Milt Newton's tenure as general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves was short due to the passing of Flip Saunders and the franchise's subsequent decision to give total control to Tom Thibodeau.

Newton said it’s “a little disheartening” to lose the job that he’s confident he would still have if Saunders were alive.

Since his dismissal from the Timberwolves, Newton hasn’t been approached by an NBA team for any executive positions. He said he is not opposed to being an assistant general manager and is open-minded in search for a comfort level and good fit with his next job.

The NBA has only one African-American general manager in Dell Demps of the Pelicans while Masai Ujiri was born in Nigeria.

“Joe Dumars won when he was in management,” Newton said. “Billy Knight won when he was in management. You want to believe that when you do a good job and you’re successful that it’s all that really matters. But it may not necessarily be like that 100 percent. I don’t know what they’re doing to try to get back in.

“It might sound funny when people hear this, but I believe my fate rests in God. And if it’s to be, then I’m going to be back in management. I am going to get back in management. Maybe my fate is to move into another avenue in sports to have an impact on people I’m supposed to have an impact on. Until that happens, I’m going to continue to work on people that I can continue to have an impact on, to keep my faith in the person who has the world in [his] hands.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves have announced that Nikola Pekovic will miss the entire 2016-17 season due to recurring right ankle pain.

A determination about future seasons will be made at a later date.

Pekovic, 30, has played parts of six seasons with the Wolves after the team drafted him with the 31st overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. In 271 career games, the 6-11 center owns averages of 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game.

Kevin Garnett have agreed upon a contract buyout with the Minnesota Timberwolves and a retirement announcement shortly followed.

Garnett returned to the Wolves in 2015 and appeared in 38 games last season.

Garnett was the NBA MVP in 2003 and won a ring with the Celtics in 2008 one season after he was traded by the Wolves. Garnett was a 15-time All-Star with his last appearance coming in 2013.

Garnett will likely enter the Hall of Fame in five years with Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will sign Rasual Butler on a non-guaranteed deal.

Butler made the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs out of camp over the past three seasons.

Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves are in advanced discussions on a buyout.

Garnett has one season and $8 million remaining on his current contract. The belief is Garnett will elect to retire at the age of 40, joining Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan as future Hall of Famers to make 15-16 their final season.

Glen Taylor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he hasn't talked to Garnett "for weeks."

"I have not talked with him at all," Taylor told the newspaper. "We have to decide, in the next couple weeks, if he's going to play or not play. I'm waiting for him. I sent him a message, told him, "I need you to make a decision.' I just haven't heard from him."

Garnett agreed to come back to the Wolves, sources say, in part because he hoped to join Saunders in eventually buying the franchise from Taylor, the longtime owner. But Garnett lost his strongest ally in the organization when Saunders died just before the start of last season, only three months after it was announced Saunders had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Karl-Anthony Towns' personal goals for the 16-17 season are based on how the Minnesota Timberwolves perform.

"Personal goals are based on team," said Towns. "We’ve got to make the playoffs. We’ve got to do something special, and it’s up to us to continue to work and to make that happen."

Towns was also asked how he sees his game evolving.

"I think it’s going to be much much better," said Towns. "I’ve had a whole season to learn under KG [Kevin Garnett]. I just feel that I can be a much better player. Having a whole year to learn and have the whole year to see for myself what it takes, I feel I’m going to be a much better leader from a player standpoint. I will take what I’ve learned in one season and build upon it. It’s going to be awesome."

Towns will be playing for Tom Thibodeau this season and was asked how that has gone so far.

"He’s taught me a lot so far," said Towns. "He’s really smart, he’s a great guy. I look at him not even as my coach, but as a good friend of mine, and that’s how it has to be. If we want to be able to go to another spot to something greater, we have to always be on the same page and have a good rapport. That’s what we do have."

Doc Rivers is confident Kevin Garnett will continue his playing career this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Garnett has been a veteran presence within the Wolves' rebuilding process.

"I think Kevin -- and I know it, because I talk to him -- loves the young guys on his team," Rivers said. "He loves how they work. He thinks they have an old-school mentality. So I think he's really gotten into Kevin, the teacher. And I honestly never saw that coming, either. Yet he was a phenomenal teacher with [Boston]; I just didn't think he would have the patience to do it. And I think Kevin loves teaching these young guys."

Garnett will be reunited with Tom Thibodeau if he does play this season.

Robbie Hummel has signed a partially guaranteed two-year deal with the Denver Nuggets.

Hummel spent last season playing for Olimpia Milano in Italy, averaging 8.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 22.9 minutes per game.

Hummel spent the 13-14 and 14-15 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will bring in Dorell Wright and Rasual Butler for workouts.

Tom Thibodeau and Scott Layden are in Year 1 of remaking the Wolves' roster and are looking for new end of the bench veterans.

Wright played in China last season and finished 15-16 with the Miami Heat.

Butler played 46 games in 15-16 with the San Antonio Spurs.