Next Years Bigs

[Lipoli390]

I’m on board now with trading KAT (this summer) or Rudy (next summer), if only because the new CBA makes it impossible to have such a heavy team salary cost going forward. That makes the Gobert trade even more maddening - shouldn’t TC have seen this coming or was it entirely out the blue?

If the trade comes this summer, it would give the Wolves more flexibility to try to keep Naz and extend NAW. I like Scoot, so if that’s the deal, I’m happy… the guy is hugely talented, has a lot of “dog” in him, and being mentored by Conley to achieve his potential as an all star NBA PG would be a terrific opportunity.

Glad you mentioned reports that Scoot has a lot of "dog" in him. If those reports are accurate, that makes me feel better about the risk of trading KAT to get him. Watching the playoffs underscores the critical value of two key player attributes: (1) basketball IQ, and (2) mental toughness/competitiveness. Yes, sill, length and athleticism are also important. But players don't become NBA stars and typically don't even become all-star caliber players without those two core attributes. Championship teams are ultimately built on have a critical mass of key players who have high basketball IQs and a mentality that is tough and fiercely competitive.

[Lipoli390]

I just read in interesting interview of a local Portland sportswriter, Highkin, who covers the Blazers. Here's an interesting excerpt:

"They’ve figured out that Jerami Grant was such a good fit next to Dame that they figured out the idea of athletic wings that can defend multiple positions, and they need more guys like Grant. In Chicago, I got a lot of questions about whether Zach LaVine could be somebody they’re in play for with the No. 3 pick. I don’t think that’s something they’re really looking at. If Boston loses the series and decides not to pay Jaylen Brown, I think that’s something they’d look at. Pascal Siakam is kind of a weird fit next to Grant, but talent-wise, I think that’s something they might be interested in if that was a possibility. That type of player is more of what they’re looking at than the other stuff that’s out there."

The writer mentions Siakam and Anuoby as players the Blazers are interested in - players who fit the mold of athletic wings with size who can defend multiple positions. Highkin goes on to say the Blazers tried to move Nurkic at the trade deadline and would like to move him this summer. He also mentioned that the Blazers love Sharpe and are therefore inclined to include Simons in a deal with the #3 pick.

My main take-away from this interview is that the Blazers won't be particularly interested in KAT in a deal for the #3 pick. Instead, I would expect them to prioritize getting a long, athletic wing like Pascal or Anuoby. However, another take-away is that they might be open to swapping Nuckic, their #23 pick and a future pick for Gobert. They can use their #3 pick to acquire an all-star athletic wing and shore up their interior defense by upgrading from Nurkic to Gobert with the added advantage that Rudy, unlike Nurkic, is likely to stay on the court.

Based on Cool's account of the A-Rod interview, it appears the Wolves aren't inclined to trade KAT this summer. But if A-Rod's comments don't truly reflect the organization's intentions, I think a KAT deal for Scoot will have to be with Charlotte. I think Charlotte would love to pair KAT with Ball, Rozier, Washington and Oubre. That would be a really potent offense. They have Mark Williams for interior paint protection.

[Coolbreeze44]

Another rumor out there is a 3-way deal where the principal components would have KAT ending up in Boston, Brown in Portland, and #3 and Simons in Minnesota. There are several other components to it, but I've read this in multiple places.

[Lipoli390]

Another rumor out there is a 3-way deal where the principal components would have KAT ending up in Boston, Brown in Portland, and #3 and Simons in Minnesota. There are several other components to it, but I've read this in multiple places.

Thanks, Cool. I hadn't seen that rumor yet. I think I could get excited about that deal. It's hard to let go of a productive talent like KAT, especially given his loyalty and off-court character. And I'd still rather keep him. But given the impending luxury tax cliff and the need to focus on building about And and Jaden, it's probably time to move on. A deal that would bring in Simons and Scoot along with a couple future first round picks is something I could get excited about.

[TheFuture]

I just read in interesting interview of a local Portland sportswriter, Highkin, who covers the Blazers. Here's an interesting excerpt:

"They’ve figured out that Jerami Grant was such a good fit next to Dame that they figured out the idea of athletic wings that can defend multiple positions, and they need more guys like Grant. In Chicago, I got a lot of questions about whether Zach LaVine could be somebody they’re in play for with the No. 3 pick. I don’t think that’s something they’re really looking at. If Boston loses the series and decides not to pay Jaylen Brown, I think that’s something they’d look at. Pascal Siakam is kind of a weird fit next to Grant, but talent-wise, I think that’s something they might be interested in if that was a possibility. That type of player is more of what they’re looking at than the other stuff that’s out there."

The writer mentions Siakam and Anuoby as players the Blazers are interested in - players who fit the mold of athletic wings with size who can defend multiple positions. Highkin goes on to say the Blazers tried to move Nurkic at the trade deadline and would like to move him this summer. He also mentioned that the Blazers love Sharpe and are therefore inclined to include Simons in a deal with the #3 pick.

My main take-away from this interview is that the Blazers won't be particularly interested in KAT in a deal for the #3 pick. Instead, I would expect them to prioritize getting a long, athletic wing like Pascal or Anuoby. However, another take-away is that they might be open to swapping Nuckic, their #23 pick and a future pick for Gobert. They can use their #3 pick to acquire an all-star athletic wing and shore up their interior defense by upgrading from Nurkic to Gobert with the added advantage that Rudy, unlike Nurkic, is likely to stay on the court.

Based on Cool's account of the A-Rod interview, it appears the Wolves aren't inclined to trade KAT this summer. But if A-Rod's comments don't truly reflect the organization's intentions, I think a KAT deal for Scoot will have to be with Charlotte. I think Charlotte would love to pair KAT with Ball, Rozier, Washington and Oubre. That would be a really potent offense. They have Mark Williams for interior paint protection.

Gobert for Nurkic, #23, a future 1st is a trade that makes sense, and should happen in a normal world. There is no way TC hangs himself out to dry by doing that trade after what he gave away to acquire Gobert less than a year ago.

Many are high on Scoot. I'm not seeing it with him, especially the weird fit with Edwards.

[Lipoli390]

I just read in interesting interview of a local Portland sportswriter, Highkin, who covers the Blazers. Here's an interesting excerpt:

"They’ve figured out that Jerami Grant was such a good fit next to Dame that they figured out the idea of athletic wings that can defend multiple positions, and they need more guys like Grant. In Chicago, I got a lot of questions about whether Zach LaVine could be somebody they’re in play for with the No. 3 pick. I don’t think that’s something they’re really looking at. If Boston loses the series and decides not to pay Jaylen Brown, I think that’s something they’d look at. Pascal Siakam is kind of a weird fit next to Grant, but talent-wise, I think that’s something they might be interested in if that was a possibility. That type of player is more of what they’re looking at than the other stuff that’s out there."

The writer mentions Siakam and Anuoby as players the Blazers are interested in - players who fit the mold of athletic wings with size who can defend multiple positions. Highkin goes on to say the Blazers tried to move Nurkic at the trade deadline and would like to move him this summer. He also mentioned that the Blazers love Sharpe and are therefore inclined to include Simons in a deal with the #3 pick.

My main take-away from this interview is that the Blazers won't be particularly interested in KAT in a deal for the #3 pick. Instead, I would expect them to prioritize getting a long, athletic wing like Pascal or Anuoby. However, another take-away is that they might be open to swapping Nuckic, their #23 pick and a future pick for Gobert. They can use their #3 pick to acquire an all-star athletic wing and shore up their interior defense by upgrading from Nurkic to Gobert with the added advantage that Rudy, unlike Nurkic, is likely to stay on the court.

Based on Cool's account of the A-Rod interview, it appears the Wolves aren't inclined to trade KAT this summer. But if A-Rod's comments don't truly reflect the organization's intentions, I think a KAT deal for Scoot will have to be with Charlotte. I think Charlotte would love to pair KAT with Ball, Rozier, Washington and Oubre. That would be a really potent offense. They have Mark Williams for interior paint protection.

Gobert for Nurkic, #23, a future 1st is a trade that makes sense, and should happen in a normal world. There is no way TC hangs himself out to dry by doing that trade after what he gave away to acquire Gobert less than a year ago.

Many are high on Scoot. I'm not seeing it with him, especially the weird fit with Edwards.

Good points, Future. I want to believe in Scoot, but I have reservations about him that I’ve already expressed. His poor 3-point percentage, low free-throw attempts and scouting reports questioning his defense are all yellow cautionary flags for a #3 pick. I think you make a good point about the potentially wired fit with Ant. Scoot is typically referred to as an alpha dog. Edwards is also an alpha. Two alphas typically won’t work.

You might be right about TC’s reluctance to trade Rudy for pennies on the dollar. But for enough pennies, I can see him putting his ego aside and doing a deal. Think about it this way. If we assume that TC is smart, he has to have more doubts about the Rudy experiment than he had last summer. He’s also aware of the luxury tax cliff the Wolves are headed for in 2024. Again, assuming TC is smart, he’ll be willing to tacitly admit the Rudy deal didn’t work out rather than hang onto his mistake at the risk of hurting the team’s long-term prospects. TC has to know that he’ll ultimately be judged, not by the Rudy deal, but by the team’s success over time with Ant and Jaden.

[TheFuture]

I just read in interesting interview of a local Portland sportswriter, Highkin, who covers the Blazers. Here's an interesting excerpt:

"They’ve figured out that Jerami Grant was such a good fit next to Dame that they figured out the idea of athletic wings that can defend multiple positions, and they need more guys like Grant. In Chicago, I got a lot of questions about whether Zach LaVine could be somebody they’re in play for with the No. 3 pick. I don’t think that’s something they’re really looking at. If Boston loses the series and decides not to pay Jaylen Brown, I think that’s something they’d look at. Pascal Siakam is kind of a weird fit next to Grant, but talent-wise, I think that’s something they might be interested in if that was a possibility. That type of player is more of what they’re looking at than the other stuff that’s out there."

The writer mentions Siakam and Anuoby as players the Blazers are interested in - players who fit the mold of athletic wings with size who can defend multiple positions. Highkin goes on to say the Blazers tried to move Nurkic at the trade deadline and would like to move him this summer. He also mentioned that the Blazers love Sharpe and are therefore inclined to include Simons in a deal with the #3 pick.

My main take-away from this interview is that the Blazers won't be particularly interested in KAT in a deal for the #3 pick. Instead, I would expect them to prioritize getting a long, athletic wing like Pascal or Anuoby. However, another take-away is that they might be open to swapping Nuckic, their #23 pick and a future pick for Gobert. They can use their #3 pick to acquire an all-star athletic wing and shore up their interior defense by upgrading from Nurkic to Gobert with the added advantage that Rudy, unlike Nurkic, is likely to stay on the court.

Based on Cool's account of the A-Rod interview, it appears the Wolves aren't inclined to trade KAT this summer. But if A-Rod's comments don't truly reflect the organization's intentions, I think a KAT deal for Scoot will have to be with Charlotte. I think Charlotte would love to pair KAT with Ball, Rozier, Washington and Oubre. That would be a really potent offense. They have Mark Williams for interior paint protection.

Gobert for Nurkic, #23, a future 1st is a trade that makes sense, and should happen in a normal world. There is no way TC hangs himself out to dry by doing that trade after what he gave away to acquire Gobert less than a year ago.

Many are high on Scoot. I'm not seeing it with him, especially the weird fit with Edwards.

Good points, Future. I want to believe in Scoot, but I have reservations about him that I’ve already expressed. His poor 3-point percentage, low free-throw attempts and scouting reports questioning his defense are all yellow cautionary flags for a #3 pick. I think you make a good point about the potentially wired fit with Ant. Scoot is typically referred to as an alpha dog. Edwards is also an alpha. Two alphas typically won’t work.

You might be right about TC’s reluctance to trade Rudy for pennies on the dollar. But for enough pennies, I can see him putting his ego aside and doing a deal. Think about it this way. If we assume that TC is smart, he has to have more doubts about the Rudy experiment than he had last summer. He’s also aware of the luxury tax cliff the Wolves are headed for in 2024. Again, assuming TC is smart, he’ll be willing to tacitly admit the Rudy deal didn’t work out rather than hang onto his mistake at the risk of hurting the team’s long-term prospects. TC has to know that he’ll ultimately be judged, not by the Rudy deal, but by the team’s success over time with Ant and Jaden.

I don't question if TC would move Rudy, I question if he would be allowed to. The trade reeked of outward pressure from the beginning. TC is just the patsy on that deal.

Look at the difference in the Rudy trade and the D'Lo trade. One reeks of a forced hand, the other aligns with a move you'd expect from a good GM with some foresight.

As for Scoot, that ego aspect is a big qualm for me. He wants to be the alpha, the Wolves have their star. They don't need that right now, and I don't know that he is all that great anyhow. I would prefer to see a pass-first, defender, catch and shoot threat pg. I do like Cason Wallace as that PG.

[Lipoli390]

https://clutchpoints.com/_next/image?ur ... =3840&q=75

League executives believe Timberwolves planning to trade Karl-Anthony Towns

The team won’t be able to afford that, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Gobert combining for over $90 million in 2024-25. Dealing Gobert will not return anything close to what the Timberwolves paid to Utah. Other competing executives think Karl-Anthony Towns will be long gone ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. Some even believe Minnesota would jump at an opportunity in the next few weeks. 8 hours ago – via Eric Pincus @ Bleacher Report

Not sure how much stock to put in this report. It doesn’t come from a reliable NBA reporter like Woj. But it’s interesting.

[WildWolf2813]

Another rumor out there is a 3-way deal where the principal components would have KAT ending up in Boston, Brown in Portland, and #3 and Simons in Minnesota. There are several other components to it, but I've read this in multiple places.

The reason why I don't see that version of a deal happening is because I can't imagine Boston deciding that in a financial crunch, they'd rather pay KAT a supermax than Brown.

[WildWolf2813]

I just read in interesting interview of a local Portland sportswriter, Highkin, who covers the Blazers. Here's an interesting excerpt:

"They’ve figured out that Jerami Grant was such a good fit next to Dame that they figured out the idea of athletic wings that can defend multiple positions, and they need more guys like Grant. In Chicago, I got a lot of questions about whether Zach LaVine could be somebody they’re in play for with the No. 3 pick. I don’t think that’s something they’re really looking at. If Boston loses the series and decides not to pay Jaylen Brown, I think that’s something they’d look at. Pascal Siakam is kind of a weird fit next to Grant, but talent-wise, I think that’s something they might be interested in if that was a possibility. That type of player is more of what they’re looking at than the other stuff that’s out there."

The writer mentions Siakam and Anuoby as players the Blazers are interested in - players who fit the mold of athletic wings with size who can defend multiple positions. Highkin goes on to say the Blazers tried to move Nurkic at the trade deadline and would like to move him this summer. He also mentioned that the Blazers love Sharpe and are therefore inclined to include Simons in a deal with the #3 pick.

My main take-away from this interview is that the Blazers won't be particularly interested in KAT in a deal for the #3 pick. Instead, I would expect them to prioritize getting a long, athletic wing like Pascal or Anuoby. However, another take-away is that they might be open to swapping Nuckic, their #23 pick and a future pick for Gobert. They can use their #3 pick to acquire an all-star athletic wing and shore up their interior defense by upgrading from Nurkic to Gobert with the added advantage that Rudy, unlike Nurkic, is likely to stay on the court.

Based on Cool's account of the A-Rod interview, it appears the Wolves aren't inclined to trade KAT this summer. But if A-Rod's comments don't truly reflect the organization's intentions, I think a KAT deal for Scoot will have to be with Charlotte. I think Charlotte would love to pair KAT with Ball, Rozier, Washington and Oubre. That would be a really potent offense. They have Mark Williams for interior paint protection.

Gobert for Nurkic, #23, a future 1st is a trade that makes sense, and should happen in a normal world. There is no way TC hangs himself out to dry by doing that trade after what he gave away to acquire Gobert less than a year ago.

Many are high on Scoot. I'm not seeing it with him, especially the weird fit with Edwards.

Good points, Future. I want to believe in Scoot, but I have reservations about him that I’ve already expressed. His poor 3-point percentage, low free-throw attempts and scouting reports questioning his defense are all yellow cautionary flags for a #3 pick. I think you make a good point about the potentially wired fit with Ant. Scoot is typically referred to as an alpha dog. Edwards is also an alpha. Two alphas typically won’t work.

You might be right about TC’s reluctance to trade Rudy for pennies on the dollar. But for enough pennies, I can see him putting his ego aside and doing a deal. Think about it this way. If we assume that TC is smart, he has to have more doubts about the Rudy experiment than he had last summer. He’s also aware of the luxury tax cliff the Wolves are headed for in 2024. Again, assuming TC is smart, he’ll be willing to tacitly admit the Rudy deal didn’t work out rather than hang onto his mistake at the risk of hurting the team’s long-term prospects. TC has to know that he’ll ultimately be judged, not by the Rudy deal, but by the team’s success over time with Ant and Jaden.

If you're drafting someone third and he doesn't have an alpha dog mentality, don't draft him.


You gotta understand there will be nights where Ant doesn't have it. Someone has to have the chutzpah to step up and be that guy. A big reason why even fans of KAT are fine with him being dealt is because we've seen on and off the court that he carries himself as a beta even if he doesn't realize it. Role players you can find if you have smart management. Anyone who comes to the team now knows this is an Ant-based team, but the goal is to win, not simply to make Ant look great. If Scoot has that ability to wanna take over and at times, be that guy, that's a great problem to have. Ant and 14 betas isn't gonna win anything in this league. He needs 1, maybe 2 other people who have the same combo of alpha + star talent alongside him. The rest of the team can get in where they fit in.