The Minnesota Timberwolves currently own the #2 pick in the NBA Draft next month.  There have been a number of reports & rumors as to what the TWolves will do with the pick.  

One report had the Wolves trading Beasley, Rubio & the #2 pick to the Pacers for Danny Granger.

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated added that one source has the TWolves trading down in the Draft to select Turkish big man Enes Kanter.

One scenario (that I’ve come up with) is the Wolves trading with the Jazz (who currently own the #3 pick (via NJN)) for that #3 pick and veteran shooting guard: Raja Bell (who they’ve had their eye on for some time now).  They could also look to deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers (who own the #1 & #4 picks)

Enes Kanter would complement Love in the frontcourt.  A physical young big man, who can rebound, score and defend.  Definitely a solid center with some great potential in the League.  I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about this as the Draft draws near(er) (June 23rd).

That’s all for now, remember to stay tuned all summer for all your up-to-date Twolves news and information all offseason long.  Thanks for reading and GO WOLVES!

Another Timberwolves appearance at the Draft Lottery and yet another evening of disappointment for our franchise.  The TWolves had the best mathematical chance of snagging the top pick in this years draft (25%), however the top pick went to the Cleveland Cavaliers (via the Los Angeles Clippers) which had a 2.8% chance of snagging the #1 pick.

Was it rigged?  Who knows?  However, it seems David Kahn believes…maybe.  The President of Operations for the Wolves was the representative this year at the Lottery and afterwards he spoke briefly to the media. “This League has a habit, and I am just going to say habit, of producing some pretty incredible story lines.  Last year it was Abe Pollin’s widow and this year it was a 14-year-old boy and the only thing we have in common is we have both been bar mitzvahed.  We were done.  I told Kevin: ‘We’re toast’.  This is not happening for us and I was right.”

This ‘14-year-old boy’ Kahn is referring to is the son of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert: Nick Gilbert.  A young boy living with and surviving through a disease called: Nuerofibromatosis-a nerve disorder that causes tumors to grow anywhere on the body at anytime.  Of course there’s more than just that.  A year after their superstar fled his hometown for the glory of Miami, the Cavaliers have a chance to rebuild quickly after just a season of turmoil, now that they have the #1 & #4 picks in next months draft.  Can they thank David Stern?  Who knows!

Who knows, hopefully we won’t be back at the lottery anytime soon, I guarantee you we won’t be next season.  Do I have that much confidence in the TWolves?  I think so, but more importantly, the Los Angeles Clippers currently own the 1st round draft pick of the Timberwolves for the 2012 Draft.

A day after the Draft Lottery, David Kahn stated: “I was joking!”  Stating that what he said previously was intended to be a joke.  In a statement to the Associated Press, he said he wasn’t suggesting a conspiracy of any kind.  Also stating that he doesn’t believe in jinxes or curses, but he does however believe in the ‘power of a story’ and last night for a 14-year kid to win the lotto against a bunch of middle-aged executives was a much better story.  To watch the post-Lottery comments Kahn made to the press, watch the video in the previous post on this site.

There hasn’t been any word from Commissioner David Stern yet, if David Kahn will be fined for his above comments.  According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, the League is currently evaluating whether or not to fine Kahn.  I’m sure we’ll hear soon enough.

Stay tuned for all the up-to-date Timberwolves news and information all offseason long.  Until then, thanks for reading and GO WOLVES!

The following is a list of the the small forward free agents.  Some, have early termination options (player & team), others are restricted free agents (any team that makes them an offer, can be matched by their current team) and lastly unrestricted free agents.

This is a look at all the possible small forward free agents and isn’t necessarily a list of players that the Timberwolves need to target, but rather a list of the potential free agents and what they could bring to the table for Minnesota.

-C.J. Miles (TO): C.J. has had an up-and-down career, from starter to bench warmer to D-League to role player and everywhere in between for the Utah Jazz.  He has a team option this offseason for the Jazz and I’d expect them to almost definitely pick it up.  This is the same player that set a career-high in points at 40 in the UTA-MIN last meeting.  If he isn’t re-upped, I wouldn’t doubt the TWolves to be interested.  He’s a young-potential and brings athleticism, shooting and above-average defense.

-Mickael Pietrus (PO): Pietrus was involved in that trade that sent Carter, Gortat and himself to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Pietrus passes on his player option and at the same time I wouldn’t be surprised if he decides to remain in Phoenix.  He got almost no play time when he was traded and at the end of the year suffered and injury.  With the CBA lingering I could see him remaining in Phoenix and most likely being traded or he could simply enter free agency and decide himself.  Pietrus is a seasoned vet and is a solid swingman on both ends of the floor.

-Sam Young (TO): The Grizzlies are still in playoff contention and since Rudy Gay went down, it’s been Sam Young and Tony Allen at the 2 & 3 and they’ve stepped up big.  I would be surprised if the Grizz decided to let Young slip into free agency.  He’s still a young player and would be a solid role player on any team.

-Matt Barnes (PO): Matt Barnes has a small player option next season for the Los Angeles Lakers.  I’m not certain as to whether he’ll want to return next season.  I feel like Matt Barnes has a lot of better options to join teams that are in need of a small forward, unlike the Lakers (who although they’re playoff contenders) who are deep at the 3-spot (Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Luke Walton).  If you remember, he was going to sign with the Raptors, before they had some financial troubles and he ended up in LA.  I could see him going somewhere where he’ll be able to get a lot more minutes (not necessarily a starter).  Barnes is a great lockdown defender and he would be welcomed with open arms to Minnesota.  He also has a decent three-point shot.

-James Jones (PO): James Jones of the Miami Heat.  Just the other day (in the playoffs) Jones dropped 25 in minimal time off the bench.  He’s a great three-point shooter who will almost certainly be back in Miami for another season.  Beyond his three-point shooting however, well, there’s not much to say.  If he did enter free agency, I could see the Wolves (a team who shot a lot of threes a season ago) at least taking a glance at him.

-Thaddeus Young (R): Beyond Wilson Chandler, this is one of the biggest free agent small forwards out there.  Thaddeus Young is only 22 years old and was an integral part of returning the 76ers back to the playoffs.  He’s an athletic point forward with a lot of different tools. The Wolves already have a player like Thad-Anthony Randolph.  However, Thaddeus is more of a threat all over the court.  I’d expect some teams to make a run at him, but the Sixers will likely match any offer to keep Young in Philly.

-Wilson Chandler (R): Probably the ‘best’ small forward free agent on the market this offseason.  He was a part of that big 13-player deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks.  Chandler, now a member of the Denver Nuggets may or may not be in their future plans.  In the Melo deal, the Nuggets also received small forward Danilo Gallinari, who is less talented, but started, bringing Chandler off the bench.  Danilo is a big young potential, that I could see being one of the centerpieces of the Nuggets for years to come.  Chandler will most definitely get some offers to play for different clubs, but I’d expect the Nuggets to match any (non-ridiculous offer) and keep their sixth man.  Chandler is a big body that can play the three and the four.  He’s a solid shooter and does all the little things on both ends to help his team be successful.

-Tayshaun Prince: Tayshaun Prince had another season of turmoil in Detroit after years of successful runs to the playoffs.  He continually butted heads with head coach John Kuester and is almost certainly looking for a way out.  Prince’s name has been linked to a number of different teams this summer, the one most likely: the Dallas Mavericks.  Head coach Rick Carlisle was a former Piston assistant during Prince’s rookie season.  The veteran-friendly Mavs will be looking for a bit of an upgrade at the small forward: DEFENSIVELY.  Prince could be the answer.

-Caron Butler: Butler saw his season cut short after a season-ending injury that’s kept him sidelined now, for almost 4 months.  Butler does hope to return for the playoffs, however it’s seeming less likely.  As I write this the Mavs are, however, currently up against the Lakers leading the series 2-0.  Butler is a great veteran small forward that’ll bring a lot of intangibles on both ends that any team needs to be successful.  I’m not 100% certain he’ll be back with the Mavs next season, he may be a bit out of their price range.  However, with his injury-plagued season, he may have to lower his price or get no offers whatsoever, a lot of teams will certainly be hesitant because of that injury.

-Shane Battier: Battier was traded just before the deadline in a deal that sent the Grizzlies Hasheem Thabeet to the Houston Rockets for swingman and ex-Grizz Shane Battier.  Battier is actually a name that the Wolves community has been saying in a recent weeks.  Battier is the kind of veteran swingman that won’t demand a lot of play time, who would be happy as a role player, but at the same time is a very talented player.  He’s a great defender (something/one the Wolves REALLY need) a solid shooter and a capable player on both ends.  I can only hope the Wolves will get a chance to make him an offer or rather that they actually will!

-Andrei Kirilenko: Lifelong Jazz(er) Andrei Kirilenko is a free agent this offseason.  He’s been a fixture on the Jazz for quite some time now, however this past season may have been his last in Utah.  Since trading away all-star Deron Williams the Jazz are in a bit of a rebuilding stage (not really though, with players like: Al Jefferson, Devin Harris, Paul Millsap & Derrick Favors),  There’s been talk that Paul Millsap will be working this summer to become a small forward player.  To me, indications seem strong that Millsap will be the new starting small forward with Favors at the 4 and Big Al at the 5.  Kirilenko will certainly garner some interest as a long lanky defender who is will also get involved on the offensive end.  This could be another potential look for the TWolves.  However, my money is on the New Jersey Nets.  There Russian billionaire owner (I say that, cause I didn’t want to look up how to spell his name) is a good friend of fellow-Russian Kirilenko, they Nets are in need of a defensive presence and a solid starting small forward: there you go!

-Grant Hill: The Phoenix Suns have apparently found the fountain of youth with old superstars like Hill and Steve Nash.  Hill is 38 years old, but does he look it?  More importantly does he play like it?  Absolutely not!  Hill is a great wing and could get certainly get some offers this offseason.  One interesting team I could/would like to see him play for, is the Los Angeles Clippers.  The Clippers are in dire need of a starting small forward (Ryan Gomes just won’t cut it).  Beyond that, like a lot of these old veteran swingmen, I’d expect him to look to play for a championship contender.

-Peja Stojakovic: Peja-possibly the best shooter in the NBA?  I could go along with that.  He’s one of the best three-point shooter I’ve ever seen.  Peja is a great vet, who brings both veteran leadership and an incredible touch from almost anywhere on the court.  Peja was traded from New Orleans to Toronto, he was later ‘waived’ and eventually signed with the Dallas Mavericks.  He has gotten a few starts at the small forward next to Dirk Nowitzki.  He’ll definitely garner some interest from some of the championship contenders around the League.  

-Jason Kapono: Kapono is a solid three-point shooter and beyond that, well, no, that’s it.  If any team is looking for a floor-spreader who can knock down tough shots he’s your guy.  I don’t expect the Wolves to be looking to JK though.

-Jamario Moon: Moon was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Clippers in a deal that also featured Mo Williams and Baron Davis.  Moon is a role player, nothing more.  He’s an athletic player who can knock down some shots as well.  He should hook up with someone this offseason, I’m just not sure who.

-Al Thornton: Al Thornton was surprisingly waived by the Washington Wizards around the NBA Trade Deadline, he later signed with the Golden State Warriors and got some substantial minutes behind Dorell Wright.  Thornton will get plenty of offers this offseason, he’s a valuable reserve with a lot of athleticism.  He’s a versatile player, but he isn’t someone I see the Wolves going after.

-Earl Clark: Earl Clark was a small-part of the Phoenix-Orlando deal earlier this year (Vince Carter/Marcin Gortat/Mickael Pietrus for Jason Richardson/Hedo Turkoglu/Earl Clark).  He didn’t get a lot of play time with the Orlando Magic.  He’s a versatile young forward with upside.  The Magic are uncertain as to whether he’ll be back in Orlando this offseason.  

This year’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award was announced earlier today from the Target Center.  He made history as he became the first Timberwolves player, ever, to win the MIP.

Love averaged 20.2ppg this season and led the League with 15.2rpg as well as earned his first All-Star appearance as an injury replacement selected by Commissioner David Stern for Yao Ming.

New Bulls Head Coach Tom Thibodeau had this to say, “The year that he’s had has been unbelievable.  When you average 20 and 15 in this league, that says a lot.  It says a lot about how he’s improved from year to year.  He’s a guy that plays hard all the time and will continue to improve from year to year.”

The Wolves big man won the MIP with 66 first place votes and 400 of 580 points possible.  Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge was second with 11 first place votes and 157 total.

For the previous two seasons, he was behind Big Al Jefferson on the depth chart and was subsequently a 6th man.  The Wolves sent off Jefferson to Utah last summer, which moved Love into the starting spot, with starter minutes and he delivered.

His 53-consecutive double-doubles set a new NBA record since the ABA/NBA merger 30+ years ago, back with Moses Malone.

When asked about the future, Love had this to say, “I think I can make another big leap.  There’s always stuff to work on.  The great players and even the good players in the League always add a couple things to their game.  I intend on adding more than a couple if I can so I’m going to work my butt off to take another big leap.”

Needless to say, he needs to improve on his defensive presence.  His low post defending and face up game on offense need to improve, if he wants to “take another big leap.”

Offseason workout partner Derrick Rose had this to say, “The way he works, you should see how hard he goes.  When we work out we don’t do (any) big-man drills.  It’s all guard stuff with me and Russ (Russell Westbrook).  It’s amazing how hard he works out.”

There’s no doubt that if Love wants to take a big leap the Timberwolves need to drastically improve from this 17-win season.

I will post a link to the video of the announcement shortly.  Until then, thanks for reading and GO WOLVES!

Timberwolves fans had yet another season of turmoil this year as they saw their young squad lose an NBA-worst 65 games!  With just 17 wins, the Minnesota Timberwolves will have the best mathematical chance of grabbing the top pick in July’s 2011 NBA Draft.  They’ll have a 25% at that top pick, but that also means they could fall as far as the fourth pick.

Along the way to the NBA’s worst record, the Timberwolves had a few bright spots.

The first came in the summer, when they were able to steal away Michael Beasley from the Miami Heat for just a second round pick (it’ll end up being the 1st pick in the second round (31st pick) in this year’s Draft).  The Miami Heat were trying to clear cap space and they decided to give up 2008s #2 pick for practically nothing!  I remember last summer, hearing the Heat were looking to move Beasley for the best offer.  I remember really hoping that the Wolves would pursue a trade.  I remember hearing the Charlotte Bobcats and the Toronto Raptors were both interested, but ultimately decided against pursuing the “troubled” young forward, the Wolves picked him up and he was, without a doubt a valuable asset to this young team and should be for years to come.  A month or two into the season, there was a report that Michael Beasley was happy to be in Minnesota and hoped to get an extension in the future, so he could stay (below this section is a link to this story from my old blog: Michael Beasley Loves Minnesota).  At one point Beasley led the Wolves in scoring with 20+ppg but after a few ankle injuries his performance dropped off a bit on the offensive end and Kevin Love took that top scorer spot and never “gave it back”.  There’s no doubt he has talent, any Wolves fan can tell you the flashes of greatness they saw this season.  However, I think Martell Webster said it best (and I am paraphrasing) but he said something along the lines of, that until these young guys understand they don’t have to lead the league in scoring our team will suffer.  I highly doubt he was talking about a much more efficient Love, but rather, the “ball hog” (at times) Beasley.

http://codyandersontimberwolves.blogspot.com/2010/12/michael-beasley-loves-minnesota.html

 Another “bright spot” for the Wolves this year was Darko’s improvement at center.  The big man labeled bust for his first 8 years in the League signed a 4-year $20M contract with Minnesota last summer and this year, after he got into good conditioning he certainly made some steps forward.  However, he was quite inconsistent and seemed to lack confidence and determination while playing.  He started the season off atrociously, but after getting comfortable, he seemingly played much better and at one point GM David Kahn stated that he expects Darko to continue to improve and be a strong All-Star candidate in the future.  The 25-year-old 8-year veteran saw his performance drop off a bit, there would be most games when he’d contribute a bucket or two, a handful of rebounds and a couple blocks and other games where he’d erupt for 15+ points, grab nearly 10 boards and throw back a handful of shots.  However, the problem was that he consistently played awful.  At the end of the season press conference GM David Kahn stated that he wasn’t sure what Darko’s role would be next season, that all depends on him (Darko) and how much work he puts in this offseason.

A bright spot for the Timberwolves was certainly the emergence of Kevin Love.  The young forward was one of the few things Wolves fans had to boast about.  After living in Al Jefferson’s shadow (or at least, because of Big Al, he didn’t get a lot of PT) as well as the questionable relationship with Head Coach (for now) Kurt Rambis.  After trading away Jefferson to the Jazz this season, the Timberwolves and Rambis had no choice but to give Love extended minutes and he delivered big time!  A small note: during the offseason, David Kahn was looking at potentially trading away Kevin Love to the Golden State Warriors for Anthony Randolph, but Randolph was sent to New York in the David Lee deal and obviously came to the Wolves in the Melo deal.  Kevin Love saw improvements in nearly every statistical category this season.  Games: 60-73.  Games Started: 22-73.  Minutes per game: 28.6-35.8.  3-point %: 42%-47%.  3-point FGs: 35/106-88/211.  Total Rebounds: 658-1112.  Rebounds per game: 11-15.2.  Total Points: 842-1476.  Points per game: 14-20.2.  Assists: 136-184.  He was a consistent force for the Wolves every game out and always delivered.  His 64 total double-doubles and a record 53-consecutive set a new NBA record since the ABA/NBA merger.  He also made the all-star team.  He got the snub in the original voting, but the Commissioner David Stern chose him as the injury replacement for Yao Ming.  He also grabbed his first NBA rebounding title, beating out Dwight Howard and Zach Randolph.  He’s also the most likely candidate for the Most Improved Player of the Year award.  His 31-31 game against the New York Knicks was impressive as well as the first player since Moses Malone to have a 30-30 game!  He’s had a season to remember and at just 22 years of age, he’s only begun to reach his potential, he could be a real star in this League someday!

Yet another bright spot for the Minnesota Timberwolves was being able to grab Anthony Randolph away from the New York Knicks just before the trade deadline.  Corey Brewer and 3rd string Kosta Koufos were both a part of that deal.  Brewer was sent to the Knicks (and later waived and signed with the Mavs) and Koufos was sent to the Nuggets.  Randolph has shown some serious potential in his first 3 years in the League and this season when Love went down with that groin injury he saw a few starts and a big increase in minutes and he continually delivered.  Eddy Curry was also part of that deal that sent AR to Minnesota, but the Wolves waived him.

The Wolves have a good group of young talent.  With rookie Wesley Johnson, All-star Kevin Love, Michael Beasley & Anthony Randolph as well as a high draft pick this season and Ricky Rubio potentially coming over for next year, they’ve got a solid group of talent.

Sure, the Wolves have had some bright spots this season, but in a season with 17 wins, there are certainly a lot of things, we’d like to forget.  

The first of which was the inconsistent game of rookie Wesley Johnson.  There were games, especially against the Lakers (for whatever reason; he did get “mentored” in the offseason by superstar Kobe Bryant) but he’d be playing the Wizards and shoot a putrid percentage and score a handful of points.  His inconsistency really did hurt the Wolves.  When Brewer was still with the team, Brewer was competing with Wes for the starting job and for awhile Corey got the starting shooting guard spot because of his energy, which gave Wes some incentive to step up his game, after he was traded away he seemed to return to old habits.  

Another forgettable performance was Jonny Flynn’s season.  He returned about 25 games into the season after undergoing offseason hip surgery.  When he returned, he did NOT play well at all.  As some are calling it: “the lost season” of course this was a “lost season” for the TWolves as a whole.  Flynn showed small glimpses of being a capable point guard, but his turnovers, bad passing, questionable decision-making, weak perimeter defense and questionable shots all contributed to an awful season for the second-year player.  It’s almost certain Flynn has played his last game for the Wolves, with Ridnour, Rubio and potentially Irving (if the Wolves get the top pick) all in the “cards” for the Wolves.

The Wolves are a young squad, they’ve; like every team; had some good and bad, however in a season where you lose 65 games, the positives are certainly outweighed by the numerous negatives.

There will be more posts throughout the offseason from everything from CBA updates, transactions, offseason workout reports, noteworthy stories, player biographies and all other pertaining Minnesota Timberwolves information.  As usual thanks for reading and GO WOLVES!

The Minnesota Timberwolves had a chance to snap a 13-game losing streak last night in Phoenix at US Airways Center.  However, the result was all to familiar as the Wolves grabbed their 64th loss of the season as well as 14th straight, losing 127-135 in OT.  They haven’t won a game since March 11th vs. the Jazz.  It’s been exactly a month and the Wolves have just one last chance this season Wednesday night versus the Houston Rockets.

The T’Wolves were again without their starting frontcourt: Kevin Love and Darko Milicic, who sat court-side, watching the Wolves play stellar basketball, but unable to get it done.  Sebastian Telfair was inactive for the game.

The Suns were without Vince Carter, who was out with a left hip injury.  Also, Robin Lopez received DNP-CD as did Mickael Pietrus.  

The Timberwolves played quite well and battled back and forth with one of the top offenses in the League.  Clearly, by the score, you can see not a lot of solid defense was played by either team.

The Timberwolves jumped out early and every time the Suns would get close, they’d go on a quick spurt to pad the lead, however by the 4th quarter the Suns offense ignited.  Channing Frye and Jared Dudley lead the 4th quarter charge as the Suns outscored the Wolves 34-27, to tie the game and send it into overtime.  Channing Frye scored 10 of those 34 and Dudley added 6 to fuel the Suns to an OT. 

An 8-0 run put the Suns up for the first time since the first quarter 131-124 with 45 seconds to play.  Minnesota got some big shots and ended up pulling ahead on a Martell Webster three.  The next possession down Nash nailed a straight-away three to put them up two.  Minnesota then had the ball with 8 or 9 seconds to play and a Michael Beasley layup tied the game, he was fouled but missed the free throw to keep the game tied at 121.  On the final possession, the Suns had 0.9 seconds to get a shot off and a Grant Hill jumper hung on the rim for a good 3-4 seconds before rolling off, to send the game into OT.  

In overtime the Suns got a bucket from all 5 of their starters to outscore the Wolves 14-6 in overtime to take the lead and the game.  For the Timberwolves Anthony Tolliver had 1 point in OT and Anthony Randolph had the other 5.

Channing Frye had a big game.  He converted 9-of-14 three-pointers.  Nine made 3’s is a new Phoenix Suns franchise record.  His 33 points was also a career-high, his former being 32.

The Timberwolves got some solid offensive play from a lot of different players.  Michael Beasley led the Wolves with 26 points (16 of which came in the 4th quarter alone) as well as 6 rebounds and 2 assists.  In 33 minutes off the bench Anthony Randolph added 24 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.  Anthony Tolliver started at the 4 again and set a season-high in points with 22 also adding 10 rebounds and 4 assists in 44 minutes.  Luke Ridnour played a game-high 48 minutes and was tantalizingly close to a triple-double with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists!  Rookie Wesley Johnson added 14 points.

The Suns were led by Channing Frye’s 33 points and 4 rebounds.  Jared Dudley added 26 as well as 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals.  Grant Hill played 34 minutes, but still had 21 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists.  Marcin Gortat added 17 and grabbed 8 boards.

The Minnesota Timberwolves fall to 17-64 on the season, with just one last chance to snap this, now: 14-game losing streak.  There final game is tomorrow versus the Houston Rockets back at the Target Center.  Tipoff is set for7pmCT and a full-gameday preview can be found on this site before then.  As always, thanks for reading and GO WOLVES!

UPDATE: Monday April 4th, 2011 1:10pmCT

UPDATE: Jerry Sloan refuted the below report.  He knows that every time a coaching vacancy becomes available his name will “pop up”.  But he insists that this story came out of nowhere and it’s just people “making things up”.  According to Sloan, he is retired and he hopes to stay that way

According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, former-long-time head coach Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz is open to the possibility of a return to the bench next season.  

Sloan will apparently listen to offers from teams next year and is open to a return if the opportunity and situation are “right”.  However he won’t seek an opportunity or campaign to play anywhere.  

Possible openings for the veteran coach could include: the Golden State Warriors (who will most likely be letting rookie coach Keith Smart go after this season), Indiana Pacers (who have intern coach Frank Vogel, although he started off hot after taking over for Jim O’Brien, but since has “struggled”), the Los Angeles Lakers (when/if Phil Jackson does indeed retire at the season’s end) and lastly the Minnesota Timberwolves (if they decide to ditch Kurt Rambis, Jerry Sloan could be the perfect “fit” for the Wolves).

Jerry Sloan just celebrated his 69th birthday just a week ago.