Taylor promises his hire 'control'

The Timberwolves on Friday introduced unknown David Kahn as their president of basketball operations, a newly created title and job in which he vowed he has been given absolute authority to reassemble a franchise that hasn't reached the NBA playoffs since 2004.

In doing so during a Target Center news conference, the former sportswriter turned lawyer and league executive proved himself poised, glib and possessor of a varied vocabulary.

Punctuating his answers with such words as "bifurcate," "prima facie" and "meritocracy," Kahn explained how nine seasons spent in the Indiana Pacers' front office -- the last in 2004 as a consultant -- and subsequent years as an owner of four NBA Development League franchises qualify him to lead a transitioning franchise into a crucial summer when it owns three first-round picks in next month's draft and growing salary-cap flexibility.

Chosen by owner Glen Taylor for both his business and basketball acumen after a guarded, prolonged search in which three other candidates withdrew, Kahn vowed he will promptly determine with responsibility and sensitivity whether predecessor Kevin McHale will return as coach. He also promised his new team will win back disenchanted fans through its new accessibility and transparency.

In one of his first acts on the job, Kahn wrote a 12-paragraph letter introducing himself to "Wolves Fans Everywhere" and before he appeared at that noon news conference asked that it be posted on the Star Tribune's "On the Wolves" blog, a forum where the team's most fervent remaining fans greeted his hiring with skepticism.

"We have to understand that people want to be able to touch us and we have to be willing to let them touch us," Kahn said. "Sports is about transparency, and we have to be much more transparent that we have been in the past. People deserve that."

Kahn said he intends to meet with McHale early next week to discuss the team's coaching job, then head to Chicago for the NBA's scouting combine to begin trade discussions with other league executives and continue work with the Wolves' existing front office on preparations for a draft that is only five weeks away. He will not make any decisions on his new front office -- and whether General Manager Jim Stack and assistant general managers Fred Hoiberg and Rob Babcock will be retained -- until work for the draft and free agency is over in July.

The McHale question

A question about McHale's future was the first one he fielded from reporters Friday.

"I had the over-under on that question at seven seconds, so you just got the under," Kahn said, referring to Las Vegas' sports-betting line. "It'd be very easy for me to sit here today and say I'm going to fire Kevin. That would show all of you out here that I have the authority -- which I do -- to do what I want to do. I won't make decisions, though, that are in my best interest. Every time we make a decision, it will be in the best interest of the Minnesota Timberwolves. That's it."

Taylor said he chose Kahn because of both his legal and basketball background, because he had been mentored by respected NBA executive Donnie Walsh.

Taylor said last month he hoped to hire his new leader within two weeks after the April 15 season finale. San Antonio assistant general manager Dennis Lindsey, former Miami GM Randy Pfund and Portland assistant GM Tom Penn withdrew from consideration as the search progressed. Penn’s agent said Monday his client turned down the Wolves’ job offer to accept a promotion to remain with the Trail Blazers.

Kahn said he thought he was about to land the job more than two weeks ago, but Taylor and CEO Rob Moor wanted more time to investigate outstanding debts and legal issues Kahn had incurred in running his four D League teams.

Taylor: Kahn has 'control'

Asked the impression that Kahn was his third or fourth choice, "I'd say that's completely wrong. I don't know how stronger to say it. That's inaccurate. ... We've had nobody turn the job down."

Taylor said he had enough concern about Kahn's D League dealings that he called other D League owners to investigate. He said he is fully aware of financial problems in running a league like that and said he became convinced all of Kahn's issues "already had been worked out or will be worked out."

"I didn't ask to do the D League," Kahn said. "It was an incredible challenging environment. We didn't have one team, we had four teams. Four times the problems, four times the amount of investors. In truth, I'm very proud of what we accomplished in the D League. We steered what was a very bumpy, rocky ship to safe harbor."

Now Taylor is asking him, in many ways, to do the same with an NBA franchise that traded away its superstar two summers ago and has won 46 games the past two seasons. That's why Taylor said he has turned to Kahn to guide his team with "fresh eyes." It's also why he said Kahn has complete authority to, for example, keep McHale or Hoiberg, or not.

"David was told what every candidate was told," Taylor said. "I'll say it in smaller words: If you're coming here, you want success. If you want success, you're going to have to have control over your own future. To have control over your own future, you're going to have to make decisions and you're going to be held accountable for those decisions. Those decisions will be yours in every way.

"I said this to every one: I wouldn't take this job if I put controls on you because you will never be measured on your own decisions."