Timberwolves president David Kahn is out in Spain trying to make the Ricky Rubio thing happen, which involves finding some way to get DKV Joventut to relent on a buyout figure that the 18-year-old Spaniard can't realistically afford to pay.

Even if he changes his last name to Jonas, picks up a guitar and makes the latest teeny-bopper boy band craze a
foursome when he's not playing ball, Rubio is unlikely to pick up enough endorsements to offset a buyout ESPN is reporting to be as much as $6.6 million.

And if he's stale Caramello instead of appetizing Spanish Chocolate, unprepared to make the jump from Badalona to Minnesota at this young an age, Rubio risks putting that very valuable street cred -- Brandon Jennings' opinion aside -- in jeopardy.

At one point, Frederic Weis and Darko Milicic were touted as can't-miss, too.

Rubio shouldn't come over until he's ready, especially since the financial pull is currently lacking. You do only get one chance to make a first impression.

On that note, does rising coaching star Mark Jackson really want this job coaching the Timberwolves? It's up to Kahn to convince him he does.

With Rubio probably better off improving and filling out at Joventut for at least one more season, Kahn is likely to have one less asset for his new head coach, having left Las Vegas with that vacancy still intact after a series of first interviews with 13-15 candidates.

As Pro Basketball News first reported back on June 20, Jackson has long been the preferred candidate for the opening created when Kevin McHale was relieved of his duties by Kahn just after the Finals ended. Although Kahn was true to his word and did his due diligence in turning over every rock, Jackson still looks to be the top target, with Houston assistant Elston Turner potentially the choice should the current ESPN/ABC analyst pass.

Second interviews with the finalists are expected to begin this weekend.

Barring a little magia in Espana, Jackson won't have the challenge of mentoring Rubio available to him right off the bat, which could make the gig less attractive given the likelihood that Minnesota loses 55-60 games next season. Jackson, a noted point guard fanatic, would have rookie Jonny Flynn to tutor, not to mention a pair of young talented bigs in Al Jefferson and Kevin Love to build around.

On the other hand, he's already got a pretty sweet gig, trading barbs with Jeff Van Gundy and offering his opinion on the best games in the world from the best seats in the house. Another year of "mama, there goes that man" wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Jackson has talked openly about making whoever takes a chance on him proud they did, but is likely to run into plenty of opportunities down the road. There was talk of him coming to work for the Knicks to be groomed as Donnie Walsh's successor just because of how highly he's thought of. Talk to most league decision-makers and you'll get a pretty strong consensus that Jackson will be a major player sooner than later.

So, yes, he can afford to wait. Rebuilding is a taxing process, and you would imagine that another opportunity will come down the pike that doesn't involve such a grim early forecast.

Quentin Richardson was acquired from the L.A. Clippers on Monday for Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith and Mark Madsen, which means whoever takes the Timberwolves job will have to deal with his share of questionable shots from a veteran trying to earn himself a new contract while helping the team kill some time on the wing.

Other headaches expected for Minnesota's coming season include Flynn's baptism at the point, Corey Brewer working his way back from a major injury and Ryan Gomes trying to improve his consistency and efficiency so that his role keeps expanding. Jefferson is a star, but he's coming off a season-ending ACL surgery. Love will look to avoid a sophomore jinx.

Kahn is preaching patience and not painting any immediate mirages, but at the same time, he is now on the clock. Neither Jackson nor Rubio have dipped their toes in the water yet, but Kahn is out there hustling, getting his passport stamped and recruiting. He's busting it as if he's aware that his own first impression counts the most. He's got to bring everything together. Former sportswriter. Smart guy.

"We want to be ready by training camp of 2010 to have a team that has a chance for the next two or three years after that to be a championship contending team," Kahn told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. "I want to spend the next 14, 15 months methodically adding pieces to this team. I want to run. I want to be an up-tempo team."

Having been successful in multiple ventures and capaciities throughout his rise in the basketball world, Kahn seems capable of handling the gigantic mess he's hoping to clean up. He's inherited a massive task that looked inevitable years ago as McHale marched the Timberwolves deeper and deeper into obscurity. As a result, Kahn is under the gun to make smart decisions immediately, because Minnesota can't really afford any more steps backward.

The Timberwolves haven't had stability on the bench since McHale let Flip Saunders fall on the sword, so putting the right person in place is essential to the rebuilding effort. The gamble on Rubio could still pay huge dividends even if he fails to come over this fall, but picking a dynamic leader to run the show as head coach is an opportunity Kahn has only one shot to make count.

Tony Mejia is senior writer of Pro Basketball News. He can be reached at mejia@probasketballnews.com.

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