The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

The Minnesota Timberwolves traded one of the ten best players in the NBA, along with the rest of their starting lineup. They retained a coach who went 12-30 in the second half of last season, and a general manager who has become the default scapegoat--and not without reason--for anyone with even a passing acquaintance with the club's recent misfortunes. They unloaded salary at a startling pace, and piled up a team-and-a-half's worth of callow personnel.

It was their best off-season in four years.