Continuing Roster Imbalance - Not Sustainable

[Lipoli390]

The Wolves had three glaring issues heading into this past offseason that needed to be addressed through player personnel moves: (1) defense, (2) three-point shooting, and (3) rebounding/size. We all saw last season that this team needed to substantially improve its defense. But we also needed to improve our 3-point shooting given how much the team's offensive system depends on it. Perhaps the most glaring need of all was improvement in rebounding and that need relates to this team's obvious lack of size - a roster imbalance.

To date, I'd say the Wolves front office has done a nice job addressing the first two needs. They improved the team's defense and 3-point shooting through the trade that landed Patrick Beverley in Minnesota. That one move significantly addressed two of our three main areas of need. The addition of Prince also improves the Wolves 3-point shooting and possibly the team's defense as well. From what we've seen from Bolmaro, it looks like his presence on the roster could improve the team's defense.

But unfortunately, the Wolves did nothing this off-season to improve the team's rebounding or address the related lack of size on the roster. In other words, the team's glaring roster imbalance we all talked about last season remains. I suppose it helps that both Edwards and McDaniels have apparently grown an inch or two over the off season. And no doubt both have been in the weight room getting stronger. But their growth and added muscle hasn't fundamentally changed the roster imbalance that still leaves the Wolves undersized and overmatched on the boards. To further illustrate the current roster imbalance, consider the following:

Primary Position:
Two centers on roster (KAT & Reid)
One PF on roster and he's small (Vando)
Three SFs on roster (Jaden, Prince, Layman)
Four SGs on roster (Ant, Okogie, Beasley, Nowell)
Four PGs on roster (DLO, Beverley, JMac, Bolmaro)

Multi Position:
2 centers (KAT & Reid)
4 PFs (Vando, Jaden, Prince, Layman)
6 SFs (Jaden, Prince, Layman, Okogie, Ant, Bolmaro)
7 SGs (Ant, Okogie, Beasley, Nowell, DLO, Beverley, Bolmaro)
5 PGs (DLO, Beverley, JMac, Nowell, Bolmaro)

I've attempted to quantify the number of Wolves players at each position. You might quibble with some of my categorization, but I don't think anyone would fundamentally disagree with the premise that the Wolves current roster is heavily skewed towards the SG position and sorely lacking in true bigs at the C or PF position.

I don't think this roster imbalance is sustainable - not if the Wolves are serious about making the playoffs this season. As I reflect on this imbalance I can't help but think the Wolves will make a trade to address it before the season begins. I think that's especially true now that Gupta has replaced Rosas as the Wolves front office head. Gupta appears to be far more open-minded and flexible than Rosas and I don't think he has as much ego invested in past acquisitions. I still think the Wolves might end up with Simmons, but I don't think it's likely. Instead, I see the Wolves trading for a true big man who can start at C or PF next to Towns. And I see Gupta trading one of our many SGs to make that happen.

Note that we have 4 players on this roster whose primary and best position is SG and another three guys who can easily slot into the SG position - a total of 7. The only question is which one or two of these seven players will Gupta end up trading for a true big? The one thing we know for sure is that it won't be Ant. I also think we can rest assured it won't be Beverley or DLO. I don't see the Wolves moving Okogie either. I would have said that before the last two preseason games because I don't think the front office will make any moves that weaken the team's defense. After watching Okogie these first two preseason games, I'm even more convinced that he won't be moved. I've been high on Nowell since we drafted him and I get the sense that Finch likes him. And he's on a very team-friendly contract. But more importantly, I don't see Nowell bringing much value back in return and that's the main reason I don't see the Wolves trading him before the season. Bolmaro is an intriguing prospect, but right now that's all he is and, therefore, I don't see him as a valuable trade chip.

That leaves Beasley. He's the one SG on this roster with substantial trade value who I could see the Wolves trading before the season starts. He's a true 3-point marksman with speed, athleticism and moxie and he's still only 24 years old. All those qualities make him an attractive trade chip. At the same time, from the Wolves perspective, he's the only SG on a roster overcrowded with SGs who lacks the versatility to play other positions and he doesn't help the team's defense. So I'll go out on a limb and predict that the Wolves will trade Beasley for a big either before the regular season starts or within a week or two thereafter.

The next question is who will the Wolves will get in return for Beasley? To answer that question, we should look to teams with roster imbalances in the other direction - i.e., teams with an oversupply of bigs relative to guards or wings. One team that comes to mind immediately is Indiana. They have at least 4 true bigs on their roster in Sabonis, Turner, Bitadze and rookie Isaiah Jackson. They also have two somewhat smaller players listed as PFs in Oshae Brissett and Kelan Martin. TJ Warren is still recovering from surgery, but he is also listed as a PF. At the same time, they only have four proven quality guards in Brogdon, LeVert, Lamb and Holiday. And LeVert has some health issues, including a stress fracture in his back and a prior bout of kidney cancer. So I can see a Beasley swap for either Turner or Sabonis. I'm not sure Sabonis would be gettable or, if so, what in addition to Beasley it would take to get him. But I do think Myles Turner is gettable in return for Beasley.

What are your thoughts on swapping Beasley for Turner or Sabonis and what are some other teams out their with an oversupply of bigs who might be interested in swapping a quality big for Beasley?

[KG4Ever]

The Wolves had three glaring issues heading into this past offseason that needed to be addressed through player personnel moves: (1) defense, (2) three-point shooting, and (3) rebounding/size. We all saw last season that this team needed to substantially improve its defense. But we also needed to improve our 3-point shooting given how much the team's offensive system depends on it. Perhaps the most glaring need of all was improvement in rebounding and that need relates to this team's obvious lack of size - a roster imbalance.

To date, I'd say the Wolves front office has done a nice job addressing the first two needs. They improved the team's defense and 3-point shooting through the trade that landed Patrick Beverley in Minnesota. That one move significantly addressed two of our three main areas of need. The addition of Prince also improves the Wolves 3-point shooting and possibly the team's defense as well. From what we've seen from Bolmaro, it looks like his presence on the roster could improve the team's defense.

But unfortunately, the Wolves did nothing this off-season to improve the team's rebounding or address the related lack of size on the roster. In other words, the team's glaring roster imbalance we all talked about last season remains. I suppose it helps that both Edwards and McDaniels have apparently grown an inch or two over the off season. And no doubt both have been in the weight room getting stronger. But their growth and added muscle hasn't fundamentally changed the roster imbalance that still leaves the Wolves undersized and overmatched on the boards. To further illustrate the current roster imbalance, consider the following:

Primary Position:
Two centers on roster (KAT & Reid)
One PF on roster and he's small (Vando)
Three SFs on roster (Jaden, Prince, Layman)
Four SGs on roster (Ant, Okogie, Beasley, Nowell)
Four PGs on roster (DLO, Beverley, JMac, Bolmaro)

Multi Position:
2 centers (KAT & Reid)
4 PFs (Vando, Jaden, Prince, Layman)
6 SFs (Jaden, Prince, Layman, Okogie, Ant, Bolmaro)
7 SGs (Ant, Okogie, Beasley, Nowell, DLO, Beverley, Bolmaro)
5 PGs (DLO, Beverley, JMac, Nowell, Bolmaro)

I've attempted to quantify the number of Wolves players at each position. You might quibble with some of my categorization, but I don't think anyone would fundamentally disagree with the premise that the Wolves current roster is heavily skewed towards the SG position and sorely lacking in true bigs at the C or PF position.

I don't think this roster imbalance is sustainable - not if the Wolves are serious about making the playoffs this season. As I reflect on this imbalance I can't help but think the Wolves will make a trade to address it before the season begins. I think that's especially true now that Gupta has replaced Rosas as the Wolves front office head. Gupta appears to be far more open-minded and flexible than Rosas and I don't think he has as much ego invested in past acquisitions. I still think the Wolves might end up with Simmons, but I don't think it's likely. Instead, I see the Wolves trading for a true big man who can start at C or PF next to Towns. And I see Gupta trading one of our many SGs to make that happen.

Note that we have 4 players on this roster whose primary and best position is SG and another three guys who can easily slot into the SG position - a total of 7. The only question is which one or two of these seven players will Gupta end up trading for a true big? The one thing we know for sure is that it won't be Ant. I also think we can rest assured it won't be Beverley or DLO. I don't see the Wolves moving Okogie either. I would have said that before the last two preseason games because I don't think the front office will make any moves that weaken the team's defense. After watching Okogie these first two preseason games, I'm even more convinced that he won't be moved. I've been high on Nowell since we drafted him and I get the sense that Finch likes him. And he's on a very team-friendly contract. But more importantly, I don't see Nowell bringing much value back in return and that's the main reason I don't see the Wolves trading him before the season. Bolmaro is an intriguing prospect, but right now that's all he is and, therefore, I don't see him as a valuable trade chip.

That leaves Beasley. He's the one SG on this roster with substantial trade value who I could see the Wolves trading before the season starts. He's a true 3-point marksman with speed, athleticism and moxie and he's still only 24 years old. All those qualities make him an attractive trade chip. At the same time, from the Wolves perspective, he's the only SG on a roster overcrowded with SGs who lacks the versatility to play other positions and he doesn't help the team's defense. So I'll go out on a limb and predict that the Wolves will trade Beasley for a big either before the regular season starts or within a week or two thereafter.

The next question is who will the Wolves will get in return for Beasley? To answer that question, we should look to teams with roster imbalances in the other direction - i.e., teams with an oversupply of bigs relative to guards or wings. One team that comes to mind immediately is Indiana. They have at least 4 true bigs on their roster in Sabonis, Turner, Bitadze and rookie Isaiah Jackson. They also have two somewhat smaller players listed as PFs in Oshae Brissett and Kelan Martin. TJ Warren is still recovering from surgery, but he is also listed as a PF. At the same time, they only have four proven quality guards in Brogdon, LeVert, Lamb and Holiday. And LeVert has some health issues, including a stress fracture in his back and a prior bout of kidney cancer. So I can see a Beasley swap for either Turner or Sabonis. I'm not sure Sabonis would be gettable or, if so, what in addition to Beasley it would take to get him. But I do think Myles Turner is gettable in return for Beasley.

What are your thoughts on swapping Beasley for Turner or Sabonis and what are some other teams out their with an oversupply of bigs who might be interested in swapping a quality big for Beasley?

Sabonis is a budding star and Pacers are not trading him and if they did, they'd ask for KAT or Ant. No chance that Beasley or even DLO could fetch Sabonis. As for Turner, he would really upgrade rim protection and is more gettable, but again IMHO Beasley would not be enough, we'd have to sweeten the pot.

[KG4Ever]

Andre Drummond would have been a nice get before he signed with Philly for the minimum and he's having a great preseason. Though given Embiid's health history, he's probably not available until the offseason. Atlanta has a plethora of bigs with Capela, Okongwu, Dieng at center and Collins at PF. Clippers have Ibaka, Zubac, Hartenstein and Giles. Mo Bamba is a good shot blocker playing behind Wendell Carter, who shouldn't cost much.

[Phenom]

If Simmons is heading to Indiana at some point for Brogdon and LeVert, I would be a proponent of jumping in with a Beasley for Turner swap and it would seem to make some sense for Indy. I could also see Gupta being an opportunist and aiming for a way to get in on a Simmons trade even if it means Simmons going elsewhere.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

If Simmons is heading to Indiana at some point for Brogdon and LeVert, I would be a proponent of jumping in with a Beasley for Turner swap and it would seem to make some sense for Indy. I could also see Gupta being an opportunist and aiming for a way to get in on a Simmons trade even if it means Simmons going elsewhere.

This is the angle I had in the prediction thread, but it was in regards to Domantas Sabonis. I don't think he's a good fit to play with Ben Simmons, but I think Myles Turner is a very good fit with Simmons at both ends of the floor. We also know that Simmons' defense is statistically much better when he plays with a rim-protecting big on the floor. Indiana could deal Sabonis for picks (replenish the war chest), shooter(s), and high-upside/rookie scale talent that would blend around the Simmons/Turner pairing. In that case, I think Minnesota could jump in and make a pretty good offer involving Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels.

[Monster]

You didn't mention Nathan Knight and managed to find another thread to try and trade for Myles Turner. :)

Personally I think finding another big is not going to be that difficult long term. Would it be nice if it was this year? Yes and they might make a move at some point to add a bigger player because ai think Finch sees value in that but I'm not sure there will be a trade that makes sense and they may want to continue to see if they can make a Simmons trade happen before making in another move on the margins.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

If Simmons is heading to Indiana at some point for Brogdon and LeVert, I would be a proponent of jumping in with a Beasley for Turner swap and it would seem to make some sense for Indy. I could also see Gupta being an opportunist and aiming for a way to get in on a Simmons trade even if it means Simmons going elsewhere.

This is the angle I had in the prediction thread, but it was in regards to Domantas Sabonis. I don't think he's a good fit to play with Ben Simmons, but I think Myles Turner is a very good fit with Simmons at both ends of the floor. We also know that Simmons' defense is statistically much better when he plays with a rim-protecting big on the floor. Indiana could deal Sabonis for picks (replenish the war chest), shooter(s), and high-upside/rookie scale talent that would blend around the Simmons/Turner pairing. In that case, I think Minnesota could jump in and make a pretty good offer involving Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels.

As Kek mentioned in one of the game threads, the two players more than anyone on the roster whose value has not been helped by pre-season are Beasley and McDaniels. You can definitely see Beasley struggling to get himself into shape and find a rhythm. McDaniels just looks kind of lost so far.

[Phenom]

I would be down for a deal for Sabonis too. However considering the rumors of Indy being interested in Simmons and not reportedly offering Sabonis, it seems they potentially like that fit.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I would be down for a deal for Sabonis too. However considering the rumors of Indy being interested in Simmons and not reportedly offering Sabonis, it seems they potentially like that fit.

I don't follow your thought process there. Philadelphia currently has Tobias Harris at the four and his game really compliments Joel Embiid's with his ability to score from the perimeter. They almost certainly haven't even asked for Domantas Sabonis despite him being a very good player. I'm not so sure Indiana feels that way about the fit. I think they're trying to acquire an All-NBA player in Ben Simmons and will figure out the roster around him afterwards.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

If Simmons is heading to Indiana at some point for Brogdon and LeVert, I would be a proponent of jumping in with a Beasley for Turner swap and it would seem to make some sense for Indy. I could also see Gupta being an opportunist and aiming for a way to get in on a Simmons trade even if it means Simmons going elsewhere.

This is the angle I had in the prediction thread, but it was in regards to Domantas Sabonis. I don't think he's a good fit to play with Ben Simmons, but I think Myles Turner is a very good fit with Simmons at both ends of the floor. We also know that Simmons' defense is statistically much better when he plays with a rim-protecting big on the floor. Indiana could deal Sabonis for picks (replenish the war chest), shooter(s), and high-upside/rookie scale talent that would blend around the Simmons/Turner pairing. In that case, I think Minnesota could jump in and make a pretty good offer involving Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels.

As Kek mentioned in one of the game threads, the two players more than anyone on the roster whose value has not been helped by pre-season are Beasley and McDaniels. You can definitely see Beasley struggling to get himself into shape and find a rhythm. McDaniels just looks kind of lost so far.

I don't think front offices place much weight on preseason/exhibition games, but you're right about those two not increasing their value to this point.