one of the picks to Minnesota for Wally Szczerbiak to help the Wolves alleviate tensions between Wally and Kevin Garnett.

Check out Smith?s column for more trade rumors and draft news.

Out on the floor -- the hard work done, only the hardware to go -- Shaquille O'Neal was announced, once again, as the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals. Beaming and clapping close by, Kobe Bryant joined the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers late Wednesday night in their delight for the big man.

So NBA Commissioner David Stern hands the MVP trophy to O'Neal, who immediately passes it around to the other teammates, Bryant included.

It was like that all series, all spring and all season for the Lakers' two most important players. For too long, O'Neal and Bryant had been cool toward each other. Edgy sometimes. On occasion, barely able to tolerate one another.

More recently, though, and somehow, they became fine. At the Finals, it was almost sappy, with Shaq praising Kobe, Kobe deferring to Shaq, Kobe poking fun, Shaq poking back. Pressed to name the one player around whom he would build an NBA franchise, Kobe quickly picked Shaq. Shaq called Kobe the best player in basketball.

And while there weren't any moonlight strolls or duets of "It Takes Two" in the public record, there was one recent instance of pillow talk.

"I was sleeping, and my little daughter was sleeping on me," O'Neal shared after the Lakers beat Sacramento in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, shifting momentum for good in that series. "The phone rang at about 2:30 [a.m.] and it was Kobe. He was like, 'Big fella, let's make history.' "

O'Neal, Bryant and the Lakers polished off the Kings, swept the New Jersey Nets out of the Finals, nailed down their three-peat and unintentionally raised a burning question for NBA fans in one Upper Midwest market:

If O'Neal and Bryant can learn to play together and win, why in the world can't Kevin Garnett and Wally Szczerbiak?

Steve Aschburner of the Star Tribune reports that there are rumours coming from all over the place at the moment about if there is going to be a Western Conference Team move East, will it be Minnesota or Memphis, or neither?

Both teams better not hold their breath. NBA Commissioner David Stern said Tuesday that such a move would not happen until 2003-04, if at all.

"Both Minnesota and Memphis have suggested to us that they would make more sense in the East than New Orleans," Stern said. "I guess from a quick look at a map, you could make the case for either one of them."

With the Hornets moving from Charlotte to New Orleans, a natural rivalry among Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Memphis -- all Midwest Division teams -- holds some appeal for the NBA. Memphis has geography on its side, with proximity to Atlanta and Indiana, although shifting another weak team to the East wouldn't help with balance.

But there's another wild card: Charlotte now is an attractive option for relocation or expansion. And since the East already has 15 teams to the West's 14, the NBA might wait to shift New Orleans out until a new team is ready to move in.

Former Boston star Larry Bird already has assembled a group hoping to be granted expansion rights there, and there could be more. Remember, Charlotte -- prior to mismanagement by unpopular owner George Shinn -- regularly led the NBA in attendance in the 1990s.

Said Stern: "I don't want to sound like that's gotten any further other than . . . myself having a nice conversation with the mayor and some other people in Charlotte. But at least we've indicated we're ready to entertain it as a possibility."

The (AP) reports: If the NBA decides to realign, the Memphis Grizzlies want to move to a new conference.

The Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves have asked the league to consider moving both teams to the Eastern Conference and the New Orleans Hornets to the Western Conference. The league is considering realignment for the 2003-04 season.

Memphis officials said they made the request to the league to save on travel costs and time. Jerry West, president of basketball operations for the Grizzlies, said Memphis is closer to Eastern Conference cities than are Minneapolis, where the Timberwolves play, and New Orleans.

``The travel burden on our team would be significantly reduced by playing as a member of the Eastern Conference,'' he said.