Timberwolves continue tank - trade Budinger to Pacers

[GreenCoffeeBean]

Chase Budinger is extremely flattered that someone thinks trading him equates to tanking. Chase Budinger thanks you.

[guava_wrench]

I wouldn't say it's them tanking as much as it is they are creating more minutes for Wiggins and Muhammad because they are better than Budinger.

Good trade for the Pacers. Adding some nice role players to put next to George.

Wiggins started every game last year for the Wolves and Muhammad is a SG.  Budinger was a quality bench player.  they didn't need to move him to create more minutes for those two.  It was a move to save money and they got nothing of value at all in return.

Yeah, and Golden State continued their tank by trading Lee for nothing.

[guava_wrench]

continue to tank? I don't think the T'Wolves were tanking last year. They're just not ready to win a lot of games yet, but they have a bright future with Wiggins and Towns.

So you trade your best player, a guy that led you to a respectable 40 wins in the West for the worst #1 pick in NBA history and a highly sought after prospect that never played a game in the NBA to end up with the worst record in the NBA and land the #1 pick in the draft and you aren't tanking. 

So to recap, the Wolves now have the last three #1 picks on their roster, two of which they got by trading away their anchor and by far their best player who was just entering his prime, which resulted in them landing the third.  But they aren't tanking.  Got it.

Their best player wanted to leave. Should they have let him leave for nothing?
this tanking logic is flawed.
You're implying that any team that wants to rebuild through the draft is tanking.

No I am saying that any team that trades away their best player and the vast majority of their veterans, many of which they got nothing of value in return for is tanking.  Had Pek and Martin not been injured, they would have traded them as well. 

Love, Brewer, Williams, Neal, and now Budinger all gone in span of less than a year.  All replaced with unproven rookies are players that are no longer on the team and which directly led to Minnesota being the worst team in the league and landing the #1 pick in the draft.

It is possible you are right about last season -- they might have tried to move Martin if he had been healthy. The Love deal was not about the tank -- it was about getting value for Love before he left. But they were clearly willing last season to trade value today for potential assets down the line, without much concern for wins.

But that is irrelevant to this season. They already have their 2 foundational guys in Towns and Wiggins. They are now focused on building success. Budinger is not evidence to the contrary. he is irrelevant. I think you need to give up on trying to force your point regarding the Budinger move.

[Boris Badenov]

I wouldn't say it's them tanking as much as it is they are creating more minutes for Wiggins and Muhammad because they are better than Budinger.

Good trade for the Pacers. Adding some nice role players to put next to George.

Wiggins started every game last year for the Wolves and Muhammad is a SG.  Budinger was a quality bench player.  they didn't need to move him to create more minutes for those two.  It was a move to save money and they got nothing of value at all in return.

Yeah, and Golden State continued their tank by trading Lee for nothing.

The good news is that the 76ers have ended their tank, by taking on vets and substantial salary dollars in the form of Carl Landry and Jason Thompson. Those guys are both about as good as Budinger.

[celticsclay]

This is a really weird thread title. I guess the OP is serious, but I don't really understand the viewpoint as much as I try. Budinger is not a top 7 player on a playoff contender and probably not top 9. You could literally say every team in the league is tanking if you use him as a barometer for what means a team is trying to lose...Moranis was this thread a joke?

[LilRip]

continue to tank? I don't think the T'Wolves were tanking last year. They're just not ready to win a lot of games yet, but they have a bright future with Wiggins and Towns.

So you trade your best player, a guy that led you to a respectable 40 wins in the West for the worst #1 pick in NBA history and a highly sought after prospect that never played a game in the NBA to end up with the worst record in the NBA and land the #1 pick in the draft and you aren't tanking. 

So to recap, the Wolves now have the last three #1 picks on their roster, two of which they got by trading away their anchor and by far their best player who was just entering his prime, which resulted in them landing the third.  But they aren't tanking.  Got it.

Ahh yes, because letting Love walk away for nothing and basically having a team of Rubio-Martin-Pek was clearly the better move. Hold on, wait, Rubio-Martin-Budinger-Pek. How could I forget?

Even if he didn't get Bennett, I'd say Flip got tremendous value for a guy who was going to walk in Wiggins alone. I mean, I don't know if it's just me but I would've loved it Ainge was able to pull off a Rondo for Wiggins trade, regardless if we were tanking or not. But hey, maybe that's just me.

Losing doesn't mean tanking and Budinger isn't going to lead that team to the playoffs.

[RJ87]

Budinger has been in Minnesota for 3 seasons, playing 23, 41 and 67 games respectfully and averaging 19.9 minutes over that time.

Doesn't seem like that big of a loss to me.

[celticsclay]

Budinger has been in Minnesota for 3 seasons, playing 23, 41 and 67 games respectfully and averaging 19.9 minutes over that time.

Doesn't seem like that big of a loss to me.

its some sort of joke thread, but i don't get it.

[Endless Paradise]

I think Moranis is basically drawing a parallel to yesterday's discussion about the nuances involved in rebuilding and tanking, but Budinger probably wasn't the right player to use as an example.

[Moranis]

continue to tank? I don't think the T'Wolves were tanking last year. They're just not ready to win a lot of games yet, but they have a bright future with Wiggins and Towns.

So you trade your best player, a guy that led you to a respectable 40 wins in the West for the worst #1 pick in NBA history and a highly sought after prospect that never played a game in the NBA to end up with the worst record in the NBA and land the #1 pick in the draft and you aren't tanking. 

So to recap, the Wolves now have the last three #1 picks on their roster, two of which they got by trading away their anchor and by far their best player who was just entering his prime, which resulted in them landing the third.  But they aren't tanking.  Got it.

Ahh yes, because letting Love walk away for nothing and basically having a team of Rubio-Martin-Pek was clearly the better move. Hold on, wait, Rubio-Martin-Budinger-Pek. How could I forget?

Even if he didn't get Bennett, I'd say Flip got tremendous value for a guy who was going to walk in Wiggins alone. I mean, I don't know if it's just me but I would've loved it Ainge was able to pull off a Rondo for Wiggins trade, regardless if we were tanking or not. But hey, maybe that's just me.

Losing doesn't mean tanking and Budinger isn't going to lead that team to the playoffs.

Sure he might have left, but trading your best player, a guy that gets you 40 wins in the tough western conference for a rookie is pretty much the definition of a tanking trade.  The Wolves intentionally went from a mid-range team to the worst team in the league in one off season by making moves that they didn't have to make. 

You can say they got great value, you can say they felt they had to do it, but no matter how you slice it, trading Love and then numerous other veterans for future benefit is tanking.

[Moranis]

I think Moranis is basically drawing a parallel to yesterday's discussion about the nuances involved in rebuilding and tanking, but Budinger probably wasn't the right player to use as an example.

Hence the continue tank.  Budinger is just their latest tanking move.  I'd expect Pek and Martin to get moved at some point this season, if they actually stay healthy enough for some team to want them.

[MJohnnyboy]

[BudweiserCeltic]

continue to tank? I don't think the T'Wolves were tanking last year. They're just not ready to win a lot of games yet, but they have a bright future with Wiggins and Towns.

So you trade your best player, a guy that led you to a respectable 40 wins in the West for the worst #1 pick in NBA history and a highly sought after prospect that never played a game in the NBA to end up with the worst record in the NBA and land the #1 pick in the draft and you aren't tanking. 

So to recap, the Wolves now have the last three #1 picks on their roster, two of which they got by trading away their anchor and by far their best player who was just entering his prime, which resulted in them landing the third.  But they aren't tanking.  Got it.

Ahh yes, because letting Love walk away for nothing and basically having a team of Rubio-Martin-Pek was clearly the better move. Hold on, wait, Rubio-Martin-Budinger-Pek. How could I forget?

Even if he didn't get Bennett, I'd say Flip got tremendous value for a guy who was going to walk in Wiggins alone. I mean, I don't know if it's just me but I would've loved it Ainge was able to pull off a Rondo for Wiggins trade, regardless if we were tanking or not. But hey, maybe that's just me.

Losing doesn't mean tanking and Budinger isn't going to lead that team to the playoffs.

Sure he might have left, but trading your best player, a guy that gets you 40 wins in the tough western conference for a rookie is pretty much the definition of a tanking trade.  The Wolves intentionally went from a mid-range team to the worst team in the league in one off season by making moves that they didn't have to make. 

You can say they got great value, you can say they felt they had to do it, but no matter how you slice it, trading Love and then numerous other veterans for future benefit is tanking.

You're grasping...

[PhoSita]

Making a move for the future of your team at the expense of the present is tanking now, apparently.

[moiso]

Making a move for the future of your team at the expense of the present is tanking now, apparently.

Yep.  Got to be short sighted or else it's tanking.  So anytime a young stud is drafted ahead of an established guy like Frank Kaminsky it's also tanking