Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn said he reached the conclusion in late January that Brandon Roy, struggling to recover from surgery on his right knee, would not play again this season.

Nearly three months later, another conclusion has been reached regarding Roy’s future with the team: “You should assume he will not be playing with us next season,” Kahn said.

Kahn confirmed what has been expected — that Roy’s once-productive NBA career is most likely over after the seven-year veteran was unable to shake his chronic knee problems.

The Wolves (30-50), who play Utah on Monday night, April 15, at Target Center, signed Roy to a two-year, $10.4 million contract last August, but the second year of the deal, worth $5.329 million, is not guaranteed.

Protection in the contract is some consolation for the Wolves after Roy’s failed attempt to become the team’s primary shooting guard. The team saved money and also might be able to use some of the non-guaranteed portion of Roy’s contract in trade talks during the offseason.

“I’m not saying we will or won’t do that, but his contract does have some value,” Kahn said.

The non-guaranteed element is one of the reasons why the Wolves did not release Roy when it became apparent he was not going to play again.

Meanwhile, the Wolves are virtually back to square one in trying to find a skilled, veteran shooting guard with the size and physical presence to defend similar players.

The 6-foot-6 Roy, a three-time all-star and career 19-point scorer, had the size and resume the Wolves were seeking, but his history of knee problems led owner Glen Taylor to admit that the team had taken “a bad risk.”

When asked if Roy had reached a point where he knew he wouldn’t play again, Kahn said, “He had several moments that were very hard for him this year … not just one.”

Roy, who turns 29 in July, has not played since the first half of a Nov 9 game against Indiana. He was experiencing soreness in his right knee at halftime and did not return for the second half.

Roy made it through training camp and the preseason without much difficulty before bumping his knee against Milwaukee forward Ersan Ilyasova in the Wolves’ final preseason game on Oct. 27 in Green Bay.

He started the first five games and averaged 24.4 minutes, 5.8 points and 4.6 assists before the pain forced him out of the lineup. Roy underwent his seventh knee surgery on Nov. 19 to help relieve discomfort in his right knee and was projected to recover in about a month.

However, he never made enough progress to return to the lineup and had two setbacks during his rehab.

“We were hopeful that Brandon would have a significant impact on our team, but we also knew that this could happen because of his injury situation,” Kahn said. “If Brandon couldn’t play, we still had enough depth. What we didn’t bank on was Chase (Budinger) tearing up his knee.”

Budinger, acquired in a trade last summer, tore the lateral meniscus ligament in his left knee and was out for four months.

The Wolves also lost Malcolm Lee and Josh Howard, filling in at shooting guard while Roy and Budinger were out, to season-ending knee injuries.

“We protected ourselves in the event Brandon couldn’t play a full season, but we couldn’t predict these other things would have occurred,” Kahn said. “I don’t know how to describe it. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Follow Ray Richardson at twitter.com/twolvesnow.