Kahn, the team's president of Basketball operations, was in full denial mode Friday, shooting down a report that ESPN/ABC analyst Mark Jackson is his pick to be the Wolves' next coach.

"There's no truth to it," Kahn said. "It's a little bit like the Al Jefferson thing. I guess this is, again I've fallen into my editorial comment of the day. I remember in the old days when you actually would get a call from somebody for a confirmation or denial. These days you don't even get that. It's just a different world."

Pro Basketball News, citing multiple unidentified sources, reported that Jackson is the leading candidate for the Wolves' job, with one source saying the team already had decided on him.

Kahn said he has heard from several coaching candidates since Wednesday afternoon's news conference announcing Kevin McHale's departure but repeated that the search process won't begin until after Thursday's NBA draft.

"My stance is the same," Kahn said. "No list, no nothing until after the draft is over."

Jackson, 44, was a point guard with the Indiana Pacers when Kahn was the team's general manager and is expected to be a strong contender for the Wolves' job.

The New York Post reported that he is at the top of a short list that also includes former Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell and former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello.

An ESPN spokesman said Jackson is declining all interview requests, but he has been open about his desire to land a coaching job.

"The right situation will come, and I look forward to making that guy who has the courage to pull the trigger, I'm looking forward to making him look awfully good," he said at last week's NBA Finals in Los Angeles.

Kahn said he had no idea how many candidates he might end up interviewing and was asked jokingly if it definitely would be more than one.

"Absolutely," he said. "And I would say more than two. Absolutely."

As for Jefferson, the Wolves wasted no time Thursday shooting down a Boston Globe report that said they were discussing a trade that would send him and the sixth overall selection in the draft to the Phoenix Suns for forward Amare Stoudemire.

ESPN picked up the story, and Kahn called Jefferson to tell him it wasn't true.

"Because I thought it was important," he said. "Again, we live in this world where I got a call in the morning that it was actually on the ESPN crawl. ... That just shows. As I said the other day, it almost feels like we live in a TV screen with a crawler running underneath, and it's supposed to be true. I felt it was important, especially once it was displayed in that manner, to call him up and tell him the truth."

Asked if Jefferson or any other player on the team is untouchable, Kahn offered a qualified no.

"Maybe LeBron (James) and Kobe (Bryant) are in that status," he said. "I think what I'm trying to say is even Al would say to me, he'd probably say, 'David, if Cleveland calls and offers us LeBron for me, David, you better do that.' Al would say that, right? These kids are very bright. They know that. I think what I'm trying to say, though, is we are not shopping and not seeking to trade Al Jefferson. He's a very important component of this team, and I would even add Kevin (Love) into that mix."

Love also was the subject of a trade rumor this week, to Memphis for the second overall draft pick, and Kahn said he understands that players might be feeling a little nervous.

Kahn has been candid about his roster in his meetings with season-ticket holders and the media and said he's not worried about how that might play with the players.

"I think about it, but I think that these young men also know that, as they say, the age-old truism is it is a business," he said. "I don't want it to feel like a business ... but it would be disingenuous to kind of say one thing and act in another (way). I'm hopeful that our actions will match our words."