Keeping Dieng and Bazz Long Term

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

I must be losing my sanity or something. Shouldn't we be ecstatic that we have Wiggins and Lavine and can reap the benefits of the players they will become under Thibs? They are both potential all stars. Isn't this the place we always wanted to be? Having a young talented team that can grow into something special? I just can't fathom trading either one of them at this point. Is it just me that finds this notion rather odd?

You are not alone. I don't really get it either.

+1

[Lipoli390]

I must be losing my sanity or something. Shouldn't we be ecstatic that we have Wiggins and Lavine and can reap the benefits of the players they will become under Thibs? They are both potential all stars. Isn't this the place we always wanted to be? Having a young talented team that can grow into something special? I just can't fathom trading either one of them at this point. Is it just me that finds this notion rather odd?

You are not alone. I don't really get it either.

+1

+2

[kekgeek]

I must be losing my sanity or something. Shouldn't we be ecstatic that we have Wiggins and Lavine and can reap the benefits of the players they will become under Thibs? They are both potential all stars. Isn't this the place we always wanted to be? Having a young talented team that can grow into something special? I just can't fathom trading either one of them at this point. Is it just me that finds this notion rather odd?

You are not alone. I don't really get it either.

+1

+2

+3

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

If we don't extend we pick up the QO and they're RFAs right? If this is right don't we just do that? I'd rather let the market dictate what Dieng's real value is at this point. I'll be shocked if it's a max contract, but to me that would mean he's playing like an all star on at least one side of the court so good problem to have I guess.

If we can use the 5th year we get and nobody else does to extend him cheaper now we need to do it. Teams handed out max deals left and right this past summer because the first max is easier to swallow than the second. If Harrison Barnes gets a max deal you don't think Dieng would get the max? Dieng is a better player. Dieng is getting a 4 year max deal this summer. We can afford Dieng, Lavine, Wiggins and Towns on rookie max deals. Keeping Lavine/Wiggins/Towns together won't be hard this first round of contracts. They at best can combine for 80% of the cap (assuming Towns earns the 30%) leaving 20% to fill in around them. Ricky and Pek will have to go, but we can probably keep Dieng on this first contract if we need to. You build around 3 guys and fill in elsewhere. GS got absolutely lucky with their timing to get 4, but everyone else will have to build around 3 and our 3 are Lavine/Wiggins/Towns. No other move we make is going to hold us back from keeping them together because everyone else is expendable on some level.

That might be the theory right now, but that could change as the year progresses.

The only guy on our roster that is a no-doubt-about-it must keep is KAT, simply because there is literally no one else in the NBA I would trade him for, and I suspect most folks here would agree. Everyone else is "expendable" for the right return.

That return simply isn't realistic based on their age, skill, salary and team control of their near future. You're talking a handful of guys in the league they should be traded for that those teams aren't getting rid of. It'd be dumb to trade them for any established player outside the top 10-15 while also being 26 and under because GS is a super team you can't compete against with just 2 stars and who's trading a young top 10-15 player that fits here? Anyone over 26 is going to be out of their prime when Towns enters his so the time frame just doesn't match up. I don't see the point trading 1 or 2 young studs to get better now when the golden gate bridge is up and not letting passengers through. PG13, Kawhi, Lillard, Demarcus, AD, Klay, Wall, Giannis, Drummond, Porzingas, Draymond, Kyrie. Who on that list is getting moved for Lavine or Wiggins and also fits well next to Towns? I just don't see the return there for the potential we would be giving up.

I don't necessarily disagree with anything you are saying. My only point is that while it's too premature to actually seek out trades with anyone from our young core, it's also premature to assume which 3 or 4 guys we build around other than KAT. He truly stands alone among our young guys and nothing else should be deemed sacred. That includes my favorite of all - Ricky!

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I'm sure Demarcus could be had for wiggins because of his looming second max and everything that has transpired in Sacramento over the years. I wouldn't make the trade because of the contract and his personality fit here, but there is no denying a Cousins/KAT combo would be frightening.

Rubio, Dieng, and Bazz for Cousins and Collision I'd be all over.

I used to want Cousins, but 2 all-star frontcourt players just doesn't work in today's NBA. There's only one ball to dump into the post and you limit Towns when you put him out on the perimeter to space the floor. I think the only frontcourts that work with 2 all-stars is one has to be a low usage defensive guy while the other gets most of the touches and frankly Towns is going to be better on both ends of the court than Cousins. I don't think you can make two high usage guys work in the frontcourt unless you stager them a lot which at that point why bother if they don't fit great when the game matters most down the stretch in the 4th quarter. I don't think another all-star big fits here unless they also can hang out on the perimeter for a bit during games and Cousins doesn't do that.

Actually, he does do that which is part of his problem. He should spend more time on the interior beasting it versus taking long-range jumpers.

But I agree with your overall point. If we were to trade one of our young wings hypothetically (again, I'm NOT advocating this right now!), it probably wouldn't make sense to trade out for a big unless it was a Drummond or DeAndre Jordan type. The only exception would be a stretch 4 that could defend too - like a Draymond Green type of player, but there is only one Draymond.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

While I get the argument that we aren't likely to find comparable return value for someone like Wig, I side with Q on this one...everyone but KAT is expendable in a 1 for 1 trade (but if a lottery team offered us a bona fide star plus a first round pick for KAT, I'd at least pick up the phone and listen). The Wolves have current cap space that other teams don't have, and could facilitate a trade that some team needed to make to reduce payroll. Think of the Spurs, for instance. Let's say they wanted to reduce their guaranteed payroll of $111 million, and offered us Kawhi Leonard for Wig. Or if the Warriors were concerned about the ridiculous cap situation they're going to be in next year, and offered us Durant for Wig. I'm sure everyone would make those deals.

[Coolbreeze44]

While I get the argument that we aren't likely to find comparable return value for someone like Wig, I side with Q on this one...everyone but KAT is expendable in a 1 for 1 trade (but if a lottery team offered us a bona fide star plus a first round pick for KAT, I'd at least pick up the phone and listen). The Wolves have current cap space that other teams don't have, and could facilitate a trade that some team needed to make to reduce payroll. Think of the Spurs, for instance. Let's say they wanted to reduce their guaranteed payroll of $111 million, and offered us Kawhi Leonard for Wig. Or if the Warriors were concerned about the ridiculous cap situation they're going to be in next year, and offered us Durant for Wig. I'm sure everyone would make those deals.

And then you jumped on Pegasus and got cell phone footage of several Yetti's having a cookout. :(,

[TheFuture]

I must be losing my sanity or something. Shouldn't we be ecstatic that we have Wiggins and Lavine and can reap the benefits of the players they will become under Thibs? They are both potential all stars. Isn't this the place we always wanted to be? Having a young talented team that can grow into something special? I just can't fathom trading either one of them at this point. Is it just me that finds this notion rather odd?

I don't see where anyone is giving up on Wiggins or lavine in these posts. I personally have always thought LaVine will put it all together before Wiggins does, based on his mental approach, and thus chose LaVine as my breakout player in our board poll. I do also believe Wiggins will be a star. Not many players get to the line like him which completely changes a game.

Where this board loses me is on the Rubio infatuation (which I used to be a part of as Rubiooooo), when Rubio is not the correct player to utilize the attention KAT and Wiggins will command from a defense. In fact, rubios play allows a defense to not think twice about collapsing the defense when those two have the ball.

Also, the idea that we have to contain our roster building to what is the norm today. Sure, most teams elect to play small ball for large portions, but that's due to how rare 2 way skilled bigs are. We should realize that norms vary over the years. What's wrong with getting ahead of the curve instead of playing catch up to the curve? In my opinion, KAT allows us to have a ton of roster flexibility because he can play the 5 or 4 in any lineup (big or small ball). Why not use that to shift the pressure from our team to the opposing team? Playing catchup to GS is a loss immediately. Trying to chase defending their small ball lineup is a waste of time. Instead I would focus on dominating inside on defense and rebounding with 2 superb 7 footers which allows 3 perimeter players to play tight to the 3 point line and allow more shots within the lane. Force that play, allow 2 pt sjots, stop possessions with blocks/rebounds, and force the opposition to play big to combat our easy buckets on the other end.

[Monster]

I must be losing my sanity or something. Shouldn't we be ecstatic that we have Wiggins and Lavine and can reap the benefits of the players they will become under Thibs? They are both potential all stars. Isn't this the place we always wanted to be? Having a young talented team that can grow into something special? I just can't fathom trading either one of them at this point. Is it just me that finds this notion rather odd?

I don't see where anyone is giving up on Wiggins or lavine in these posts. I personally have always thought LaVine will put it all together before Wiggins does, based on his mental approach, and thus chose LaVine as my breakout player in our board poll. I do also believe Wiggins will be a star. Not many players get to the line like him which completely changes a game.

Where this board loses me is on the Rubio infatuation (which I used to be a part of as Rubiooooo), when Rubio is not the correct player to utilize the attention KAT and Wiggins will command from a defense. In fact, rubios play allows a defense to not think twice about collapsing the defense when those two have the ball.

Also, the idea that we have to contain our roster building to what is the norm today. Sure, most teams elect to play small ball for large portions, but that's due to how rare 2 way skilled bigs are. We should realize that norms vary over the years. What's wrong with getting ahead of the curve instead of playing catch up to the curve? In my opinion, KAT allows us to have a ton of roster flexibility because he can play the 5 or 4 in any lineup (big or small ball). Why not use that to shift the pressure from our team to the opposing team? Playing catchup to GS is a loss immediately. Trying to chase defending their small ball lineup is a waste of time. Instead I would focus on dominating inside on defense and rebounding with 2 superb 7 footers which allows 3 perimeter players to play tight to the 3 point line and allow more shots within the lane. Force that play, allow 2 pt sjots, stop possessions with blocks/rebounds, and force the opposition to play big to combat our easy buckets on the other end.

Good point on going big. OKC was doing that to GS and was pretty successful in the WCF.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

While I get the argument that we aren't likely to find comparable return value for someone like Wig, I side with Q on this one...everyone but KAT is expendable in a 1 for 1 trade (but if a lottery team offered us a bona fide star plus a first round pick for KAT, I'd at least pick up the phone and listen). The Wolves have current cap space that other teams don't have, and could facilitate a trade that some team needed to make to reduce payroll. Think of the Spurs, for instance. Let's say they wanted to reduce their guaranteed payroll of $111 million, and offered us Kawhi Leonard for Wig. Or if the Warriors were concerned about the ridiculous cap situation they're going to be in next year, and offered us Durant for Wig. I'm sure everyone would make those deals.

And then you jumped on Pegasus and got cell phone footage of several Yetti's having a cookout. :(,

Hey, it could happen. IT COULD HAPPEN!!!!!!!!