Saunders talks about report that he'll replace David Kahn

NBA.com's Steve Aschburner is reporting this morning that Glen Taylor has decided to replace David Kahn with Flip Saunders as Timberwolves president of basketball operations.

It follows speculation that has been out there for more than a month, or all the way back to last summer when there was talk in the league winds that Flip was part of a group pursuing buying the team from Taylor with the expectation that Saunders would run the basketball ops.

Still working to confirm it -- nobody in the Wolves organization seems to know the decision has been made -- but given Asch's history with Flip, Taylor and the Wolves for more than a decade as the Strib's beat writer and given NBA.com's obvious ties to the league, no reason to believe it's not true.

Especially when such specifics as a five-year, $9 million contract are mentioned.

Saunders was asked about it on ESPN's SportsCenter -- he's been doing NBA commentary work for the network this winter and into the playoffs -- this afternoon, after a network spokesman said Saunders called the report "premature."

Saunders said he has had a "great" relationship with Taylor for the last 20 years.

"Right now, what develops, we'll have to wait and see," he said. "But right now there's nothing developing down the road."

When -- or if -- it officially happens, two questions to be answered:

* Does this mean there's an answer, too, on Rick Adelman's future?

* Does it mean Saunders indeed is part of a group that will buy the team?

On the first part...

I wouldn't conclude it absolutely means Adelman has decided he won't be back.

The June draft is fast approaching and the Wolves have two first-round picks, so if Taylor is going to make a move, there's no time to dawdle getting a new regime in place.

I'm sure Taylor has had discussions with both Saunders and Adelman about whether, or how, the two would work together.

On the second part...unless something has changed in the last two weeks, I don't have indication that's in the works. Taylor said before the season ended that he hasn't found a suitable buyer that will keep the team in Minnesota, so he planned to continue owning the team but would look for new partners to replace those exsiting ones who want out.