The Wizards, as expected, agreed to deal the No. 5 pick in the Draft, picking Minnesota’s offer of guard Randy Foye and forward Mike Miller for the fifth pick and three veterans — centers Etan Thomas and Oleskiy Pecherov, and forward/center Darius Songalia. The Wolves now hope to package their fifth and sixth pick in a deal with Memphis for the second overall pick, which they would use to take Rubio, the 19-year-old guard who played last season with DKV Joventut and starred on the Spanish Olympic team that won the silver medal in an epic battle with the United States.
The Washington-Minnesota deal was not officially done Tuesday night, though it was expected to be completed by Wednesday. The teams were leaning in the direction of making the deal, according to a league source.
Kahn’s opening move essentially wipes clean the team’s existing backcourt and makes the Wolves further committed to youth and the 2010 draft, when the Wolves will have two more first-rounders if their own pick is in the Top 10.
It provides a fourth first-round pick to a team that already has accumulated the sixth, 18th and 28th overall picks Thursday and presumably doesn’t want three, let alone four rookies on next season’s team.
With Foye’s departure, it sends away the player who — fairly or unfairly — most reminds Wolves fans of Kevin McHale’s failure in 14 seasons as Kahn’s predecessor.
What will the Wolves do with those fifth and sixth picks now?
If they keep them, there’s a growing chance Ricky Rubio falls to them at No. 5.
I’m hearing David Kahn really wants Tyreke Evans, but Sacramento could pass on Rubio if he’s still there at 4 (and probably will be) and take Evans instead.
The Wolves also have Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn high on their guard list.
Thabeet’s offensive game is a work in progress, to put it kindly, but Kahn said he doesn’t think Thabeet’s bust factor is higher than it is with any other player.
“Because I don’t think he’ll be a bust,” he said. “I think he is 7 foot 3, a very skilled athlete who played basketball for only seven years (and) demonstrated at Connecticut he got better with every season. I think he has a very bright future.”
If the Wolves keep the Nos. 5 and 6 picks, some possible targets are point guards Tyreke Evans of Memphis and Stephen Curry of Davidson and Arizona State shooting guard James Harden.
Foye, in a Twitter post, wrote: “Thanx for the love, I got more tweets than I can respond to! I have the best fans.”
The Timberwolves now own the 5th (from Washington) and 6th (their own) picks, and reportedly have wanted to move up to the second slot for weeks. Their target is said to be Thabeet or Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio.
But it’s news to the Griz if Minnesota is willing to part with Kevin Love, as had been suggested in trade rumors. Recently hired T’wolves GM David Kahn has insisted the team isn’t making Love or Al Jefferson available.
Reports Tuesday night indicated that Minnesota also didn’t plan to package both lottery picks in order to move up.
Forget Mike Fratello as a Timberwolves’ coaching candidate. He’s not coming.
Sources suggest Sam Mitchell is not on the short list of candidates to replace Kevin McHale as head coach.
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