You can say this for David Kahn. He’s not lacking for confidence.
The vexing General Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves told the Star Tribune that they planned on being active in this summer’s free agency session. And we’re not talking just the lower level guys who you would expect to consider Minnesota. No, no. The toppermost of the second-most-toppermost.
The article states that Kahn and his associates took a list of free agent names, crossed off the ones who were too old or didn’t fit with their team (delicate balance of brilliance it currently is) and then crossed off three names who they didn’t think they could reasonably expect to sign.
Three names.
For fun, let’s call these three hypothetical free agents Schmeschmon Schmames, Shmyane Schmade, and Schmis Shmoss.
That would still leave guys like Carlos Boozer, David Lee, and Amar’e freaking Stoudemire as guys that Kahn expects to be able to lob offers for.
Okay, let’s throw out all the stuff about how Minnesota is so miserable weather-wise that Ricky Rubio has to be dragged there kicking and screaming. Let’s toss out the fact that the last relevant musical group from there was either Prince or the Replacements, depending on when you think each made it (the Hold Steady would also technically qualify). Let’s just focus on basketball.
Kahn is going into next season planning on trading Al Jefferson who is considered a phenomenal post player, and starting Darko Milicic, who’s really only good for a rant in which he threatens to do illegal things to officials’ daughters.
None of this creates a lot of confidence in their ability to sign marquee guys to big deals in a summer that will be the most competitive ever for teams trying to remake their squads.
Kahn’s draft night moves made people baffled as to what exactly it was he was doing. Now they know. He’s engaging in a complete departure from reality.