MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Timberwolves guard Wally Szczerbiak will seek the maximum salary when contract talks begin later this month, his agent said.

	Szczerbiak

Agent Gary Wichard said Tuesday that Szczerbiak's performance in three seasons with the Wolves, including his All-Star appearance last season, his off-court contributions and the salaries paid to comparable players, all point to a six-year, $83.6 million deal, the maximum for a player of his experience.

"This isn't any sort of 'line in the sand.' We're in this thing together,'' said Wichard, who anticipates talking with Wolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale in the next few weeks. "Wally has been as important to his team as any of the guys who came out (in 1999). Of that class, let's take a hand count of All-Stars.''

Charlotte's Baron Davis and the Los Angeles Clippers' Elton Brand, both 1999 picks, were added to the 2002 NBA All-Star Game as injury replacements. Szczerbiak was voted to the West squad by the conference coaches.

The Hornets offered Davis a six-year, maximum-salary extension Monday. Brand is seeking the same deal this summer.

The Wolves might not be able to afford Szczerbiak. In 2003-04, the first year of his extension, Szczerbiak would make an estimated $10.6 million. That's a big chunk considering Minnesota already will have $39 million allocated to forward Kevin Garnett ($28 million) and guard Terrell Brandon ($11.1 million).

Paying Szczerbiak the maximum would make it very difficult for the Wolves to avoid the league's luxury tax, which goes into effect when a team's payroll is in excess of approximately $54 million.

Szczerbiak is already signed for 2002-03 at $2.9 million. Last year he started all 82 games, averaging a career-high 18.7 points.

McHale, who said last week he hoped to sign Szczerbiak and Garnett to extensions, was out of the office and unavailable for comment Wednesday, team spokesman Kent Wipf said.