MINNEAPOLIS - Rod Strickland knows his past will follow him wherever he goes.

Strickland, a 14-year veteran point guard with an infamous rap sheet, was officially signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. The Wolves are taking a chance on the troubled-player to add some badly needed depth and experience to their injury-thinned backcourt.

At 36, Strickland says he's just happy to be playing again.

"I wanted to play basketball," he said after his first workout with his new team. "I was tired of sitting at home. It gets boring trying to workout on your own every day. You kind of lose the edge."

Eliminated from the playoffs in the first round six straight seasons, the Wolves are hoping Strickland will help them from losing their edge. Their point guard situation is fragile: They lost Chauncey Billups to Detroit in the offseason and starter Terrell Brandon is out indefinitely with a bum knee.

That left newcomer Troy Hudson to run the point. Left with few options, the Wolves decided to throw the volatile Strickland into the mix.

Strickland spent 10 days in jail after pleading guilty in April 2001 to driving under the influence of alcohol as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.

He was arrested two years ago for refusing to leave a restaurant that was being closed by fire marshals. Before that, Strickland was arrested four times during five seasons with the Washington Wizards.

He had a trouble-free season with Miami last year, but he knows he'll face questions about his past wherever he plays.

"I can have a smooth year this year, and if another team is looking at me next year, then it's going to come up," Strickland said. "That's just with me, and I've just got to deal with it. It's kind of like when you make your bed and lie in it."

Wolves owner Glen Taylor had said he was concerned about Strickland's troubles, but he added that several conversations with many people, including Strickland, eased his fears.

Aside from the baggage, Strickland brings valuable experience to Minnesota.

As a player with 10-plus years of experience, Strickland will make the veteran's minimum salary of $1.03 million this season. He averaged 10.4 points and 6.1 assists for Miami last season. In 970 NBA games, he's averaged 14.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.58 steals and 32.3 minutes per game.

"I'm young 14 years," he said jokingly.

Strickland looked winded after the two-hour workout, but said he felt good.

"It's not all the way there, I got a little ways to go," he said.

Asked if he would be in game-shape for Wednesday's season opener against Denver, he said with a grin: "I don't know about Wednesday."

Coach Flip Saunders said Strickland picked things up quickly.

"There's no question, he's got great court savvy when he plays," Saunders said. "He does things that we like to do, push the ball up the open floor, find people in the open floor."

Saunders said that he might have both Strickland and Hudson on the floor during games.

"He thought this was a place where he could definitely add some help, and it's a team that has a chance," agent Leon Rose said. "Being a competitor, he wants to play as much as possible, but he's coming in there just to make a contribution and help the team win."

Both Rose and Strickland are confident he'll have no trouble, on or off the court, in Minnesota.

"I want to make a positive contribution," Strickland said. "I know all those thoughts are going to be there, but I'm not concerned with it."

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Andres Ybarra can be reached at aybarra(at)ap.org.