Are the Timberwolves keeping Scott Layden as general manager and Ryan Saunders as coach? Or are they hiring a new president to decide on Layden and Saunders?
There were conflicting reports yesterday.
But Minnesota is definitely seeking a president to replace Tom Thibodeau.
Timberwolves release:
Even after this statement, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN doubled down on his report about Saunders and Layden staying:
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor seems too attached to Saunders, who has gone 17-24 as interim coach. That’s an even worse record than Thibodeau this season. Obviously, record is far from a perfect indicator of coaching ability, but has Saunders really shown enough to warrant this level of respect?
Potential president candidates will be turned off by this situation. Lead executives generally want to pick their own coach. This is a strong signal about the limited power of this presidency position.
Maybe Minnesota’s next president can talk Taylor into choosing a new coach. But with specific contract terms already being negotiated with Saunders, that seems unlikely.
Keeping Layden isn’t as big a deal. Teams frequently keep support staff in the front office amid changeover at the top. Though Layden holds the title of general manager, that’s a second-tier position below a team president, first Thibodeau and probably soon someone else.