Hehe -- Anthony Bennett Buyout

[Lipoli390]

I'm disappointed that we didn't get anything in return for him. But I don't think Bennett's departure will significantly impact the team. I still see Bennett as a tremendous talent and I'd far prefer him over Payne. But Payne is all-in on Payne and seemed to sour on Bennet quickly last season.

All of this makes me wonder why we had the Cavs include Bennett in the deal that brought him here. Was our front office's evaluation of Bennett that off?

So our return for Kevin Love turns out to be Wiggins and the last two years of KG's NBA career. If Wiggins becomes a perennial Allstar and stays in Minnesota and if KG truly makes a difference as a mentor to Towns then the trade was definitely a good one for the Wolves. But I'd still prefer Miami's first round pick and some asset other than a guy about to get bought out.

By the way, the money is irrelevant. A buyout in the NBA usually means paying almost all of the player's guaranteed salary. So maybe the Wolves save $1 million on Bennett's $5+ million guaranteed for 2015. That's barely a rounding error in the Wolves basketball budge Even if it was the full $5+ million this season and $7 million via extension next season, it wouldn't make a noticeable dent in the team's budget or create any cap room for free agents. This move is simply a roster-clearing move to make room for Rudez, Lorenzo Brown or some future end-of-bench free agent.

Again, not a move worth losing any sleep. But to Kahn's point, this isn't the sort of move you see from top franchises like the Spurs. At the end of the day, the Wolves franchise will rise or fall on the development and ultimate ceilings of Wiggins, LaVine and Towns - perhaps also Dieng and Shabazz. The Wolves fate was not going to turn on the development of Bennett.

[Tactical unit]

I'm on the side that AB will never pan out to be much in the NBA and is as boom or bust a player as you can find in the NBA, but to buy him out is just plain dumb. He could have been a piece in a mid-season deal, he could have really shown he's hungry and improved and earned a shot at playing time. This makes no sense to me.

[mrhockey89]

I'm on the side that AB will never pan out to be much in the NBA and is as boom or bust a player as you can find in the NBA, but to buy him out is just plain dumb. He could have been a piece in a mid-season deal, he could have really shown he's hungry and improved and earned a shot at playing time. This makes no sense to me.

I just don't see it though. He won't get the playing time to show he's improved enough to carry any value in a trade, and we already have trade exceptions if needed.

Like everyone else, I would have loved to get something in return on trade, but if we didn't, there's a reason we didn't.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Anyone think nobody bit on a trade because they knew Bennett wasn't long for this team and Flip either had to cut him (allowing other teams to get him at a discount) or Flip would have to keep the log jam? What was Flip's leverage to get a deal done when all summer long Bennett was likely the odd man out? He got Wiggins for Love because he made it clear he had no problem keeping Love and trying to win with a borderline playoff team in his system. When Flip signed Bjelica that appeared to be the end of either Payne or Bennett and Flip wasn't dumping a guy he just traded a future first round pick for. Flip had no leverage to get anything for Bennett because of the other moves he made which is on him. Also, KG and Pek are going to miss a decent chunk to a lot of games so that leaves Towns/Dieng playing the 5 and Bjelica/Payne playing the 4. This isn't a huge loss, but it's also a move a developing team shouldn't be making when they don't know if any of Payne/Bjelica/Dieng/Towns can be productive 4's. How in the world is Rudez or Brown or Jeff Adrien a better use of the roster spot? They can't hold a candle to Bennett's talent.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Ha, this right after i posted a pic of Thad Young crying on the floor in the other thread. Where are the cost savings here? Does he have a player option for next year?

I felt he sealed his fate when he finally got his chance after Thad was traded and then he got injured in his first game back. Good luck AB, this board will miss praising/ripping on you.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Also, like Lip mentioned, the Love trade is looking worse and worse. We got a rookie and a part-time 39 year old player.

[Carlos Danger]

Also, like Lip mentioned, the Love trade is looking worse and worse. We got a rookie and a part-time 39 year old player.

Look at it this way... Flip strategically negotiated to get AB and Thad Young in the Love deal knowing that PF duo would help secure the worst record in the NBA and thus give us an opportunity to get Towns. So it was Love for Wiggins and Towns. Genius!

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Also, like Lip mentioned, the Love trade is looking worse and worse. We got a rookie and a part-time 39 year old player.

Look at it this way... Flip strategically negotiated to get AB and Thad Young in the Love deal knowing that PF duo would help secure the worst record in the NBA and thus give us an opportunity to get Towns. So it was Love for Wiggins and Towns. Genius!

Ok Anthony, that was a stretch, but I'll give you a point. I guess I'm disappointed neither Thad nor AB turned out to be a productive player for us, so I'm not convinced Flip made a good deal here anymore.

[Brooklyn_Wolves [enjin:14608167]]

Also, like Lip mentioned, the Love trade is looking worse and worse. We got a rookie and a part-time 39 year old player.

Wiggins trade can't look be looking worse and worse. Because it is the WIGGINS trade. That's all that matters. You get the big piece, the trump card. The rest matters very little.

[Brooklyn_Wolves [enjin:14608167]]

All of this makes me wonder why we had the Cavs include Bennett in the deal that brought him here. Was our front office's evaluation of Bennett that off?

Because Cavs needed to include Bennett to make trade salaries work. Without AB's contract Cavs wouldn't be able to absorb Love's contract. It wasn't really about his talents. Get it now?