Afternoon News 6/9/10
Kahn talks about his trip to Europe and the draft
In case you don't feel like watching that video clip, the interview transcript can be found here at timberwolves.com. Here are some of the more interesting things Kahn had to say:
Jonah Ballow: And what about Pekovic and Milicic and what they are going to do as far as their future with this ballclub?
David Kahn: Pekovic would like to come to the NBA now, I think he's at the right frame of mind and right moment, he's 24 years old, he turns 25 this offseason, and I think he's very ready. Darko wants to come back to us. And that's a good thing, he said so at the end of this seaons and reaffirmed it at the end of this trip and so come July 1st when it's time to do free-agency that's something that we will have to start dealing with, but there's a sense and chance that both of those players, Nikola and Darko, could be back with us, in Darko's case back with us and Nikola for the first time
David Kahn: Pekovic would like to come to the NBA now, I think he's at the right frame of mind and right moment, he's 24 years old, he turns 25 this offseason, and I think he's very ready. Darko wants to come back to us. And that's a good thing, he said so at the end of this seaons and reaffirmed it at the end of this trip and so come July 1st when it's time to do free-agency that's something that we will have to start dealing with, but there's a sense and chance that both of those players, Nikola and Darko, could be back with us, in Darko's case back with us and Nikola for the first time
Jonah Ballow: You were asked during the workouts if you would be surprised on draft night if the team had No. 4, 16, and 23. Do you still feel the same way?
David Kahn: Yes, I think it's highly unlikely that will have the exact same three picks. That could be what happens but I just think that is unlikely. I think we will be aggressive and I think other teams will be aggressive because it takes two to make a deal. With so many picks, we have a lot of opportunities to do a lot of different types of things and I'm still just trying to figure out what to do at this point. The likely scenario is we will be aggressive and active.
David Kahn: Yes, I think it's highly unlikely that will have the exact same three picks. That could be what happens but I just think that is unlikely. I think we will be aggressive and I think other teams will be aggressive because it takes two to make a deal. With so many picks, we have a lot of opportunities to do a lot of different types of things and I'm still just trying to figure out what to do at this point. The likely scenario is we will be aggressive and active.
If Pekovic is coming over this season, that means for sure that either Al or Love is getting traded, right? That better be the case anyways, how many power forwards can a team have.
Rudy Gay to the...Timberwolves?
From The Big Lead
The Timberwolves apparently want Gay – Memphis can match any offer – to be the lynchpin of … whatever it is decision-maker David Kahn is trying to do. A lineup of Flynn, Corey Brewer, Gay, Love and Jefferson could be as good as Memphis was last year. (Although having Gay and Love in the same lineup will obviously lead to humor and humorous photos.) Minnesota has three first-round picks, so perhaps they could package them with Love or Jefferson to move up a spot or two to make sure they get a legit center (DeMarcus Cousins?). Would that be enough to get Ricky Rubio to leave Spain?
I'll pass on the Gay Love. He just hasn't proven himself to be a difference maker and would be a real travesty if we overpay this guy. Let's face it, the only way he's coming here is we severely overpay him.
In case you missed it, or refuse to watch it as to not give David Stern the satisfaction of getting your viewership for his crappy NBA games, the Lakers beat the Celtics last night to take a 2-1 lead in the Finals. Ray Allen had an all-time bad choke job, going 0-13 shooting. How does one of the best shooters in NBA history go 0-13 in the Finals? Choke job. Plain and simple. KG was awesome, everyone else sucked except for the Boston bench players. Lakers suck. NBA sucks. Let's not talk about it anymore.
Speaking of the Celtics, Peter May at ESPN has a great article on the behind the scenes workings of the KG deal and how the Celtics wouldn't budge on giving us Rondo.
Taylor didn't buy it. Why, he wondered, would the Celtics jeopardize a deal for a first-ballot Hall of Famer, a game-changer, for a player who had been in the league for only one season? All the other pieces were in place. But the Timberwolves demanded Rondo. Grousbeck would not budge and told Taylor to get back to him no later than 5 p.m. that day. He had to know either way. Grousbeck also agreed to pay a portion of Sebastian Telfair's salary. The Celtics were quite willing to include him in the deal instead of Rondo.
Grousbeck was alone on the aforementioned beach when his cellphone rang. It was the end of July. It was Taylor on the line. He had blinked. The Timberwolves would take Telfair and drop their demand that Rondo be included in the deal.
Argh, the pain, the agony.
The 7th and final group will workout tomorrow morning and features these prospects:
