Former Gopher PG Flip Saunders likely named new Pres of Ops of Wolves

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Aschburner:

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.

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.

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2013/04/26/saunders-likely-back-to-timberwolves-replacing-kahn/

Go Gophers!!
 

Good. This is a far better state of affairs for Flip, for the T-wolves, and especially for the Gophers.
 

Pretty clear Flip's interest in the Gophers job was minimal if he had any at all. My guess is he just flirted to get the attention of the T-Wolves brass and hopefully show that he has options so the T-Wolves better make a move.
 

With that kind of salary, maybe he can endow a couple more scholarships and make a nice donation to the practice facility! He bleeds maroon and gold, you know.
 



This is probably also a good thing for the fan base, all of the Flipnatics can still have him running one of their favorite basketball teams. So then they don't have to (foolishly) hope Pitino and Teague fail.
 

Flip is also a front man to a group trying to buy the Wolves from Glen Taylor. This is step one in the transition of power and the sale of the Timberwolves. Flip I believe wanted to the Gopher job but he gave the Wolves the final option to put him in control and they did it. In the end it works out for everyone Gophers get a young exciting coach and the Wolves get rid of the Kahn Man.
 

I could see Flip making a push to take Trevor in the 2nd round. A while ago he tweeted at Trevor saying he's always been one of his favorite players.
 

Doogie on KSTP ch 5 just reporting Kahn is out and Flip is new GM.
 



Kahn reportedly hasn't been notified of the move yet.

HOW UNCLASSY OF TAYLOR AMIRITE GUYS!??!
 


Puke.

As a Twolves fan, this is about as annoying of a move as possible. He was part of the "think tank" that squandered the KG years.
He was part of the "think tank" in Detroit that decided to break up a championship caliber team by trading Billups for Iverson.
He then went on to go to Washington and push for veterans there by trading the #6 pick (Rubio) for Mike Miller and Randy Foye.

As a Wolves fan and season ticket holder, puke.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Puke.

As a Twolves fan, this is about as annoying of a move as possible. He was part of the "think tank" that squandered the KG years.
He was part of the "think tank" in Detroit that decided to break up a championship caliber team by trading Billups for Iverson.
He then went on to go to Washington and push for veterans there by trading the #6 pick (Rubio) for Mike Miller and Randy Foye.

As a Wolves fan and season ticket holder, puke.
Click to expand...

So you're saying we should credit Flip for signing Rubio to the Wolves? Throw it on the resume!
 



scher215 said:
So you're saying we should credit Flip for signing Rubio to the Wolves? Throw it on the resume!
Click to expand...

It was all part of his long term plan to come back here and make the Timberwolves successful.
 

Puke is right. Don't get me wrong...I love Flip. I just don't understand why sports organizations always look for the re-treads instead of new visionaries. This is why I'm able to get behind the Pitino hiring for the Gophers.
 

Slim Tubby said:
Puke is right. Don't get me wrong...I love Flip. I just don't understand why sports organizations always look for the re-treads instead of new visionaries. This is why I'm able to get behind the Pitino hiring for the Gophers.
Click to expand...

Right on, Slim. Even to the extent that we all start calling him OUR Coach Pitino.
 

... said:
It was all part of his long term plan to come back here and make the Timberwolves successful.
Click to expand...

Yup. Next up, Teague negotiated Flip's Wolves contract to include a practice facility for the Gophers.

This is chess, not checkers.
 

scher215 said:
Yup. Next up, Teague negotiated Flip's Wolves contract to include a practice facility for the Gophers.

This is chess, not checkers.
Click to expand...

Wow, now that is a new twist, but why not?
 



scher215 said:
So you're saying we should credit Flip for signing Rubio to the Wolves? Throw it on the resume!
Click to expand...


Ha. Maybe I didn't stop to realize the master plan. He has ALWAYS been an agent for the Wolves!

As a Wolves fan, I am genuinely going to miss draft day and being able to yell KAAAHHHHHHHHHHHN!
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Ha. Maybe I didn't stop to realize the master plan. He has ALWAYS been an agent for the Wolves!

As a Wolves fan, I am genuinely going to miss draft day and being able to yell KAAAHHHHHHHHHHHN!
Click to expand...

Hard for me, because Kahn was so much better than McHale. Kahn took a roster full of awful players making too much money and traded them away for draft picks and flexibility. Unfortunately, he blew a lot of those draft picks on bad choices. But at least we had choices. Still could be the problem was McHale from the KG years, so we'll have to give Flip a chance...
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Ha. Maybe I didn't stop to realize the master plan. He has ALWAYS been an agent for the Wolves!

As a Wolves fan, I am genuinely going to miss draft day and being able to yell KAAAHHHHHHHHHHHN!
Click to expand...

All the way down to using the Gopher job as an excuse to discuss ways he could help the school with NT. Pure brilliance lol

And yeah, Kahn gave the wolves national recognition for his ineptitude.
 

scher215 said:
All the way down to using the Gopher job as an excuse to discuss ways he could help the school with NT. Pure brilliance lol

And yeah, Kahn gave the wolves national recognition for his ineptitude.
Click to expand...

Every beauty contest must also have a last place finisher.
 

scher215 said:
All the way down to using the Gopher job as an excuse to discuss ways he could help the school with NT. Pure brilliance lol

And yeah, Kahn gave the wolves national recognition for his ineptitude.
Click to expand...

Kahn was awful at drafting players (outside of Rubio, who oddly enough is the one he got the most flack for at the time).

But he did a decent job with the rest of the roster.
He brought over Pekovic (far from a no-brainer, but that worked out brilliantly).
He was able to get something for absolute duds like Flynn and Wes Johnson.
He brought in AK47 (great move), Ridnour (worked out well for his role), etc.

I'm not a huge fan of Kahn, but I don't like that he's getting fired after this year. If we didn't have freakish amount of injuries (Rubio, Pek, Love, Ak47, and Budinger all missing significant time), that's a playoff team. A team that he built.
 

MadtownGopher said:
Pretty clear Flip's interest in the Gophers job was minimal if he had any at all. My guess is he just flirted to get the attention of the T-Wolves brass and hopefully show that he has options so the T-Wolves better make a move.
Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure how you connected those dots. You may be right. But it may also be the case that Flip preferred the Gopher job, didn't get it, and now is on to his second choice.
 

I think everyone's missing the obvious solution. Keep Kahn and have him be in charge of trades and free agency. Bring Flip on and have him in charge of drafts. I'm only partially kidding.
 

Hates Monikers said:
I'm not quite sure how you connected those dots. You may be right. But it may also be the case that Flip preferred the Gopher job, didn't get it, and now is on to his second choice.
Click to expand...

Holy Jesus Martha, you hit it all on the head. :banghead:
 

Hates Monikers said:
I'm not quite sure how you connected those dots. You may be right. But it may also be the case that Flip preferred the Gopher job, didn't get it, and now is on to his second choice.
Click to expand...

Take it for what it's worth, but the Timberwolves season ticket holder community is a REALLY small one, and amongst Twolves fans and people claiming to be "in the know", Flip was a sure thing for this position for a really long time. I think the Gopher thing was leverage, but I could be wrong, who knows?

Also, don't be shocked if it STILL doesn't end up with Hoiberg as coach. If Adelman retires to care for his wife, people are talking like it's a sure thing that Hoiberg is the next coach of the Wolves.
 

dpodoll68 said:
I think everyone's missing the obvious solution. Keep Kahn and have him be in charge of trades and free agency. Bring Flip on and have him in charge of drafts. I'm only partially kidding.
Click to expand...

I'd be perfectly fine with that. But I don't really like Flip's moves in free agency either. He is an old school guy who seems to ignore a lot of the Advanced Stats stuff and I think in the long run, that won't work out.
 

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