Wolves Draft and Free Agency Grades

[Sundog]

No one should EVER be with Sundog.

Ha, Lip! Harsh but fair.

[Lipoli390]

I did see that in the Kyle Anderson trade we got a future 2nd swap with GSW, Cash, and a 2025 2nd that looks to be coming from Denver.

Thanks, Future. That’s good to know and sounds about right. That’s Connelly getting as much as he could knowing that it wouldn’t be prudent to match a three-year deal for Kyle given the imperative to get below the 2nd apron after next season.

[Monster]

I did see that in the Kyle Anderson trade we got a future 2nd swap with GSW, Cash, and a 2025 2nd that looks to be coming from Denver.

Thanks, Future. That’s good to know and sounds about right. That’s Connelly getting as much as he could knowing that it wouldn’t be prudent to match a three-year deal for Kyle given the imperative to get below the 2nd apron after next season.

I'll be honest if you had told me before FA started we would get this type of return in a sign and trade for any of the Wolves FA I would have been pretty happy with it although I wanted everyone back. The fact that Connelly traded Kyle Anderson for some minor assets and then signed Ingles for the vet min...well that's pretty damn good IMHO.

[Coolbreeze44]

No one should EVER be with Sundog.

Ha, Lip! Harsh but fair.

Hahahahaha

[TheFuture]

I did see that in the Kyle Anderson trade we got a future 2nd swap with GSW, Cash, and a 2025 2nd that looks to be coming from Denver.

Thanks, Future. That’s good to know and sounds about right. That’s Connelly getting as much as he could knowing that it wouldn’t be prudent to match a three-year deal for Kyle given the imperative to get below the 2nd apron after next season.

I'll be honest if you had told me before FA started we would get this type of return in a sign and trade for any of the Wolves FA I would have been pretty happy with it although I wanted everyone back. The fact that Connelly traded Kyle Anderson for some minor assets and then signed Ingles for the vet min...well that's pretty damn good IMHO.

Yeah, the new CBA seemed to kind of help us here?

So from what I just read it is this:

Out - SloMo

In - 31' 2nd swap and cash from GSW. Either 25' 2nd from Denver or 76ers

Draft night 2nd round debacle:

Out - Moore Jr., #37

In - Future 2nd from Memphis that isn't really clear. They own 25' Hou/OKC, 26' LAC, 27' ATL. They have their own in 30' and 31'. I hope it's one of the former 3, but thinking it might be Memphis 30'/31' as they only moved up 4 spots in the 2nd round. Either way, that trade as a standalone is good value.

We then sold 57 to TOR for $1mil so Taylor or whoever can cover their summer vacation party.

We received a TPE(s) somewhere along the way too. In one of or both of the trades.

All in all, not terrible. Getting assets for SloMo was savvy/lucky because he chose GSW. Getting Moore off the books and his personality off the bench/out of the locker room is a good thing. He showed absolutely no effort to improve anything but his smile in his time here.

[Lipoli390]

Well said, Future. I think you summed up my take on all this.

[Monster]

Ok Lip you have mentioned Devin Carter enough times I decided I needed to take some time to research him some more. Sorry this is after the fact instead of leading up to the draft.

I remember liking him in the tourney I think his sophomore year but maybe it was this year. I thought he was a guy maybe we could get because while I liked him I didn't think he would go very high so we could get him with a pick we already had or move up a bit to get him. I liked him as a complimentary player not a high upside guy meaning offense. I know he did well this season statistically but it was his first year he shot the 3 well. That's a legit concern. Meanwhile I'm not sure how much of a PG he is. I think he can play the position and assists aren't the end all he all in college but he certainly didn't get a ton of them in college. He does have some aspects of his game in terms of scoring but in general I don't know if he is a guy I would expect to be a guy that gets you a bucket when it matters especially in the playoffs. I could see him being clutch but yeah. The positive is that yeah I can see him being a good defender and that is nice to have next to Edwards.

Meanwhile Dillingham is basically all the offensive upside. Shooting, crafty scoring, zipping around etc and he can pass some too. Lip has mentioned his weight just a few times. I remember when Ty Lue came out of Nebraska and was drafted by the Lakers. He was working out etc like crazy trying to bulk up to be in the league. Someone with the Lakers told him something like "we drafted you to play basketball not play linebacker". They wanted him to stay quick etc. I see an article that he did gain some weight when he was a coach and got all the way up to 241 before losing 30 pounds. I don't see anything that says he got anywhere near 200lbs as a player. He is a little shorter than Dillingham. Being that small is obviously a disadvantage and Dilly could end up putting on 20 or so pounds. Supposedly he was like 175 going into the UK season. You don't always have to look big to be strong. Some guys are wiry. It's a legit concern but there are some benefits to being that light including quickness etc. I went to college with a guy that was like 5'8" it the dude was a VERY good athlete. Just messing around playing basketball nobody could stay in front of him and that wasn't his sport he was a soccer player as he was from Brazil and had family that played there professionally. He was FAST and could change direction on a dime. I remember helping out the athletic director when he was coaching the Soccer team and he had me going 1 on 1 with players and I was doing well making it hard for people than that was even some of the other guys from south America. This dude went around me like I wasn't even there. I think that was the time in my athletic life where I felt most out of my league...before I got older and fat. lol

Regardless to me in general because we never know how these things will play out but picking Carter is more of a looking for a complimentary type guy that will not be a liability in the playoffs especially on D. That has a ton of value if they are a really good defender and can hit 3's. Derrick White would be a really good best case scenario and has cashed in on being an elite defender who can also score.

Meanwhile Dillingham is a swing for an offensive guy that can do everything at PG. Score,shoot 3's including off ball and also run and offense and pass. The question is defense. Both guys have a question and value to their theoretical games at the next level.

Ultimately Dillingham might be the smarter pick because if McDaniels never makes the leap to become even a decent scorer then the Wolves are basically looking at Edwards and Towns (and or Reid who is also not a guard) carrying the team on offense while hoping that when they pass to a guy in a good spot they make the play. They need or will need another perimeter player to help on offense. A truly elite young 3 point shooter would also work...Dilly might be that.

It seems clear to me Connelly was pretty locked in on trying within reason to move up to get a PG type. He may have even had a couple offers on the table. Maybe he was thinking man I could have given up less and still got Carter. Or maybe they thought there was a chance someone else they liked would fall. I actually would prefer it if he had multiple guys he really liked than just locked in on Dillingham. We got him now and hopefully he turns out to be a really good player. It's also worth thinking about what if we got someone else especially if like several other here (but not me!) you actually researched guys in this draft.

[Lipoli390]

Ok Lip you have mentioned Devin Carter enough times I decided I needed to take some time to research him some more. Sorry this is after the fact instead of leading up to the draft.

I remember liking him in the tourney I think his sophomore year but maybe it was this year. I thought he was a guy maybe we could get because while I liked him I didn't think he would go very high so we could get him with a pick we already had or move up a bit to get him. I liked him as a complimentary player not a high upside guy meaning offense. I know he did well this season statistically but it was his first year he shot the 3 well. That's a legit concern. Meanwhile I'm not sure how much of a PG he is. I think he can play the position and assists aren't the end all he all in college but he certainly didn't get a ton of them in college. He does have some aspects of his game in terms of scoring but in general I don't know if he is a guy I would expect to be a guy that gets you a bucket when it matters especially in the playoffs. I could see him being clutch but yeah. The positive is that yeah I can see him being a good defender and that is nice to have next to Edwards.

Meanwhile Dillingham is basically all the offensive upside. Shooting, crafty scoring, zipping around etc and he can pass some too. Lip has mentioned his weight just a few times. I remember when Ty Lue came out of Nebraska and was drafted by the Lakers. He was working out etc like crazy trying to bulk up to be in the league. Someone with the Lakers told him something like "we drafted you to play basketball not play linebacker". They wanted him to stay quick etc. I see an article that he did gain some weight when he was a coach and got all the way up to 241 before losing 30 pounds. I don't see anything that says he got anywhere near 200lbs as a player. He is a little shorter than Dillingham. Being that small is obviously a disadvantage and Dilly could end up putting on 20 or so pounds. Supposedly he was like 175 going into the UK season. You don't always have to look big to be strong. Some guys are wiry. It's a legit concern but there are some benefits to being that light including quickness etc. I went to college with a guy that was like 5'8" it the dude was a VERY good athlete. Just messing around playing basketball nobody could stay in front of him and that wasn't his sport he was a soccer player as he was from Brazil and had family that played there professionally. He was FAST and could change direction on a dime. I remember helping out the athletic director when he was coaching the Soccer team and he had me going 1 on 1 with players and I was doing well making it hard for people than that was even some of the other guys from south America. This dude went around me like I wasn't even there. I think that was the time in my athletic life where I felt most out of my league...before I got older and fat. lol

Regardless to me in general because we never know how these things will play out but picking Carter is more of a looking for a complimentary type guy that will not be a liability in the playoffs especially on D. That has a ton of value if they are a really good defender and can hit 3's. Derrick White would be a really good best case scenario and has cashed in on being an elite defender who can also score.

Meanwhile Dillingham is a swing for an offensive guy that can do everything at PG. Score,shoot 3's including off ball and also run and offense and pass. The question is defense. Both guys have a question and value to their theoretical games at the next level.

Ultimately Dillingham might be the smarter pick because if McDaniels never makes the leap to become even a decent scorer then the Wolves are basically looking at Edwards and Towns (and or Reid who is also not a guard) carrying the team on offense while hoping that when they pass to a guy in a good spot they make the play. They need or will need another perimeter player to help on offense. A truly elite young 3 point shooter would also work...Dilly might be that.

It seems clear to me Connelly was pretty locked in on trying within reason to move up to get a PG type. He may have even had a couple offers on the table. Maybe he was thinking man I could have given up less and still got Carter. Or maybe they thought there was a chance someone else they liked would fall. I actually would prefer it if he had multiple guys he really liked than just locked in on Dillingham. We got him now and hopefully he turns out to be a really good player. It's also worth thinking about what if we got someone else especially if like several other here (but not me!) you actually researched guys in this draft.

My point about Carter is that he is probably more NBA ready than Dilly as a Junior and having a bigger body. Even TC essentially said to Barriers that he did some second guessing of his choice relative to the other PGs they liked as trade up prospects. I’d be shocked if one of the guys he was thinking of wasn’t Devin Carter.

I’ve posted examples of highly successful NBA PGs who were similar in size to Dilly when they came to the NBA, including Allen Iverson, Trae young and Steph Curry, but there aren’t many and only Curry has turned out to be a good defender. Dilly will undoubtedly get bigger and I think he has the chance to be an all-star caliber PG who is great offensively and playable defensively. My concern is that the odds of him providing what we need from a backup PG on a championship contender, given Conley’s age, aren’t great and that Carter seems like a better near-term prospect under those circumstances. But I still see Dilly as the better long term prospect, which is why I had him just above Carter on my PG board for the Wolves.

[Monster]

Ok Lip you have mentioned Devin Carter enough times I decided I needed to take some time to research him some more. Sorry this is after the fact instead of leading up to the draft.

I remember liking him in the tourney I think his sophomore year but maybe it was this year. I thought he was a guy maybe we could get because while I liked him I didn't think he would go very high so we could get him with a pick we already had or move up a bit to get him. I liked him as a complimentary player not a high upside guy meaning offense. I know he did well this season statistically but it was his first year he shot the 3 well. That's a legit concern. Meanwhile I'm not sure how much of a PG he is. I think he can play the position and assists aren't the end all he all in college but he certainly didn't get a ton of them in college. He does have some aspects of his game in terms of scoring but in general I don't know if he is a guy I would expect to be a guy that gets you a bucket when it matters especially in the playoffs. I could see him being clutch but yeah. The positive is that yeah I can see him being a good defender and that is nice to have next to Edwards.

Meanwhile Dillingham is basically all the offensive upside. Shooting, crafty scoring, zipping around etc and he can pass some too. Lip has mentioned his weight just a few times. I remember when Ty Lue came out of Nebraska and was drafted by the Lakers. He was working out etc like crazy trying to bulk up to be in the league. Someone with the Lakers told him something like "we drafted you to play basketball not play linebacker". They wanted him to stay quick etc. I see an article that he did gain some weight when he was a coach and got all the way up to 241 before losing 30 pounds. I don't see anything that says he got anywhere near 200lbs as a player. He is a little shorter than Dillingham. Being that small is obviously a disadvantage and Dilly could end up putting on 20 or so pounds. Supposedly he was like 175 going into the UK season. You don't always have to look big to be strong. Some guys are wiry. It's a legit concern but there are some benefits to being that light including quickness etc. I went to college with a guy that was like 5'8" it the dude was a VERY good athlete. Just messing around playing basketball nobody could stay in front of him and that wasn't his sport he was a soccer player as he was from Brazil and had family that played there professionally. He was FAST and could change direction on a dime. I remember helping out the athletic director when he was coaching the Soccer team and he had me going 1 on 1 with players and I was doing well making it hard for people than that was even some of the other guys from south America. This dude went around me like I wasn't even there. I think that was the time in my athletic life where I felt most out of my league...before I got older and fat. lol

Regardless to me in general because we never know how these things will play out but picking Carter is more of a looking for a complimentary type guy that will not be a liability in the playoffs especially on D. That has a ton of value if they are a really good defender and can hit 3's. Derrick White would be a really good best case scenario and has cashed in on being an elite defender who can also score.

Meanwhile Dillingham is a swing for an offensive guy that can do everything at PG. Score,shoot 3's including off ball and also run and offense and pass. The question is defense. Both guys have a question and value to their theoretical games at the next level.

Ultimately Dillingham might be the smarter pick because if McDaniels never makes the leap to become even a decent scorer then the Wolves are basically looking at Edwards and Towns (and or Reid who is also not a guard) carrying the team on offense while hoping that when they pass to a guy in a good spot they make the play. They need or will need another perimeter player to help on offense. A truly elite young 3 point shooter would also work...Dilly might be that.

It seems clear to me Connelly was pretty locked in on trying within reason to move up to get a PG type. He may have even had a couple offers on the table. Maybe he was thinking man I could have given up less and still got Carter. Or maybe they thought there was a chance someone else they liked would fall. I actually would prefer it if he had multiple guys he really liked than just locked in on Dillingham. We got him now and hopefully he turns out to be a really good player. It's also worth thinking about what if we got someone else especially if like several other here (but not me!) you actually researched guys in this draft.

My point about Carter is that he is probably more NBA ready than Dilly as a Junior and having a bigger body. Even TC essentially said to Barriers that he did some second guessing of his choice relative to the other PGs they liked as trade up prospects. I’d be shocked if one of the guys he was thinking of wasn’t Devin Carter.

I’ve posted examples of highly successful NBA PGs who were similar in size to Dilly when they came to the NBA, including Allen Iverson, Trae young and Steph Curry, but there aren’t many and only Curry has turned out to be a good defender. Dilly will undoubtedly get bigger and I think he has the chance to be an all-star caliber PG who is great offensively and playable defensively. My concern is that the odds of him providing what we need from a backup PG on a championship contender, given Conley’s age, aren’t great and that Carter seems like a better near-term prospect under those circumstances. But I still see Dilly as the better long term prospect, which is why I had him just above Carter on my PG board for the Wolves.

I'm totally with you Lip. I'll say this if you trade up into the top 10 I think you pick a guy with more upside than Carter and again I actually agree with your line of thinking on him and Dillingham.

There are 2 realities. 1 some teams even if they are bad ones play top 10 picks right away. The Wolves are playing Dillingham right away as a bench player on a contender. The 2nd reality which Q brings up pretty often is rookies typically are a negative year one. It's also not an absolute certainty that a vet will play well in a given year or in the playoffs. Some guys just drop off. We are now riding with Dillingham and I'm here for it! Has anyone mentioned Dillingham is half Samoan?

[60WinTim]

I thought Nix had the Samoan bit…

Edit: dang, you are right! That makes his 165 lbs a whole tougher!!!