Wolves 'paving the way' for draft-day deal

[mr. kurtz]

Can anybody shop a picture of Jared Sullinger in a TWolves jersey?  I want to start posting it on some Wolves blogs under my new accounts, WolvezFan32 and CassellSpreeKG4Eva

go nutts body...

[cometboy]

Dragging this out to to trade deadline means they miss out on a top pick in a deep draft. Not going to happen.

it could if they want one of Brooklyn's picks

cannot imagine they value a future Nets pick more than this year's 6th in a deep draft. I like the potential of the Nets picks, but the odds one of them turns into a better player than this year's 6th are not high even if they are a lottery team. We should know by now, the lottery is a real crap shoot. In fact, I might like to keep this year's 17th at the expense of a future Celtic's 1st.

CB

[Spilling Green Dye]

What about Love just playing out his contract (wherever he plays) and then signs with the Celtics?  If you were him, wouldn't you want to play for a team that has a lot of assets, etc. instead of playing for a team that used most of its assets to get you?

[RJ87]

Everyone seems to have ignored the part of the article where they mentioned the T-Wolves would want a young player with star potential which the Celtics do not have. As much as C's fans are optimistic about Sullinger or Olynyk, the reality is the rest of the league does not view them as highly. That's the weakest part of the Celtics' offer, along with the fact that the 6th pick in this draft is not as exciting as a top 3 one.

Sullinger is just not somebody you can sell your fans on when dealing a top player. If the Celtics had a top 3 pick then that player could have been the "star-potential" guy but it didn't happen. So now what Minnesota sees from the Celtics' offer is a bunch of B+ guys and some likely late first rounders.

The good thing for Boston fans is that the Celtics might still have the best offer out of the teams Love is willing to go to. We know that even though it's technically a trade, stars of Love's caliber in the NBA rarely go somewhere they don't want which makes it similar to free agency. Only in this case, the pool of suitors is smaller than a free agent situation because you still need something Minnesota finds acceptable to get a deal done.

The question is whether another team will offer what Boston can't, and that's a young player on the level of an Al Jefferson 7 years ago.

Of the teams we've heard mentioned, none of them are in that position either. GS - Klay Thompson? I like Klay but I don't think he's got superstar potential. Houston - Parsons? Nope. The Lakers? Um... The Suns with Eric Bledsoe? Perhaps. But you've got to get him to agree to sign in Minnesota. Good luck. That leaves the Bulls with Butler, Gibson, and/or the rights to Mirotic. The only one with star potential is probably Mirotic and he hasn't agreed to the NBA yet. Would he agree if his rights are traded to Minnesota?

[pokeKingCurtis]

What about Love just playing out his contract (wherever he plays) and then signs with the Celtics?  If you were him, wouldn't you want to play for a team that has a lot of assets, etc. instead of playing for a team that used most of its assets to get you?

Playing the devil's advocate:

An extra year = an extra shot at contention. You never know what's going to happen.

Even if we trade away a bunch of picks...WE STILL HAVE MORE  . Crazy.

----

But honestly, given the choice, I'd personally wait it out.

[GreenWarrior]

Everyone seems to have ignored the part of the article where they mentioned the T-Wolves would want a young player with star potential which the Celtics do not have. As much as C's fans are optimistic about Sullinger or Olynyk, the reality is the rest of the league does not view them as highly. That's the weakest part of the Celtics' offer, along with the fact that the 6th pick in this draft is not as exciting as a top 3 one.

Sullinger is just not somebody you can sell your fans on when dealing a top player. If the Celtics had a top 3 pick then that player could have been the "star-potential" guy but it didn't happen. So now what Minnesota sees from the Celtics' offer is a bunch of B+ guys and some likely late first rounders.

The good thing for Boston fans is that the Celtics might still have the best offer out of the teams Love is willing to go to. We know that even though it's technically a trade, stars of Love's caliber in the NBA rarely go somewhere they don't want which makes it similar to free agency. Only in this case, the pool of suitors is smaller than a free agent situation because you still need something Minnesota finds acceptable to get a deal done.

The question is whether another team will offer what Boston can't, and that's a young player on the level of an Al Jefferson 7 years ago.

there's no team interested in Love that fits their criteria. unless they view embiid, wiggins or parker that way.

[wdleehi]

Everyone seems to have ignored the part of the article where they mentioned the T-Wolves would want a young player with star potential which the Celtics do not have. As much as C's fans are optimistic about Sullinger or Olynyk, the reality is the rest of the league does not view them as highly. That's the weakest part of the Celtics' offer, along with the fact that the 6th pick in this draft is not as exciting as a top 3 one.

Sullinger is just not somebody you can sell your fans on when dealing a top player. If the Celtics had a top 3 pick then that player could have been the "star-potential" guy but it didn't happen. So now what Minnesota sees from the Celtics' offer is a bunch of B+ guys and some likely late first rounders.

The good thing for Boston fans is that the Celtics might still have the best offer out of the teams Love is willing to go to. We know that even though it's technically a trade, stars of Love's caliber in the NBA rarely go somewhere they don't want which makes it similar to free agency. Only in this case, the pool of suitors is smaller than a free agent situation because you still need something Minnesota finds acceptable to get a deal done.

The question is whether another team will offer what Boston can't, and that's a young player on the level of an Al Jefferson 7 years ago.

How much of it is posturing in the hopes of getting more in the trade offer? 

[Fafnir]

The question is whether another team will offer what Boston can't, and that's a young player on the level of an Al Jefferson 7 years ago.

The issue is that there aren't really good candiates to give that player plus the draft picks they're demanding.

GSW can't trade picks worth anything, but they could give up Klay/Barnes.

Chicago can't give up good picks either, they're limited to Butler/Mirotic/Gibson

So the question is do they prefer that lottery pick this year and better future picks or Mirotic/Klay's "star potential". That's assuming both of them are in the end offered for Love.

[Fafnir]

How much of it is posturing in the hopes of getting more in the trade offer?

Its all clearly posturing, they're demanding the maximum possible at the moment.

They want a high lottery pick this year, a potential star, and other assets (probably other picks and cap relief)

No one team can offer that. Barring a 3 way trade where GSW/Bulls get assets that match what the Wolves want I think the C's will likely have the best offer unless additional surprise teams jump into the mix. (such surprise teams will certainly do so, the question is does Love shut down other destinations)

[pokeKingCurtis]

Can anybody shop a picture of Jared Sullinger in a TWolves jersey?  I want to start posting it on some Wolves blogs under my new accounts, WolvezFan32 and CassellSpreeKG4Eva

go nutts body...

....kinda breaks my heart 

[Moranis]

I still think LA makes a lot of sense.  Pau (S/T), the rookie at 7, Sacre, and maybe Nash for Love, Brewer, Martin, Barea, and/or Budinger (any combination of those other guys).  Minnesota gets a high value rookie (though granted one drafted by L.A.), a very respectable PF and big name in Pau, and a ton of salary savings.  Pau gets a nice solid contract, gets to move back to PF next to a real center in Pekovic and gets his countryman dishing him the ball (which is why he might agree to said S/T).  L.A. gets Love and absorbs some pretty solid role players into all of their cap room to help round out the team around Kobe and Love. 

Now obviously Boston could beat that trade by shear volume of first round picks, but I wouldn't count L.A. out during the free agency period (which is the only time that trade can be made).

[Fafnir]

I still think LA makes a lot of sense.  Pau (S/T), the rookie at 7, Sacre, and maybe Nash for Love, Brewer, Martin, Barea, and/or Budinger (any combination of those other guys).  Minnesota gets a high value rookie (though granted one drafted by L.A.), a very respectable PF and big name in Pau, and a ton of salary savings.  Pau gets a nice solid contract, gets to move back to PF next to a real center in Pekovic and gets his countryman dishing him the ball (which is why he might agree to said S/T).  L.A. gets Love and absorbs some pretty solid role players into all of their cap room to help round out the team around Kobe and Love. 

Now obviously Boston could beat that trade by shear volume of first round picks, but I wouldn't count L.A. out during the free agency period (which is the only time that trade can be made).

I still see zero reason the Wolves would be interested in that offer.

I also see zero reason Pau would want to go to Minnesota, I expect he'll get similar offers from much better teams. Why go to a lottery bound squad?

They can get a similar pick with greater cap savings from other teams.

[LilRip]

Am I the only one who thinks acquiring Love doesn't make us contenders?

It's a definite step in the right direction and he becomes our best player, IMO, but we need a rim protector. Also, is everyone comfortable with Jeff Green being our #3?

[Fafnir]

Am I the only one who thinks acquiring Love doesn't make us contenders?

It's a definite step in the right direction and he becomes our best player, IMO, but we need a rim protector. Also, is everyone comfortable with Jeff Green being our #3?

If Rondo returns to his pre-injury form it'll make us a good playoff team.

From there you have to keep building. Miami and the Celtics are the last two teams that put together a "contender" in one off season. Even then the C's had Perk/Rondo/Pierce already and the Heat had Wade.

[BballTim]

I still think LA makes a lot of sense.  Pau (S/T), the rookie at 7, Sacre, and maybe Nash for Love, Brewer, Martin, Barea, and/or Budinger (any combination of those other guys).  Minnesota gets a high value rookie (though granted one drafted by L.A.), a very respectable PF and big name in Pau, and a ton of salary savings.  Pau gets a nice solid contract, gets to move back to PF next to a real center in Pekovic and gets his countryman dishing him the ball (which is why he might agree to said S/T).  L.A. gets Love and absorbs some pretty solid role players into all of their cap room to help round out the team around Kobe and Love. 

Now obviously Boston could beat that trade by shear volume of first round picks, but I wouldn't count L.A. out during the free agency period (which is the only time that trade can be made).

  I don't see how that makes any sense at all for the wolves. Pau's old and declining and isn't going to take the team anywhere but maybe out of the bottom few picks, and Minny gets very little young talent in the deal. It's the worst of both worlds.