Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns vouched for Ryan Saunders to get the full-time head coaching job, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
Saunders took over for Tom Thibodeau on January 6, 2019. The Timberwolves went only 17-25 under Saunders, but the players gravitated towards him, most notably Towns.
Ryan Saunders candidacy for the ‘Wolves gig was backstopped by strong endorsements from the players—most notably @KarlTowns. Minnesota was up and down after the tumultuous start to the season, but Saunders won over the locker room w/his coaching acumen and work ethic.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) May 20, 2019
Under Saunders, Towns averaged 26.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 blocks. The two-time All-Star shot 54.1 percent from the field, 42.2 percent from beyond the arc and 83.8 percent from the free-throw line. So, it's easy to see why Towns talked to Timberwolves ownership about how good of a coach Saunders is.
The Timberwolves missed the playoffs this season after making it in 2017-18 for the first time since 2004. Minnesota was never able to rebound from the Jimmy Butler trade drama. Towns is the best player on the Timberwolves, but after him, the roster is very shaky.
Andrew Wiggins will make $27,504,630 next season. He's arguably got one of the worst contracts in the NBA. Jeff Teague has already opted into his $19 million player option for next season. Derrick Rose is an unrestricted free agent this summer and could look to sign with a contender since he'll be 31-years-old next season. Taj Gibson is also a free agent this offseason.
The Timberwolves have a lot of roster moves to make if they want to compete for a playoff spot next season.
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