Minnesota Sports Forum

khans2k5 wrote:Isaac would be a great fit, but you can't trade the value of that high first round pick for a guy who's coming up on his second deal. If you could get it done for the later pick and anyone not named Towns or Russell it's worth it, but I don't see Orlando doing that. Isaac seems to be tailor made defensively for this new modern NBA.

IF Isaac could stay healthy I'd trade the pick for him even if we had to pay him soon. It's possible he is pretty special defensively. Like you said the I don't think the magic are gonna be interested in moving him everything I had head a few months ago they were really high in him. They would probably ask if we were interested in Aaron Gordon instead. Lol

monsterpile wrote:

khans2k5 wrote:Isaac would be a great fit, but you can't trade the value of that high first round pick for a guy who's coming up on his second deal. If you could get it done for the later pick and anyone not named Towns or Russell it's worth it, but I don't see Orlando doing that. Isaac seems to be tailor made defensively for this new modern NBA.

IF Isaac could stay healthy I'd trade the pick for him even if we had to pay him soon. It's possible he is pretty special defensively. Like you said the I don't think the magic are gonna be interested in moving him everything I had head a few months ago they were really high in him. They would probably ask if we were interested in Aaron Gordon instead. Lol

Can Issac stay healthy? He's had too much trouble staying healthy for me to trade our lottery pick to get him. Of course it depends on where the Wolves pick and who's available when they're on the clock.

The Wolves core currently consists of KAT, Russell and Beasley. Only one of those three was drafted by the Wolves. At some point this franchise has to hit on another pick or two if they're going to be a a contender.

For all we know, they might have hit pay dirt in last year's draft with Culver. He showed flashes of elite play last season. The Wolves will have a top 6 pick, the 16th pick and the 33rd pick in this year's draft. Rosas isn't going to fleece another team in a trade that brings in a young all star. He and his front office team need to step up this draft and land a future all star. They only need one of their 3 picks to pan out since they already have KAT and Russell.

The Warriors drafted Curry at #7, Thompson at #11 and Green at #35. All three ended up better NBA players than they were projected to be coming out of college. So people can call this year's draft a weak one. It doesn't matter. There will be several all star caliber players drafted this year. Rosas needs to draft one of them.

lipoli390 wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

khans2k5 wrote:Isaac would be a great fit, but you can't trade the value of that high first round pick for a guy who's coming up on his second deal. If you could get it done for the later pick and anyone not named Towns or Russell it's worth it, but I don't see Orlando doing that. Isaac seems to be tailor made defensively for this new modern NBA.

IF Isaac could stay healthy I'd trade the pick for him even if we had to pay him soon. It's possible he is pretty special defensively. Like you said the I don't think the magic are gonna be interested in moving him everything I had head a few months ago they were really high in him. They would probably ask if we were interested in Aaron Gordon instead. Lol

Can Issac stay healthy? He's had too much trouble staying healthy for me to trade our lottery pick to get him. Of course it depends on where the Wolves pick and who's available when they're on the clock.

The Wolves core currently consists of KAT, Russell and Beasley. Only one of those three was drafted by the Wolves. At some point this franchise has to hit on another pick or two if they're going to be a a contender.

For all we know, they might have hit pay dirt in last year's draft with Culver. He showed flashes of elite play last season. The Wolves will have a top 6 pick, the 16th pick and the 33rd pick in this year's draft. Rosas isn't going to fleece another team in a trade that brings in a young all star. He and his front office team need to step up this draft and land a future all star. They only need one of their 3 picks to pan out since they already have KAT and Russell.

The Warriors drafted Curry at #7, Thompson at #11 and Green at #35. All three ended up better NBA players than they were projected to be coming out of college. So people can call this year's draft a weak one. It doesn't matter. There will be several all star caliber players drafted this year. Rosas needs to draft one of them.

Wolves are in a weird spot because in general I am with you that you have to keep drafting because to win a title we are going to need another stud and obviously the best way to get a stud for the Wolves is through the draft. I am just worried that this draft is full of good solid role players at best and not top tier talent. (I do think Edwards could be a stud even though I have concerns about his game). Im just saying the wolves have 2 max players currently where one is an All NBA player and one that has made an all star game. I just think it is time to start winning and putting proven players around them (hopefully young).

Im all for trying to add Isaac if that was possible (I know Im in the minority but I would trade for Aaron Gordon also). We need to start making the playoffs or Kat will want out. Also after this draft the Wolves can't trade a 1st round pick until 2024 so how valuable is a 2024 1st round pick to teams to add legit NBA talent.

Once again I understand that we disagree on philosophy here, I just don't think there is a rookie in this draft that helps us start winning right away and I think we need to start winning.

You bring up the warriors what is fair but the defending NBA champs had one guy who was drafted in their starting 5 who was drafted by the Raptors. And they used a 8 man rotation in the playoffs and 6 of the 8 weren't drafted by the Raptors (FVF was undrafted but found by the Raptors). Just many ways to win a title

*This is the 1st year since 2013 (Bennett, Oldipo, Porter, Giannis, etc..) I would of traded our picks because on paper the prospects don't seem to have all star potential.

The wolves can end up anywhere between 1-7. My top 7 prospects at the moment for the wolves are.

1) Edwards
2) Halliburton
3) Ball
4) Hayes
5) Avadji
6) Vassely
7) POKUSEVSKI

Honorable mentions: Cole Anthony, Toppin, Nesmith, RJ Hampton

Anyone interested in trading our second and third picks for a vet?

kekgeek1 wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

khans2k5 wrote:Isaac would be a great fit, but you can't trade the value of that high first round pick for a guy who's coming up on his second deal. If you could get it done for the later pick and anyone not named Towns or Russell it's worth it, but I don't see Orlando doing that. Isaac seems to be tailor made defensively for this new modern NBA.

IF Isaac could stay healthy I'd trade the pick for him even if we had to pay him soon. It's possible he is pretty special defensively. Like you said the I don't think the magic are gonna be interested in moving him everything I had head a few months ago they were really high in him. They would probably ask if we were interested in Aaron Gordon instead. Lol

Can Issac stay healthy? He's had too much trouble staying healthy for me to trade our lottery pick to get him. Of course it depends on where the Wolves pick and who's available when they're on the clock.

The Wolves core currently consists of KAT, Russell and Beasley. Only one of those three was drafted by the Wolves. At some point this franchise has to hit on another pick or two if they're going to be a a contender.

For all we know, they might have hit pay dirt in last year's draft with Culver. He showed flashes of elite play last season. The Wolves will have a top 6 pick, the 16th pick and the 33rd pick in this year's draft. Rosas isn't going to fleece another team in a trade that brings in a young all star. He and his front office team need to step up this draft and land a future all star. They only need one of their 3 picks to pan out since they already have KAT and Russell.

The Warriors drafted Curry at #7, Thompson at #11 and Green at #35. All three ended up better NBA players than they were projected to be coming out of college. So people can call this year's draft a weak one. It doesn't matter. There will be several all star caliber players drafted this year. Rosas needs to draft one of them.

Wolves are in a weird spot because in general I am with you that you have to keep drafting because to win a title we are going to need another stud and obviously the best way to get a stud for the Wolves is through the draft. I am just worried that this draft is full of good solid role players at best and not top tier talent. (I do think Edwards could be a stud even though I have concerns about his game). Im just saying the wolves have 2 max players currently where one is an All NBA player and one that has made an all star game. I just think it is time to start winning and putting proven players around them (hopefully young).

Im all for trying to add Isaac if that was possible (I know Im in the minority but I would trade for Aaron Gordon also). We need to start making the playoffs or Kat will want out. Also after this draft the Wolves can't trade a 1st round pick until 2024 so how valuable is a 2024 1st round pick to teams to add legit NBA talent.

Once again I understand that we disagree on philosophy here, I just don't think there is a rookie in this draft that helps us start winning right away and I think we need to start winning.

You bring up the warriors what is fair but the defending NBA champs had one guy who was drafted in their starting 5 who was drafted by the Raptors. And they used a 8 man rotation in the playoffs and 6 of the 8 weren't drafted by the Raptors (FVF was undrafted but found by the Raptors). Just many ways to win a title

*This is the 1st year since 2013 (Bennett, Oldipo, Porter, Giannis, etc..) I would of traded our picks because on paper the prospects don't seem to have all star potential.

You make some good points, kek. The problem is that we already have two max players and we've already traded away our 1st and 2nd round picks next season. The good news is that our two core guys are both young, with DLO locked in for 3 more seasons and KAT locked up for 4. So we still have some time to ramp up. But we don't have the luxury of taking on more big contracts and losing more draft picks that add to the team's talent while promoting sustainability on team-friendly rookie deals.

We had the 3rd worst record last season and it's hard to know how good this team can be with our new guys acquired before the trade deadline. In my view, we need to see how good this team is with our two core guys (and Beasley if we keep him) before making any major moves. That doesn't mean we shouldn't trade Culver or even two of our three picks this year. I'd at least keep one of those picks, but I'd prefer to keep at least two, especially the top pick, and see how well the team does as currently constituted. I honestly believe this team (as is) with KAT, DLO, Beasley, Okogie, Culver, Johnson, Reid, JMac, Layman as the main rotation players is good enough to compete for a playoff spot next season if healthy. I think there are players in this draft who can help right away as 3-point shooters and/or defenders. I believe that Okongwu, who fits a critical defensive need for the Wolves, can help right away and will be better in his 2nd season than anyone we're realistically able to trade for this off-season. There are no obvious allstars in this draft, but there will be allstars from this draft.

If we do trade two of our current picks along with Culver, I can see the argument for going after Isaac. But his inability to stay healthy and still raw game would cause me to avoid that deal if it were offered. Myles Turner is another story. He's a proven borderline allstar who would fill a team need. But I'm not sure how much I'd give up for him. I'm tired of teams fleecing the Wolves and I don't see a realistic deal for Turner that I'd like. I just don't see a realistic deal out there that would be worth further depleting the Wolves already depleted draft coffers.

So step up, Rosas! Show that you and the front office team you've assembled can evaluate draft talent on par with the Spurs, Thunder, Jazz and Warriors. McHale and Flip nabbed KG at #5 when no other teams had him rated that high. And all they had to go on was his high school record and an in-person workout. Can Rosas at least be as good evaluating draft talent as Kevin McHale? Is that too much to ask? :)

lipoli390 wrote:

kekgeek1 wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

khans2k5 wrote:Isaac would be a great fit, but you can't trade the value of that high first round pick for a guy who's coming up on his second deal. If you could get it done for the later pick and anyone not named Towns or Russell it's worth it, but I don't see Orlando doing that. Isaac seems to be tailor made defensively for this new modern NBA.

IF Isaac could stay healthy I'd trade the pick for him even if we had to pay him soon. It's possible he is pretty special defensively. Like you said the I don't think the magic are gonna be interested in moving him everything I had head a few months ago they were really high in him. They would probably ask if we were interested in Aaron Gordon instead. Lol

Can Issac stay healthy? He's had too much trouble staying healthy for me to trade our lottery pick to get him. Of course it depends on where the Wolves pick and who's available when they're on the clock.

The Wolves core currently consists of KAT, Russell and Beasley. Only one of those three was drafted by the Wolves. At some point this franchise has to hit on another pick or two if they're going to be a a contender.

For all we know, they might have hit pay dirt in last year's draft with Culver. He showed flashes of elite play last season. The Wolves will have a top 6 pick, the 16th pick and the 33rd pick in this year's draft. Rosas isn't going to fleece another team in a trade that brings in a young all star. He and his front office team need to step up this draft and land a future all star. They only need one of their 3 picks to pan out since they already have KAT and Russell.

The Warriors drafted Curry at #7, Thompson at #11 and Green at #35. All three ended up better NBA players than they were projected to be coming out of college. So people can call this year's draft a weak one. It doesn't matter. There will be several all star caliber players drafted this year. Rosas needs to draft one of them.

Wolves are in a weird spot because in general I am with you that you have to keep drafting because to win a title we are going to need another stud and obviously the best way to get a stud for the Wolves is through the draft. I am just worried that this draft is full of good solid role players at best and not top tier talent. (I do think Edwards could be a stud even though I have concerns about his game). Im just saying the wolves have 2 max players currently where one is an All NBA player and one that has made an all star game. I just think it is time to start winning and putting proven players around them (hopefully young).

Im all for trying to add Isaac if that was possible (I know Im in the minority but I would trade for Aaron Gordon also). We need to start making the playoffs or Kat will want out. Also after this draft the Wolves can't trade a 1st round pick until 2024 so how valuable is a 2024 1st round pick to teams to add legit NBA talent.

Once again I understand that we disagree on philosophy here, I just don't think there is a rookie in this draft that helps us start winning right away and I think we need to start winning.

You bring up the warriors what is fair but the defending NBA champs had one guy who was drafted in their starting 5 who was drafted by the Raptors. And they used a 8 man rotation in the playoffs and 6 of the 8 weren't drafted by the Raptors (FVF was undrafted but found by the Raptors). Just many ways to win a title

*This is the 1st year since 2013 (Bennett, Oldipo, Porter, Giannis, etc..) I would of traded our picks because on paper the prospects don't seem to have all star potential.

You make some good points, kek. The problem is that we already have two max players and we've already traded away our 1st and 2nd round picks next season. The good news is that our two core guys are both young, with DLO locked in for 3 more seasons and KAT locked up for 4. So we still have some time to ramp up. But we don't have the luxury of taking on more big contracts and losing more draft picks that add to the team's talent while promoting sustainability on team-friendly rookie deals.

We had the 3rd worst record last season and it's hard to know how good this team can be with our new guys acquired before the trade deadline. In my view, we need to see how good this team is with our two core guys (and Beasley if we keep him) before making any major moves. That doesn't mean we shouldn't trade Culver or even two of our three picks this year. I'd at least keep one of those picks, but I'd prefer to keep at least two, especially the top pick, and see how well the team does as currently constituted. I honestly believe this team (as is) with KAT, DLO, Beasley, Okogie, Culver, Johnson, Reid, JMac, Layman as the main rotation players is good enough to compete for a playoff spot next season if healthy. I think there are players in this draft who can help right away as 3-point shooters and/or defenders. I believe that Okongwu, who fits a critical defensive need for the Wolves, can help right away and will be better in his 2nd season than anyone we're realistically able to trade for this off-season. There are no obvious allstars in this draft, but there will be allstars from this draft.

If we do trade two of our current picks along with Culver, I can see the argument for going after Isaac. But his inability to stay healthy and still raw game would cause me to avoid that deal if it were offered. Myles Turner is another story. He's a proven borderline allstar who would fill a team need. But I'm not sure how much I'd give up for him. I'm tired of teams fleecing the Wolves and I don't see a realistic deal for Turner that I'd like. I just don't see a realistic deal out there that would be worth further depleting the Wolves already depleted draft coffers.

So step up, Rosas! Show that you and the front office team you've assembled can evaluate draft talent on par with the Spurs, Thunder, Jazz and Warriors. McHale and Flip nabbed KG at #5 when no other teams had him rated that high. And all they had to go on was his high school record and an in-person workout. Can Rosas at least be as good evaluating draft talent as Kevin McHale? Is that too much to ask? :)

What Rosas need to be able to do is get the most out of the resources he has. That could be drafting or signing guys or trading picks to get players. He Actually already traded a pick to get Beasley. We don't have to hit on a future hall of famer or even a perennial all star just got some guys that are legitimately pretty good basketball players and help this roster and also give you ammo If an opportunity presents itself to go out and get another really good player.

Lip I'd be interesting in hearing why you say Myles Turner is a near All-star player. I like him but...I don't see that. I'd guess he would cost less in a trade than Issac though...I would guess he is attainable but maybe not. If we got Turner we better get a SF that can rebound right?!? lol :)

kekgeek1 wrote:The wolves can end up anywhere between 1-7. My top 7 prospects at the moment for the wolves are.

1) Edwards
2) Halliburton
3) Ball
4) Hayes
5) Avadji
6) Vassely
7) POKUSEVSKI

Honorable mentions: Cole Anthony, Toppin, Nesmith, RJ Hampton

No Wiseman? How come?

Also, why do you like Hayes so much? I have trouble seeing any serious potential in a PG that only uses one hand.

lipoli390 wrote:

kekgeek1 wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

TheFuture wrote:Getting back to draft talk:

Thoughts on Deni Avdija and Aleksej Pokusevski? Talent/potential, fit with our team, and where you'd take them?

I really like Deni. He has PG skills in a 6'9, 220 pound body. Like LaMelo Ball, his shooting is a question mark based on his shooting percentages. But his form looks good and he's still only 19 years old, so I can seen his shooting coming around. I'd say the same for LaMello. What I really love about Deni are his basketball IQ, which is super high, his defense and his toughness. He's a really smart player with a great feel for the game and he's a tough, aggressive defender. He has a lot of toughness and swagger. I've watched all the video I could find on him and love watching him play. My favorite is the video of him and Mike Schmitz reviewing film on Deni. I highly recommend that video because it really highlights Deni's tremendous basketball IQ. Deni and Okongwu are my two favorites for the Wolves right now if Edwards and Ball aren't available when the Wolves pick. I'm still not sure where Wiseman will end up on my draft board for the Wolves. Right now, I'm concerned about reports questioning his competitiveness and love of the game.

Doesn't remind you of a more athletic Saric. I know it might be a lazy comp being both Euro small ball bigs probably in their NBA career. But his shooting really worries me are we really going to draft another guy who just can't shoot and his FT percentage is bad also what worries me. I like the talent of Avdija but I dont know if the wolves are really afford to draft a guy who is a complete project with his shot for the 3rd straight year. If the Wolves do draft him though I won't be extremely upset.

I don't see the Saric comparison. Deni is a MUCH better ball-handler, passer and overall playmaker. He's a PG in a PF's body. Saric was a PF in a PF's body. He was actually a better shooter than Deni is right now, but Deni's only 19 years old and has good shooting form and a great work ethic. So I think he'll improve a lot in that area, although it's definitely a legitimate concern. It's particularly concerning after drafting Culver last season. But my gut tells me Deni's shot will develop quickly and that he'll be a very good player - perhaps a really special player.

After watching a lot of video on Deni there is one thing worrisome. He drives a ton. He can shoot adequately. He plays great team D. But can he thrive being a third option? I'm not sure of that.

lipoli390 wrote:

SameOldNudityDrew wrote:

thedoper wrote:Will Aaron Nesmith be there at 16? Wouldnt he be a no brainer in that spot? I dont see anyway this kid wont be an asset in the NBA. 69% TS at legit usage 26%. Im not sure even the Timberwolves could ruin his shot.

I like what I'm seeing just looking over his basics. I still like Vassell more for the defense especially, but I could see a world in which it's not crazy to potentially take both.

Unrelated thought:

Anyone else hope we DON'T get a top 3 pick? The starting salary for the #1 pick is over 12 million a year. Usually those rookie deals are great because they give a team so much control, but that's a lot of money for a guy who is likely to be kind of *meh*. I'd rather get Vassell at 5 or 6 than have to pay him much more, and I don't think I want Ball or Wiseman. I guess you could hope someone would think they would be worth it and trade down with them, but the chances you'd find the right taker would be low, right?

I like Vassell a lot. I used to think we could grab him at #16, but it doesn't look like he'll last that long. I don't see him getting drafted in the top 5. He'll probably be taken in the 8-12 range. The Wolves might consider trading up from 16 to get him.

Like you, I was thinking that it might be better if the Wolves don't get a top 3 pick. But they can always trade down and save some money while picking up another asset. I do think that Edwards is the guy to get in this draft. I don't like his FG or 3-point shooting percentage, but I think his relatively poor shooting was attributable primarily to poor shot selection on a team without a lot of talent around him. Unlike Culver, he doesn't look like his shot is broken. He's the dynamic player the Wolves lack and that a team needs to be elite. He's the guy who can take over a game with the ball in his hands - breaking down defenses, scoring in bunches and putting the team his back. He's an quick, fast, ultra-athletic 6'5 guard with a PG's handle. Yet, he's 225 pounds! That's freakish - almost like a mini-LeBron. I think he'll be the first player taken so I don't see the Wolves getting him unless they land the top pick. I'm not sure who I'd take at #2 or 3. I'd be tempted to take Ball, but I have reservations about his passion for the game and his competitiveness. Same for Wiseman. I think there's a big drop in upside after those three - Edwards, Ball and Wiseman. So I'd be inclined to trade down from 2 or 3 and target Okongwu, Deni Advija or maybe Vassell. I'd target Bey at #16.

Vassell seems to be a good player. But I like Patrick Williams more, and he should be there at 16.