Minnesota Timberwolves Hire Rick Adelman As Head Coach, Jerry Zgoda Reports

Rick Adelman will be soon be named the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Following what was a disastrous offseason regarding the way the team handled the firing of Kurt Rambis, it seems president of basketball operations David Kahn has done a complete 180 in convincing Adelman to take the reins in Minneapolis.

Kevin Love kind of tweeted the news on Monday afternoon, but the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda has since confirmed that the former Houston Rockets head coach will be made official in Minnesota according to two separate sources from around the NBA.

In all honesty, if the NBA lockout ever ends and the Wolves are able to start this season, there's a lot of room for optimism from Minnesota fans considering that the team's locked up Love's favorite coach, convinced Ricky Rubio to come from Spain and drafted Derrick Williams.

In case anyone isn't familiar with Adelman, he should do just fine in Minnesota. He fits Kahn's uptempo philosophy, he's done well with great-passing big men in the past and, most importantly, he wins games (164 games above .500 in his career).

Optimism, I have it.

Rick Adelman Maybe Hired As Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach

Timberwolves Coaching Search Sounds Like Its Down To Rick Adelman Or Don Nelson

The Minnesota Timberwolves are still looking for a coach, though that's seemingly been put on the back burner when it comes to important topics around the Twin Cities with the beginning of the Minnesota Vikings season. Friend of the blog Jerry Zgoda is still keeping his ear to the ground regarding the coach search, though, and there have recently been some interesting revelations.

Zgoda wrote on Friday that if president of basketball operations David Kahn gets his way, the next Wolves head coach will either be Rick Adelman or Don Nelson, or at least that's what Kahn is telling others around the league. That's if owner Glen Taylor opens up the checkbook, however.

Rick Adelman still looks like the favorite, but here's the tricky part: I hear he wants at least $5 million a year, and five years -- not four -- guaranteed. Do the math and that's at least $25 million, sports fans.

Weeks ago I was told Glen Taylor paid Flip Saunders big money -- $5 million a year in his final years - and is willing to do so again with a young group he thinks the franchise can grow with. But...$25 million or more?

Zgoda also opines if Adelman or Nelson isn't named the Wolves new coach, and instead Sam Mitchell is the choice,  it'll be because Taylor overruled Kahn.

Drama!

Kevin Love Wants To Call Somebody Coach

Rick Adelman Gets Second Interview With Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves will interview Rick Adelman for a second time in two weeks, according to a report from ESPN. If true, Adelman will be the first to interview twice with the Timberwolves since the coaching search began when Kurt Rambis was fired.

Adelman's first in-person interview, following an interview over the phone, happened last Tuesday. Unfortunately, owner Glen Taylor -- who is expected to need to open his checkbook in order to bring the longtime head coach into the Timberwolves mix -- was unable to attend.

ESPN's Ric Bucher has the report.

Rick Adelman is returning to Minneapolis on Tuesday to meet with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor about the team's coaching vacancy, according to a league source.

Two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Aug. 24 that Adelman had met with Taylor during his first interview in Minneapolis, but the league source said Monday that Taylor's health issues kept the two from talking face to face.

If Adelman can sell himself to Taylor, a formal offer might not be far behind.

Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves Coming Close To Coaching Agreement According To Report

Rick Adelman is close to accepting the Minnesota Timberwolves head coaching position it seems. So close, according to reports, that he is already lining up his assistant coaching staff.

Adelman is definitely interested in the Timberwolves job, according KSTP-TV's Joe Schmit on Twitter. Citing a "great source," Schmit reports that Adelman has already made calls to line up potential assistants. The Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda semi-disputes the report, however, tweeting that somebody close to the search told him Adelman wants too much money.

Money has been a hangup with hiring Adelman ever since his name surfaced, but Zgoda says that isn't as big of a problem now as it once seemed.

Good source just told me that Taylor paid Flip a lot of money and is willing to do so again to get right coach to lead promising young group.

Adelman interviewed with Minnesota for the first time on Tuesday and may have been offered the job afterward, considering he's long been viewed as the favorite for the position if available. And, considering it's now being reported that he's looking at potential assistants, that's a pretty good possibility.

Rick Adelman Is Interviewing, In Person, With Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves front office was rumored to maybe be making a coaching hire last week, but the week came and went without any news on that front. The reason for that, apparently, was so that the team could bring Rick Adelman up to beautiful Minneapolis for an interview opportunity. Heck, it's actually probably serving more as an opportunity for the Wolves front office to woo the near-retired coach than anything.

Regardless, Adelman has finally made his way to Minnesota to interview for the Timberwolves' head coaching job, according to the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda. Adelman had previously only talked to the Wolves via telephone, then later told a local newspaper that he didn't have any plans on coaching this season.

That Adelman is now at least interested enough in the job to take a trip to Minnesota to talk to David Kahn and Co. probably means he's at least entertaining the idea of returning to the NBA's sidelines this year -- or at least this season, depending on the end of the NBA lockout.

As KFAN's Dan Barreiro notes, taking Adelman to the Twins game against the Baltimore Orioles should definitely seal the deal, probably. Maybe. Kinda. Okay, it shouldn't hurt, should it?

The Timberwolves Coaching Search Didn't End This Week

The Minnesota Timberwolves looked like they might decide on the successor to former head coach Kurt Rambis’s throne before the week’s end. As friend of the blog Rebecca Black might say, however, It’s Friday, Friday, we gotta get down on Friday … and there’s still no announcement regarding the coaching search.

Jerry Zgoda tweeted earlier this week to retract his earlier statement, updating that the coaching search won’t end until next week — at least. Zgoda followed that up by saying that he’s been told the team has no timetable despite an earlier report saying that at least some of the prospective coaches were expecting an answer sometime this week.

As a reminder, the known candidates are Don Nelson, Larry Brown, Mike Woodson, Sam Mitchell, Bernie Bickerstaff, Terry Porter and maybe Rick Adelman. Adelman’s a maybe because he didn’t, to anybody’s knowledge, meet with David Kahn in person and rather only talked on the phone about the position.

Either way, whoever had “it’ll be drawn out as long as Rambis’s firing process took” in the How Long Will It Take For The Wolves To Find A New Head Coach office pool is probably owed some money.

Minnesota Timberwolves Coaching Search Could End This Week

The Minnesota Timberwolves' coaching search could end this week. Hopefully David Kahn doesn't mess it up.

The Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda reports that at least some of the candidates expect an answer on whether or not the Wolves have chosen them as the team's next head coach. Zgoda also writes that he "doubts" that Minnesota will bring anyone back for a second interview, meaning one of the 6½ candidates that ownership interviewed will likely be put in Kurt Rambis's old place.

The known candidates are Don Nelson, Larry Brown, Mike Woodson, Sam Mitchell, Bernie Bickerstaff, Terry Porter and maybe Rick Adelman (He's the "half" because of this). It'd be pretty surprising if one of these guys aren't the man named the Timberwolves next head coach, but I guess nothing should really surprise us considering the debacle that began when Kahn refused to fire Rambis until the point of painfully awkward.

Regardless, it looks like the Wolves might have a new fella to work under David Kahn and Co. this week.

Minnesota Timberwolves To Interview Sam Mitchell, Possibly Mike Fratello

The Minnesota Timberwolves coaching search continues to bring up interesting names, even if they don't exactly coincide with David Kahn's wishlist of a coach that has uptempo ingrained in his DNA.

Will the Wolves actually make the fans happy with their next head coach? If the latest batch of rumored interviews is correct, there's a good chance of it.

Sam Mitchell is expected to interview in Minnesota on either Friday or Saturday, according to the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda. Mitchell played 10 seasons with the Timberwolves and has previous head coaching experience with the Toronto Raptors, winning the 2006-07 Coach of the Year award.

Mitchell spent this past season as the lead assistant for the New Jersey Nets, but reports indicate that he doesn't plan on returning to that post next season.

The other interesting name being brought into the mix is a man known as The Czar: Mike Fratello. ESPN 1500's Darren Wolfson wrote Tuesday that fans should "not be surprised if the former Hawks, Cavaliers and Grizzlies coach gets a shot as well."

Can't wait to see which other random names feel like coaching Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love next season because this is getting kind of fun (Also, let's ignore that NBA lockout thing)!

Did Rick Adelman Take Himself Out Of The Minnesota Timberwolves Coaching Search?

When Rick Adelman was added as a candidate to become the next head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, he immediately became the favorite among those hoping to become competitive while enticing Kevin Love to stay in the Twin Cities.

Unfortunately, it seems as though the eventual Hall of Fame head coach will not be headed toward the Minnesota sidelines this season.

"Right now I don't plan on doing anything, just taking some time off," Adelman told the Statesman Journal on Monday at his annual charity golf tournament. "I don't have any plans to (coach) next year, no."

This despite numerous reports that Adelman had interviewed with the Timberwolves -- though the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda later reported that Adelman didn't actually report to Minnesota as planned to meet with David Kahn and company.

"They had me interviewing a couple of places that I never even went to," Adelman told the Statesman Journal. "It's all part of it now. If you don't have a job and you've coached in the league, the first thing that happens if a job opens up, they throw the same names out there. Sometimes you know things are happening, but until you hear from teams, I don't believe a lot of things I read."

Considering fellow Wolves candidate Mike Woodson plans to interview with the Knicks for an assistant coaching position, Minnesota's options may be dwindling if Adelman's quotes are any indication.

If Minnesota Timberwolves Want Rick Adelman, Money Will Matter

The Minnesota Timberwolves haven’t handled their coaching situation the way David Kahn said he would when he fired Kurt Rambis, but if it results in the hiring of Rick Adelman, none of that will matter.

What will matter, however, is how much money owner Glen Taylor is willing to spend to attract a top-tier coach like Adelman.

Adelman will likely request at least $4 million per season from Taylor and the Timberwolves, according to the Star Tribune’s Jerry Zgoda, and that may be why he elected to take a telephone interview rather than fly to Minnesota. When you’re one of the best coaches on the market and being courted to head up one of the least desirable jobs available, money talks.

If it truly is all about the money, Taylor needs to be willing to spend — especially considering Adelman could also be the one coach that can convince Kevin Love to stay with the Timberwolves.

I might suggest Kahn take a good listen to the lyricist known as Nelly to try and get into the mind of Adelman.

David Kahn Is Making A Mess Of The Minnesota Timberwolves Coaching Search

Just how far is David Kahn going to stray from his original plan with the Minnesota Timberwolves' coaching search?

Larry Brown To Be Interviewed For Minnesota Timberwolves Job

Basketball coach Larry Brown, who has coached…let me check my records here…yes, who has coached every major Division I college and NBA team except the Minnesota Gophers and Timberwolves, will interview with Wolves GM David Kahn about coming to Minnesota.

Brown’s credentials are impeccable, as he is the sixth most winningest coach in NBA history, and has won titles in both the NCAA and the NBA. However, Brown is 70, has had some past health issues, and is notoriously impatient with young players. Brown is also a wheeler and dealer, and with him and David Kahn, I think it would be fair to assume that the term ‘roster upheavel’ would be given a new phrase: ‘Timberwolfed’.

Also, there is no truth to the rumor that Darko Milicic is currently poking needles into voodoo dolls of both David Kahn and/or Larry Brown.

Minnesota Timberwolves To Interview Rick Adelman On Saturday

The Minnesota Timberwolves will officially add another name to their coaching search, as the team will interview the well-traveled Rick Adelman on Saturday for their vacant head coaching post, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

In twenty seasons spent with four different teams. . .the Portland Trail Blazers, the Golden State Warriors, the Sacramento Kings and, most recently, the Houston Rockets. . .Adelman has compiled a career .605 winning percentage (945-616). He is also known for preferring an up-tempo style that would seem to fit in well with the collection of players that the Wolves have amassed in recent years.

However, Zgoda hypothesizes about what could be an even bigger reason for Adelman being on Minnesota's radar.

He has known Kevin Love for years and his hiring would be a BIG step toward convincing Love to sign a long-term contract extension.

Love and Adelman's son played on the same Lake Oswego, Ore.,high school team and Adelman saw nearly every game Love played during his senior season when he was in between jobs with the Kings and Rockets.

If the Timberwolves could get themselves a coach of Adelman's caliber and convince Kevin Love to stay around Minnesota, this writer would be all for it.

Bernie Bickerstaff To Interview With Minnesota Timberwolves, According To Report

The Minnesota Timberwolves weren't expected to drag their feet on hiring a new head coach to replace Kurt Rambis. That's proven to be true, too, as the team will bring in its third candidate on Friday for an interview with the front office.

Bernie Bickerstaff, a current Portland Trail Blazers assistant who has previous head coaching stops with the Seattle SuperSonics, Denver Nuggets, Washington Bullets and Charlotte Bobcats, will meet with the team on Friday. CSN Northwest's Dwight Jaynes was the first to report the interview date, but the Wolves inquired about Bickerstaff's availability even before officially firing Kurt Rambis.

If Bickerstaff is ultimately chosen to be the Timberwolves next head coach, it'll mark a bit of cruel irony as his son -- former Timberwolves assistant John-Blair Bickerstaff -- took a similar position with the Houston Rockets right before the firing of Rambis became official. The younger Bickerstaff was expected to either be a head coaching candidate himself or, if agreed to by both parties, serve under his father for a season before taking the Wolves' reins in the future.

Bickerstaff's all-time coaching record is 415-517 in 932 career games along with an underwhelming 12-21 record when his team advances to the playoffs.

Mike Woodson Interviews With Minnesota Timberwolves While Waiting On Pistons

The Minnesota Timberwolves brought in their second head coaching candidate on Tuesday when Mike Woodson met with David Kahn and company. The former Atlanta Hawks coach isn’t this team’s savior, to be sure, but at least it shows the Wolves are going to move much quicker in finding a replacement for Kurt Rambis than it did deciding they were going to need a replacement in the first place.

Woodson met with Kahn, the Wolves’ president of basketball operations, and owner Glen Taylor in Minneapolis on Tuesday according to the Star Tribune’s Jerry Zgoda. Before any one falls in love with the coach without eyebrows, however, Zgoda opines that Woodson is probably just using this interview as leverage to get the Pistons to finally choose a coach (and choose him) as they’ve taken their time deciding between him and Lawrence Frank.

Like Terry Porter before him, Woodson is another coach not exactly known for his fast break offense but rather as a coach that values defense — and not exactly the “uptempo” defense Kahn mentioned in his most recent press conference.

Zgoda reports that Don Nelson will probably be in later this week. Hopefully a few up-and-coming candidates emerge as well.

Minnesota Timberwolves Interview Terry Porter, Go Against Everything David Kahn Wants

Terry Porter became the first candidate interviewed by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. Porter, the former head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, was likely to interview with both David Kahn and owner Glen Taylor, according to the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda.

The Wolves were expected to interview former Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson for the position first --a man that certainly fits Kahn's edict for a coach that has "up-tempo" ingrained into his DNA -- but Zgoda reports that Nelson never reconnected with Minnesota's president of basketball operations as planned.

Nelson implied that not talking to to the Wolves over the weekend as planned means nothing one way or the other, but the fact that the team went in such an opposite direction by interviewing Porter in the meantime is a bit surprising.

Porter, a two-time NBA All-Star who played a couple of past-his-prime seasons for the Wolves, was last seen in the NBA when he was fired by Phoenix in 2009. Porter's intention was to bring a defense-oriented, slower playing style with him following a stint as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons, but was ran out of town when he was unable to adjust his coaching philosophy to the run-and-gun Suns' offense. 

The same offense, essentially, that Kahn would would like to instill into the Timberwolves future plans. At least the team is keeping it interesting, I guess.

Don Nelson Talked Minnesota Timberwolves Coaching Job With David Kahn

The Minnesota Timberwolves were not expected to be able to lure any high-profile coaches to Minneapolis for their now-vacant head coaching position. That speculations was apparently just that, however, as Don Nelson has thrown his hat into the proverbial (circus) ring.

Nelson, the NBA's all-time leader in wins and the only coach that probably actually does have uptempo DNA despite being born in 1490, has already had a phone conversation with Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

Nelson has local ties, as Zgoda reports that the coach's daughter and grandchildren live in Minnetonka, and also seems to be intrigued by the current roster featuring Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams, Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Wesley Johnson and Anthony Tolliver -- the latter of which played well for Nelson in his last stop as head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

One player that might not be as intriguing for Nelson is Anthony Randolph.

"I drafted Randolph. He didn't play very well for me. He's another guy, like Beasley, who has talent, but he has to reach down and get it. He didn't work that hard for me, but he's 6-11 and he can do things nobody else can do right now with running, jumping and playing around the rim. He's just got to reach down and become a player."

Nelson might not be the best fit for this team, though he is probably the best fit for what Kahn wants, and probably is asking for more money than is currently in the budget. That said, this team can't get any messier, can it?

Timberwolves 'Expected' To Consider Rick Adelman As New Head Coach, Says Report

Rick Adelman is another possible candidate to take over the Minnesota Timberwolves' head-coaching position, according to a report by ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Adelman joins Don Nelson, the NBA's all-time leader in wins, in the Wolves' coaching search.

Adelman, 65, owns a 945-616 (.605) career record in 20 seasons, split among the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and Houston Rockets, as a head coach. He compiled a 193-135 (.588) record over four seasons with Houston, despite having franchise cornerstone Yao Ming available for 137 of those games, and only five in the last two seasons. He's respected as an innovative offensive coach who gets the most out of his players on that end of the floor. Despite his reputation, the Rockets elected not to renew his contract following this season.

As Stein notes, Adelman is very familiar with Wolves star Kevin Love's game, having watched most of his senior season at UCLA while Adelman was between jobs. Further, Adelman's son played with Love in high school.

The Timberwolves' job opened up when Kahn finally elected to fire Kurt Rambis, who lost 132 games in his two seasons at Minnesota's helm. Adelman ought to command near top-dollar money, and may not even be interested in taking over a rebuilding team such as Minnesota. However, it's clear that hiring Adelman would be a real coup for a franchise that finally has reasons--with the emergence of Love and the arrival of rookies Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams--for optimism.

Could Don Nelson Replace Kurt Rambis As Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach?

Don Nelson went off the radar following his final season with the Golden State Warriors in 2010, but there is apparently a chance that the 71-year-old could replace Kurt Rambis as the next head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Nelson, the winningest coach in NBA history, has told apparently told confidants that he's interested in the Wolves roster according to ESPN's Marc Stein. While he may not be an ideal candidate for Minnesota's young roster, there are apparently pieces that make him interested in returning to coaching with the Wolves.

Stein reported that Nelson known to be a long-time admirer of Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love, as well as Anthony Tolliver after the latter played for the coach as an NBA Development League call-up during the 2009-10 season.

If nothing else, Nelson certainly runs the up-tempo offense that Kahn is looking for with his next head coach. It'll be a whole 'nother story if Nelson's able to figure out how to run the efficient "up-tempo defense" the Wolves president of basketball operations kept mentioning during Tuesday's press conference, however.

John-Blair Bickerstaff Leaves Timberwolves For Position With Kevin McHale And Houston Rockets

Kurt Rambis Fired, But David Kahn Takes The Blame

Kurt Rambis was fired as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves early Tuesday morning. Despite leading the team to a horrendous record during his two seasons at the helm, however, it was president of basketball operations taking the brunt of the backlash among respected national media.

That shouldn't be surprising, of course, as Kahn handled the situation worse than most would have thought possible just a few months prior. Still, it goes to show that the state of the franchise is in a delicate situation with Kahn leading the way.

Zach Harper of ESPN wondered aloud if Rambis was even the person to blame for the Timberwolves 32-132 record while he was at the helm, noting that the now-former Minnesota coach did well in his short stint with the Los Angeles Lakers and wasn't exactly given much to work with from Kahn.

Kahn has been the laughingstock of the NBA because he's been both arrogant in the way he discusses his moves and because of the moves themselves. Rambis was never the right hire for this job, considering he wasn't involved initially at the beginning of this Kahn-led rebuilding process.

Between the time Kahn took over the team in late May 2009, and when Rambis was hired in early August 2009, Kahn had already made five trades involving 17 different players. He also had butchered four of the 30 first-round picks in the 2009 draft.

Rambis was not a very good coach over the past two years. His teams were inefficient offensively and abhorrent defensively. Last season, it seemed that he was one of the worst fourth-quarter coaches in the entire league because of how the Wolves seemed to kick away leads. (Yes, they actually had fourth-quarter leads.) But I'm not so sure he was as bad as his 32-132 record would suggest.

Sports Illustrated's Zach Lowe also penned an excellent piece on the issues revolving around Kahn, though Rambis also takes his fair share of the blame, noting that this situation could have an impact on future hirings (something I also pointed out on Twitter).

But no one thinks that was the case, and that perception matters. As SI.com's Chris Mannix tweeted Tuesday afternoon, the league has obviously taken notice of how the Wolves have handled Rambis' dismissal, just as the next guy who thinks about taking Portland's GM position will surely hear cautionary notes from an NBA chorus that doesn't understand why Blazers' owner Paul Allen enjoys firing GMs so much. This won't stop elite candidates from taking jobs with either franchise, since there are so few top NBA jobs to go around. But it might give pause to a few such candidates, either for the top gig or an assistant spot, and the controversies certainly haven't improved either franchise's reputation among players, agents and fans.

Finding Rambis's replacement probably won't be as easy as it should have been for Kahn if league-wide perception in the coaching ranks is as poor as it seems everywhere else.

Kurt Rambis Finally Officially Fired As Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach

Kurt Rambis has officially been fired as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team announced in a press release Tuesday, after leaving the coach dangling for far too long.

Rambis wasn't exactly a bad coach while with the Timberwolves, despite what his 32-132 record at the helm of Minnesota might say, but he never really had the personnel to fit within the Triangle offense he wanted to run after seeing it work so well with the Los Angeles Lakers during his time under Phil Jackson.

Instead of firing his head coach right after the season, however, president of basketball operations David Kahn elected to keep him on for reasons that will hopefully discussed at an upcoming press conference -- otherwise there is no explanation.

"It is always hard to make these decisions. It is especially hard when it involves somebody of Kurt's reputation," Kahn said in the press release. "Even so, this is the right time for us to make a head coaching change now that we've identified our roster and its specific needs."

Kahn tried to ignore his head coach at pre-draft workouts, offered to move him to the front office rather than pay the buyout money firing him would entail and even requested permission to interview assistant coaches around the league for the job Rambis still had never been released from before actually deciding to let the coach go on his way Tuesday morning.

There will be plenty of updates later today, but this is at least a quick note letting everyone know that it's finally official.

Minnesota Timberwolves Asked Permission To Interview Bernie Bickerstaff

The Minnesota Timberwolves haven't exactly handled the Kurt Rambis situation in a professional matter, this we know. Nevertheless, president of basketball operations David Kahn has decided to keep operating the team as he has all summer -- and arguably throughout his tenure -- by going about things without any real rhyme or reason.

Despite not having officially relieved Rambis of his duties as head coach of the Wolves, Kahn has reportedly asked the Portland Trail Blazers for permission to interview assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.

Bickerstaff is the father of current Timberwolves assistant John-Blair and has had numerous coaching stints in the NBA since being named the Seattle SuperSonics head coach in 1985, but there's no guarantee that he's interested in dealing with Minnesota's roster at the age of 67. According to Freeman, Blazers president Larry Miller agreed to allow the Wolves to interview his assistant, but was unsure when or even if Bickerstaff will actually meet with Kahn.

There are seemingly better options for the next Timberwolves head coach available, but I had been holding off on writing about them until there was an official vacancy.  Kahn's all but made it official with this move, however, so there will probably be a coaching candidates list coming soon.

Minnesota Timberwolves Charade Continues With Kurt Rambis And David Kahn

The Minnesota Timberwolves, led by David Kahn, haven't handled the Kurt Rambis situation very well this offseason. Unfortunately, it seems that the ordeal is going to get worse before it gets better.

Kahn, the team's president of basketball operations, is trying move his current head coach into a front office position instead of firing him outright according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

The move is more likely so that Kahn doesn't have to eat the remaining $4 million left on Rambis's contract rather than him believing the former player would better serve the team in a role further away from the basketball court.

Rambis seems to be holding his ground, however, as sources told Yahoo! that the current head coach sees little appeal in moving to the front office because he "has little respect for Kahn's basketball acumen, and perhaps even less of a personal affinity for him."

In summary, Kahn doesn't want to fire Rambis and Rambis seems to openly dislike Kahn. Rambis is still being held in limbo, however, so there's really no telling where this situation is headed next.

Minnesota Timberwolves May Have Contacted Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski

Kurt Rambis Fired As Timberwolves Head Coach, According to Yahoo! Sports Report

In a bit of drama that has been going on since the end of the regular season, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Minnesota Timberwolves have, finally, decided to part ways with head coach Kurt Rambis on the eve of the 2011 NBA Draft.

Rambis, who could very well go down as the worst head coach in Timberwolves history, compiled a record of just 32-132 on the Minnesota bench, going 17-65 this season to give Minnesota the worst record in the NBA.

Wojnarowski is reporting that Kahn and Rambis reached an impasse, and that their relationship deteriorated throughout the season. There was also this little tidbit in the report, which I would find a bit strange if it came from anybody in the NBA that was not David Kahn.

Kahn told reporters he’d made the unusual request of asking Rambis to file a written report to him on changes Rambis would make if he returned as coach. He also said Rambis won’t attend the Timberwolves’ draft on Thursday night.

The report also states that the Timberwolves have already started doing background checks on head coaching candidates, including current Washington State University head coach Lorenzo Romar.

Kahn is not expected to announce this decision until after the draft, but the report is that the decision has, indeed, already been made.

Ricky Rubio's Timberwolves Arrival Means Team Could Play Faster, Says David Kahn

Kurt Rambis To Meet With David Kahn To Hash Out Timberwolves Future

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a quite busy week ahead with the NBA Draft just one week away, but reports are out that the team has decided to increase its workload with Kurt Rambis in town for the pre-draft workouts.

Rambis will meet with president of basketball operations David Kahn on Friday and Saturday to decide if the Wolves will allow the coach to return for his third season with the Timberwolves, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The timing isn't ideal, obviously, but better late than never?

"I think everybody has reasons for why they conduct the business in the way they want to conduct their business," Rambis told the Associated Press last week. "If you're asking me if that's what I would do, no, that's not how I would handle things. But everybody's different."

According to the AP, Rambis sat across the gym from Kahn while Enes Kanter and Arizona forward Derrick Williams went through workouts on Thursday. Williams is the favorite to be selected by the Wolves with the No. 2 pick next Thursday.

Kurt Rambis Is Still Expected To Be Fired As Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach

The Kurt Rambis saga has gone on far too long considering the Minnesota Timberwolves head coach has been whipping in the wind regarding his job status ever since the regular season came to a close.

An end is apparently near, however, according to Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press.

Rambis and David Kahn, the Wolves much-maligned president of basketball operations, are expected to meet soon now that the NBA Finals are final. How soon, however, is something Powers wasn't exactly sure of, saying "I don't know the exact date for the Kahn-Rambis meeting, just that there definitely is one scheduled and that it's coming up pretty quickly."

At the meeting, Powers says, Rambis will finally be put out of his misery as the Wolves head coach.

We know that Rambis and Kahn do have "the big meeting" scheduled. I'd expect the guillotine to come down then, but gently and accompanied by a series of accolades not heard in these parts since Kahn fired Kevin McHale. That's probably one of the reasons it's taken him so long. By nature, Kahn hates firing people.

In the same article, Powers also indicates that sources have told him that one of the candidates to replace Rambis "is from the staff of a team in the recently completed Finals."

If this leads to the return of Dwane Casey, who was credited quite a bit while working as the defensive coordinator of the world champion Dallas Mavericks this season, wouldn't that be ... something?

Kurt Rambis Seems Unhappy With Timberwolves Situation

Kurt Rambis hasn't been fired as the Minnesota Timberwolves head coach yet, but he hasn't been given a vote of confidence from Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn either. 

The two had been on a bit of a hiatus when it came to discussing the (mis?)management with the media during the Wolves first round of pre-draft workouts, but Rambis decided to give his side of the story over the weekend.

"I think everybody has reasons for why they conduct the business in the way they want to conduct their business," Rambis told the Associated Press. "If you're asking me if that's what I would do, no, that's not how I would handle things. But everybody's different."

That might be the best reason to keep Rambis -- he wouldn't handle things the way Kahn does -- but it's also rather redeeming that the veteran NBA player and coach is taking the high road when it comes to this debacle.

"It's out of my control," Rambis said on Friday. "It's what I said at the end of the season. There's nothing I can do about it. I just have to proceed like I am (the coach) and do my job."

Hopefully, for everyone's sake, he learns his fate one way or the other as soon as possible.

Kurt Rambis Is Still In Minnesota, Still Not Talking To The Media About His Job Status With The Timberwolves

Remember when Kurt Rambis showed up at the Minnesota Timberwolves hosted NBA Draft workout on Monday and all the media could do was note how awkward the situation has become between he and David Kahn?

The Wolves' head coach showed up at Day 2 of the workout on Tuesday, and even though he was now sitting next to his cohort in Kahn -- the Wolves' president of basketball operations -- ESPN 1500's Dana Wessel noted the situation was still as awkward as it's ever been.

In a situation that has now become downright bizarre, Rambis was back at the workouts a day after surprising just about everyone with his presence. But unlike Monday, when the two were in different parts of the gym, Rambis was sitting next to president of basketball operations David Kahn during the media availability following the first session.

For a second straight day, neither Rambis or Kahn were made available to the media and the team had no statement about the strange coaching purgatory Rambis has found himself in.

Eventually, if the Wolves don't want this blowing up in the national media like it is in the local media, Kahn is going to have to at least explain the hold-up regarding clarifying Rambis's situation.

Not only is it classless to leave Rambis hanging, but the longer the team waits to decide if he's returning, the harder it's going to be to find a head coach worthy of guiding the Wolves ship. If there are even coaches that want to deal with the current mess, of course.

Kurt Rambis Is In Minnesota, But Not Because The Timberwolves Want Him There

Kurt Rambis is currently the Minnesota Timberwolves head coach so it makes quite a bit of sense that he was at Monday's NBA Draft workout. After not being in attendance at last week's official NBA Draft Combine, it only makes sense that Rambis would at least check out prospects working out at his team's facility.

In what seems to be another aspect of the Wolves mismanaging the head coaching situation, however, Minnesota team officials told ESPN 1500's Dana Wessel that the team didn't ask their coach to be there but that he simply showed up on his own.

Team officials downplayed the significance of Rambis' presence at the workouts, saying his attendance was optional and he decided to come on his own without being summoned by the team or Kahn.

This seems to be made more interesting considering many reporting that Rambis and Kahn, the team's president of basketball operations, were not sitting with each other in the fifteen minutes the media was allowed access and did not interact.

The Timberwolves aren't making either available for comment, but hopefully they're at least talking behind closed doors as this situation is only going to get more awkward the longer it's left to fester.

Kurt Rambis Not At NBA Combine With Rest Of Minnesota Timberwolves Front Office During Derrick Williams Interview

Kurt Rambis‘s agent was supposed to meet with Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn on Thursday according to a Yahoo! Sports report, and while there hasn’t been anything reported regarding the outcome of that meeting, it’s been made clear that Rambis isn’t with the rest of the Wolves contingent in Chicago that’s scouting the NBA Draft Combine.

When the Timberwolves met Thursday with Arizona Wildcats forward Derrick Williams, the likely pick for the Wolves according to most Timberwolves mock drafts, the sophomore told Star Tribune beat writer Jerry Zgoda that Rambis was not part of the interview process.

This doesn’t exactly mean anything considering, though, considering  there are a few other head coaches not in attendance such as fellow hot seat-sitter John Kuester of the Detroit Pistons. It would make more sense, however, that Kahn might want Rambis to help scout potential players if the head coach is going to return considering the intricacies of the Triangle offense.

Will Rambis stay or will he be fired? Keep it tuned right here to SB Nation Minnesota, tune keepers.

Kurt Rambis' Agent To Meet With Wolves David Kahn To Discuss Coach's Future

Warren LeGarie, the agent of Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Kurt Rambis, will meet with Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn to determine what the future holds for the coach and franchise.

The meeting, which will take place on Thursday according to Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports, could ultimately end up deciding whether the Wolves will continue into next season with Rambis or look for another head coach after going 32-118 over the past two season. 

If Rambis is fired by Minnesota, the team would still be on the hook for the remaining two years on his contract which was expected to be worth at least two million dollars per season. Unfortunately for Rambis, it doesn't seem that returning to the Los Angeles Lakers -- the team he was top assistant for prior to joining the Wolves that is now looking for a new head coach following Phil Jackson's retirement -- is an option.

According to a Sports Illustrated report, Rambis wouldn't be an option in L.A. considering his "struggling to find success while using the triangle offense with his young, underwhelming roster. According to an advanced scouting source, Rambis had all but abandoned the triangle late in the season for far more basic sets."

Either way, it's a good thing that the Wolves are at least going to address the situation soon. If the team needs a new head coach, it's better to have the job open before candidates take the other jobs currently on the market.

Kurt Rambis Expected To Be Fired By Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves general manager David Kahn spoke to the media about the state of the Wolves earlier this week, but stopped short of saying whether head coach Kurt Rambis would be coaching the team next season. It turns out, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports, Rambis is expected to be fired -- it's just not clear when the decision will be announced.

Considering the Wolves finished this year with the worst record in the league, it wouldn't exactly be a shock to see Rambis fired -- especially since Kahn said he thought the team itself was talented enough to win more games this season.

Apart from Rambis leading the Wolves to the obviously unimpressive record, however, Yahoo! reports that one Wolves player told them that coach's "game plans were often confusing and the coaching staff didn't seem to be on the same page."

If Rambis's job is going to be saved, it's apparently only going to be because the team doesn't want to pay him the money he's still owed on his contract with the possibly of an NBA lockout looming.

I wonder what Dwane Casey's doing these days (hint: being an assistant coach on the Dallas Mavericks).