The Timberwolves released point guards Lionel Chalmers and John Lucas along with forward Ryan Humphrey to meet the NBA's waiver deadline Thursday.

In a somewhat surprising move, the organization spared Ndudi Ebi.

The cuts mean the Wolves have reduced their roster to 15 players, the league maximum for the regular season, which starts Wednesday for Minnesota.

Coach Dwane Casey said the cuts were a "unified call" by team officials and that the decisions were not easy. Economics and a logjam at point guard played a role in the fates of Ebi, Lucas and Chalmers.

Ebi was a candidate to be waived because he has not developed as the team hoped he would when it drafted him in the first round (26th overall) in 2003.