From the Associated Press:

Portland assistant general manager Tom Penn pulled his name out of the running for the Timberwolves’ GM position on Monday. His agent says Penn received a promotion to stay with the Trail Blazers and insisted “it was nothing the Timberwolves did wrong.”
Penn is the third candidate to pull his name out of the race this month. San Antonio Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey and former Miami assistant GM Randy Pfund have done the same.

LeGarie said McHale’s future as coach was not a factor in Penn’s decision.

“That was not an issue that had come up,” he said. “It was never pushed down Tom’s throat. We hadn’t gotten to that part in our discussions. We thought we were progressing, but we had some issues going back and forth.”

The Wolves’ options now? They could revisit discussions with former Indiana Pacers general manager David Kahn or promote internal candidates Jim Stack or Fred Hoiberg.

They also could start their search over again and entrust the June 25 draft to a scouting staff headed by Hoiberg that has been working on it all season already. They also could conceivably return to Lindsey or Pfund, which seems less likely.

Penn, Portland’s assistant general manager for the last two seasons, was elevated to vice president of basketball operations.

“I am absolutely thrilled and grateful to have the opportunity to continue to work with Mr. (Paul) Allen, Kevin Pritchard, Larry Miller and the entire Trail Blazers organization,” Penn said in the team statement. “We are blessed with a dynamic, talented team, terrific basketball and coaching staffs and a first-class organization. We will do all that we can to improve our team and build toward our ultimate goal of an NBA championship.”

To be brutally honest, these last two snubs in Minneapolis have been downright insulting. Randy Pfund will end up as an assistant general manager, assistant coach or lead scout somewhere when he likely could have had Minnesota’s top job. Penn is one of numerous cooks in Kevin Pritchard’s kitchen — and this is a young Kevin Pritchard, who isn’t likely going anywhere any time soon. Penn would rather stay there than deal with Glen Taylor and (potentially) Kevin McHale. (Publicly, Penn cites the comfort level with the Blazers. I didn’t hear anything about a comfort level until Portland put on a “full court press,” though.)