WASHINGTON, D.C. – Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor on Friday clarified his team's future following the October death of part-owner, coach and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders, saying he will keep General Manager Milt Newton on the job making personnel decisions at least through July's NBA free-agency period.
Deciding he hasn't yet had the chance to fairly evaluate Newton's performance, Taylor told WCCO-AM that Newton will run the June draft in which the team likely will have a top-six or -seven pick and the July free-agency period, when the league's salary cap will balloon with the arrival of a new $24 billion television contract.
"That's what I've asked him to do," Taylor told the radio station.
Taylor also said he doesn't expect to complete his negotiations to sell 30 percent of the franchise to Los Angeles private-equity investor Steve Kaplan and said he has turned to discussions about selling a lesser percentage to other investors without the intention that they will eventually buy controlling interest.
Taylor expanded Newton's duties and made associate head coach Sam Mitchell the team's interim head coach last September after Saunders was hospitalized with complications from his cancer treatments. Taylor later said he'd give both men the entire season to prove themselves on the job.
Relying upon young stars Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, Mitchell has coached the Wolves to a 23-48 record entering Friday's game at Washington.
Taylor didn't address Mitchell's future on Friday, other than to say he and team management will evaluate "everything" at season's end.
Newton hasn't made a trade yet while working his expanded duties. The transactions he has made have included buying out the contracts and releasing veterans Kevin Martin and Andre Miller, both of whom then signed with title contender San Antonio. He also signed D League center Greg Smith to two 10-day contracts and now for the rest of the season.