Ryan Saunders is getting the chance he so desperately wanted.



Saunders will be the Timberwolves’ permanent head coach, the team announced Monday, as the two sides have reached agreement on a multiyear contract extension, league sources told The Athletic.



“Ryan is an excellent communicator and has developed open and trusting relationships with our players,” new president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said in a press release. “I’ve known Ryan for many years and have always respected his approach to the game, work ethic, basketball knowledge and passion. His coaching style and philosophies are ideal for the modern NBA and I am confident that as a partner he will get the most out of our players as we build an identity and a sustainable winning model.”



It’s the first major decision of Rosas’s Timberwolves tenure. And it was his decision. Rosas agreed to a four-year contract for his job with no preconditions...