Kahn has interviewed more than a dozen candidates for the position after deciding not to bring back Kevin McHale. He says he will narrow the field down to three or four finalists before beginning the second round of interviews.
Kahn declined to discuss specific candidates. Those known to be on the initial list are ESPN analyst Mark Jackson, Portland assistant Monty Williams and Houston assistant Elston Turner.
The Wolves plan to work out a deal with top draft pick Ricky Rubio’s Spanish DKV Joventut team so he can start playing in Minnesota either this season or the ensuing season. But if the Wolves can’t, Kahn and Walsh are expected to at least discuss a trade for the flashy point guard, who is just 18 years old.
Meanwhile, Rubio has decided to dismiss his lawsuit against DKV Joventut, the Barcelona daily El Periodico reported Sunday. And word is DKU Joventut, which last season paid Rubio $97,000, has signed point guard Kristaps Valters, 27, from Latvia to a two-year contract.
That could indicate Joventut is ready to allow Rubio to negotiate out of his $6.6 million buyout, allowing him to play in Minnesota this season. Kahn was headed to Spain this week to try to assist. Kahn is expected to discuss Rubio’s buyout with Joventut general manager Jordi Villacampa.
“He’s young. He’s Spanish. He’s a good-looking kid,” said Delzell, a director for Los Angeles-based Davie Brown Talent, one of the largest talent buyers in the United States. “There is a lot of hype and buzz that is already around him.”
“Buzz” is that most fickle, slippery of qualities that is harder to get a grip on than one of the point guard’s no-look passes. But Delzell said that intangible quality, combined with a flashy style of play, a baby face and a shaggy ‘do that is en vogue with young people make the 18-year-old Rubio a highly marketable commodity in the endorsement world.
Q-Rich, originally drafted 18th overall by the Clippers in 2000, has one year remaining on his contract for about $9 million, which helps explain why he’s been traded three times in the last month. He went from the Knicks to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal for Darko Milicic(notes) on draft night, then was shipped from the Grizzlies to the Clippers for Zach Randolph(notes) last week. Now, he finds himself in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” though he probably shouldn’t start unpacking the Sea-Doos just yet.
“[Sounds] like Q-Rich might be moved again,” Matt Smith of AM1500 in Minnesota posted on his Twitter account. “[Wolves GM David] Kahn says lots more moves to go.”
Even so, this wasn’t a pure salary dump: every player included in the deal has an expiring contract with the exception of Telfair, who holds a $2.8 million player option for 2010-11.
In fact, while Richardson is the highest-paid and most accomplished player in this transaction, Telfair was likely the centerpiece to the trade from L.A.’s perspective. His presence was redundant in Minnesota thanks to the arrival of Jonny Flynn (and, perhaps someday, Ricky Rubio), whereas the Clippers have been searching for a capable backup for the oft-injured Baron Davis.
Point guard: It remains to be seen if the Timberwolves knew what they were doing by taking two point guards in the lottery, Spain’s Ricky Rubio at No. 5 and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn at No. 6. But they sure knew what they were doing in drafting Flynn. He relentlessly attacks the basket, often dishing off to teammates for easy buckets. He averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 assists and always looked under control.
