Before signing Billups, Mitchell revealed that Saunders sought advice from Timberwolves players like Mitchell, point guard Terrell Brandon, and All-Star Kevin Garnett. Mitchell, Brandon, and Garnett expressed confidence in the newcomer’s abilities in Minneapolis. Billups and Garnett were close friends dating back to their AAU days. The Timberwolves ultimately signed Billups to a three-year contract under the salary cap exception, with a salary of $2.25 million in the first year. “Flip was hesitant at first, hearing rumors about Chauncey being selfish, but I encouraged him to give him a chance,” Mitchell recalled. Chauncey shared with Mitchell his past experiences in Boston, Toronto, and Denver, where he was pushed to focus on scoring rather than playing as a true point guard. Mitchell advised Billups to observe and learn from Terrell Brandon, a pure point guard on the team. Billups expressed his desire to learn the position and change people’s perception of him. -via Andscape / October 11, 2024
