Minnesota Timberwolves president Flip Saunders reportedly is leaning toward hiring Vinny Del Negro as the team's next coach in order to further develop guard Ricky Rubio. Former Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, meanwhile, believes Minnesota is the right fit and wants the job.
Del Negro, who last coached for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2012-13 season, may not be out of a job for much longer.
"Wolves owner Glen Taylor has been partial to (NBA TV analyst) Sam Mitchell, but Saunders is increasingly intrigued with Del Negro's candidacy, sources say," Wojnarowski tweeted on Thursday. "... Del Negro's candidacy isn't so much about selling (Kevin Love), as it's developing Ricky Rubio, sources say."
Del Negro has experience coaching All-Star point guards, which would likely pay dividends in maturation process of Rubio. He coached the Chicago Bulls during the first two years of Derrick Rose's career, and he coached Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul from 2011 to 2013.
While it's uncertain how high Karl is on Minnesota's list of coaching candidates, the 2013 Coach of the Year wants to coach the Timberwolves.
"I respect the process," Karl said, via ESPN. "I want to coach again. Minnesota fits my criteria."
Darren Wolfson and Nate Sandell of 1500ESPN believe Karl is the best candidate on the market for Minnesota.
"Saunders and Karl have ties going all the way back to the old Continental Basketball Association, but Karl has yet to have any contact with the Wolves," they wrote on Wednesday. "... Based solely on his resume, which includes playoff appearances in 22 of his 25 seasons, Karl is the best coach available on the open market. But given his age (63), he is viewed as a short-term fix.
"The Wolves want long-term stability and a coach Saunders knows he can work well with."
