Ryan Saunders, 32, has the backing of Timberwolves players and from afar. Plus, the Wolves still owe a sizable chunk of money to Tom Thibodeau.
The Timberwolves owe Tom Thibodeau $7 million for each of the next two seasons. Basically, that makes it a lock Ryan Saunders will be elevated from interim to head coach before he turns 33 on April 28.
The Wolves will make the case that Saunders has shown excellent head coaching potential in the three months since he replaced Thibodeau. He also has the endorsement of Karl-Anthony Towns, now as important to the also-ran Wolves as was Kevin Garnett when they were playoff regulars.