I agree that KAT and Rudy Gobert aren't a great fit. But, that says to me Rudy Gobert.
I think Gobert would be a much better player on the Celtics. we would also not have to give up so much.
We don't need a great fit, just someone better than Al at this point in his career.
The struggle there is not whether or not he'd help the team. The question is whether or not we have the right trade pieces for it to make sense, because matching salaries would be so much.
For example, are we a better team if we trade Brogdon and Rob Williams for him? By my math, that trade works, but would that make us better than we currently are. On top of that, with the new CBA rules, I doubt we'd be able to keep Gobert til the end of his contract without really hurting our roster in other places, and we likely will not be able to trade him.
Not only would KAT's contract be smaller, but we would be able to get off his contract later if needed. I think KAT is the perfect buy-low candidate. He reminds me a bit of Rasheed Wallace, as a guy who was extremely talented, but was a head-case until he found the right team.
The part about KAT that is interesting to me is what exactly the Wolves would want for him. Forget about value for a minute. What has this team prioritized getting? What has been their track record? They traded Russell for Conley. Before that, they signed Kyle Anderson. Before that they acquired Rudy Gobert. Before that, they acquired Pat Beverly.
That is a series of moves that really shows the philosophy of the organization. They are desperate to be relevant and are apparently impatient. The ownership (and fans) has pretty clearly given the front office the directive not to play the slow-build game around Edwards, but to try to win-now. They have acquired veteran after veteran in the attempt to be relevant.
I bring that up because if that is the philosophy they are working off of, then I think there is opportunity to give solid NBA players that better fit their team and help them be competitive. I don't think they are craving the typical trade package we've come to expect. I think they want competitors that have already been in playoff games.
I also remember rumors that they were interested in Marcus Smart multiple years in a row. I think Smart would be an excellent fit next to Edwards and would bookend the Wolves defense with Gobert. I also wonder if they would be interested in Grant Williams as another physical forward that can stretch the floor.
But that's where I don't think they'd be getting enough offense back to be a playoff team. The only other option I considered was this:
Wolves receive Bogdonavic (played with Gobert and Conley in Utah), Smart, Grant Williams, two future Celtic firsts
Pistons receive Mike Conley
Celtics receive KAT
There are a few other possibilities out there, like Conley going to the Warriors for Poole or something like that.
I'd argue a trade like above would not only be in line with their shown philosophy of team-building, but may actually make them a better basketball team.