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Felony charge against free agent Dante Cunningham dropped

A Minnesota Court announced Monday that it was dropping a felony domestic assault charge against free agent power forward Dante Cunningham. Cunningham, a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, was charged in April with domestic assault.
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A Minnesota Court announced Monday that it was dropping a felony domestic assault charge against free agent power forward Dante Cunningham.

Cunningham, a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, was charged in April with domestic assault after allegedly choking his then-girlfriend at their home. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Monday there wasn't sufficient proof to move forward with prosecution.

"In the deepest part of my heart, I knew what happened. I knew the situation and I knew I was going to be cleared," Cunningham told the Associated Press. "I was hoping that all would've been done before the season ended. But God has a plan and here I am today and just ready to go forward." 

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The Timberwolves continued to play Cunningham last season while his criminal case was ongoing, leading to booing and heckling from fans in the latter part of the season. His contract expired at the end of the season, but Cunningham received no firm interest from teams due to the pending felony charge.

"No team is going to invest in a player that is going to jail. I understood that," Cunningham said. "At that time, it was tough because a lot of teams had interest, but had to sit back. Now at this point, they know the truth."

Cunningham has played for four teams over his five-year NBA career. He averaged 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds last season for Minnesota.

Ben Estes