Predict Love's team for 2014-15

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Long - are you seriously saying that a Love/Curry/Iggy big 3 wouldn't be enough to be successful in the West and convince Love to sign there long-term? That's 2 top ten scorers in the league and the best perimeter defender in the league not to mention a Center that can cover up Love's defensive weaknesses. That team is a juggernaut and the only thing keeping them from winning long-term is injuries. He'd already be in California, so why would he leave that stacked team to join an over the hill Kobe in LAL or be Griffin's backup for the Clippers for a considerable pay-cut when he would already be on a stacked team and get a 5 year max deal? There is no logic whatsoever to either of those concerns. Klay isn't an attractive contract because he is up for an extension which kicks him up to 10+ million a year and they have Iggy keeping Harrison on the bench. Include in that they would get to dump Lee's atrocity of a contract and this deal is a coup for them. We are the team getting hosed in this trade because Lee makes 15 million for 2 years and Klay's agents is seeking the max. We get no cap savings and no pieces that make us any better as a team because as much as Klay adds, Lee takes away from what Love and Martin gave us last year. The best teams pay most of their cap space to only a couple players and adding Love to that team makes GS the title discount leader among veterans. Considering the lack of depth at the 2 and the prevalence of depth at the 4 in the league, losing Klay is not a big deal when you can get just about any vet looking for a title to fill some of his shoes while you get to replace Lee with a top 10 player.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Long - are you seriously saying that a Love/Curry/Iggy big 3 wouldn't be enough to be successful in the West and convince Love to sign there long-term? That's 2 top ten scorers in the league and the best perimeter defender in the league not to mention a Center that can cover up Love's defensive weaknesses. That team is a juggernaut and the only thing keeping them from winning long-term is injuries. He'd already be in California, so why would he leave that stacked team to join an over the hill Kobe in LAL or be Griffin's backup for the Clippers for a considerable pay-cut when he would already be on a stacked team and get a 5 year max deal? There is no logic whatsoever to either of those concerns. Klay isn't an attractive contract because he is up for an extension which kicks him up to 10+ million a year and they have Iggy keeping Harrison on the bench. Include in that they would get to dump Lee's atrocity of a contract and this deal is a coup for them. We are the team getting hosed in this trade because Lee makes 15 million for 2 years and Klay's agents is seeking the max. We get no cap savings and no pieces that make us any better as a team because as much as Klay adds, Lee takes away from what Love and Martin gave us last year. The best teams pay most of their cap space to only a couple players and adding Love to that team makes GS the title discount leader among veterans. Considering the lack of depth at the 2 and the prevalence of depth at the 4 in the league, losing Klay is not a big deal when you can get just about any vet looking for a title to fill some of his shoes while you get to replace Lee with a top 10 player.

I co-sign this. Everything that I was about to say or have said already is in this post. It's a no-brainer for the Warriors to deal Lee/Thompson/Barnes for Love. Wouldn't hesitate for a second.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Long - are you seriously saying that a Love/Curry/Iggy big 3 wouldn't be enough to be successful in the West and convince Love to sign there long-term? That's 2 top ten scorers in the league and the best perimeter defender in the league not to mention a Center that can cover up Love's defensive weaknesses. That team is a juggernaut and the only thing keeping them from winning long-term is injuries. He'd already be in California, so why would he leave that stacked team to join an over the hill Kobe in LAL or be Griffin's backup for the Clippers for a considerable pay-cut when he would already be on a stacked team and get a 5 year max deal? There is no logic whatsoever to either of those concerns. Klay isn't an attractive contract because he is up for an extension which kicks him up to 10+ million a year and they have Iggy keeping Harrison on the bench. Include in that they would get to dump Lee's atrocity of a contract and this deal is a coup for them. We are the team getting hosed in this trade because Lee makes 15 million for 2 years and Klay's agents is seeking the max. We get no cap savings and no pieces that make us any better as a team because as much as Klay adds, Lee takes away from what Love and Martin gave us last year. The best teams pay most of their cap space to only a couple players and adding Love to that team makes GS the title discount leader among veterans. Considering the lack of depth at the 2 and the prevalence of depth at the 4 in the league, losing Klay is not a big deal when you can get just about any vet looking for a title to fill some of his shoes while you get to replace Lee with a top 10 player.

I'm just not a Bogut guy...cant stay healthy and offensively challenged. And Crawford is a terrible replacement for Klay. Yes, they would have 2 top ten scorers (like the Wolves did in the early part of the season), but just not enough other pieces to leapfrog the Spurs, Thunder, Rockets and Clippers. Maybe they move past Portland, but maybe not. I think after a first round exit and no cap space, the never-happy Love looks for greener pastures.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Also, in response to the Powers article. What quality free agent would come to Minnesota without Love? All getting cap space is going to do is pay unproven guys too much money in hopes they pan out, aka the Wolves with Darko, Beasley, JJ, etc. Money should mean nothing to a loser franchise like we have been because nobody is coming here for what they are actually worth once Love leaves. Cap space doesn't build contenders in small markets. Draft picks do. I'm tired of these arguments that him leaving for nothing is a good option if any top 10 picks are on the table for him. Guess what you'll have to do anyway if he leaves, draft well. Why not give yourself more picks to try to be successful than get less picks and have to hit a higher percentage to be successful? How would making the playoffs for one year and then Love leaving be better for the franchise than trying to setup the team to make consecutive playoffs long-term? That just seems like a cash grab and stupid move for any franchise to make. 1 year is not enough to make-up for 10 so why is that being seen as a viable option over trying to build something long-term that can payoff more than once?

[mrhockey89]

I think Powers is thinking right in line with Flip. Little interest in draft picks and unproven young players. Thats why Chicago and Golden State will be the top suitors.

I'll say this...no way does Flip send Love to a Western Conference team if they don't pony up (or any team for that matter, but especially Western Conference)

[WildWolf2813]

Ideally it would be Atlanta, but it will probably be Chicago

Ideally it'd be Atlanta? I hope you're not serious.

I would take Horford over ANYTHING that's been offered in any made up deal

Yikes. I'm a die-hard Florida fan whose favorite player on the title teams was Horford... and that's not an ideal get for the Wolves for Love. Horford's 28 years old. He's only under contract for two more years. Two of his last three seasons have been killed by injury(ies). When healthy, I agree, he's a stud. But with all factors included, ATL doesn't even come close to being an ideal hypothetical offer. We couldn't make the playoffs with Love. So we're supposed to swap him out for Horford and get better? I don't see it.

Horford allows us to keep Pekovic. Horford plays defense, is a 2-time All-Star. Horford's 28 which means we get 2-5 more prime years of production. Does he get hurt? Yes. You know who else gets hurt? Love, Lee, Sullinger, every PF other than Taj Gibson who is older than Horford. That's the one guy I could see this team definitely upgrading with if we had him. If we can't get Horford we need someone just like him. Otherwise, Pek's the next one to go and then who scores on this team? Who would Ricky even be able to pass the ball to? It's the type of move you make that would make a transition so much easier since he provides so much of what we lack.

[WildWolf2813]

Also, in response to the Powers article. What quality free agent would come to Minnesota without Love? All getting cap space is going to do is pay unproven guys too much money in hopes they pan out, aka the Wolves with Darko, Beasley, JJ, etc. Money should mean nothing to a loser franchise like we have been because nobody is coming here for what they are actually worth once Love leaves. Cap space doesn't build contenders in small markets. Draft picks do. I'm tired of these arguments that him leaving for nothing is a good option if any top 10 picks are on the table for him. Guess what you'll have to do anyway if he leaves, draft well. Why not give yourself more picks to try to be successful than get less picks and have to hit a higher percentage to be successful? How would making the playoffs for one year and then Love leaving be better for the franchise than trying to setup the team to make consecutive playoffs long-term? That just seems like a cash grab and stupid move for any franchise to make. 1 year is not enough to make-up for 10 so why is that being seen as a viable option over trying to build something long-term that can payoff more than once?

About the drafting well part, do you really trust Flip to do that? If he doesn't do well at it, he's not gonna fire himself. And Glen sure as hell won't do it

[TheFuture]

I also don't think this is the deal to "hope" for. I'd rather have a package from Cleveland, Chicago and Boston the more I think about it.

Those are the three teams im hoping for as well.

[A Friendly Flatulence [enjin:8907904]]

Well I'd say Flip drafted pretty damn well last year. I think we got 1 for sure keeper in Dieng, and Shabazz has shown promise.

[bleedspeed]

I really like the Boston trade. I figure we either get Randle or Smart out of the deal along with a ton of picks a few veterans. Adding Brandon Bass or Jeff Green to this team with picks is not all bad.