HoopsHype.com Rumors

Dan Barreiro: Flip Saunders confirms to me that he has signed multi-year agreement to become Pres of Bball operations, minority owner of Wolves. Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Owners, Flip Saunders 

Ken Berger: With Kahn out, details on an agreement making Flip Saunders the team president are being finalized, league source says. Twitter @KBergCBS

Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn, Flip Saunders 

David Kahn is out as president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Flip Saunders is coming in. Three people with knowledge of the situation tell The Associated Press that team owner Glen Taylor has decided not to pick up the option for next season on Kahn's contract. Taylor is also putting the finishing touches on a deal to hire Saunders as Kahn's replacement. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made. Oklahoman

Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn, Owners, Flip Saunders, Glen Taylor 

Jon Krawczynski: The new deal for Flip Saunders should be made official by Friday. Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Flip Saunders 

David Kahn's contract has not been renewed and the Wolves will replace him with, as expected, former Wolves coach Flip Saunders as president of basketball operations, league sources said this afternoon. Expect the team to make the announcement later today. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn, Flip Saunders 

President of basketball operations David Kahn is scouting in Europe, according to Taylor. Asked if it was OK to make a leap on Kahn's future based on him continuing to work, Taylor said no. When pressed if the NBA.com report about Flip Saunders taking over Kahn's duties was accurate, all Taylor would say is that no decision has been made yet. But in the same breath, Taylor said a decision would come by the end of the month. 1500 ESPN

Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn, Owners, Flip Saunders, Glen Taylor 

Kahn released a statement after NBA.com reported Taylor had decided to fire him and was negotiating with Flip Saunders to be the new president. Kahn said he didn't expect to meet with Taylor until after coach Rick Adelman informs the team about his plans for next season. Adelman is currently mulling returning or retiring to be with his wife Mary Kay, who suffered from seizures earlier in the season. SI.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Owners, Flip Saunders, Glen Taylor, Rick Adelman 

David Kahn just sent me a text after I called him seeking comment on today's NBA.com report that Glen Taylor is negotiating a five-year deal with Flip Saunders to replace Kahn as president of basketball operations. This is what the text said: "First, I wake up every day knowing it's a privilege to have this job, and not a right. Speculation about our jobs is part of this business, especially when you strip the emotion out of it. Speculation is especially understandable now, as we have a deep and talented team, with several cornerstone players, and will be poised for big success once it regains its health. "Glen and I have an understanding that we will meet at an appropriate time to discuss my contractual status, but only after we have clarification on Coach Adelman's status and Glen has all the information he needs. It is no different than when we make decisions on players who have options. We wait for the process to unfold. In the meantime, Glen and I have been having conversations about the staff, free agency and other plans. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn, Flip Saunders, Glen Taylor 

Jerry Zgoda: Flip tells KFAN "at this point, no" he hasn't been offered job. "What happens hypothetically...I have not officially been offered any job" Twitter @JerryZgoda

Minnesota Timberwolves, Flip Saunders 

ESPN NBA analyst Flip Saunders would not confirm a report that he was expected to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves as the club's next president of basketball operations. NBA.com reported that Saunders has been negotiating a contract, with option years, that could run through the 2017 -18 season and be worth more than $9 million over five full years, according to sources. "What develops right now is yet to be determined," Saunders told ESPN. ESPN.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Flip Saunders 

Former NBA head coach Flip Saunders is expected to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team’s next president of basketball operations, NBA.com has learned. NBA.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn, Flip Saunders 

Saunders, 58, has been negotiating a contract that, with option years, could run through the 2017-18 season and could be worth more than $9 million over the full five years, according to league sources who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the hiring. NBA.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn, Flip Saunders 

The move, which could become official as soon as next week, would end David Kahn‘s controversial tenure after four seasons and an 89-223 record during which the Timberwolves’ failure to reach the playoffs stretched to nine consecutive seasons. Kahn’s contract includes a team option for 2013-14 that will not be exercised. NBA.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn, Flip Saunders 

Sources close to Saunders say that, since exiting the Wizards job, he is comfortable with the prospect of a front- office job rather than a future coaching position. Despite his firing in Minnesota in 2005, Saunders and Taylor have maintained a good relationship. NBA.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Flip Saunders 

Darren Wolfson: One person with some knowledge hypothesizes that Taylor must be closer to selling the team, maybe to that Flip-represented group. #twolves Twitter @DarrenWolfson

Minnesota Timberwolves, Flip Saunders, Glen Taylor 

Taylor speaks regularly with former Wolves coach Flip Saunders, partly because Saunders has been involved with a group (or groups) trying to buy the team. Their relationship has led to media and Internet speculation that Saunders will be the team’s next general manager — particularly after Saunders didn’t reach a deal to coach the Gophers recently — if Taylor doesn’t retain David Kahn. “I don’t want to tell you I don’t talk to Flip because I do talk to Flip,” Taylor said. “We just talk, on his thoughts on different players and stuff like that. But I haven’t talked to him about us.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Flip Saunders, Rick Adelman 

It wouldn't be surprising if Flip Saunders turned down the Gophers men's basketball coaching job in part because he wouldn't be allowed to have the staff of assistants he wanted. That staff could have been expected to include son Ryan, Don Zierden or Jerry Sichting of the Washington Wizards, and perhaps Trent Tucker, Quincy Lewis and Vince Taylor. Taylor was briefly mentioned for the Drake head coaching job that went to Gonzaga assistant Ray Giacoletti. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Coaching, Flip Saunders 

The University of Minnesota's search for a men's basketball coach became officially embarrassing when it was learned Saturday, March 30, that Flip Saunders had turned down the job. Saunders is believed to be at least the fourth coach to say no thanks to Gophers athletic administrators Norwood Teague and Mike Ellis since they fired Tubby Smith on Monday. Saunders, the popular former Gophers point guard and 16-year NBA coach who resides in Medina, wasn't saying anything publicly other than he'll always "bleed maroon and gold." St. Paul Pioneer Press

Coaching, NCAA, Flip Saunders 

So what might Flip Saunders be waiting for if the Timberwolves aren't going to change GMs and he turned down the U. of Minnesota? One, he is enjoying his TV work for ESPN, I'm told. Two, the family issues with which current Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman is dealing could prompt him to step down sometime in the future. I'm not sure where they go if that happens, but I have to think both Flip and JB Bickerstaff in Houston -- one of the young assistants earmarked to be hired as a head coach someday and a former Timberwolves assistant -- would be on their list. Sulia

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, NCAA, Flip Saunders, Rick Adelman, JB Bickerstaff 

Flip Saunders appears to have options: aside from proving himself adept in front of ESPN cameras, sources say both the U. of Minnesota and NBA Timberwolves have expressed varying degrees of interest in bringing Saunders back to their respective folds. Sulia

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, NCAA, Flip Saunders