NBA Commissioner David Stern said Tuesday his relationship with the Timberwolves franchise is "as good as it has ever been, and there's no residue'' ? but he is not reinstating any more draft picks.

Stern on Tuesday made his first official visit to the Twin Cities since he levied sanctions last season against the Wolves for signing forward Joe Smith to a series of illegal contracts. The penalties included suspending owner Glen Taylor, forcing team vice president Kevin McHale on a "leave of absence,'' stripping Smith of his contracts and fining the team $3.5 million. Stern later reinstated the picks in 2003 and 2005.

Some have suggested that the forfeiture of picks in 2001, 2002 and 2004 and the cancellation of Smith's contract actually help rather than hinder the Wolves' future, because the team isn't forced to pay those prospective draftees, and it is paying Smith less that what he would have made under the secret deal. Stern's reaction:

"When one does that analysis, they can do it,'' Stern said. "I was doing what I had to do, and you can make whatever analysis you want to make. There maybe is something in play called the 'law of unintended consequences,' but the two don't have anything to do with each other.''