A bunch of this and that as the Wolves' draft preparations and presumably their coaching search begin to heat up:
* Wolves' brass heads to Chicago Wednesday for the annual pre-draft combine.
They'll be there to interview prospects for their 13th overall pick -- that is, as long as Phoenix doesn't defy the overwhelming odds and leap from 14th into the Top 3 -- in the June draft and watch players willing to do so practice in drills and physical testing.
They'll request interviews with such players as Michigan State's Gary Harris, Michigan's Nic Stauskas, Kentucky's James Young, Creighton's Doug McDermott, Duke's Rodney Hood and others whom they might draft (Harris likely won't be around 13, which might be too early for a player such as Hood) if indeed they keep that 13th pick.
If Phoenix beats the 1 percent odds and jumps into the draft's top 3 at next week's lottery, the Wolves will drop in the draft order from 13 to 14 and thus forfeit this year's pick to the Suns, to whom they own a top-13 protected pick for that short-sighted 2012 trade that sent Wes Johnson to Phoenix.
Top 3 picks Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Jabari Parker won't go to Chicago at all, not even to participate in team interviews or physical testing. That won't affect the Wolves' work, unless, of course, they become unlikely lottery winners next week.
* While in Chicago, maybe Flip Saunders' search for a new head coach might become a little more clear as well now as the league's coaching carousel begins to turn.
According to Yahoo!Sports today, Detroit is closing in on a five-year, $35 million deal with Stan Van Gundy that would have him both coach and run the Pistons' basketball operations.
