Swimsuits On! Minnesota Timberwolves Are About to Make a Big Splash!

Fellow Minnesota fans know what the Timberwolves need:

A franchise player.

A point guard.

A center, or more length in the post.

Better three-point shooters.

Some NBA veterans with playoff experience.

With that being said, let me start off with David Kahn. Kahn has a recovery program that is sending the Timberwolves into an two-year plan to ultimately make the Timberwolves a championship team.

I have not heard the word "championship" since the year that Kevin Garnett and the Wolves went to the Western Conference Finals, and were an injury away from a championship.

Now that we have Kahn, it's obvious that change is upon us, as he's already let go of head coach Kevin McHale. Although McHale drafted Garnett, he made critical mistakes in the past on draft night, and despite the fact that the team loved him as a head coach, he was let go.

"I felt it was time for a change," Kahn said.

With that being said, it's easy to say that with three first-round draft picks, an enormous amount of cap salary, and a message out to other GM's stating that "I'm open to anything," Kahn is the busiest general manager in the NBA as of right now.

The Timberwolves have the No. 6 pick in the NBA draft. Kahn, however, gives the vibe that he is not satisfied with that pick.

"I want to move up in the draft," he said.

With The T'Wolves having all of these picks, you have to think, "do I really want all of these rookies on my team?"

No, the Wolves don't.

Instead, these rookies are used as trade bait for veteran players, and not necessarily superstars.

Kahn has mentioned about looking at the D-League. He also said that there are very talented players on someone's bench, and that they should be given a look at, if anything.

Big Splash Prediction

Getting Ricky Rubio or Hasheem Thabeet, most likely Rubio.

Using the second round to give depth to roster.

Using the second-round draft picks to make trade.

Not re-signing the free agents, except Rodney Carney.

Kahn will try to get Ricky Rubio.

Why?

Well, I'm pretty sure he wants the Wolves to be a young team, sort of like what Portland has been doing. Rubio is only 18, and will be 19 before the season starts.

The way Rubio passes with professionals is incredible, as he's already received praise from the likes of Pau Gasol (an NBA champion), and Kobe Bryant (a four-time NBA champion).

How will Kahn go about getting Ricky Rubio? Here are the steps:

First, he has to make an offer for the second pick in the draft that is owned by the Memphis Grizzles. The Wolves are not willing to give up Kevin Love, as he is one of the cornerstones of the franchise.

Enter the Wizards.

The Washington Wizards have the No. 5 pick in the draft. It's reported that the Timberwolves have offered some combination of Randy Foye and Mike Miller, along with the 18th pick, to get the No. 5 selection.

The Wizards accept the trade, then the Timberwolves posses the No. 5 and No. 6 picks.

Kahn trades those picks for the No. 2 selection, and drafts Rubio. Then, the Wolves would also have the the 28th pick, and two second-round picks.

Missing Out

With these trades, the Wolves lose out on Randy Foye (I really don't like that) and Mike Miller (I really like that), and the No. 5, No. 6, and No. 18 picks to get Rubio.

That is a lot!

Mike Miller refused to shoot the ball, and Randy Foye only shot 40 percent from the field last year, but he was getting better.

With the No. 5 and No. 6 picks, the best possible options are likely Tyreke Evans (a shooting guard), and Jordan Hill (a power forward), which are two positions the Wolves don't need more of.

Evans can be a point guard, but I think Minnesota needs someone who's played the position their whole career. In the 18th pick, the Timberwolves could get a point guard in Ty Lawson or Jeff Teague, or a center in B.J Mullens.

If McHale was still with the Wolves, I'd want him there to develop Mullens in the same way he did with Al Jefferson and Love, but since he was let go, this pick is nothing for a underdeveloped center.

The Timberwolves could miss out on Lawson and Teague, but when do you get an opportunity to draft a child prodigy who has a good career ahead of him?

Despite missing out, Minnesota can still add depth with the 28th pick. The options that the Wolves have likely are:

Wayne Ellington, who is an efficient guard with a tremendous shooting and scoring ability

Jonas Jerebko, who is a guy that plays like Matt Harpring. He can do a little bit of everything at either forward spot. He has versatility, a solid frame, and a hard work ethic

Nick Calathes, who can play both guard positions and is a spot up shooter with "stop 'n pop" efficiency.  

Using the second-round draft picks to trade would possibly mean that Kahn could add some veteran talent to the roster. I don't mean another Brian Cardinal, but someone like a Rasheed Wallace, or Kirk Hinrich.

In any trades involving the second-round picks, I would think Kahn would also package in Brian Cardinal as well, as his numbers are expiring.

Also, the Wolves need to resign Rodney Carney. In short, the dude is a stud.

With that in place, we have a roster that looks like this:

PG–Ricky Rubio

SG–Rodney Carney

SF–Ryan Gomes

PF–Kevin Love

C–Al Jefferson

Bench: Sebastian Telfair, Corey Brewer, Craig Smith, Jonas Jerebko, Mark Madsen, Bobby Brown, and Rodney Carney.

That bunch is going to have a tough time from the three-point line due to Miller and Foye being gone, but this roster is going to be better on the fast break due to Carney and Rubio.

It's also going to be weak in the post on defense, but a menace on offense and on rebounds. Nobody is going to out-rebound these guys.

I think the Wolves will have to go to free agency to see if they can get a guy like Gortat to play center. I'm pretty sure if David Kahn shows him the direction of the franchise, and offers him a lucrative contract, the Wolves can nail him.

Memphis and Toronto also has seven-footers that Minnesota could trade for.

Conclusion

I remind you that this is only going to take place in the next four-to-six months. I have no idea what Kahn is going to do afterwards, and I could be incorrect as to what he's going to do now.

Usually when you get a new GM, the GM just appears to step in place, and do his job with regular efficiency. When a GM comes in and says, "I'm going to listen to everybody before I make any moves", who desires for change, and who is discussing championship matter, then people would follow.

Call it immature or naive, but if the Minnesota Timberwolves is the United States of America, than David Kahn is Barack Obama. We have to understand that David Kahn is going to do what's in the best interest for the Timberwolves, and that it's not an overnight juncture. Every move, you're not going to agree with. But we have to trust in his intelligence and wisdom, after all, by taking the job that has the most to correct due to the likes of Kevin McHale, I don't think he was unaware of what he had to do, and that is what he is doing.

The splash is coming, but the way that David Kahn is maneuvering, it could be more like a wave that only comes once in a thousand years. So grab your swimsuits and surfboard, and enjoy the ride.