By Dennis Brackin
The Timberwolves introduced Milt Newton as general manager Tuesday at Target Center. Newton, who played on the Kansas University 1988 NCAA championship team, called landing a GM jobs "22-year dream."
Newton had worked the previous 10 years for the Washington Wizards, most recently as the team's vice president of player personnel where he was No. 2 behind Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld in basketball decision-making. With the Timberwolves, Flip Saunders, president of basketball operations, will have the final say in personnel matters.
But Newton and Saunders both made it clear that Newton will have a bigger say in personnel decisions with Minnesota than he had in Washington.
"Milt's going to have authority,'' Saunders said. "Ultimately, being the president of basketball operations and in the ownership group, I will have ultimate authority. ... He does have an expanded role from what he did have in Washington. He will have a huge voice.''
Newton will assist Saunders in the evaluation and acquisition of players and in the overall management of all basketball operations.
Newton's wife of 19 years, Shalaun, was raised in Minnetonka. The couple met while both were students at the University of Kansas.
Shalaun's father, William Hogan, is a former University of Minnesota Regent. He had been a professor in the engineering department at Kansas.
