khans2k5 wrote: I would expect us to be buyout market contenders, but not much else.
I agree with this completely. The team is gelling and I just don't see the wolves trading any of our starters or main bench guys, since this could mess with our chemistry. There may be some decent veteran wings available later in the season in the buy out market and we are now a team that these players would want to join.
Agreed. Also no trade we make gets us to the level of the Warriors. So don't give up future assets for replaceable players
CoolBreeze44 wrote:What Cam says about Gorgui's salary impact is true. It's too much tied up into a backup. Like Lip i appreciate what Gorgui gives us, but he might be a luxury we can't afford. I like the proposed deal with one exception. Bazemore would have to play a lot. What do you do with Crawford? With Tyus developing into a solid rotation player on a championship level team, how does Crawford get any minutes? You would either have to include him or move him someplace else. And on a team without much outside shooting, that would also be hard to justify.
In addition Bazemore is an even more expensive backup although at a more difficult spot to find solid players. If you are willing to give up that OKC pick (I'm not really interested in doing that) I think there are likely some other options worth considering.
WildWolf2813 wrote:What I really want is for them to scour G-League and use that roster spot on a sharp shooter.
As much as I'd like to move Dieng, I'm holding off on that until Justin Patton can contribute, and that's a long ways away.
Let's give Jarell Eddie a shot on a two way deal and see if he can shoot his way into the back end of the rotation.
Eddie is intruiging. There have been a flurry of 2-way deals signed the last couple days with the Jan 15 deadline for signing those deals approaching. It will be interesting to see who and what type of player the Wolves end up with. We will know soon.
If I was a GM of a team I would be looking at ways to add players that were headed toward RFA this offseason for minimal assets. I think I would be able to keep them for a low contract number and have a player that likely can actually play now with a possible chance to improve. Julius Randle is one example of that type of guy and he has been playing better lately it may take more to get him idk. There are likely other players that would be worth looking into as well.
The Aldrich for Dudley is always popular but I wonder if the Wolves would want to be paying that salary for next season. Wolfson has reported they don't want to take on long term money back in a deal. Dudley is just one more season but it's a healthy chunk of change. Is he like 8 million better than some guy you can sign for the vet min?
One point that was raised on the Dun'd On Podcast is that it seems like some of the players that may have gotten moved like Cousins and Paul George aren't going anywhere and that's going to keep things from being as interesting this trade deadline. Heck it looks like the Clippers are going to hold onto Lou Williams and maybe extend him. It feels like most of the players that could get moved are rentals with a few exceptions like Mirotic.
The Wolves are playing well so what are they really going to do to improve? They can wait out things if they want to for that buyout market. I expect it to be a boring trade deadline for them.
khans2k5 wrote: I would expect us to be buyout market contenders, but not much else.
I agree with this completely. The team is gelling and I just don't see the wolves trading any of our starters or main bench guys, since this could mess with our chemistry. There may be some decent veteran wings available later in the season in the buy out market and we are now a team that these players would want to join.
Ditto. If a deal gets done it will likely be Bazz and Aldrich for a wing like Dudley, but I wouldn't bet on it. Our team is gelling. Let's see if our front office can "do the little things" that the top front offices do -- like finding a good bench guy in a pool of free agents, including recently released players.
"The Atlanta Hawks are seeking a high second-round draft pick in exchange for either veteran guard Marco Belinelli or forward Ersan Ilyasova, league sources told Basketball Insiders.
Both players are in the final year of their contracts. Belinelli is on the books for $6.6 million this season. Ilyasova is due $6 million, according to our Hawks salary page. That price tag is contingent on Atlanta not being required to take on a long-term contract involving a player who is not considered an asset."
I don't trust Basketball Insiders, and reports like this are part of the reason why.
A second-round pick for Belinelli? If that was actually the asking price, which I'd bet real money that it isn't, the Hawks would already have a flood of offers. Chances are Atlanta is asking for a first-round pick for the expiring guard. To me, that makes a lot more sense.
"The Wolves are playing well so what are they really going to do to improve?"
I can't agree with this either, monster. This entire season there has been a massive, glaring hole in our depth chart behind Butler and Wiggins. We may be an impressive 12 games over .500, but that problem definitely still remains. We have nobody that can consistently come in and give you 20-minutes of solid production should one of those two get in foul trouble, or just to give them a breather -- or god forbid, an injury occurs. Not to mention, having a bonafide bench is a game-changer in the playoffs. Jamal Crawford can give you a spark, and over the last several weeks he's been more efficient offensively, but there have been plenty of games where he is downright useless on the court. Minnesota desperately needs a more viable option than the 39-year old Seattle native.
The Wolves are playing like an elite team in the NBA, but their bench is far from where it needs to be. Holding steady for the sake of not rocking the boat or because we feel good about the current state of the team is more complacent than I'd like to be. Minnesota is not incapable of improving their current team. That is for sure given what we know right now.
