The agent for Stephen Curry told the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Chicago draft combine in 2009 that Dell Curry didn't want the team to select him.
“No offense,” said Jeff Austin to David Kahn.
Kahn recounts the story in a piece in Sports Illustrated. Kahn had recently been hired by the Wolves as general manager.
“I really need your help on this,” said Austin.
Kahn said he never received a request like that during his tenure with the Wolves.
Minnesota selected Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn with the No. 5 and No. 6 picks. The Wolves were concerned that they could have to deal with two players who didn't have interest in playing for the franchise since Rubio had a complicated buyout in his contract.
Dell Curry shared the story last year.
“We told Minnesota that Steph didn’t want to go there,” said Dell Curry. “We had no idea that they had agreed to a trade. Obviously, they couldn’t put that out. I remember (then-Suns general manager and now Curry’s Golden State coach) Steve Kerr calling me (the following morning) and saying, ‘Don’t go to the press conference. We have a trade that they reneged on.’ I’m like, ‘That’s between you guys. We’re going wherever they tell us. We can’t not go.’"