Kahn is confident the T’Wolves will sign the 18-year-old guard, but there are still problems.
Kahn said that the “threshold issue” was the buyout with Rubio’s team in Spain.
— Kahn said he talked to the Knicks, but nothing is going to happen there with Rubio.
“They are very clearly setting themselves to be a major player in free agency in 2010. … There really isn’t anything we could accomplish even if we wanted to,” Kahn said.
Kahn maintains Rubio will likely play in Minnesota.
“We don’t really have any intention of trading him whatsoever,” Kahn said.
NBA sources told FOX 26 Sports Thursday the Minnesota Timberwolves have asked for and received permission to interview Houston Rockets assistant coach Elston Turner as they search for a new head coach.
The Timberwolves are looking for a replacement for Kevin McHale.
Turner was a strong candidate to become head coach of the Phoenix Suns last year.
He joined the Rockets when Rick Adelman was named Houston’s head coach two years ago.
“You don’t think Bassy wants to show those guys that you don’t just walk into the NBA and have success as a point guard?” a Wolves insider said recently. “After everything he’s been through?”
“Those guys” would be Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn, the prospects Minnesota took with the Nos. 5 and 6 picks in last month’s draft. With former starter Randy Foye traded to Washington for the pick that became Rubio, Telfair is the Wolves’ incumbent at point guard. And while it happens all the time that an established NBA player gets drafted on top of by his team — proud veterans face it near the end of their runs while younger players always are subject to the search for upgrades — this one felt a little different, a little much. Two rookie point guards?
“I knew for sure they would get a guard, but I was a little surprised to see two picks … go ahead of me,” Telfair said, phrasing it as awkwardly as it felt. “I mean, two point guards and I’m there. But the guys that we got, I know they can play basketball. My thing was gaining somebody that can help us win. I talked to Al [Jefferson] this morning, and like he said, we want to win right now. So it wasn’t a disrespect for me in any way, but I know I’ve got to come to camp prepared and ready to work.”
For J.B. Bickerstaff, teaching the game of basketball is equal to growing the game of basketball.
The assistant coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves was in town yesterday, providing a day’s worth of basic roundball curriculum to a group of children in south Winnipeg. His message to the kids: Enjoy the game, but play it the right way.
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