When you see a 6’7″, athletic-looking redhead on the floor tonight for the Wolves, don’t panic, Minnesota has not traded for Brian Scalabrine or Bill Walton.
That man you undoubtedly won’t recognize will be one Chase Budinger, who will make his season debut for the Wolves tonight after undergoing his second knee surgery in less than a year three months ago.
Chase Budinger will make his return for the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight against Phoenix, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 8, 2014
Budinger also missed time with a torn meniscus in his knee last year and in his one-and-a-half seasons with the Wolves, has played in just 23 games.
He was acquired for a first-round pick on draft night in 2012, and was brought in to be a spark plug off the bench. He will likely have that chance again starting tonight, with Corey Brewer locked in at the starting small forward spot.
In one more bit of Wolves news, Robbie Hummel and A.J. Price’s contracts are now guaranteed for the rest of the season, as the team would’ve needed to waive them by Tuesday in order to avoid having them on the roster the rest of the season.
Hummel will likely see a decrease in minutes with Budinger’s Wednesday return.
