monsterpile wrote:lipoli390 wrote:monsterpile wrote:lipoli390 wrote:monsterpile wrote:WildWolf2813 wrote:Regardless of who's on the roster, they need to keep finding guys on two ways who they can eventually keep here. Naz has been very good. He has 2 years left. Nowell has 2 years left. After this season there's only 6 guys under contract. There must be a pipeline of players still coming in. If they can pull off the dream trade I suggested (Culver absorbed by Orlando's TE for a 2nd rounder in '25 and Layman absorbed by the Pacers) that's 2 less bodies that have to be filled somehow, even if they're guys who won't play.
I was reading Hollinger's free agent BORD$ rankings on The Athletic and the pickings are slim for vet minimums. I really think we gotta use the BAE this year to add 1 guy in the front court or at backup PG.
Last year Hollinger claimed RHJ was worth quite a bit of money. RHJ had a hard time getting a job. I'm not suggesting Hollinger is completely incorrect (I tend to think RHJ is reasonably valuable player) but I'm saying that the league may not match up with his evaluations. He has PJ Tucker as a vent min guy and Harkless as a guy worth 7 million. I'd put money on that dollar amount being opposite. The market for PJ Tucker is going to be exponentially higher than Mo Harkless although I think Harkless could be a value signing for some team. Heck I wouldn't be shocked if the Wolves would be willing to go into the luxury tax if it meant being able to sign Tucker with part of the mid-level.
I've never thought much of Hollinger, so I'm not surprised he was so wrong about RHJ's value.
As for PJ Tucker, Rosas would be nuts to sign Tucker if it put the team over the luxury tax threshold. Tucker is a guy you add when you're already an elite team seeking to shore up your roster for a championship run. That's not the Wolves. Moreover, Tucker will turn 37 next May. So he's already on borrowed time as an NBA player. I honestly don't think PJ's market value will be all that high. He'll make sense for a few teams like the Lakers and Nets who are championship contenders from day one, but who lack cap space or trade flexibility to significantly upgrade their roosters.
I only said that the Wolves would be willing to do that as an example of what his market value is. Meanwhile the Wolves aren't a PJ Tucker away but if they see no other options only having to pay Lux tax (not giving up any assets) for a season to add a guy that would be a big upgrade at a weak position seems like something it would be worthwhile to consider. Keep in mind Tucker could end up being a trade asset himself.
Back to Tuckers market value...Never underestimate teams wanting to contend giving old dudes a bunch of money...see Andre Iguogola. It was only a couple months ago the Bucks gave up a 1st round pick to get Tucker and he helped them win a championship. Do people seriously think there will not be teams willing to give him at LEAST 5 million a year? Unless Tucker decides he just wants to win and take a vet min deal (I do think that is possible) he can and will make more money than that. Look at what any decent PF has been getting lately in terms of contracts and on the trade market including Tucker himself. I will not be shocked if someone offers him a full mid level deal even if it's only fully guaranteed for the first year.
I knew what you meant, Monster. I was just expressing my hope that Rosas isn't dumb enough to pay what you perceive as his market value. I understand Tucker's value. We both agree that he has significant value to teams on the precipice of a championship. Those are teams that might, justifiably so, pay the luxury tax to sign him as a free agent. I too won't be surprised if he ends up getting $5-6M per year on a 1 or 2 year contract, although I think he might end up getting less. I still don't think he'll end up getting the full $9M MLE from any team. And I think his market value for a lottery team like the Wolves is zero.
Lip is there an available big the Wolves can reasonably acquire that would be the answer next to Towns? A guy we both like a lot Stephen Adam's probably wouldn't be a term answer either because bigs usually don't age well. I think a lot of us assume that John Collins is probably not an option anymore. Here is where I am coming from...it's likely whoever the Wolves add this offseason will be a guy that just helps the Wolves take another step. We both know PJ Tucker isn't coming here but I see merit in adding him in theory along those lines of having a guy that helps the Wolves become a playoff team while hopefully finding/developing the guy they need that's either long term or at least a cheap adequate guy (maybe Vanderbilt) that grows into a guy that can keep the ball rolling till they can make another move.
Millsap is another guy I would consider doing the same thing but I don't think he is coming here either. I'm pretty both of us would prefer (instead of PJ) to take a shot on a younger guy that might pan out to be worthwhile both short term and MAYBE long term. They were able to get RHJ last season to sign a no guaranteed vet min deal so if they can't make some sort of other trade I think they should hold out to sign another player like that to a similar deal. Like I've said before the Wolves have a legit opportunity for a player to come in here and earn a starting spot. There aren't many teams that can or will offer that.
Good question, Monster. I have three categories of bigs I'd want the Wolves to consider:
Category 1: The Un-Getables: I'll start with the bigs I'd want but know we can't get at what I'd consider a reasonable price: Richaun Holmes and John Collins. Both are free agents who we could potentially get through a sign-and-trade, but I'm sure the price would be too steep for either one. Collins isn't quite the defender I'd like, but he's a terrific rebounder and decent defender who would add yet another scoring threat. Holmes is a terrific defender and would be my first choice. But again, I don't think the Wolves can acquire either one at a reasonable price.
Category 2: The Potential Getables: Then there's the group in what I'd call the grey area, i.e., bigs who we MIGHT be able to get without giving up McDaniels or Beasley. Here's where I'd put Myles Turner as the only one in this group. He'd be the perfect fit for the Wolves as an elite shot-blocking, defensive big who can also present a scoring threat. He's not a particularly good rebounder for his size, but having KAT and Vanderbilt would adequately compensate for that one deficiency in Turner's game. Normally, I'd put him in the first group, but his durability issues, including his current toe issue, have likely diminished his market value. We might be able to get him for Rubio and either Juancho or Culver if we're also willing to give up our 2023 first-round pick. I'd draw the line by insisting on top-10 protection for the 2023 pick. Not sure we could get the deal done at that price. Including Nowell and/or Reid might get the deal done. I do think there's a realistic scenario for getting him without giving up KAT, Ant, McDaniels, DLO or Beasley. The question is how much the Wolves would have to give up within those parameters and whether it would be worth it given Turner's durability issues.
Category 3: The Getables: I'd put Steven Adams at the top of this list. He would provide the size, strength and toughness we need inside next to KAT. And even though he's mainly a traditional big without a perimeter game, KAT's unique set of talents makes that sort of big work for the Wolves in a way it would not work for most NBA teams. In that sense, there's a limited market for Adams, which should make the trade price to get him fairly reasonable. Moreover, he's a poor fit next in New Orleans next to Zion, so it stands to reason that the Pelicans will be looking to move his this summer. I'm convinced we could get him without giving up McDaniels or Beasley. The question is who and how much we'd have to give up. Ricky would provide the perfect salary match for Adams. Moreover, a solid veteran PG would make sense for the Pelicans to help stabilize and solidify their young roster, with our without Lonzo Ball. I don't think Ricky alone would be enough though. This is where I wish Rosas hadn't given up our 2nd round pick in the DLO deal. Nonetheless, Culver and a future 2nd round pick plus Ricky might be enough. I could see the Pelicans being interested in taking a one-year flier on a recent high lottery pick as part of their ongoing rebuild effort. Others I'd put in this category include Daniel Theis, Nerlens Noel, Tony Bradley, Alex Len, James Johnson and RHJ. Bradley is a restricted free agent, so getting him would require a sign-and-trade. The others are all unrestricted free agents, but we'd still have to make a salary-clearing trade to afford any of them (except possibly James Johnson or RHJ) if we're going to avoid the luxury tax.
Given the Wolves need for a big and Gersson's acknowledgment of that fact, I think it's a certainty that the Wolves will make a trade this summer -- either to clear salary space for a free agent big, or to acquire a big directly. I'd like to get any of the guys I've listed in my three categories above. Realistically, I think it will probably have to be one of the bigs in category 3 unless the Pacers really like the idea of adding Ricky to their roster. :).
