Time to see how many balls Kahn can juggle

In his opening weeks as the Timberwolves' new basketball boss, David Kahn has displayed a wardrobe ranging from tailored suits to sandals with no socks.

He could return after a week away from the office with a novelty T-shirt that reads:

"So many point guards, so little time."

Kahn is on the road this week looking for a coach to replace Kevin McHale. Former NBA point guard Mark Jackson appears to be the favorite.

While he is gone, Kahn will monitor the NBA's free-agency period that began at midnight and let loose a vast collection of players -- including Ben Gordon, Paul Millsap, David Lee, Shawn Marion and probably Hedo Turkoglu -- onto an open marketplace in which Oklahoma City, Detroit and Memphis are positioned to be the most lavish spenders.

The Wolves will be, at best, secondary players who will wait to see whether they can pluck a player -- preferably a shooting guard -- at a bargain price to balance a roster tilted toward power forward/center and point guard. The Wolves gained a fourth point guard Tuesday when Bobby Brown exercised his player option for next season.

Kahn also will continue to, as quietly as possible, negotiate what looks like an approaching showdown with the agent for Ricky Rubio. The precocious Spanish guard is contemplating multi-year offers from European teams that could delay his arrival in Minnesota for as many as four years -- even cancel it -- if the Wolves don't trade him or Syracuse's Jonny Flynn first.

Kahn claimed Rubio and Flynn -- both natural point guards who thrive with the ball in their hands -- could, and would, play together in the same backcourt after he selected them fifth and sixth overall in last week's NBA draft.

He also said his team was willing to wait a year, even two years -- "God forbid," Kahn said -- if Rubio can't negotiate a lowered buyout with his DKV Joventut Badalona team. Rubio owes at least $6.6 million if he leaves even though he earned less than $200,000 last season.

It's possible, though, that European teams in Turkey, Spain and elsewhere will guarantee a contract for as many as four seasons, when Rubio still will be only 22, that also would pay for most of his buyout. The Wolves, by NBA rules, can pay only $500,000 toward the buyout.

At least that's what Rubio's agent probably is threatening to do with a client who just six days ago said, ''I want to play in the NBA'' and essentially was willing to play for free initially to do so. 

The issue at this point might not be the Minnesota cold, the size of the Twin Cities market or the fact that Rubio lost as much as $5 million by being selected fifth overall rather than second after the Los Angeles Clippers took Blake Griffin first.

It likely is the presence of two players who play the same position on the same roster, a duplication created when Kahn took players he deemed had the most value as well as possessed the possibility for "greatness."

Why?

Well, for one reason, Kahn might be the only executive in the league who thinks -- or at least professes -- two players with such similar games can play together.

Then, most importantly, there's this:

Agent Dan Fegan -- the same guy who tried, ultimately unsuccessfully, to steer Milwaukee away from Chinese forward Yi Jianlian two years ago -- already has Rubio aimed toward a big second NBA contract five years from now, when he can recoup some of those millions he will pay his current team to be released.

There's almost no chance Fegan will allow his client the possibility he will be outplayed by another point guard on the same team and thus lower Rubio's long-term value.

If Kahn had selected USC's DeMar DeRozan, Louisville's Terrence Williams, Duke's Gerald Henderson or possibly even Davidson's Stephen Curry sixth overall -- or traded down to get one of the aforementioned lower-rated first three, shooting guards all -- Rubio might not have reacted with such seeming reluctance when the Wolves picked him Thursday night.

Before he left town, Kahn braced Timberwolves followers for what could be a "turbulent" summer.

"I'm not proposing it will be turbulent," he said. "I'm just preparing everybody that it could be."

Make sure, Wolves fans, your seat backs and tray tables are in an upright position, and keep your seat belts fastened.

Jerry Zgoda can be reached at jzgoda@startribune.com.

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A few players eligible for free agency, which starts today.

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Forwards

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