Minnesota Sports Forum

FNG wrote:I "liked" kek's post because it was creative and well thought out. And on the surface it sure looked exciting. But Q's post is spot on with respect to Turner and Zach...I like them both, but they're not right for this team.

Wait...Abe was joking with his Tyus>>>Ja post? I'm not good at picking up on sarcasm :LOL: .

Seriously though, I suspect there might be some "Tyus to Minnesota" steam this summer if Gupta can find a suitable deal for DLo (without a DLo deal, obviously we're set at PG). He's a home town boy and spends a lot of time here, and he would likely get excited about handing out dimes to KAT and Ant...both more prolific scorers than the Grizzlies he has been feeding (other than Ja when they play together). My guess is it will be difficult to move DLo though, so bringing Tyus home is a pipe dream. With Wright IV in the mix, Finchy already has 4 PGs to consider.

I'm really liking the idea of bringing in tyus for the mle. I think Dlo is plenty moveable (without having to attach a pick) for other expirings. Look at the knicks, I'm sure they would love to exchange some expiring junk for Dlo.

How about Dlo for Wiggins and a 1st?

I kid, I kid...

Q-was-here wrote:

kekgeek1 wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:Short, sweet, and to the point Kek.

I'll nit-pick a bit.

- I don't view Zach LaVine as a good fit for this team. We need high IQ defenders and spot-up shooters. Zach can certainly shoot, but I still question his overall b-ball IQ and defensive chops. Plus we already have two high usage scorers in KAT and Ant.

- Turner on paper seems like an almost ideal fit next to KAT. But, I have two concerns: 1) He's injury prone, and 2) He doesn't really fit stylistically with our high-wall/low-man defensive scheme. He's more of a drop coverage kind of guy. May be that's OK. May be we start games playing a more traditional drop scheme since KAT and Turner give us a ton of size on the interior. And then the bench comes in with Vando and Reid to play more of the scrambling style of defense.

- As I said in the playoff thread, I'm really warming up to Tyus Jones (in a serious way, not just to troll Cam and Abe that he's better than Morant!). The more I think about how this team takes the next step, I'm not sure a high-usage type PG like DLO is the way to go. This is less about being anti-DLO and more about roster construction. It's still a risk though, as the DLO-KAT combo won us a lot of games.

So I get your point on lavine (he is also having knee surgery this offseason). I will just never really complain about adding an elite scorer who is good off ball also. He is also a great rebounder for his position. His defense has improved. Still not great but its better.

The Turner thing is interesting. If I'm being honest I'm not the biggest Turner fan. The thing is I think the Wolves need an improvement next to Kat. I just don't know who that player is. Like people have mentioned Nurkic and Drummond, personally those 2 guys get played off the floor in the playoffs so I don't want to pay those guys. Collins would be a solid fit but I do think he is overpaid. Jalen Smith would be a flyer but I don't think the wolves can get him for real cheap and I don't want to pay a flyer MLE money when so many wolves extensions are up. I think Isaac from a basketball standpoint is a great fit but his off the court opinions and injury history are probably a no for this specific locker room. I just don't know who that player is to play next to Kat. It legit might be internal improvements to Vando

I'm not sure we can land the ideal big next to KAT. His name is Al Horford and we can't have him!

Even if we get the big Center that gets played off the floor in the playoffs (Drummond, Hartenstein, Turner), that doesn't mean he isn't valuable. A guy like Steven Adams is a perfect example. He was totally played off the floor against KAT, but he was a big part of Memphis's regular season success and helped them get that high seed and home court advantage to begin with. There is absolutely value to that. And he's actually been re-inserted in the lineup against Golden State recently and had some success!

I just think we need an 18-25 MPG legit big man in our tool bag. Obviously it can't be some lumbering oaf, but someone with some real skills and experience. There are a good handful of solid options out there.

LOL, Al Horford is 37 years old. That is definitely not what we need. Williams is a young buck who can play D, shoot the three, and would add to our toughness. Not a great rebounder yet, but he's only 23.

Trade:
Beasley, Balmoro and 19th, 40th and 48th picks to ORL for Jonathan Isaac and 35th pick.

Draft:
Bryce McGowens with 35th pick.

Resign:
Taurean Prince to 3 year 27 million deal
DLO to 4 year 85 million extension
Josh Okogie to vet min
Jaylen Nowell to 3 year 18 million extension
Naz Reid pick up qualifying offer making him UFA 2023

Sign:
Isiah Hartenstein to 2 year 8 mil deal

Russell / Beverley / McLaughlin
Edwards / Nowell / McGowens
McDaniels / Prince / Okogie
Isaac / Vanderbilt
Towns / Hartenstein / Reid

Some really interesting and creative ideas so far in this thread. Fun to read. I'll offer a few thoughts in response to some of those ideas:

1. I agree with Q that Zach's a bad fit for this team and I'm a big Zach fan.

2. I advocated for a Myles Turner deal last season in spite of my misgivings about his injury propensity. But after watching him mist more than half of this past season, I've given up on him. The odds are high that he won't be available for a large chunk of games if at all. That's who he is. I'll add a misgiving I've always had about him apart from his injury tendency. He's not a very good rebounder for his position and size. He's obviously an excellent rim protector, but he's surprisingly mediocre on the boards. And that's a significant weakness for a team like the Wolves that desperately needs to upgrade its rebounding.

3. I don't think Nurkic is someone who gets played off the floor in the playoffs. He's solid on both sides of the ball as a defender and a scorer. His problem, like Turner's, is his inability to stay on the floor because of injuries. But I'd still like to see us sign him as a FA for the MLE. I think it's doable and worth the risk because, as a FA, we wouldn't be giving up any assets to get him.

4. I don't think Doper's idea is crazy. I know there's some anti-DLO sentiment going around these days, but he's a talented player just entering his prime who just had a very good year as measured by advanced stats and contribution to winning. Beasley is an elite 3-point shooter who also happens to be a first-rate athlete and excellent rebounder for his position. And he's only 25 years old on a reasonable contract with only one year left and a team option after that. Very team friendly deal. Finally, let's not dismiss the 19th pick as some sort of throw-away. I think we've seen enough the past few seasons to know there's a great opportunity in the 15-30 range of an NBA draft to add really good talent that can contribute fairly soon thereafter. For example, the 2020 draft included Saddiq Bey at #19, Maxey at #21, Quickley at #25, McDaniels at #28 and Bane at #30. About half of the last 10 picks in the 2020 first round have already established themselves as anything from really good rotation players to starters progressing towards allstar status. The 2019 draft included Herro at #13, Thybulle at #20 Brandon Clarke at #21, Grant Williams at #22, Jordan Poole at #28, Keldon Johnson at #29, Kevin Porter Jr. at #30 and Nic Claxton at #31. So maybe Doper's deal is feasible. I like it, but then again I'm not sure how much better it makes us if at all.

My dream deal would be DLO and two of our 2022 2nd-round picks for a healthy Simmons. The key is a healthy Simmons. Why would I want that deal? Because he would substantially help with the team's bigger set need - rebounding. I like the idea of substantially improving our rebounding at a traditionally non-rebounding position. We'd have leeway to further upgrade our rebounding and interior size by adding a big like Hartenstein, Nurkic, Drummond or Jalen Smith via free agency. At the same time, he's improve our defense and our playmaking. I think he'd fit better than a scoring PG like DLO on this team with scorers like Edwards and Towns. OK. So why would the Nets do it? To the extent they have doubts about Simmons, which they almost certainly do, DLO would be a surer bet and would not lock them into $30+ million for multiple years like Simmons would. The two second round picks would also be valuable to a team like the Nets that needs depth but has no cap space to work with.

Even if the Nets agreed to my dream deal, I'm not sure it would work out for the Wolves. Simmons has both physical and mental issues. So I know it would be a risk. But it's the one at least remotely feasible idea that gets me excited.

KiwiMatt wrote:Trade:
Beasley, Balmoro and 19th, 40th and 48th picks to ORL for Jonathan Isaac and 35th pick.

Draft:
Bryce McGowens with 35th pick.

Resign:
Taurean Prince to 3 year 27 million deal
DLO to 4 year 85 million extension
Josh Okogie to vet min
Jaylen Nowell to 3 year 18 million extension
Naz Reid pick up qualifying offer making him UFA 2023

Sign:
Isiah Hartenstein to 2 year 8 mil deal

Russell / Beverley / McLaughlin
Edwards / Nowell / McGowens
McDaniels / Prince / Okogie
Isaac / Vanderbilt
Towns / Hartenstein / Reid

I don't think I would do that trade for Isaac but I was also thinking about the idea of trading #19 for a big from Orlando and ending up getting one of their top 2nd round picks.

I'd like to hear more about why you are targeting Bryce McGowens with the pick there. Living in Nebraska I should know more about him than I do. Lol

CoolBreeze44 wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:

kekgeek1 wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:Short, sweet, and to the point Kek.

I'll nit-pick a bit.

- I don't view Zach LaVine as a good fit for this team. We need high IQ defenders and spot-up shooters. Zach can certainly shoot, but I still question his overall b-ball IQ and defensive chops. Plus we already have two high usage scorers in KAT and Ant.

- Turner on paper seems like an almost ideal fit next to KAT. But, I have two concerns: 1) He's injury prone, and 2) He doesn't really fit stylistically with our high-wall/low-man defensive scheme. He's more of a drop coverage kind of guy. May be that's OK. May be we start games playing a more traditional drop scheme since KAT and Turner give us a ton of size on the interior. And then the bench comes in with Vando and Reid to play more of the scrambling style of defense.

- As I said in the playoff thread, I'm really warming up to Tyus Jones (in a serious way, not just to troll Cam and Abe that he's better than Morant!). The more I think about how this team takes the next step, I'm not sure a high-usage type PG like DLO is the way to go. This is less about being anti-DLO and more about roster construction. It's still a risk though, as the DLO-KAT combo won us a lot of games.

So I get your point on lavine (he is also having knee surgery this offseason). I will just never really complain about adding an elite scorer who is good off ball also. He is also a great rebounder for his position. His defense has improved. Still not great but its better.

The Turner thing is interesting. If I'm being honest I'm not the biggest Turner fan. The thing is I think the Wolves need an improvement next to Kat. I just don't know who that player is. Like people have mentioned Nurkic and Drummond, personally those 2 guys get played off the floor in the playoffs so I don't want to pay those guys. Collins would be a solid fit but I do think he is overpaid. Jalen Smith would be a flyer but I don't think the wolves can get him for real cheap and I don't want to pay a flyer MLE money when so many wolves extensions are up. I think Isaac from a basketball standpoint is a great fit but his off the court opinions and injury history are probably a no for this specific locker room. I just don't know who that player is to play next to Kat. It legit might be internal improvements to Vando

I'm not sure we can land the ideal big next to KAT. His name is Al Horford and we can't have him!

Even if we get the big Center that gets played off the floor in the playoffs (Drummond, Hartenstein, Turner), that doesn't mean he isn't valuable. A guy like Steven Adams is a perfect example. He was totally played off the floor against KAT, but he was a big part of Memphis's regular season success and helped them get that high seed and home court advantage to begin with. There is absolutely value to that. And he's actually been re-inserted in the lineup against Golden State recently and had some success!

I just think we need an 18-25 MPG legit big man in our tool bag. Obviously it can't be some lumbering oaf, but someone with some real skills and experience. There are a good handful of solid options out there.

LOL, Al Horford is 37 years old. That is definitely not what we need. Williams is a young buck who can play D, shoot the three, and would add to our toughness. Not a great rebounder yet, but he's only 23.

I would not hold my breath on Williams becoming a good rebounder. Part of that is he is simply undersized. I think he would be a good target though but I'm not sure what the Wolves would offer that is going to make the Celtics bite.

I wouldn't consider some of these "dream" off-seasons, respectfully. I believe D'Angelo Russell would indeed be easy to move if the Timberwolves chose to do so, especially as an expiring contract. However, what would the return for him be that objectively makes them a better team? Personally, I don't see it, and I think he is far more valuable to this team than any other. In general, I have little interest in breaking up the nucleus of this team after their 46-win season. We're heading in the right direction as is.

I also don't see how giving mid-level money (or more) to a below average starting point guard option in Tyus Jones actually boosts this team in any aspect. That would be a mistake. And while I think the Wolves have to make at least one addition to the frontcourt, I think they need to be very precise in who that player is with regards to age, contract, and team fit. For instance, I think Myles Turner is a quality big in this league, but I no longer think he'd be a great fit in Minnesota for a handful of reasons.

I think my "dream" scenario would unfold as follows:

- Minnesota trades G Malik Beasley and the No. 19 overall pick to Orlando for F Jonathan Isaac and the No. 35 overall pick.

- Minnesota trades the No. 35 (via Orlando via Indiana) and No. 40 overall picks to Milwaukee for the No. 24 overall pick -- 1030/930 value, respectively, according to Kevin Pelton's draft pick trade value chart.

- Minnesota selects one of the following with the No. 24 overall pick (via Milwaukee): Duke G/F Wendell Moore Jr., Ohio State F E.J. Liddell, or Marquette F Justin Lewis.

- Minnesota selects Fortitudo Bologna G/F Gabriele Procida with the No. 50 overall pick (via Denver) with the intent to let him continue developing in Italy.

- Minnesota signs free agent C Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $21-million deal (UFA in 2025).

- Minnesota signs free agent G/F Danuel House to a one-year, $1.5-million deal (UFA in 2023).

- Minnesota re-signs F Taurean Prince to a two-year, $18-million deal (UFA in 2024).

- Minnesota re-signs G McKinley Wright on a two-way deal.

- Minnesota exercises team options on G Jaylen Nowell and C Naz Reid for the 2022-23 season. Both players would be unrestricted free agents in 2023.

- Minnesota signs C Karl-Anthony Towns to a four-year, $210.9-million super-max extension (UFA in 2028).

- Jonathan Isaac's contract has $52.2-million remaining over the next three seasons. He has $16-million guaranteed in 2022-23, $7.6-million guaranteed in 2023-24, and zero guaranteed money in 2024-25.

Proposed Depth Chart:

1: Patrick Beverley / Jordan McLaughlin / McKinley Wright
2: D'Angelo Russell / Jaylen Nowell / Wendell Moore Jr. / Leandro Bolmaro
3: Anthony Edwards / Jaden McDaniels / Taurean Prince / Danuel House
4: Jonathan Isaac / Jarred Vanderbilt
5: Karl-Anthony Towns / Isaiah Hartenstein / Naz Reid

In my off-season, the Timberwolves would have kept the nucleus of the team together, bolstered their frontcourt, and improved their second unit across the board. They'd remain approximately $10-million below the luxury tax threshold and would once again be positioned to challenge for a top-six seed in the Western Conference next season.

Nice Cam

Camden wrote:I wouldn't consider some of these "dream" off-seasons, respectfully. I believe D'Angelo Russell would indeed be easy to move if the Timberwolves chose to do so, especially as an expiring contract. However, what would the return for him be that objectively makes them a better team? Personally, I don't see it, and I think he is far more valuable to this team than any other. In general, I have little interest in breaking up the nucleus of this team after their 46-win season. We're heading in the right direction as is.

I also don't see how giving mid-level money (or more) to a below average starting point guard option in Tyus Jones actually boosts this team in any aspect. That would be a mistake. And while I think the Wolves have to make at least one addition to the frontcourt, I think they need to be very precise in who that player is with regards to age, contract, and team fit. For instance, I think Myles Turner is a quality big in this league, but I no longer think he'd be a great fit in Minnesota for a handful of reasons.

I think my "dream" scenario would unfold as follows:

- Minnesota trades G Malik Beasley and the No. 19 overall pick to Orlando for F Jonathan Isaac and the No. 35 overall pick.

- Minnesota trades the No. 35 (via Orlando via Indiana) and No. 40 overall picks to Milwaukee for the No. 24 overall pick -- 1030/930 value, respectively, according to Kevin Pelton's draft pick trade value chart.

- Minnesota selects one of the following with the No. 24 overall pick (via Milwaukee): Duke G/F Wendell Moore Jr., Ohio State F E.J. Liddell, or Marquette F Justin Lewis.

- Minnesota selects Fortitudo Bologna G/F Gabriele Procida with the No. 50 overall pick (via Denver) with the intent to let him continue developing in Italy.

- Minnesota signs free agent C Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $21-million deal (UFA in 2025).

- Minnesota signs free agent G/F Danuel House to a one-year, $1.5-million deal (UFA in 2023).

- Minnesota re-signs F Taurean Prince to a two-year, $18-million deal (UFA in 2024).

- Minnesota re-signs G McKinley Wright on a two-way deal.

- Minnesota exercises team options on G Jaylen Nowell and C Naz Reid for the 2022-23 season. Both players would be unrestricted free agents in 2023.

- Minnesota signs C Karl-Anthony Towns to a four-year, $210.9-million super-max extension (UFA in 2028).

- Jonathan Isaac's contract has $52.2-million remaining over the next three seasons. He has $16-million guaranteed in 2022-23, $7.6-million guaranteed in 2023-24, and zero guaranteed money in 2024-25.

Proposed Depth Chart:

1: Patrick Beverley / Jordan McLaughlin / McKinley Wright
2: D'Angelo Russell / Jaylen Nowell / Wendell Moore Jr. / Leandro Bolmaro
3: Anthony Edwards / Jaden McDaniels / Taurean Prince / Danuel House
4: Jonathan Isaac / Jarred Vanderbilt
5: Karl-Anthony Towns / Isaiah Hartenstein / Naz Reid

In my off-season, the Timberwolves would have kept the nucleus of the team together, bolstered their frontcourt, and improved their second unit across the board. They'd remain approximately $10-million below the luxury tax threshold and would once again be positioned to challenge for a top-six seed in the Western Conference next season.

If we are going dream scenario I also want to extend Russell for something like a 3 years 45 million.