These youngbloods are about to get whipped into shape.
According to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Wednesday, Tom Thibodeau is finalizing a five-year deal to become the head coach and president of basketball operations of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Tom Thibodeau is finalizing a five-year deal to become president and coach of the Timberwolves, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) April 20, 2016
Marc Stein of ESPN adds that the deal is set to pay Thibodeau in the range of $10 million annually.
NBA sources say Tom Thibodeau is closing in on a five-year pact in the $10 million range annually to become coach/president of the Wolves.
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 20, 2016
The 58-year-old Thibodeau had been connected to the Wolves’ job for several weeks now. Recent reports suggested that Thibodeau was “aggressive” in his pursuit of full control over basketball operations, and it looks like he has gotten his wish.
Thibodeau is a hard-nosed, old-school coach that can come in right from Day One and instill a culture of accountability, defensive intensity and discipline in Minnesota. Given the team’s preposterously talented young nucleus of talent that includes the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, that kind of atmosphere will be perfect for accelerating their long-term development.
The former Coach of the Year was outstanding in five years with the Chicago Bulls with a record of 255-139 (.647). But his time in the Windy City ended on bad terms, largely due to irreparable tensions with the front office. That won’t be a problem for Thibodeau with the Wolves where he will have final say over all basketball decisions. Wojnarowski also reports that Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden will join the Minnesota front office to take some of the load off Thibodeau’s shoulders.
Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden is working on a deal to join Thibodeau as his GM in Minnesota, league sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) April 20, 2016
The Timberwolves finished 29-53 in 2015-16 but in moving from a bottom-five head coach in Sam Mitchell to a top-five head coach in Thibodeau, their arrow is pointed firmly upwards into the stratosphere.
