Ryan

Saunders

Saunders spent two-plus seasons with the Timberwolves as the team’s head coach, amassing a record of 43 wins and 94 defeats before being fired in February 2021. This will be his third assistant coaching gig, with Saunders having prior experience with the Wizards (2009-14) and Timberwolves (2014-18).

Minutes after the news broke, Karl-Anthony Towns posted on Twitter, “wtf...” That simple message says a lot. The timing is particularly bad. On the brink of training camp, the Wolves’ top executive position is now temporarily filled by Sachin Gupta, the current VP of Operations. Wolves beat writer Chris Hine cast some light on the decision-making process. “There has been building discord between Rosas, the rest of the front office and the organization that has been going on for months,” he writes. “The team decided to take action now before the season begins instead of letting that discord linger.” Even so, the fact that this seemingly blindsided Towns, a franchise pillar considered untouchable in trades, is concerning in itself.

The Wolves have the worst record in the NBA, which wasn’t entirely Saunders’ fault as both Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell have missed a handful of games. But the team was obviously struggling and now, Toronto Raptors assistant coach Chris Finch will assume head coaching duties for the league’s worst team, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Finch will be the full-time coach and not just the interim one, as he agreed to a multi-year contract with the franchise.

This brings the total up to three of Friday’s games which will not be played due to rosters decimated by health and safety protocols related to COVID-19. The Wolves’ next game is scheduled for Monday in Atlanta, while the Grizzlies’ next tilt is Saturday vs. the visiting Sixers.

Juancho Hernangomez hasn’t wowed anyone as a starter this season, an experiment with Jake Layman at PF didn’t pan out, and Jarred Vanderbilt is still learning on the job. Rosas said he’s “trying to improve and get better and address our needs,” which suggests he’s exploring the trade market for a starting-caliber power forward, but for now it’s a position that offers minimal 12-team fantasy appeal with a rotating cast of low-usage guys.

The Wolves have been in talks with Atlanta regarding their 6th overall pick, with Jarrett Culver and the 17th pick heading the other way in one scenario. KOC speculates that the Wolves are likely trying to get another lottery pick to acquire FSU wing Patrick Williams, a player that has shot up draft boards in recent months. The Celtics and Pelicans have also been in talks with Atlanta about their No. 6 pick, though nothing is imminent just yet.

“Conversations are happening and will continue to happen,” Gupta added. Gupta also indicated that the Wolves are ready to make a selection for pick No. 1 if they have to, but it’s not surprising to see them do their due diligence in a draft in which the top handful of players are hard to separate depending on who you talk to. For what it’s worth, most mocks have the Wolves selecting Anthony Edwards of Georgia with the No. 1 pick.

“I want to do my part to alleviate financial concern that come from missing games due to the national pandemic,” said Taylor. “We will get through this difficult time together and look forward to the day when our players, fans and staff are reunited again at Target Center.”

The Wolves have picks Nos. 11 and 43 in the draft, but it sounds like they’re eager to move higher in the lottery. Team president Gersson Rosas dismissed the rumor that they’d made a promise to Gonzaga PF Rui Hachimura, and the report of an “aggressive” stance isn’t surprising -- Rosas said he’s on Tuesday that he’s spoken to every team in the league. He also espoused patience with whatever moves the Wolves make on Thursday, saying, “We look at the draft as a three or four-year process.”

“I’m pleased to announce Ryan Saunders as our head coach,” said Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations, Gersson Rosas. “Ryan is an excellent communicator and has developed open and trusting relationships with our players. I’ve known Ryan for many years and have always respected his approach to the game, work ethic, basketball knowledge and passion.”