The Minnesota Timberwolves coaching staff remains intact heading into next season after longtime assistant coach Pablo Prigioni decided to stay.
Prigioni is the latest to spurn the Knicks after they were granted permission to speak with him, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
“Amid interest from Knicks, Minnesota assistant Pablo Prigioni decided to stay with Timberwolves, citing family reasons, league sources tell SNY,” Begley wrote on X.
Chris Finch’s lead assistant, Micah Nori, also interviewed for the Knicks head coaching job, which ultimately went to Mike Brown. While Nori impressed the Knicks brass during his interview, they opted for the more experienced Brown, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year.
Timberwolves Highly Value Pablo Prigioni
Getty Pablo Prigioni decided to stay in Minnesota amid the New York Knicks’ interest in a reunion.
Prigioni started his NBA career with the Knicks as the oldest rookie in NBA history at 35 during the 2012-13 season. He was a crowd favorite for his gusty plays and toughness that earned him a promotion to the starting unit during that season’s playoff run.
After the Argentine retired from basketball, he went straight to coaching.
Prigioni briefly coached in the Euroleague before heading back to the NBA as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets in 2018. The following season, he moved to the Timberwolves.
Prigioni, 48, is highly thought of in Minnesota and has been working closely with Rob Dillingham, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Prigioni joins New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego and Dallas Mavericks‘ Jay Triano as the Knicks miss in their search to augment Brown’s coaching staff.
Timberwolves End Up Runner-Up in Damian Lillard Sweepstakes
But while the Timberwolves were able to keep their coaching staff intact, their swing for offseason improvements keeps on missing.
According to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania, the Timberwolves were one of the two teams that ended up as runners-up in the Damian Lillard sweepstakes.
“Over a dozen teams made minimum and mid-level exception offers to Damian Lillard. Two teams in particular, I’m told, that Damian Lillard really considered, and that’s the Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Charania said on “NBA Today” on July 18. “He held calls with both teams at different points.”
So close but not quite.
While Lillard had an interest in coming to Minnesota to join Anthony Edwards in their backcourt, the nine-time All-Star point guard prioritized his family over money and championship aspirations.
“But to be in Portland back home with his three young kids, that was by far the most important factor I was told in his return to the Trailblazers,” Charania said. “And he was going to spend the year rehabbing in Portland anyway from that Achilles tear. But to return to Portland, the franchise that he, obviously, is an icon in, that meant a lot to him.”
0-For-3 Batting in Offseason
It was the third miss for the Timberwolves, who also pursued stars Bradley Beal (buyout market) and Kevin Durant (via trade) this offseason.
The Timberwolves are one of the five teams that have “confirmed interest” in Beal, according to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
“The Clippers, Lakers, Warriors, Timberwolves and, yes, Giannis’ Bucks are teams with a confirmed interest in signing Beal once he reaches the open market … with the Clippers widely regarded as a particularly strong contender to land the 33-year-old former All-Star,” Stein and Fischer reported on “The Stein Line” Substack newsletter on July 12.
Beal opted to join the Los Angeles Clippers, who will pose a great threat to the Timberwolves next season. The three-time All-Star guard will join James Harden and Kawhi Leonard to form a new Big 3 in the loaded Western Conference.
Unlike Lillard, Beal did not consider joining the Timberwolves.
Without a significant offseason addition, they will have to rely on internal improvement with players like Dillingham. Prigioni will have to play a key role in achieving that.
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