Update: Now looking unlikely as Minnesota continues to interview other candidates — likely they were unimpressed with Kahn by the end of the day.
Jerry Zgoda reports
Sounds like we’re finally closing in on a new Wolves GM.
I’m hearing this morning that the Wolves have offered the job to David Kahn, the former Indiana GM who since leaving the Pacers in 2002 has owned NBA Development League franchises and worked to bring the Expos and major league baseball to Portland. I’m also hearing the only sticking point might be whether his wife will move from Portland to Minny.
Kahn returned a phone call last night only to say he’s not talking and didn’t answer his cell this morning. Called Glen Taylor’s office this morning and was told he’s unlikely to talk to a reporter today (not that he has returned calls for the last few weeks anyway). Called Randy Pfund but didn’t reach him.
If Kahn is indeed hired, it might mean that some of the current Wolves management — Hoiberg for sure, Stack I don’t know, McHale doubtful — stays.
Or maybe Taylor throws a curveball and names Hoiberg the VP/GM and Kahn his business/capologist right-hand man.
Sounds like Dennis Lindsey withdrew last week because he wanted to start over with his hand-picked guys and Taylor wanted him to retain some of the current people.
Zgoda offers an update with some good information on who Kahn is
UPDATE: Have checked around some today and here’s some background on Kahn and some impressions people who have worked with him have: Comes from a well-to-do Portland family, dad was (is?) a powerful lawyer. He was a national NBA writer/columnist at the Oregonian in Portland in 1980s, went to law school, set out on his intended course by getting into the law firm that produced David Stern and Gary Bettman, worked for NBC as an aide to Pat Riley (when he was out of coaching) and Costas, was the salary-cap/business guy with the Pacers, not a personnel guy.
I can see Fred being the personnel/talent guy to Kahn’s salary cap-biz position.
Sam Mitchell makes perfect sense as head coach because I think in all the negotations with GM candidates Taylor wanted a big say in the next coach and the one guy I can think of who he would have ties to is Mitchell, our former Wolf. Talked to Sam briefly today and he’d love to come back here as head coach, but said he hasn’t heard a word about that scenario.
As for Kahn, here’s a snap shot: Very smart, funny, can be really charming, big ego, temperamental, a really good self-promoter. Left a wake in the D League. Here’s a link to a story in the Dallas-Fort Worth weekly alternative paper a year ago about debts and lawsuits:
I don’t have an opinion on the man, I don’t know enough about him.
It does look like Kahn was a second choice, or fall back option, for the Wolves. It seemed to me, and many others, that Dennis Lindsey was the first choice and after he turned the club down the Wolves went out and contacted Randy Pfund despite Kahn already being on the radar for some time, which isn’t exactly a sign of confidence in the man.
It’ll be interesting to see what his role is, whether it’s the captain of the ship, or just a supporting (cap only) guy.
