updated 7:09 p.m. ET June 14, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS - As far as Juwan Howard is concerned, his move to Minnesota should have happened four years ago.

Back then he was a free agent coming off a big year in Denver, and the Timberwolves were high on his list of suitors. He chose Orlando instead, spending one year there before being traded to Houston.

“Even though I did not sign with Minnesota, it always was in the back of my mind when I was in Orlando (and) I second-guessed my decision,” Howard said. “Nothing against Orlando, but I felt I should have signed with Minnesota.”

Finally, Howard is in the Twin Cities. In the first of what could be several moves to shake up its roster, Minnesota shipped disgruntled point guard Mike James and swingman Justin Reed to the Rockets for Howard, and the 34-year-old veteran can’t wait to get here to help Kevin Garnett.

Howard grew up in Chicago, where Garnett played his final year of high school before jumping straight to the pros in 1995. The two worked out together in the offseason and became friends.

“He and I have a lot of respect for each other,” Howard said in a telephone interview from his son’s basketball camp in St. Louis. “Not only that, we’re familiar with each other on the court, playing against each other for many years. We both come out and bring our lunch pail to work night in and night out. We’re both fierce competitors.”

For most of last season, Garnett openly pined for another veteran in the front court, someone to take some of the attention away from him in the post, and some of the burden off him in the locker room.

Chemistry was a problem for the Timberwolves last season, both on and off the court.

“Being a veteran who has spent 13 years in the NBA, I have a lot of experience,” Howard said. “That being said, I think it’s important for me to come in and be a positive influence in the locker room as well as on the court.”

Howard averaged 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in just over 26 minutes a game for the Rockets last season, but those numbers jumped to 13.6 points and 6.5 boards when he was inserted in the starting lineup for the 32 games that Yao Ming was hurt.

Timberwolves basketball boss Kevin McHale said Howard is coming to Minnesota to “help stabilize the locker room and help stabilize the team, and it balances out our roster a little bit, so it was a good deal.”

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