With the regular season about to officially come to a close, the Minnesota Timberwolves have just announced their intention to begin the search for the team's new president of basketball operations.

The Timberwolves' official PR team released the statement via Twitter.

The Timberwolves have been functioning without a president since they parted ways with Tom Thibodeau, who held dual roles of coach and president of basketball operations, in January. Ryan Saunders, the son of late franchise icon Flip Saunders, has been the team's interim coach ever since, and will reportedly be a strong candidate to be its full-time hire. The 2018-19 season has been a bumpy ride for Minnesota, and unfortunately, its outlook did not change following Thibodeau's ouster.

With one last game in the regular season remaining, the Wolves have a 36-45 record and are 11 games outside the playoffs picture in the West. Despite another monster season from Karl-Anthony Towns and some relative success during Saunders' time roaming the sidelines, there will be no repeat of last season's trip to the postseason.

Minnesota will face some stiff competition in hiring a new team president, especially in wake of the vacancy that unexpectedly opened up in Southern California. On Tuesday evening, Magic Johnson stepped down as president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, and the team is now in the hunt for someone who can fill the high-profile, high-pressure position.

There are a number of viable candidates in the market right now, be it experienced executives or perhaps some up-and-coming hotshots that might have a few new tricks up their sleeves. What's important for the Timberwolves is that they find someone who is on the same page in terms of the team's vision. Otherwise, it might be the same old problem altogether.