"Al Jefferson had more pep in his step than a bailed-out prisoner when he was traded from Minnesota to Utah this past summer.

But his giddiness to get out of that town isn't why Big Al expected a chilly reception in his return to the Twin Cities with the Utah Jazz.

Truth be told, Jefferson has no idea how Timberwolves' fans will welcome him back tonight when he and the Jazz visit the Target Center.

"I don't know. I know I'm not going to get like a LeBron James (reception)," Jefferson said. "I'm curious to see how it's going to go. I was traded; I didn't leave. The fans always was good to me and I was good to them, so I think it's going to be OK. I don't think it's going to be that bad."

Jefferson does know what Mother Nature has in store for his return, including low temps in the teens — a point Jefferson jokingly made when the topic of his first visit to his old stomping grounds was broached at practice in Cleveland on Tuesday.

"It's going to be cold going back," he said. "I've got my big jacket."

Even without cozy winter wear, Jefferson maintains warm feelings for Minnesota, where he played three seasons before joining the Jazz.

He didn't love being on a perennial losing team, even if the Timberwolves were occasionally pesky (especially, it seemed, against the Jazz).

Nevertheless, the manner in which the Minnesota organization and the community treated him after he made the biggest mistake of his life remains fresh on Jefferson's heart."