Wolves Updates 12/5

Click here for the forum’s thread for tonight’s game against Utah
Game previews:
From Travis Heath/Hoopsworld: Kahn: We Have No Intention of Trading Rubio
When asked if he expects Rubio to suit up with the Wolves should he choose to make the jump to the NBA in the future, Kahn replied: “Absolutely.  I always temper that because I think you have to listen with any player if other teams have things they want to talk about.  There are maybe — well, I don’t want to guess how many untouchables there are in the league because there are very few — but I’m always reminded by Shaquille O’Neal, who will probably go down as one of the four or five greatest centers to ever play this game,  is playing on his fifth team right now.  People move in this league, but in Ricky’s case I have never tried to move him and don’t have any intention of doing so.  I’m eager for him to start his career for us in a Timberwolves uniform.”

Such sentiment leaves many people wondering why the Wolves decided to draft two players who play the same position.  Kahn wasn’t hesitant to address this as well as a couple of the other players the Wolves strongly considered selecting last June.

“I felt then, as I feel now, (drafting Rubio) was the best thing for us to do in terms of our long-term future,” Kahn asserted.  “The only other choice that could have been made, I felt, at that moment… well, there were two others.  We could have done Stephen Curry, and we were considering DeMar DeRozan.  Stephen, as you know, was also a point guard, so there was sort of the same issue there.  DeMar is a wing who I think has a lot of talent and a really bright future, but at the end of the day I really felt that for our future Rubio was the best pick.  And I knew that he probably wasn’t going to come right away.  I was told that morning that it was going to be at least a year.  Even with the wait, we thought it was the best thing for us to do.  I surely do feel the same way today.”

If he wants to play this season, Blount could try to initiate buyout talks with the Wolves by giving back some of that $7,962,500 salary, but sources with knowledge of Minnesota’s thinking said this week that Wolves general manager David Kahn would prefer to keep hold of Blount’s contract just in case some sort of trade scenario that requires Blount’s inclusion materializes between now and the league’s Feb. 18 trading deadline.

If that stance doesn’t change and no trade develops to lift Blount from the Wolves’ payroll before the February deadline, that’s when a buyout will be considered. Kahn granted permission to Blount’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, to explore trade possibilities back in September before training camp started.
Jefferson was encouraged by the return of a teammate he calls his “son.”

“I thought he looked good,” Jefferson said of Kevin Love, who had 11 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes. “He rebounded the ball real well. He shot the ball well. You couldn’t have asked for a better comeback. I thought he’d play that much because he was too hungry, too glad to be back.”
From Lindsey Young/Timberwolves site: Hollins and Wilkins Share Storytime with Students
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