Nikola Pekovic Hoping for Contract Extension from Timberwolves

Timberwolves forward and fan favorite Nikola Pekovic could become a restricted free agent next summer, but Pek says he hopes to remain in Minnesota. From the Star Tribune: “Pekovic plays in a league where big men Brook Lopez and Roy Hibbert just got maximum-sized deals and Houston just paid a guy named Omer Asik more than $8 million a year. His agent, by the way, is Jeff Schwartz, who negotiated Al Jefferson’s $65 million deal with the Wolves in 2007 and Love’s four-year, $61 million-plus extension last winter. ‘Yeah, he has a history with Wolves, but I know nothing about it,’ Pekovic said. ‘I’m just here to do my job, that’s all. I’m not really trying to think in that way. I’m just trying to establish myself here. That’s what I’m trying. After I do that, the money will come. I’m not really thinking about it in this moment.’ The Wolves’ summertime personnel moves have put them right at the NBA’s salary cap, but they can choose to exceed it and pay Pekovic as much as they want up to the maximum salary because he is already on their roster. Pekovic said he wants to stay in Minnesota. ‘I would like to stay here because of everything,’ he said. ‘I just like everything. I like the area. I like the team. I like all the stuff. Now I got some friends here. Now it’s real easy. It’s just nice, nice people, nice town. I would like to be here.'”