John Hollinger of ESPN.com points out that the Minnesota Timberwolves need more cap room if they are going to make the offers they've reportedly committed to for Portland Trail Blazers restricted free agent forward Nicolas Batum and former Blazers guard Brandon Roy. -------------------------------------- The Wolves announced deals with Nicolas Batum and Brandon Roy on Thursday, which potentially would fix Minnesota's lack of quality on the wings. One problem: They don't actually have the money. The most cap room Minnesota can generate -- by waiving Martell Webster and Brad Miller, renouncing their rights to Anthony Tolliver and using the amnesty tag on Darko Milicic -- is $12.3 million. The announced deals for Batum and Roy have a combined 2012-13 value of $15.6 million. (The deal for Batum was announced at $45 million with incentives that could take it into the 50s, but for cap purposes, these would have to be "unlikely" incentives -- win the MVP award, make the Finals, that sort of thing). Somehow, the Wolves need to create an additional $3.3 million of cap space between now and July 11. Perhaps it won't be so hard. Trading Luke Ridnour or J.J. Barea to a team under the cap would accomplish the task, and it's not as if Minnesota has a point guard shortage. Nonetheless, teams talking trade with the Wolves know they have them over a barrel and can perhaps extract better terms as a result. -------------------------------------- The Timberwolves reported agreed to terms on a 4-year offer worth between $45 and 50 million for Batum earlier this week. They also reportedly agreed to a 2-year offer worth $10 million for Roy. ed: text edited, bumped to front page