Not sure if it was the clumsy posturing or the fan-boy trade proposals or the fact that the Minnesota Timberwolves basically announced on Thursday, "We're giving the Blazers until the count of three," and then, presumably left us all hanging at "two-and-a-haaaaaaaaaaalllfff."

Not sure where exactly I started shaking my head. But I'm shaking it at the absurdity of it all.

We get it. Minnesota general manager

believes he's the most clever man in the room. I had coffee with an former colleague of his this week, who told me, "David was always more noise than action." And so the clanging pots and pans you hear is the Timberwolves holding us all hostage with the threat that, maybe, just maybe, they'll clear enough cap space to sign a $46 million offer sheet for restricted free agent forward

.

Of course, this offer would probably just be matched by the Blazers.

Kahn and his owner, Glen Taylor, must be leaning hard on the hope that Batum's comments about

alongside Ricky Rubio might terrify Portland, sending the city into a panic, suddenly increasing Minnesota's leverage. Save it, dudes. We've heard, and feared, far worse around here (See: various menisci). The sooner Batum understands this little free agent charade ends with him coming back to the coal mine known as One Center Court, the better for us all.

My hunch is, Batum will play small forward in Portland next season. Hopefully, the Blazers front office will heed this little warning shot of his as a reason to copy some of the blueprint in Minnesota. You know, hire a veteran coach. Groom the lottery-pick point guard into a guy who thinks of the open court as a street carnival. Tell Batum to run around and have fun.

We all know how this ends. Still, here's Kahn and Taylor, huddled up, offering the Blazers some lousy first-round draft picks and a so-so journeyman small forward in exchange for the second-best talent on Portland's roster last season. Thursday began with Minnesota promising to sign Batum to a $46 million offer sheet by the end of business. And the day ended with no offer sheet, and everyone looking around going, "Did they mean France? What time does business end in Paris?"

I really don't know Neil Olshey that well. I've exchanged emails with the new Blazers general manager. We have plans to get coffee soon. I've watched him in a news conference. I've listened to him, and talked to others about him. He doesn't strike me as an idiot. And yet, Minnesota just keeps staring at him, blinking, as if Olshey is going to suddenly forget what they're talking about and decide to hand Batum to a division rival that already looted Oregon of Brandon Roy, Rick Adelman, Kevin Love, Martell Webster, Terry Porter, Bill Bayno and maybe a couple of lakes.

(Anyone checked on Crater Lake lately?)

Unless Minnesota is willing to give up Derrick Williams or Nikola Pekovic, or get a third team involved with a sweet asset, there's nothing to think about here. The Timberwolves appear to be trying to make one final big play for Batum. They may even make that $46 million offer real at some point. They waived Darko Milicic on Thursday using the amnesty clause and are expected to negotiate buyouts for Martell Webster and Brad Miller, maybe. But it feels more and more like they're standing around, stalling and wishing, knowing that this is not going to end the way they'd like.

I don't think Kahn is dumb. He knows Paul Allen has seven times the net worth of Taylor, Minnesota's owner. Allen isn't used to being leveraged, and doesn't like it. Vulcan sources said Allen was irked more than a week ago when Minnesota began to woo Batum and whisper promises in his ears. On some level, Kahn must know outbidding Allen for Batum isn't possible. At some point, Kahn must know he's going to tick off the Blazers. Maybe Kahn already has. Wonder what happens after that.

The Wrath of ... Olshey?

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Catch him on the radio on "The Bald-Faced Truth," 3-6 p.m. weekdays on KXTG (750).