Richardson for Blount will put more money in the coffers

When Glen Taylor hired David Kahn and gave him a free pass to start virtually from square one, he put a lot of responsibility on the first-time GM. For once, Taylor may have made a wise decision about that particular position within his franchise. The type of shrewd maneuvering we've seen Kahn carry out over the past few months is what we're all banking on to bring the Wolves out of futility. Up until now, you can't deny that a flurry of offseason wheeling and dealing has given the team a lot of options going forward. The Wolves and Heat exchanged expiring contracts on Thursday night in a deal that brings former Timberwolves C Mark Blount back on the roster, if only for the day, and sends journeyman Quentin Richardson to South Beach. Blount's contract, worth $7.96 million for the year, is going to save $1.4 million once Kahn cuts ties with Blount as he intends to, according to Jerry Zgoda's latest update. Wolves fans everywhere should be applauding Kahn's decision-making thus far and Taylor's willingness to give him the power to do so. Clearly the owner took a long, hard look in the mirror and came to the realization that the house cleaning Kahn has orchestrated needed to be done. Up to this point, the cap space this front office has freed up should give us the financial freedom that KG's contract never allowed. It should make it possible to strike deals with free agents and sign draft picks *ahem* Rubio *ahem*, albeit with the understanding that the top tier guys are still going to be out of reach until we establish something. Will Kahn be able to pull that off? Your guess is as good as mine. The previous regime's inability to judge talent and the need to please a superstar should be a thing of the past. Somehow I don't see anyone on this team, even Big Al, having as much sway with personnel decisions as Big Ticket had. As much as this offseason was about restructuring and contract manipulations, next offseason should be the year that we acquire one or two reputable names in free agency, even if it means overpaying. I want to see the day when the Wolves are buyers, not sellers, in the open market. The aggressiveness we've seen so far gives me a glimmer of hope that the Wolves will put themselves in that position.2011 can't get here soon enough.