Report: Timberwolves don't plan to buy out Gary Neal after all

When the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired shooting guard Gary Neal as part of the trade that sent Mo Williams to the Charlotte Hornets just before the All-Star break, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Neal would be traded or bought out.

Neal's agent was reportedly pushing for a trade to a playoff team - with the Atlanta Hawks, among others, showing interest - and planned to pursue a buyout if no such trade materialized.

Well, the trade deadline passed and no such trade materialized, but the Timberwolves still have no intentions of buying Neal out, according to Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo Sports.

The Wolves announced on Saturday that swingman Shabazz Muhammad will get finger surgery and be shut down for the season, but Wojnarowski reports that has not factored into their decision to keep Neal in the fray. 

Neal, a lifetime 38.2 percent 3-point shooter, is having the worst shooting season of his professional career, hitting on just 36.1 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from distance.