T-Wolves Eyeing A Number Of Big-Name Coaches For Next Season

It's been a season filled with growing pains for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but they have shown a great deal of promise. Many experts are even picking the T-Wolves to be title contenders 3-5 years from now.

After the tragic passing of their head coach Flip Saunders before the season, Sam Mitchell has worn the interim tag while heading the ship. Now, as Minnesota's front office looks forward to 2016-17, they have some important decisions to have with regards to the coaching staff.

According to Marc Stein of ESPN, there is a belief in the NBA that the Timberwolves will not retain Mitchell for next season. Since he's not under contract, he technically would not be fired,.

So, where would Minnesota go from there? Well, they already have a number of qualified candidates in mind.

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According to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Wolves have expressed interest in Jeff Van Gundy, Scott Brooks, and Tom Thibodeau. Mitchell will also be included as a candidate if this scenario plays out.

The guys listed have quite the resumes. Van Gundy guided the New York Knicks to their last Finals appearance in 1999 before coaching a number of strong Rockets teams in the 2000s. Brooks coached an explosive Thunder squad to the Finals in 2o12, and Thibodeau's stifling defensive style made the Bulls one of the best contenders out East throughout his tenure in Chicago.

The Timberwolves haven't made the playoffs since 2004, so there is some urgency to see better results on the court sooner rather than later from the organization, even with so many youthful pieces.

If Mitchell is not selected for the full time gig, a number of players will be upset. Both Andrew Wiggins and Shabazz Muhammad spoke highly of Mitchell before expressing their desire for him to return in 2016-17.

If Minnesota does go in a different direction with one of the three candidates above, Wiggins and the others should be able to adjust quickly. All of these candidates having winning pedigrees, and there's a lot to work with as brighter days come closer for this franchise.