Letting NAZ Walk...

[rapsuperstar31]

All good points! Well, except for the part about keeping both Randle and NAZ...

Q - I especially like adding Looney with a portion of the MLE, which probably means letting Garza go if we do in fact draft 2 bigs.

I just want to add that this whole Bones thing is flying under the radar. If you skip the first 30 seconds, here is 10 minutes of Bones dropping dimes in the NBA.

https://x.com/BonesGotBizzy/status/1928565979472113832

We can get a Looney level player in the draft, by taking Sorber at 17 at about 4 million dollars.

[rapsuperstar31]

I think best case scenario is Randle and Naz both opt into their contracts. I wouldn't extend Randle but I would look at extending Naz off of his opt in which you could max out at 4/87 million. There isn't much money in free agency this summer, and it's almost impossible for apron teams to perform sign and trades. There is a lot of money in free agency in 2026 so both players might want to bet on themselves that they can get a huge raise next summer. Both players would be salary slots that you could make another move such as a trade right away this summer with Randle or in the future. Randle and Donte for a player, Randle and Mike for a player.

[rapsuperstar31]

Naz is extension eligible at like 21 mill per or something from us which is a really fair deal for him and us, So unless some team (Brooklyn) is completely idiotic and wants to pay Naz 25 mill plus and use up all their cap space then him resigning is pretty much guaranteed.

At the very least you use Naz as a sign and trade in a Durant type of deal (Ju and Naz for Durant). I don't see a scenario where him walking makes any sense, again barring a crazy overpay by one of the couple teams with decent cap room. Use it all n a backup/potential starter? I think he was even ranked 17th in FA list. So be real here, there are 16 guys I could see Brooklyn probably going after instead.

Maybe Brooklyn themselves want to be cheap and potentially make more money that way. Not even use their cap space this year. If you're not close why spend the dough? Honestly I wouldn't until I get that game changing superstar then you start going up to and over the cap to contend.

Sounds like teams are going hard at 26 year old Claxton and his 25 million salary this summer for draft picks. If they do get rid of a 26 year old center for draft picks, I don't see them going after another 26 year old center for more money. Brooklyn really should take on bad salary and accumulate draft picks.

[60WinTim]

I think best case scenario is Randle and Naz both opt into their contracts. I wouldn't extend Randle but I would look at extending Naz off of his opt in which you could max out at 4/87 million. There isn't much money in free agency this summer, and it's almost impossible for apron teams to perform sign and trades. There is a lot of money in free agency in 2026 so both players might want to bet on themselves that they can get a huge raise next summer. Both players would be salary slots that you could make another move such as a trade right away this summer with Randle or in the future. Randle and Donte for a player, Randle and Mike for a player.

Yeah, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. And we ought to know who the Wolves value the most with which one gets an extension. Well, unless they extend both of them, or neither of them -- then we still won't know!

The sequence is pretty plain, too. First comes the draft - do we stock up on bigs? Then comes the Randle player option. And the next day, the NAZ player option. After that, we will have a good idea what the Wolves might be looking for in free agency, if anything.

One thing we have learned, TC likes to get his ducks in a row earlier than later.

[Lipoli390]

Letting Naz walk would be really dumb and a major organizational failure. You don’t list a 25-year old proven talent like Naz who’s been with your organization from the beginning just walk out the door with nothing in return. Buzz around the League is that both Julius and Naz will decline their options by the June 30 deadline. That makes sense given how much they can potentially make in the open market on long term deals. There’s a chance that one or both could sign an extension. Naz is eligible for an extension starting at around $19.5M. It’s highly unlikely he’d agree to that since his market value is probably significantly higher. Julius is eligible for an 4-year $184.4M extension. It would be insane for the Wolves to offer him anything close to that, but it would probably be easy to come to an agreement on a 4-year deal averaging around $35M per year. I don’t think Randle take much less than that.

If they both decline their options and do not reach agreement on extensions, then Wolves will be able to make choices with the following options that keep the team below the 2nd apron threshold:

1. Let both walk, leaving team with payroll (current 11 players excluding NAW) of about $147.5 (below $154M salary cap)

2. Let one walk and sign the other as FA to multi-year deal starting around $25-30M per/yr, leaving team with payroll (current 12 players excluding NAW) of about $177M (below $188M luxury tax threshold.

3. Sign both as FAs to multi-year deals starting at up to about $27 per/yr, leaving team payroll (current 13 players excluding NAW) at about $202M (above 1st apron but a little below the $207 2nd apron).

4. Sign-and-trade one and sign-and-keep the other

5. Sign-and-trade both.

My sense is that the Wolves will seek to sign both as free agents to contracts that keep the Wolves under the second apron. That would mean letting NAW walk but it is otherwise doable based on what I consider the market value of both and Randle’s desire to stay here. However, I don’t think Naz will return if Randle is back because it would mean resigning himself to a bench role again and I don’t think he’ll be willing to do that. So I think the Wolves will be forced to choose one or the other and I think they’ll have that choice because neither player is likely exercise their option.

I’m not sure who the Wolves will choose but I’m certain they won’t let both walk. If it were up to me, I’d sign Naz at what would probably be the market rate plus a slight home-team discount if he knows he’ll be starting PF (meaning Randle is gone). I’m guessing that slightly discounted market rate would start at around $25M per year. I’d attempt to do a sign-and-trade with Randle that would bring in a backup big for Rudy or picks. I would not offer any of our picks or young guys other than Minott in the deal. And I would not make any offer for Durant.

My guess is that the Wolves will choose Randle over Naz. I suspect they’ll sign-and-trade Naz for Kevin Durant, Derrick White or someone else.

There you have my prediction, which will likely be completely wrong.

[rapsuperstar31]

Letting Naz walk would be really dumb and a major organizational failure. You don’t list a 25-year old proven talent like Naz who’s been with your organization from the beginning just walk out the door with nothing in return. Buzz around the League is that both Julius and Naz will decline their options by the June 30 deadline. That makes sense given how much they can potentially make in the open market on long term deals. There’s a chance that one or both could sign an extension. Naz is eligible for an extension starting at around $19.5M. It’s highly unlikely he’d agree to that since his market value is probably significantly higher. Julius is eligible for an 4-year $184.4M extension. It would be insane for the Wolves to offer him anything close to that, but it would probably be easy to come to an agreement on a 4-year deal averaging around $35M per year. I don’t think Randle take much less than that.

If they both decline their options and do not reach agreement on extensions, then Wolves will be able to make choices with the following options that keep the team below the 2nd apron threshold:

1. Let both walk, leaving team with payroll (current 11 players excluding NAW) of about $147.5 (below $154M salary cap)

2. Let one walk and sign the other as FA to multi-year deal starting around $25-30M per/yr, leaving team with payroll (current 12 players excluding NAW) of about $177M (below $188M luxury tax threshold.

3. Sign both as FAs to multi-year deals starting at up to about $27 per/yr, leaving team payroll (current 13 players excluding NAW) at about $202M (above 1st apron but a little below the $207 2nd apron).

4. Sign-and-trade one and sign-and-keep the other

5. Sign-and-trade both.

My sense is that the Wolves will seek to sign both as free agents to contracts that keep the Wolves under the second apron. That would mean letting NAW walk but it is otherwise doable based on what I consider the market value of both and Randle’s desire to stay here. However, I don’t think Naz will return if Randle is back because it would mean resigning himself to a bench role again and I don’t think he’ll be willing to do that. So I think the Wolves will be forced to choose one or the other and I think they’ll have that choice because neither player is likely exercise their option.

I’m not sure who the Wolves will choose but I’m certain they won’t let both walk. If it were up to me, I’d sign Naz at what would probably be the market rate plus a slight home-team discount if he knows he’ll be starting PF (meaning Randle is gone). I’m guessing that slightly discounted market rate would start at around $25M per year. I’d attempt to do a sign-and-trade with Randle that would bring in a backup big for Rudy or picks. I would not offer any of our picks or young guys other than Minott in the deal. And I would not make any offer for Durant.

My guess is that the Wolves will choose Randle over Naz. I suspect they’ll sign-and-trade Naz for Kevin Durant, Derrick White or someone else.

There you have my prediction, which will likely be completely wrong.

The tax aprons make sign and trades difficult. Boston can't perform a sign and trade unless the result of the sign and trade puts them under the 1st apron. Boston is currently in the 2nd apron to start free agency, so a sign and trade for Naz would be difficult for them to do. As far as performing a sign and trade, you can only get half of the salary back if in the luxury tax so since White makes 28 million next year, Boston would have to sign Naz to a starting salary of 56 million, and would than have to send out a lot more salary to a team like Brooklyn to eat up salary cap space. Phoenix in the 2nd apron cant do a sign a trade at all either. If Phoenix can first move Beal to Brooklyn to get under the tax aprons, than they can do a sign and trade but again the result of the sign and trade cant put them into the 1st apron. There are at least 15 teams near the 1st apron that wouldn't be able to do a sign and trade for Naz without making another move since it would put them over the apron. Brooklyn is really the only team with cap space to take on bad contracts from a team. What is Naz or Randle worth to a team to sign and trade them? Because the cap space of Brooklyn is going to have a huge cost maybe 2 firsts for a team to take advantage since it would be a bidding war for that cap relief.

[60WinTim]

This thread was made under the assumption that Randle signs an extension. But you added a nice little wrinkle -- what if BOTH players opt out.

That would really help the Wolves if both NAZ and Randle did not pick up their player options, because it would put the Wolves a bit more in the drivers seat as to how they want to proceed.

[BloopOracle]

I'm shocked that Randle is leaning towards opting out, where is the money going to come from?

[Q-is-here]

Here are the bigs the "final four" teams have utilized as part of their core rotation, meaning they play every game and not just spot minutes:

OKC - Hartenstein and Holmgren

MN - Rudy, Randle, and Naz

Ind - Turner, Siakam, and Toppin

NYK - KAT and Robinson

My issue is how much of our cap space should be allocated to those three bigs, which ultimately proved to be flawed when we got to OKC?

Bottom line is I absolutely do not want to start next season with $90+ million tied up in three bigs. May be we retain one of Naz or Randle (I'd prefer Naz) and then go and get a cheaper backup Center, of which there will be multiple available. Whatever functionality we lose in Naz (shooting) or Randle (scoring and play making) needs to be transferred to perimeter guard and wing players like Shannon, Dillingham, and/or a more prominent name we trade for.

[Coolbreeze44]

I think best case scenario is Randle and Naz both opt into their contracts. I wouldn't extend Randle but I would look at extending Naz off of his opt in which you could max out at 4/87 million. There isn't much money in free agency this summer, and it's almost impossible for apron teams to perform sign and trades. There is a lot of money in free agency in 2026 so both players might want to bet on themselves that they can get a huge raise next summer. Both players would be salary slots that you could make another move such as a trade right away this summer with Randle or in the future. Randle and Donte for a player, Randle and Mike for a player.

This