Evaluating a potential T'Wolves deal

[gpap]

a few things that have been bothering me since trading for Love has become a reality.

1) this misconception that expiring contracts are this big asset for the T Wolves to acquire. cap space is nice, it is. but when was the last time a big name FA signed in Minn.?

2) that Minn. actually thinks expiring contracts are something that should matter right now for them.

3) Flip Saunders is going to mess this up some how.

Yeah good points. By the sounds of it, Flip Saunders is no Kevin McHale and he sounds like a total you know what!! (his stupid comments about Celtics fans last week, what a moron he is!!)

And, I am also starting to get the feeling that the TWolves could be looking for established or semi-established stars rather than unproven wildcards like Sully or Olynyk.

For example, I do consider the Bulls a legitimate threat because they can offer Taj Gibson and/or Jimmy Butler, who are just as good if not better than Sullinger and Olynyk.

Not to mention, the Bulls also have Boozer's expiring and though not as desirable as the Celts picks, the Bulls also have draft picks of their own.

We'll see...keeping my fingers crossed.

[GreenWarrior]

a few things that have been bothering me since trading for Love has become a reality.

1) this misconception that expiring contracts are this big asset for the T Wolves to acquire. cap space is nice, it is. but when was the last time a big name FA signed in Minn.?

2) that Minn. actually thinks expiring contracts are something that should matter right now for them.

3) Flip Saunders is going to mess this up some how.

Yeah good points. By the sounds of it, Flip Saunders is no Kevin McHale and he sounds like a total you know what!! (his stupid comments about Celtics fans last week, what a moron he is!!)

And, I am also starting to get the feeling that the TWolves could be looking for established or semi-established stars rather than unproven wildcards like Sully or Olynyk.

For example, I do consider the Bulls a legitimate threat because they can offer Taj Gibson and/or Jimmy Butler, who are just as good if not better than Sullinger and Olynyk.

Not to mention, the Bulls also have Boozer's expiring and though not as desirable as the Celts picks, the Bulls also have draft picks of their own.

We'll see...keeping my fingers crossed.

see, you're thinking is what i'm afraid the T wolves are thinking. and why I think Saunders is going to screw this up.

what's best for their franchise is a complete rebuild, embrace being a lottery team for at least next yr.

accepting a deal from Hou, Chi, GS puts them further away from being better. they'd be in that spot no team wants to be in - just out of the playoffs/borderline 8th seed.

the only way this would be a good deal for Minn. is IF THEY WERE NY., LA, HOU, CHI,DAL, etc.. where they have a chance at signing and adding a big name free agent to those players. AND THAT'S NOT HAPPENING IN MINNESOTA!

[BballTim]

a few things that have been bothering me since trading for Love has become a reality.

1) this misconception that expiring contracts are this big asset for the T Wolves to acquire. cap space is nice, it is. but when was the last time a big name FA signed in Minn.?

2) that Minn. actually thinks expiring contracts are something that should matter right now for them.

3) Flip Saunders is going to mess this up some how.

  Minny will probably have to bring back a lot of salary in the Love deal and they probably won't want to bring back long term contracts in that case. It limits their flexibility.

[P stoff]

Not sure it's been talked about, but sending AB with sully plus picks and filler seems fair. both AB and sully could start for them... And both are young but experienced. both play defense. if they are sending Martin too, then they lose a ton of offense, but they would still need pieces and time to contend in the powerful West anyway.   Thoughts?

[gpap]

Not sure it's been talked about, but sending AB with sully plus picks and filler seems fair. both AB and sully could start for them... And both are young but experienced. both play defense. if they are sending Martin too, then they lose a ton of offense, but they would still need pieces and time to contend in the powerful West anyway.   Thoughts?

Bradley could definitely be a valuable chip, only issue with him is he's going to be a RFA so I wonder if that complicates things.

[gpap]

a few things that have been bothering me since trading for Love has become a reality.

1) this misconception that expiring contracts are this big asset for the T Wolves to acquire. cap space is nice, it is. but when was the last time a big name FA signed in Minn.?

2) that Minn. actually thinks expiring contracts are something that should matter right now for them.

3) Flip Saunders is going to mess this up some how.

  Minny will probably have to bring back a lot of salary in the Love deal and they probably won't want to bring back long term contracts in that case. It limits their flexibility.

And to further add to this, I think whoever ends up getting Love either ends up giving up alot of players and/or picks or has to settle for other long-term deals from Minnesota like Martin, Buddinger or Brewer.

[P stoff]

Maybe we send Wallace too.  Would we then be willing to absorb Buddinger and Martin?  Haha

[gpap]

Maybe we send Wallace too.  Would we then be willing to absorb Buddinger and Martin?  Haha

Certainly, I would think they would need to take Wallace to make the salaries work.

[GreenWarrior]

a few things that have been bothering me since trading for Love has become a reality.

1) this misconception that expiring contracts are this big asset for the T Wolves to acquire. cap space is nice, it is. but when was the last time a big name FA signed in Minn.?

2) that Minn. actually thinks expiring contracts are something that should matter right now for them.

3) Flip Saunders is going to mess this up some how.

  Minny will probably have to bring back a lot of salary in the Love deal and they probably won't want to bring back long term contracts in that case. It limits their flexibility.

see, this is something I don't see them getting around. I just don't. they're best hope is that the most they have to take on are 2-3 yr. contracts.

the reality for them is and i'll keep saying this "they need to embrace the fact that they have to be in the lottery next yr."

[LooseCannon]

If I were the Wolves, I might be asking for a veteran with at least two more years on his contract who would replace Love as the team's best player, a young player on his rookie-scale contract with upside to become an above-average starter, a top-ten lottery pick, and another pick.  (Actually, I'd be asking for more, but that's what I would be hoping to settle for.)  I would adjust the package if I could get a top three pick.

if Minn. is looking for veteran star in return then no one is trading for Love. they are not going to get that. the best vet that's been rumored to be offered by any team is david lee, and he's a glorified garbage man. the best young guys rumored to be available are clay Thompson & Sully. neither of which are guys that you'd build around as cornerstones.

other than that the rest of your scenario is about what I would consider Minn. should expect in return.

You have to be creative, which is why I have suggested that pulling Detroit into the trade and flipping Josh Smith to Minnesota might work if they want a guy who superficially is a star-level guy to some casual fans.

[obnoxiousmime]

If I were the Wolves, I might be asking for a veteran with at least two more years on his contract who would replace Love as the team's best player, a young player on his rookie-scale contract with upside to become an above-average starter, a top-ten lottery pick, and another pick.  (Actually, I'd be asking for more, but that's what I would be hoping to settle for.)  I would adjust the package if I could get a top three pick.

if Minn. is looking for veteran star in return then no one is trading for Love. they are not going to get that. the best vet that's been rumored to be offered by any team is david lee, and he's a glorified garbage man. the best young guys rumored to be available are clay Thompson & Sully. neither of which are guys that you'd build around as cornerstones.

other than that the rest of your scenario is about what I would consider Minn. should expect in return.

You have to be creative, which is why I have suggested that pulling Detroit into the trade and flipping Josh Smith to Minnesota might work if they want a guy who superficially is a star-level guy to some casual fans.

I don't know how this thread morphed Minny wanting someone with star potential into "Minny wants an established star/vet/heyhowaboutJoshSmith."

Minnesota wants a young player with star potential. If you don't consider Sullinger to be quite at that level the Celtics offer looks a little weaker, especially considering the sixth pick doesn't look to have any star-potential guys either.

I haven't heard anything to suggest Minnesota would want a high-priced, overrated veteran, only the opposite.

All that being said, the Celtics may still potentially have the best offer among the teams Love is willing to go to. That means a lot.

[GreenWarrior]

If I were the Wolves, I might be asking for a veteran with at least two more years on his contract who would replace Love as the team's best player, a young player on his rookie-scale contract with upside to become an above-average starter, a top-ten lottery pick, and another pick.  (Actually, I'd be asking for more, but that's what I would be hoping to settle for.)  I would adjust the package if I could get a top three pick.

if Minn. is looking for veteran star in return then no one is trading for Love. they are not going to get that. the best vet that's been rumored to be offered by any team is david lee, and he's a glorified garbage man. the best young guys rumored to be available are clay Thompson & Sully. neither of which are guys that you'd build around as cornerstones.

other than that the rest of your scenario is about what I would consider Minn. should expect in return.

You have to be creative, which is why I have suggested that pulling Detroit into the trade and flipping Josh Smith to Minnesota might work if they want a guy who superficially is a star-level guy to some casual fans.

even that would do nothing for them. the only "stars" potentially available are melo & love and melo is not even a sure thing. and Minn. and any team trying to acquiring Love can get as creative as they want, it's still about availability as far as getting a star in return. and there aren't any.

they're only getting role players and maybe they get a young guy that turns out to be more in return.

[colincb]

a few things that have been bothering me since trading for Love has become a reality.

1) this misconception that expiring contracts are this big asset for the T Wolves to acquire. cap space is nice, it is. but when was the last time a big name FA signed in Minn.?

2) that Minn. actually thinks expiring contracts are something that should matter right now for them.

3) Flip Saunders is going to mess this up some how.

Yeah good points. By the sounds of it, Flip Saunders is no Kevin McHale and he sounds like a total you know what!! (his stupid comments about Celtics fans last week, what a moron he is!!)

And, I am also starting to get the feeling that the TWolves could be looking for established or semi-established stars rather than unproven wildcards like Sully or Olynyk.

For example, I do consider the Bulls a legitimate threat because they can offer Taj Gibson and/or Jimmy Butler, who are just as good if not better than Sullinger and Olynyk.

Not to mention, the Bulls also have Boozer's expiring and though not as desirable as the Celts picks, the Bulls also have draft picks of their own.

We'll see...keeping my fingers crossed.

Chicago has arguably better  talent. We definitly have better picks and offer better cap relief (but, does that matter much).  Can't see T-Wolves taking the deal you outlined with Boozer in it, though I think it's likely that there's a deal some one will offer that will be more in tune with what the T-Wolve's owner wants, even if that's not a smart deal in the long-term.  This is a very poorly-owned franchise like LAC, CLE and NYK.

[colincb]

I could see us offering a trade like the OP mentioned AND taking on Martin too.  It's not a terrible contract and Martin could score off our bench. Scoring and rim protection are our major problems.

[MBunge]

I could see us offering a trade like the OP mentioned AND taking on Martin too.  It's not a terrible contract and Martin could score off our bench. Scoring and rim protection are our major problems.

It's not a bad contract in amount but does last three more years.  Even if you're swapping Wallace for Martin, the extra length could make it harder to be a player in the 2015 free agent market.  I like the idea of adding Love, Martin and Asik but I'm not sure that a title contender without one more big move.

Mike