Sources: Timberwolves to fire Rambis
Minnesota Timberwolves general manager David Kahn has decided to fire coach Kurt Rambis, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Kahn isn’t expected to announce the decision until after Thursday’s
NBA draft, but he’s already begun collecting information on prospective
replacements for Rambis, including University of Washington coach
Lorenzo Romar, sources said. The Timberwolves have gathered background
on Romar for several weeks, and are expected to make him a candidate to
replace Rambis.
Kahn met with Rambis last week and believes he has
reached an impasse with the coach. The relationship between Kahn and
Rambis deteriorated over the course of the past season, to the point
where there’s been little communication between them.
Rambis has two years left on his original four-year contract. With
the Timberwolves in the midst of a major rebuilding project, he went
32-132 as their coach, including a league-worst 17-65 this season.
Kahn told reporters he’d made the unusual request of asking Rambis to
file a written report to him on changes Rambis would make if he
returned as coach. He also said Rambis won’t attend the Timberwolves’
draft on Thursday night.
Kahn had wanted Rambis to become a better communicator with players.
He also wanted him to design an offense away from the triangle and
toward the open-court talents of rookie point guard Ricky Rubio(notes). Rambis’ relationship with key young players, especially Kevin Love(notes), had been frayed, at best.