Kahn faces Spanish inquisition

On Thursday, Timberwolves fans excitedly asked what new basketball boss David Kahn might do with the team's four first-round picks in that night's NBA draft.

On Friday, they asked simply, just what has he done?

Kahn selected point guards with four of his six picks, and then traded two of them away for future picks.

Loudmouth TV commentators and common fans alike wondered whatever possessed Kahn to select point guards Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn with the fifth and sixth picks, especially when it became clear Friday that Rubio -- who didn't attend a Target Center news conference to announce the team's newest players -- is none too keen on playing in Minnesota.

Here's a theory:

Kahn fancies himself a smart guy and expansive thinker who probably looked at a draft that was uneven at best, lousy at worst and decided it lacked everywhere but point guard, a position that included a bumper crop.

So he took four of them, and traded one potentially for a mid-first-round pick next summer in what is projected as a fruitful draft.

Unconcerned with next season's roster balance and victory total, focused on the team's accumulated assets by 2012, the man with a three-year contract shopped for value and players he believes have the best chance for "greatness."

Now with a team built around two young power forwards and two young point guards, he decided he'll figure out the rest later. "Yeah," he said. "I do like value."

Fans and TV analysts yelped for Kahn to take Davidson guard Stephen Curry, a groundswell that left Kahn bemused Friday afternoon because Curry is considered a point guard, too.

Kahn chose the smaller guy instead for his athleticism, his toughness, his leadership, defensive upside and a quality Kahn best describes as "crackling with electricity" to pair with Rubio, a talent he calls "transformational" and a "virtuoso."

"What's the worst that can happen?" Kahn said. "We someday trade one of our bigs and one of our smalls. These kids can play and they have value."

As proof, Kahn said three NBA executives called Friday to inquire about Rubio's availability. One, according to Kahn, named a player on his team who was untouchable and told Kahn to pick any other two players on the roster in exchange for Rubio's rights.

New York's Donnie Walsh, Kahn's mentor, said Friday he plans to call his protégé to ask about Rubio.

Also Friday, Rubio's father told a Spanish website his son could remain in Spain for one or two more seasons.

His availability is complicated by a $6.6 million buyout owned his Spanish team, who paid Rubio only about $100,000 last season. All but $500,000 for that buyout from the Wolves would come out of his own pocket. Rubio lost about $3 million over the life of his rookie contract when he was chosen fifth by the Wolves rather than second by Memphis Thursday. His representatives have threatened litigation if the buyout isn't renegotiated.

"I didn't speak with them, so I don't have to come," Rubio told Spanish media, referring to the fact that he didn't work out or interview with the Wolves. "The NBA is attractive, but if you don't want to be on a team at this time, well, you can wait. Right now, the work is that of the agent."

Kahn said he is prepared for a "turbulent" summer if the matter comes to that and promised to remain patient. He again said he has no plans to trade either player but wouldn't rule anything out.

Rubio's agent, Dan Fegan, represented China's Yi Jianlian in the 2007 draft and tried to keep his client from playing in Milwaukee, where Yi stayed for one season before the Bucks traded him to New Jersey.

The Wolves maintain Rubio's NBA rights as long as he's playing professionally elsewhere. "If there's a team out there that can wait, it's us," Kahn said. "If it means we have to wait a year, we wait a year. If we had to wait, God forbid, two years, he'd be 20 when he got here. ... The last thing we need to do is become overwrought today."

The Wolves might be able to wait on the court, where they're in no position to reach the Western Conference playoffs. Off the court, they lost nearly $20 million last season, can't sell many upper-level tickets for $5 and possess minority owners concerned and hurting from the economic downturn.

Rubio's presence next season won't fill Target Center, but it will grow buzz about the team created by Kahn's presence, his decision to search for a new coach rather than keep Kevin McHale as coach and his bold, debated moves that included swapping Randy Foye and Mike Miller for Rubio's rights.

"I want to give this thing some space, let it breathe," Kahn said. "We want to be supportive and helpful because I do believe the contractual issue is a little thorny. The way I look at it, this was a gift. I didn't see any plausible scenario where getting Ricky Rubio with the fifth pick would occur. It's fine. It will be fine."