TheFuture wrote:WildWolf2813 wrote:Gobert indirectly affects any return you could get on KAT. You HAVE to trade big for small in either scenario.
Correct. And I'd rather lose on Gobert (relative to what was given up) than trade KAT to recoup on the screw up. KAT wants to be here, is younger, and can always be traded down the line to fully pivot around Ant if need be.
I've disliked prior trades before, but this one actually makes me mad. The worrisome part is that this has new ownership fingertips on it, not Glen's.
Connelly blew up a team that choked away advancing to the 2nd round instead of adding to it and keeping his options open. How does he have a job? How many in the FO signed off on this?
I think you nailed it, Future. Trading KAT to remedy TC's screwup with Gobert would probably be the worst thing the Wolves could do next summer for all the reasons you stated plus others.
And yes, we can't blame this one on Glen Taylor other than perhaps blaming him for not stopping the front office from doing the Gobert deal. But Glen Taylor has never stopped his front office from doing what they want to do - whether it was trading KG, letting Billups walk or entering into the illegal Joe Smith deal. Seems like the new owners loved the Gobert deal and we'll probably never know whether there were any naysayers in the front office. I suspect there weren't. Based on all the accounts I've read, it sounded like a classic example of group-think inside the offices at 600 N. First Avenue.
Gobert is obviously a poor fit for the Wolves as some of us predicted he'd be. But it's so much worse when you consider the Wolves circumstances when the Gobert deal was made and what the Wolves gave up to get him. Then there's this max contract the Wolves are paying him. None of this is Rudy's fault. He is who he is. Optimal conditions with the Jazz brought out the best in him during the prime of his career, although it wasn't enough to keep him from getting benched in the playoffs. Maybe TC acquired him so we'd have someone to keep DLO company on the bench during the playoffs. :) Unfortunately, as it stands I wouldn't bet a lot on the Wolves even making the playoffs.
Is what TC did this past summer grounds for being fired? Absolutely. By any reasonable measure of accountability, what he did merits termination. However, that's not going to happen because the egos of Lore and A-Rod won't allow it. And I don't think I'd fire him. He was at the helm of the Nuggets organization as that team rose to become a really good team. He made some bad picks and deals, but he also made some excellent picks in Jokic, Nurkic, Murray, Morris, Hyland and Porter Jr. His strength has always been the draft, not deals, and he's actually admitted that publicly.
What would I do if acquired the team tomorrow? I'd tell Connelly to fix his screw up and get this team back on the track it was on before he got here. I'd tell him to rely on what he does well - spotting and drafting/signing young talent - and not rely on things he's bad at. I'd tell him he's not expected to get it all back right away, but should instead get back to building this thing piece by piece. Fortunately, he starts with some impressive pieces in Edwards, McDaniels, KAT, Naz, Minott and Garza. Finally, I'd tell him that what he does will ultimately be up to him except that (1) he needs to start repairing his screw up by trading Gobert for the best return he can get; and (2) he can't trade Edwards, KAT or McDaniels. Of course, the sad reality is that the Wolves won't get anything close to what they gave up for Rudy. But that's simply a measure of how dumb the deal was in the first place.
