The Wolves will end that five-month job search in which three candidates withdrew by today naming former Indiana Pacers general manager David Kahn their first president of Basketball operations at a noon news conference at Target Center, sources close to the negotiations confirmed Thursday.

Popular ESPN columnist Bill Simmons, who goes by the tag "Sports Guy," campaigned for the job and captured the imagination of a certain segment of Wolves fans, much like Jesse Ventura won over Minnesota voters in 1998.

The Wolves instead have turned to Kahn, 47, a former Portland, Ore., newspaper columnist and NBA national writer turned lawyer who last worked full time in the NBA in 2002.

Kahn, according to sources, will receive a bump in title and a $1 million salary to replace Kevin McHale, who lost his vice president of operations duties in the team's front office when owner Glen Taylor asked him to replace fired coach Randy Wittman in December.

Kahn also will not be required to retain McHale as coach or any front-office executive, including general manager Jim Stack and assistant GM Fred Hoiberg. He will rely upon current front-office employees, including Stack and Hoiberg, to prepare for the June 25 draft in which the Wolves own three first-round picks. He is expected to use those five weeks to determine whom he will retain when he formalizes a new organizational structure in July.

He also is expected to meet with McHale early next week to discuss the coaching position.

Kahn appeared to be one of the top candidates more than two weeks ago, but Taylor and Wolves CEO Rob Moor turned last week to Portland assistant general manager Tom Penn. The Wolves resumed discussions with Kahn shortly after Penn turned down the job Monday. San Antonio assistant GM Dennis Lindsey and former Miami GM Randy Pfund also interviewed but withdrew.

Taylor said near the end of the regular season that he hoped to hire someone within two weeks of the season finale on April 15, but that time passed and the search continued.

"It did take quite a while, but I guess better late than never," said Wolves forward Ryan Gomes, who learned about the hiring of the new boss during a morning visit to Target Center to work out. "The draft is coming up fast, I'm glad something got done. We sat back watching and reading and wondering what we was going to happen."

Gomes said he and his teammates still would like to see McHale return to coach.

"Of course, we'd love to see him back," Gomes said. "Hopefully he'll be coaching us next year at training camp. We had a little success with him until Al got hurt."

It's believed NBA commissioner David Stern recommended to Taylor that he consider Kahn for the job. Kahn owned, and sold, four teams in the NBA's Development League. His Southwest Basketball company was sued for outstanding debts with its Fort Worth, Texas, team before the franchise moved to Reno, Nev.

Kahn spent nine seasons with the Pacers, many of them as Donnie Walsh's top aide. He oversaw the construction of Conseco Fieldhouse and is considered an expert on the NBA's salary cap.

THE DAVID KAHN FILE

Age: 47 Hometown: Portland, Ore.

Most recently: Owner of Southwest Basketball, which owned National Basketball Developmental League teams in Fort Worth and Austin, Texas, Albuquerque, N.M., and Tulsa, Okla.

In the NBA : Served as Indiana's GM (1998-2002) and performed other front-offices duties during nine years with the Pacers.

Other experience: Was an NBA writer and columnist at the Portland Oregonian newspaper from 1983 to 1989 and a lawyer for the firm Proskauer Rose (1991-95), which provided counsel to the NBA , NHL and other sports entities. He also spearheaded the effort to lure the Expos to Portland (2002-04).

GENERAL MANAGER HIRINGS

FSN will carry both of today's news conferences - wolves at noon - wild at 4 p.m.