Damn Flip called Love out on KFAN

[WildWolf2813]

Lipoli, thanks for an excellent summary of some things that are likely to happen next year, all of which are very positive. I think your post is well thought-out, and I agree with most of it. I would add two more things which could happen and would lead to more wins:

1)We have too much of our payroll tied up in Pekovic, especially when Deing and Turiaf should be able to handle the center position. I would like to see Flip pursue dealing Pek for a starting 2 guard, allowing Martin to provide much needed scoring off the bench.

2) Back-up point guard was a big problem for the Wolves last year. I don't see Barea in your summary, and I'm hoping that Shved gets a lot of PG minutes in Vegas and demonstrates that he is able to take the job away from JJ. I think this would greatly improve the second unit.

We don't know if Turiaf is a guarantee to come back AND if they can all stay healthy. I love Dieng, but we can't look to deal Pekovic because he makes too much money as if Pek is keeping us from doing something financially.

We need to face facts and draft our future SG. It's not gonna come in a trade given the lack of SG's available.

[Coolbreeze44]

We seem to be losing sight of what's really happening here. More bullet points:

1) Love is going to be traded, most likely by the conclusion of the draft. I just see a lot of wishful thinking when it comes to Love staying here. Too much has transpired and it's not realistic to think this will have a fairy tale ending.

2) Someone mentioned Shved and pinning hopes on him becoming a better backup PG than Barea. Barea isn't good by any means, but did we WATCH Shved last year? Put down the pipe fellas.

3) Some posters seem to dismiss Pek because of the money he makes. He's only overpaid because he misses so much time. When he's on the court he's a beast and he plays with Ricky beautifully on the P & R. Dieng is exciting and we should be optimistic about him, but that doesn't make Pek a throwaway.

[Lipoli390]

We seem to be losing sight of what's really happening here. More bullet points:

1) Love is going to be traded, most likely by the conclusion of the draft. I just see a lot of wishful thinking when it comes to Love staying here. Too much has transpired and it's not realistic to think this will have a fairy tale ending.

2) Someone mentioned Shved and pinning hopes on him becoming a better backup PG than Barea. Barea isn't good by any means, but did we WATCH Shved last year? Put down the pipe fellas.

3) Some posters seem to dismiss Pek because of the money he makes. He's only overpaid because he misses so much time. When he's on the court he's a beast and he plays with Ricky beautifully on the P & R. Dieng is exciting and we should be optimistic about him, but that doesn't make Pek a throwaway.

Cool -- You make some good points. Just to clarify, my prediction that Love stays is not based on wishful thinking. Personally I'd prefer to see Love traded, provided we get a return better than the type of return teams have typically received in exchange for star players. I just don't see any team offering a package that will entice Flip to pull the trigger and I think Flip believes he can take the team to the playoffs and have enough success to convince Love to stay.

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

Just for the record, look at the right way to trade a superstar when Speilman traded Percy Harvin. Compare it to what Flip and Glen are doing now. Night and day

[worldK]

Regarding whether love stays or get traded. I agree that it will be hard to get a deal where we get equal value in return for love. Im with lip in thinking that flip probably thinks he can stir us to the playoffs and would want a shot to coach the love-rubio core for a season.

That said, if the cavs offer us number 1 pick and other assets in exchange of love, then we should take the deal. Its the best deal we can possibly get and one where we have a great chance of landing a superstar with wiggins/embiid/parker along with other assets.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

We seem to be losing sight of what's really happening here. More bullet points:

1) Love is going to be traded, most likely by the conclusion of the draft. I just see a lot of wishful thinking when it comes to Love staying here. Too much has transpired and it's not realistic to think this will have a fairy tale ending.

2) Someone mentioned Shved and pinning hopes on him becoming a better backup PG than Barea. Barea isn't good by any means, but did we WATCH Shved last year? Put down the pipe fellas.

3) Some posters seem to dismiss Pek because of the money he makes. He's only overpaid because he misses so much time. When he's on the court he's a beast and he plays with Ricky beautifully on the P & R. Dieng is exciting and we should be optimistic about him, but that doesn't make Pek a throwaway.

Gotta agree with lip here, cool...for me it's pessimism, not optimism, that has me thinking Love plays for us in 2014-15. I just don't see any attractive deals likely to materialize, and I trust Flip not to pull the trigger on a substandard deal. The optimism for me comes into play in thinking there's a chance they improve enough to convince Love to stay.

Love said today that he isn't going to comment, but rather let his agent handle everything. Here's what I think his agent wants. To create an environment where Love is coveted enough to convince Flip to deal him this year. Then, Love can sign a long-term max deal with his new team, and the agent can cash out on that deal. But if Flip doesn't trade Love and he elects to become a free agent, Love's agent will then be singing a different tune. Since Love can get $26 million more with the Wolves than with any other team, the best and safest deal for Love's agent will be for him to take the max deal with the Wolves. If the Wolves improve to 50 wins next year with Love, I expect him to be saying to Kevin "Look, this team is on the rise, and it's your best financial deal by far. It's your decision, but I think you should take the Wolves' max deal".

[Coolbreeze44]

Nah he, meaning Love, wants out and has made that perfectly clear to me.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

We seem to be losing sight of what's really happening here. More bullet points:

1) Love is going to be traded, most likely by the conclusion of the draft. I just see a lot of wishful thinking when it comes to Love staying here. Too much has transpired and it's not realistic to think this will have a fairy tale ending.

2) Someone mentioned Shved and pinning hopes on him becoming a better backup PG than Barea. Barea isn't good by any means, but did we WATCH Shved last year? Put down the pipe fellas.

3) Some posters seem to dismiss Pek because of the money he makes. He's only overpaid because he misses so much time. When he's on the court he's a beast and he plays with Ricky beautifully on the P & R. Dieng is exciting and we should be optimistic about him, but that doesn't make Pek a throwaway.

Now, let me address your three points, cool.

1) I hope you're right, that love is traded this month...but only if the deal is attractive enough (which I think is doubtful). Do you think Flip is going to pull the trigger on a bad deal, or do you think one of the rumored teams is going to step up with an attractive offer? And what do you think that offer will be?

2) I was the one who mentioned Shved as the backup point guard, and I gratefully put the pipe down permanently 2 1/2 years ago. I watched Shved a lot last year...but it was almost always at SG, not PG, because that is apparently where Adelman thought he was best suited. Adelman also sometimes thought JJ was better suited to finish games then Ricky was. It would be premature to write Shved off as a potential PG because he didn't succeed under Rick at SG. I think a fresh look from a new coach who also was a PG is just what Alexey needs.

3) I agree with you that Pek can be a beast when he's on the court. But Pek is pushing 30 and has a recent history of silly, nuisance injuries that limit his minutes. Why do you think we can rely on Pek's health enough to dedicate 1/6 of our payroll to him...especially when we have suitable replacements already on the roster? Not putting Pek in play this offseason is a bad gamble that his recurring injuries are going to magically disappear.

[mjs34]

We seem to be losing sight of what's really happening here. More bullet points:

1) Love is going to be traded, most likely by the conclusion of the draft. I just see a lot of wishful thinking when it comes to Love staying here. Too much has transpired and it's not realistic to think this will have a fairy tale ending.

2) Someone mentioned Shved and pinning hopes on him becoming a better backup PG than Barea. Barea isn't good by any means, but did we WATCH Shved last year? Put down the pipe fellas.

3) Some posters seem to dismiss Pek because of the money he makes. He's only overpaid because he misses so much time. When he's on the court he's a beast and he plays with Ricky beautifully on the P & R. Dieng is exciting and we should be optimistic about him, but that doesn't make Pek a throwaway.

Gotta agree with lip here, cool...for me it's pessimism, not optimism, that has me thinking Love plays for us in 2014-15. I just don't see any attractive deals likely to materialize, and I trust Flip not to pull the trigger on a substandard deal. The optimism for me comes into play in thinking there's a chance they improve enough to convince Love to stay.

Love said today that he isn't going to comment, but rather let his agent handle everything. Here's what I think his agent wants. To create an environment where Love is coveted enough to convince Flip to deal him this year. Then, Love can sign a long-term max deal with his new team, and the agent can cash out on that deal. But if Flip doesn't trade Love and he elects to become a free agent, Love's agent will then be singing a different tune. Since Love can get $26 million more with the Wolves than with any other team, the best and safest deal for Love's agent will be for him to take the max deal with the Wolves. If the Wolves improve to 50 wins next year with Love, I expect him to be saying to Kevin "Look, this team is on the rise, and it's your best financial deal by far. It's your decision, but I think you should take the Wolves' max deal".

Long, Love can't even talk an extension till late January, and I think that is only for two additional years on top of his option. He has to opt out to get another 5 year deal, which is why the first blurb about Love telling the wolves that he wouldn't sign an extension was completely meaningless. He would be foolish to sign an extension with any team. He can sign for 3 years in January or 5 in July, don't have to be a real thinker to guess that one.

What would Love's agent have to handle if he wasn't getting traded? Love is under contract for this season already.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Nah he, meaning Love, wants out and has made that perfectly clear to me.

I think that is the way he is leaning at the moment too. But he doesn't hold the cards to make this happen now because he's under contract for another year. I suspect he is more likely to want to leave in 2015 also, but I don't know for sure. a lot of good things could happen in a year.