It remains possible another coaching vacancy could be created in Minnesota if Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn and Kahn’s predecessor-turned-coach Kevin McHale can’t hash out a new contract. No resolution to McHale’s future is expected before next week.

Sources say Wolves owner Glen Taylor wants McHale to return as coach, but preferably on a one-year deal. McHale is said to be seeking a multiyear contact to stay on the Wolves’ bench after he and Taylor operated for years on a season-to-season handshake agreement.

The “Sludge” marathon for lupus (?) on KFAN today included an interview with Al Jefferson. It’s maybe a third of the way into that link’s mp3 file.

Al’s take, shorthand version:

* Offseason in Florida, MN, and Mississippi.
* Rehab’s feeling “real good,” says he’s feeling confident, it’s getting stronger. Ready for training camp, which was the plan.
* January. Sigh. Several mentions of January.
* McHale, coaching: Playing for McHale wonderful, didn’t feel pressure, could play through mistakes. Sitting back and waiting to see what happens.
* Kahn: Kahn called him, they had a “great” conversation. Made Al feel confident.
* Al says he “most definitely” wants to come back lighter, and says he and Kahn discussed that. Says he played heavier last year to play the center position. Wants to be more mobile, and being lighter would help the knee.
* Sludge cannily uses LeBron to bring up defensive improvement: Al tosses Michael Jordan into the comparison. “I’m not there yet, if I want to be that guy…. I have to step up defensively.” Thinks the weight might help him. McHale and Wittman have “talked to him about” that. “80% of it is just a work ethic.”
* The draft: Al likes “the idea of a great point guard.” Randy to the two, Sebastian backing up with the second unit is how he sees things.

The Ryan Gomes summer road show takes him to many places. Thursday he brought a group of city players, called the Waterbury Legends, featuring Gomes, Julian Allen, Marcus James, Bootsy Moore, and others, to a charity game in New Britain against the Tebucky Jones All Stars. Friday he dazzled star-struck middle schoolers. Monday he is back in Minneapolis to begin summer workouts with the Timberwolves.
If you conducted a poll to see how many NBA players competed in a middle school student-faculty game during the offseason, my guess is that list would have only one name on it, and that name would be Ryan Gomes.
Jonah Ballow and John Focke/Timberwolves site talk about the hiring of David Kahn. (podcast)
From Matthew Hayden/Bleacher Report: Attention Timberwolvans, Line Up! The Best Possible Line Ups Next Year.
Timberwolf Kevin Love is absolutely charming on Twitter.com.

He’s in L.A., where the Lakers had their way with Denver Wednesday. I gather that Love had an extra ticket, which allowed him to sit next to a Hall of Famer. “I gotta stop tweeting for the moment, I have to pick his brain for some insight. People this is BILL RUSSELL ‘champion,'” Love tweeted.

There was also this one: “LOL, Jeanie Buss … sitting with her and her friends. She must be a few drinks in. She told me she was going to tweet that.”