In Minnesota, you wiggle to keep warm ...

Three ex-Celtics involved in Miami-Minnesota deal (sports.espn.go.com)

The Miami Heat, reeling from the continued injury absence of Dwyane Wade and an 0-7 record in the preseason, have responded with a promising double boost for their aging roster.

Finding an unexpected taker for out-of-favor forward Antoine Walker, Miami on Wednesday completed a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire swingman Ricky Davis and center Mark Blount.

The Wolves will also receive Michael Doleac and Wayne Simien (and their expiring contracts) in addition to Walker. Minnesota initially balked at taking back Walker, according to NBA front-office sources, but the Heat threw in a future first-round draft pick to push the trade through.

Walker has fallen farther and farther out of grace with Miami coach Pat Riley since the Heat's 2006 championship, largely because of conditioning issues. But Minnesota might also have been convinced to shed its reservations and make the swap because Walker has only two guaranteed seasons left on his contract, one year less than Blount.

Trading Davis and Blount, both veterans who no longer wanted to be in Minnesota in the wake of the Kevin Garnett trade to Boston, represents the latest step in an ongoing Wolves clearout aimed at creating a fresh environment around three featured youngsters: Al Jefferson, Randy Foye and rookie Corey Brewer.

Walker wouldn't appear to fit in Minnesota's long-range plans, either, but concerns about Blount and Jefferson co-existing after some reported friction in their Boston days together served as another potential motivation for the Wolves to make the deal in addition to Walker's cap-friendlier contract.

Somehow, I don't think Big Al is going to miss Blount's locker room presence ... If anything, this is probably an appeasement move by Kevin McHale, to try and convince Jefferson to sign the 5-year, 50-million-dollar contract extension (realgm.com) that's sitting on the table (anyone know how well Antoine got along with Jefferson during his second stint with the C's?).

UPDATE: The Wolves may cut Walker ... leaving the door open for a possible third stint for Employee Number Eight in green (celticsthug.wordpress.com)?!?