Wolves GM Search

from ESPN:

As the Minnesota Timberwolves move closer to hiring Portland's Tom Penn as their new front-office chief, signals are growing stronger that Kevin McHale will retain the right to decide whether he stays on as the Wolves' coach.

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that Wolves owner Glen Taylor -- after initially saying that the new general manager would make the final call on Minnesota's coach -- has mandated that whoever is hired to take over Minnesota's basketball operations must make it McHale's choice to keep coaching or leave the organization.

Sources say Taylor would like McHale to remain on Minnesota's bench for at least one more season. McHale has not publicly discussed any of his plans since the end of the regular season.

But Penn's apparent willingness to keep McHale as coach and team with Wolves assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg on personnel matters -- combined with Penn's role in the Trail Blazers' rise to prominence in the Western Conference and solid reputation -- have established him as the heavy favorite to replace McHale as Minnesota's lead decision-maker on personnel matters.

The Wolves' GM search, sources said, is strictly focused on Penn at this point, with one source going so far as to say an offer has been made.

San Antonio's Dennis Lindsey, widely billed as Minnesota's initial No. 1 target for its GM opening, withdrew from consideration on May 1. The other known candidates besides Penn include ex-Indiana Pacers executive David Kahn and former Miami Heat general manager Randy Pfund, but Pfund contacted ESPN.com and two Minnesota-based newspapers Friday to say that he is also "moving on from the Wolves' situation" to pursue other jobs.

It's believed that both Lindsey and Pfund wanted the freedom to make sweeping changes to the organization if they wished -- including the right to dismiss McHale and hire their own coach -- with Taylor reluctant to give it.

With no formal GM hiring expected before next week, Minnesota is sending rookie forward Kevin Love to New Jersey to represent the club during Tuesday's draft lottery, when the Wolves will learn the placement of their first of three first-round picks in the June 25 draft.

Love and fellow franchise cornerstone Al Jefferson have lobbied the Wolves to keep McHale on the bench. The Wolves went 20-43 after McHale replaced Randy Wittman in December, but they posted a 10-4 record in January before losing Jefferson to a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 8.

David Kahn is interesting. Pfund and Lindsey are overrated. I think Penn is too.