We told you earlier today that former Minnesota coach (and current ESPN analyst) Flip Saunders is working with a group of investors looking to buy the Timberwolves. In this scenario and Saunders would take over basketball operations (owner Glenn Taylor has had the team on the market for a while looking for an owner who would gradually take over and would keep the team in Minnesota).
But Saunders moving into a position of power could happen sooner rather than later.
Columnist Sid Hartman at the Star Tribune suggests Saunders could be in and current GM David Kahn could be out by the start of next season.There are several indications pointing to the likelihood of former Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders replacing David Kahn as president of basketball operations for the team before the 2013-14 season.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor wasn’t available for comment on the subject Saturday, but he hasn’t kept it a secret that Saunders has served as a consultant for him on the basketball team during this season.
Unless Saunders is offered a coaching job that would pay him a lot more money than he would get being the Wolves’ president of basketball operations, I think it’s a strong possibility that Saunders will replace Kahn before next season.
There are a whole lot of “ifs” coming, but…
If Taylor is interested in selling to this group of investors, and if Saunders really is going to step in to run the basketball side of the operation, and if Taylor knows Kevin Love isn’t Kahn’s biggest fan and would like a change, and if Taylor really is good with all of it than it’s possible Saunders could take over sooner rather than later.
A lot of ifs, but there is a logical flow to this. On the court the Timberwolves need to keep Kevin Love in house to try and build a contender with him and Ricky Rubio at the core, and sliding Kahn out for Saunders could help with that. As for what steps the Wolves need to take, we actually need to see this team play for a stretch with everyone healthy then evaluate. Saunders could do that.
Taylor isn’t racing to sell the team, but it’s not hard to see this come together faster than the sale itself.
