MINNEAPOLIS -- Nikola Pekovic didnt want to leave Minnesota, and the Timberwolves werent about to let him go. After weeks of negotiations, waiting and watching, the two sides came to agreement on Wednesday on a new five-year contract worth $60 million that includes an additional $8 million in incentives. "Hes a dominating offensive player," Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said in a conference call. "He plays extremely hard. He probably will work as hard as he can to live up to a contract he signs, whatever it is worth." After posting a career-high 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last season, the 27-year-old Pekovic was a restricted free agent when the NBAs fiscal year opened on July 1. That meant the Timberwolves had the right to match any offer he received from another team, and Saunders made it clear from the start that they would do whatever it took to keep him in Minnesota. In the end, that included adding a fifth year on the initial four-year, $48 million offer they presented Pekovic and his agent, Jeff Schwartz, a few weeks ago. "With him and Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, weve got three cornerstones in that franchise that all complement each other," Saunders said. After three seasons in the NBA, Pekovic has emerged as one of the best offensive big men in an increasingly centre-scarce league. He figured to garner a lot of interest from other teams looking to add some size and scoring to the paint. He waited for Dwight Howard to choose between several suitors. When Howard signed with the Houston Rockets, the belief was that a lucrative offer from one of the teams that missed out -- perhaps the Hawks or Mavericks -- could be on the way. Both of those teams decided not to pursue Pekovic, but the Timberwolves were still left holding their breath in hopes that another team with abundant cap space like the Bucks would force their hand with a monster offer. That offer never came. With the market settling down and the likelihood of another offer growing more remote by the day, Saunders came through with the fifth year on the deal to get it done. Because Pekovic was a restricted free agent and not signing an extension on his rookie deal, the Timberwolves still have the one five-year, rookie scale deal allowed by the current collective bargaining agreement for Rubio, if they so choose. There was some question about whether giving Pekovic five years would agitate Love, who wasnt happy when previous president David Kahn refused to give him the teams "designated player" five-year extension in 2012. But Kahn was fired after last season and Saunders said he has had conversations about the Pekovic deal with Love, who gave his full support. "More than anything else Kevin wants to win," Saunders said. "As we talked about Pek, he said, You have to do what you have to do. ... I dont know whats been done in the past and I really dont care. As he said, were moving forward." The 6-foot-11 Pekovic averaged just 0.8 blocks per game last season, meaning he isnt the classic rim protector that would be the biggest asset for a Timberwolves defence that is short on stoppers. He also missed 20 games last season and 15 the year before due to various nagging injuries that come about due to his physical style of play. But keeping Pekovic was a priority for Saunders and Wolves coach Rick Adelman, who valued the Montenegrins soft hands and quick feet in the post as well as his underrated pick-and-roll defence. Now that his deal is done, Pekovic will team with Love and Rubio to form a promising young core for the Wolves, who will be pushing for their first post-season appearance since 2004. In a league that is getting smaller and smaller, with few dominant big men, the Wolves see Pekovics size and strength as one of their best chances to create consistent mismatches in the demanding Western Conference. The key will be keeping Pekovic on the floor. He has missed time due to various foot and ankle issues, most minor in nature that come from the pounding he takes on a nightly basis. When Saunders took over for Kahn earlier this summer, he said he thought the Wolves could make some adjustments that would help him and the rest of their players stay healthy over the long season. Saunders said Wednesday that the target will be "in the 70s" in terms of the number of games Pekovic will play. China Jerseys Paypal . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. China Made Jerseys . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. http://www.chinajerseyspaypal.com/ . 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This is a team thats going to be in the playoffs, World Series. I want to be part of it.His agreement includes a $7 million player option for 2018.Castillo hit .264 with 14 homers and 68 RBI in 111 games with Arizona last season, when he made $3.7 million. The 29-year-old, who became a free agent when the Diamondbacks failed to offer a 2017 contract, is expected to take over from Wieters, a four-time All-Star who became a free agent.Wieters accepted a $15.8 million qualifying offer last offseason and hit .243 with 17 homers and 66 RBI in 124 games. He was not given a $17.2 million quualifying offer last month.ddddddddddddCastillo, whose deal was negotiated by agents Sam and Seth Levinson, represents a lower-priced option. The 29-year-old broke into the big leagues in 2010 with the Chicago Cubs and has also played with Seattle.He has a .255 career batting average with 60 home runs and 230 RBI over 509 games.I love challenges, Castillo said. Its a really good park to hit.Wieters, the fifth overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft, has spent his entire career with Baltimore. The switch-hitter is known for his ability to work with a pitching staff but has also been productive at the plate: He has a .256 batting average with 117 homers and 437 RBI over eight seasons. ' ' '