Wolves 2018 Free Agent Thread

[Big O [enjin:13874644]]

Re: Luxury Tax
Two numbers $2.8B, 77 years.
Tick tock. Glen will spend when the team is ready. I don't see that being this year.

[Monster]

Thinking about this more I think Glen and Thibs and Layden need to be prepared and willing to spend that full midlevel and sign/resign some other players IF the player/s you are getting are worth it. Avery Bradley probably isn't coming here to be a sixth man and his injury history makes him a risk but if we could get a wing that's basicallly a legit NBA starter for that money you HAVE to consider it. A healthy Avery Bradley (this is an optimistic scenario) for that money absolutely would be a guy that would move the needle and would be a guy along with Belly signed for a reasonable deal could also be assets if you wanted to go after another higher level player in a trade or if this thing wasn't working to move them in a deal. This all is an unlikely scenario that I don't think will play out but I think the Wolves have and will have discussions about this possible scenario and maybe even pursue it with a couple available players. Signing a player of that ilk would also make some FAs take notice and might have some guys think about signing here as well would look like a team that could really make some noise. Again all unlikely but should be discussed and considered imo. There will likely be a pretty good wing player left after all the teams sign various guys. Maybe the Wolves can get one of those guys (Lance is available!!! Lol) and it may not even take the full mid level to get them.

[Lipoli390]

I'm not interested in any crappy Wiggins trades. At the same time, I believe we need to stay below the luxury tax this summer. I'm not sure folks on their Board have come to grips with just how difficult that will be. Keeping Wiggins, Butler, Teague and Gorgui will make it extremely difficult to stay under the luxury tax threshold.

Here's the situation. After releasing Cole, our total salary, including the "dead money" for Kevin Martin and Bazz, will be $111,372,596. Add Okogie's rookie scale salary of $2,142,360 and $1,000,000 for Bates-Diop, then total salaries plus dead money will be up to $114,564,956 assuming the Wolves eliminate all cap holds except Belly's which is $7,504,998. That would put the Wolves $930,046 under the $123M luxury tax threshold with only 10 roster spots filled.

What does all this mean? To fill 4 of our remaining roster spots and re-sign Belly to one of those spots without going into luxury tax territory, the Wolves can't pay Belly more than about $4 million next season and would have to limit the remaining 3 spots to minimum salary players. And even then, the minimum salary players couldn't have more than a few years in the League. In other words, unless the Wolves move one of our bigger contracts -- i.e., Butler, Wiggins, Teague or Gorgui, the Wolves can't realistically re-sign Belly. Nor can the Wolves spend realistically use the MLE. Better to use the Bienniel Exception for one guy and then use the vet minimum exception to fill the other three spots.

If it were up to me, I would have traded Butler on draft night for a smaller salary match and a high lottery pick. Cleveland and Memphis seemed like to logical possibilities. But we all knew Thibs wouldn't do that. We couldn't realistically trade Wiggins on draft night because his poison pill provision doesn't disappear until June 30, so that wasn't an option.

As for what the Wolves will do, I predict they will trade Wiggins this summer. I think the only reason they didn't do it on draft night was because of the poison pill provision. Given the Wolves cap situation and the fact that Butler has reportedly said he doesn't like playing with Wiggins, it would seem that the writing is on the wall.

I wouldn't trade him if it were up to me. I want one more season with Wiggins. So I'd try to re-sign Belly on for cheap and then fill out the rest of the roster with young G-Leaguers. If we can't get Belly at $3-4 million, then I'd release him and use that money to sign a decent vet to go with 3 G-Leaguers.

[kekgeek]

I'm not interested in any crappy Wiggins trades. At the same time, I believe we need to stay below the luxury tax this summer. I'm not sure folks on their Board have come to grips with just how difficult that will be. Keeping Wiggins, Butler, Teague and Gorgui will make it extremely difficult to stay under the luxury tax threshold.

Here's the situation. After releasing Cole, our total salary, including the "dead money" for Kevin Martin and Bazz, will be $111,372,596. Add Okogie's rookie scale salary of $2,142,360 and $1,000,000 for Bates-Diop, then total salaries plus dead money will be up to $114,564,956 assuming the Wolves eliminate all cap holds except Belly's which is $7,504,998. That would put the Wolves $930,046 under the $123M luxury tax threshold with only 10 roster spots filled.

What does all this mean? To fill 4 of our remaining roster spots and re-sign Belly to one of those spots without going into luxury tax territory, the Wolves can't pay Belly more than about $4 million next season and would have to limit the remaining 3 spots to minimum salary players. And even then, the minimum salary players couldn't have more than a few years in the League. In other words, unless the Wolves move one of our bigger contracts -- i.e., Butler, Wiggins, Teague or Gorgui, the Wolves can't realistically re-sign Belly. Nor can the Wolves spend realistically use the MLE. Better to use the Bienniel Exception for one guy and then use the vet minimum exception to fill the other three spots.

If it were up to me, I would have traded Butler on draft night for a smaller salary match and a high lottery pick. Cleveland and Memphis seemed like to logical possibilities. But we all knew Thibs wouldn't do that. We couldn't realistically trade Wiggins on draft night because his poison pill provision doesn't disappear until June 30, so that wasn't an option.

As for what the Wolves will do, I predict they will trade Wiggins this summer. I think the only reason they didn't do it on draft night was because of the poison pill provision. Given the Wolves cap situation and the fact that Butler has reportedly said he doesn't like playing with Wiggins, it would seem that the writing is on the wall.

I wouldn't trade him if it were up to me. I want one more season with Wiggins. So I'd try to re-sign Belly on for cheap and then fill out the rest of the roster with young G-Leaguers. If we can't get Belly at $3-4 million, then I'd release him and use that money to sign a decent vet to go with 3 G-Leaguers.

Yep we are in a gross spot. I will say the owners voted today and they agreed not to punish the high spending teams as much. (What could be huge).

The gorgui contract is such a killer. I was wrong at the time when he got the contract. Thibs should of waited and it would have saved us around 8 mil in cap space (what j. Green signed this offseason).

What I would do if I was thibs is trade Taj. I know I said this in the past. But just don't think Taj can repeat his career year again and I believe he has legit trade value as an expiring. I could see getting a protected 1st for him.

Start gorgui or thibs has said he wants to play small ball maybe Wiggins or butler starts at the 4. Belly if brought back can play the 4.

I just think we should cash in on Taj. Because he is realistically gone after this year. Get a future asset, clear cap space. Don't have to give an asset to get rid of gorgui. Then hope a rag tag group of players (gorgui, Jefferson, patton, belly, diop) can fill Taj role.

But in the end we go nowhere without Kat and Wiggins taking big steps forward.

[Lipoli390]

I'm not interested in any crappy Wiggins trades. At the same time, I believe we need to stay below the luxury tax this summer. I'm not sure folks on their Board have come to grips with just how difficult that will be. Keeping Wiggins, Butler, Teague and Gorgui will make it extremely difficult to stay under the luxury tax threshold.

Here's the situation. After releasing Cole, our total salary, including the "dead money" for Kevin Martin and Bazz, will be $111,372,596. Add Okogie's rookie scale salary of $2,142,360 and $1,000,000 for Bates-Diop, then total salaries plus dead money will be up to $114,564,956 assuming the Wolves eliminate all cap holds except Belly's which is $7,504,998. That would put the Wolves $930,046 under the $123M luxury tax threshold with only 10 roster spots filled.

What does all this mean? To fill 4 of our remaining roster spots and re-sign Belly to one of those spots without going into luxury tax territory, the Wolves can't pay Belly more than about $4 million next season and would have to limit the remaining 3 spots to minimum salary players. And even then, the minimum salary players couldn't have more than a few years in the League. In other words, unless the Wolves move one of our bigger contracts -- i.e., Butler, Wiggins, Teague or Gorgui, the Wolves can't realistically re-sign Belly. Nor can the Wolves spend realistically use the MLE. Better to use the Bienniel Exception for one guy and then use the vet minimum exception to fill the other three spots.

If it were up to me, I would have traded Butler on draft night for a smaller salary match and a high lottery pick. Cleveland and Memphis seemed like to logical possibilities. But we all knew Thibs wouldn't do that. We couldn't realistically trade Wiggins on draft night because his poison pill provision doesn't disappear until June 30, so that wasn't an option.

As for what the Wolves will do, I predict they will trade Wiggins this summer. I think the only reason they didn't do it on draft night was because of the poison pill provision. Given the Wolves cap situation and the fact that Butler has reportedly said he doesn't like playing with Wiggins, it would seem that the writing is on the wall.


I wouldn't trade him if it were up to me. I want one more season with Wiggins. So I'd try to re-sign Belly on for cheap and then fill out the rest of the roster with young G-Leaguers. If we can't get Belly at $3-4 million, then I'd release him and use that money to sign a decent vet to go with 3 G-Leaguers.

Yep we are in a gross spot. I will say the owners voted today and they agreed not to punish the high spending teams as much. (What could be huge).

The gorgui contract is such a killer. I was wrong at the time when he got the contract. Thibs should of waited and it would have saved us around 8 mil in cap space (what j. Green signed this offseason).

What I would do if I was thibs is trade Taj. I know I said this in the past. But just don't think Taj can repeat his career year again and I believe he has legit trade value as an expiring. I could see getting a protected 1st for him.

Start gorgui or thibs has said he wants to play small ball maybe Wiggins or butler starts at the 4. Belly if brought back can play the 4.

I just think we should cash in on Taj. Because he is realistically gone after this year. Get a future asset, clear cap space. Don't have to give an asset to get rid of gorgui. Then hope a rag tag group of players (gorgui, Jefferson, patton, belly, diop) can fill Taj role.

But in the end we go nowhere without Kat and Wiggins taking big steps forward.

Geek -- I agree with your idea to deal Gibson. That would be smart. It would have to be a team under the cap that would be willing to take on his salary this season. Not sure who that would be.

[kekgeek]

I'm not interested in any crappy Wiggins trades. At the same time, I believe we need to stay below the luxury tax this summer. I'm not sure folks on their Board have come to grips with just how difficult that will be. Keeping Wiggins, Butler, Teague and Gorgui will make it extremely difficult to stay under the luxury tax threshold.

Here's the situation. After releasing Cole, our total salary, including the "dead money" for Kevin Martin and Bazz, will be $111,372,596. Add Okogie's rookie scale salary of $2,142,360 and $1,000,000 for Bates-Diop, then total salaries plus dead money will be up to $114,564,956 assuming the Wolves eliminate all cap holds except Belly's which is $7,504,998. That would put the Wolves $930,046 under the $123M luxury tax threshold with only 10 roster spots filled.

What does all this mean? To fill 4 of our remaining roster spots and re-sign Belly to one of those spots without going into luxury tax territory, the Wolves can't pay Belly more than about $4 million next season and would have to limit the remaining 3 spots to minimum salary players. And even then, the minimum salary players couldn't have more than a few years in the League. In other words, unless the Wolves move one of our bigger contracts -- i.e., Butler, Wiggins, Teague or Gorgui, the Wolves can't realistically re-sign Belly. Nor can the Wolves spend realistically use the MLE. Better to use the Bienniel Exception for one guy and then use the vet minimum exception to fill the other three spots.

If it were up to me, I would have traded Butler on draft night for a smaller salary match and a high lottery pick. Cleveland and Memphis seemed like to logical possibilities. But we all knew Thibs wouldn't do that. We couldn't realistically trade Wiggins on draft night because his poison pill provision doesn't disappear until June 30, so that wasn't an option.

As for what the Wolves will do, I predict they will trade Wiggins this summer. I think the only reason they didn't do it on draft night was because of the poison pill provision. Given the Wolves cap situation and the fact that Butler has reportedly said he doesn't like playing with Wiggins, it would seem that the writing is on the wall.


I wouldn't trade him if it were up to me. I want one more season with Wiggins. So I'd try to re-sign Belly on for cheap and then fill out the rest of the roster with young G-Leaguers. If we can't get Belly at $3-4 million, then I'd release him and use that money to sign a decent vet to go with 3 G-Leaguers.

Yep we are in a gross spot. I will say the owners voted today and they agreed not to punish the high spending teams as much. (What could be huge).

The gorgui contract is such a killer. I was wrong at the time when he got the contract. Thibs should of waited and it would have saved us around 8 mil in cap space (what j. Green signed this offseason).

What I would do if I was thibs is trade Taj. I know I said this in the past. But just don't think Taj can repeat his career year again and I believe he has legit trade value as an expiring. I could see getting a protected 1st for him.

Start gorgui or thibs has said he wants to play small ball maybe Wiggins or butler starts at the 4. Belly if brought back can play the 4.

I just think we should cash in on Taj. Because he is realistically gone after this year. Get a future asset, clear cap space. Don't have to give an asset to get rid of gorgui. Then hope a rag tag group of players (gorgui, Jefferson, patton, belly, diop) can fill Taj role.

But in the end we go nowhere without Kat and Wiggins taking big steps forward.

Geek -- I agree with your idea to deal Gibson. That would be smart. It would have to be a team under the cap that would be willing to take on his salary this season. Not sure who that would be.

Not exactly sure but could see a team like the suns or the sixers giving up a protected 1st to obtain Taj.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I don't think this team can afford to trade Taj Gibson this summer -- not if they realistically want to win. Along with Jimmy Butler and Tyus Jones, Gibson was the only player that showed up and produced defensively every single game. He's a key component to a starting five that was among the league's best in Net Rtg. Not to mention I think he has as a very positive impact on Karl-Anthony Towns and his progression defensively. I get the idea behind trading Gibson, but the monetary savings just aren't worth it here. In all honesty, I'd rather trade a future protected first-round pick with Gorgui Dieng -- after signing a cheap rim protector with the BAE or part of the MLE -- to clear his money off the books than deal Gibson to essentially accomplish the same feat.

These next 5-10 years are not the time to be cheap. We were cheap two off-seasons ago and decided to bargain shop when that was the real window of opportunity -- three core players on rookie scale contracts with max contract cap space available. Now we're going to have less wiggle room, but the aggressiveness in free agency still needs to be there. No excuses. Not even the luxury tax.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

There are two reasons we weren't below .500 last year: Butler and Gibson. If we're interested in changing the culture, Gibson's defense and workman like professionalism are key. And this is coming from a guy that thought we overpaid him!

Dieng, Teague, and Wiggins deals....those are the three guys we should try to move in order to create cap space. Mind you, I'm not suggesting we necessarily trade ALL three. I just think we get the biggest bang for the buck in terms of Cost per Unit of Performance lost.

[thedoper]

Teague's contract is going to be an asset moving forward because of its short length. Taj and then Teague's contract are going to be the easiest to move. I think Teague is the deal you eventually make since there was the smallest drop off from him and his backup in terms of team performance. Trading Wiggins contract is a bad business move this offseason any way you look at it. We'd be selling as low as you could right now because we'd be advertising that there is no value in the beginning of this 5 year mega deal.

[Monster]

Teague's contract is going to be an asset moving forward because of its short length. Taj and then Teague's contract are going to be the easiest to move. I think Teague is the deal you eventually make since there was the smallest drop off from him and his backup in terms of team performance. Trading Wiggins contract is a bad business move this offseason any way you look at it. We'd be selling as low as you could right now because we'd be advertising that there is no value in the beginning of this 5 year mega deal.

I'm not completely against trading Teague but I think he has more value to this roster than most people give him credit for. Most of that is the money he makes. It's a bit of a shame.