The death of former Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly has had an indirect impact on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ search for a new head of basketball operations.

Portland Trail Blazers assistant general manager Tom Penn, who interviewed with the Wolves last Thursday, flew to Jupiter, Fla., early this week to attend today’s the funeral service for Daly, who died Saturday at 78 of pancreatic cancer.

As a result, Penn’s agent, Warren LeGarie, said discussions with the Wolves have been temporarily tabled.

“Obviously, this is a circumstance that no one could have foreseen,” LeGarie said. “Everything is really on hold right now.”

LeGarie said he doesn’t expect talks to resume before Friday, which means the Wolves’ search could extend into a fifth week.

 

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LeGarie’s only other comments today concerned another client, San Antonio Spurs assistant general manager Dennis Lindsey, who was considered the early favorite for the Minnesota job before withdrawing his name from consideration a couple of weeks ago.

According to LeGarie, it had nothing to do with Lindsey wanting more control than the Wolves were willing to offer and that the Spurs simply needed him to make a decision, one way or the other.