Minnesota Sports Forum

Camden wrote:I can't blame anyone for not liking the Rudy Gobert trade. I certainly wasn't a fan of it nor would I have done it myself. But at this point we can't go back and undo it so the Timberwolves, and Chris Finch, need to make it work effectively, or as good as it can get. And there are some ways where it can be very successful.

If it doesn't work, and we have a full 82-game schedule to assess it, then they need to have the gumption to self-correct and retool the roster -- even if it means flipping Gobert to his third team.

Cam - I think your approach is the right one. But if I were in TC's shoes I'd have an open mind and open phone line to entertain deals for Rudy by the trade deadline. If the Wolves could swap Rudy and Forbes for Anunoby, Trent and one unprotected future first round pick (2023, 2025 or 2027), I'd pull the trigger on that deal.

lipoli390 wrote:

Camden wrote:I can't blame anyone for not liking the Rudy Gobert trade. I certainly wasn't a fan of it nor would I have done it myself. But at this point we can't go back and undo it so the Timberwolves, and Chris Finch, need to make it work effectively, or as good as it can get. And there are some ways where it can be very successful.

If it doesn't work, and we have a full 82-game schedule to assess it, then they need to have the gumption to self-correct and retool the roster -- even if it means flipping Gobert to his third team.

Cam - I think your approach is the right one. But if I were in TC's shoes I'd have an open mind and open phone line to entertain deals for Rudy by the trade deadline. If the Wolves could swap Rudy and Forbes for Anunoby, Trent and one unprotected future first round pick (2023, 2025 or 2027), I'd pull the trigger on that deal.

No chance. Consider:

"The entire league wants OG Anunoby. Everybody wants OG Anunoby. If he ever gets traded, the price and picks are going to surprise people because it might be on par almost with what the Cavs gave up for Donovan Mitchell"

- Zach Lowe



[Note: Maybe a better trade scenario is whether the Wolves could even trade Gobert for Anunoby straight up.]

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

Camden wrote:I can't blame anyone for not liking the Rudy Gobert trade. I certainly wasn't a fan of it nor would I have done it myself. But at this point we can't go back and undo it so the Timberwolves, and Chris Finch, need to make it work effectively, or as good as it can get. And there are some ways where it can be very successful.

If it doesn't work, and we have a full 82-game schedule to assess it, then they need to have the gumption to self-correct and retool the roster -- even if it means flipping Gobert to his third team.

Cam - I think your approach is the right one. But if I were in TC's shoes I'd have an open mind and open phone line to entertain deals for Rudy by the trade deadline. If the Wolves could swap Rudy and Forbes for Anunoby, Trent and one unprotected future first round pick (2023, 2025 or 2027), I'd pull the trigger on that deal.

No chance. Consider:

"The entire league wants OG Anunoby. Everybody wants OG Anunoby. If he ever gets traded, the price and picks are going to surprise people because it might be on par almost with what the Cavs gave up for Donovan Mitchell"

- Zach Lowe



[Note: Maybe a better trade scenario is whether the Wolves could even trade Gobert for Anunoby straight up.]

Big/Big-ish wings.....it's like mid-town Manhattan real estate....ridiculously valuable. It's why the oft-injured and inconsistent Caris LeVert is making almost $20M this year! It's why Jaden McDaniels was untouchable in the trade with Utah.

Q-was-here wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

Camden wrote:I can't blame anyone for not liking the Rudy Gobert trade. I certainly wasn't a fan of it nor would I have done it myself. But at this point we can't go back and undo it so the Timberwolves, and Chris Finch, need to make it work effectively, or as good as it can get. And there are some ways where it can be very successful.

If it doesn't work, and we have a full 82-game schedule to assess it, then they need to have the gumption to self-correct and retool the roster -- even if it means flipping Gobert to his third team.

Cam - I think your approach is the right one. But if I were in TC's shoes I'd have an open mind and open phone line to entertain deals for Rudy by the trade deadline. If the Wolves could swap Rudy and Forbes for Anunoby, Trent and one unprotected future first round pick (2023, 2025 or 2027), I'd pull the trigger on that deal.

No chance. Consider:

"The entire league wants OG Anunoby. Everybody wants OG Anunoby. If he ever gets traded, the price and picks are going to surprise people because it might be on par almost with what the Cavs gave up for Donovan Mitchell"

- Zach Lowe



[Note: Maybe a better trade scenario is whether the Wolves could even trade Gobert for Anunoby straight up.]

Big/Big-ish wings.....it's like mid-town Manhattan real estate....ridiculously valuable. It's why the oft-injured and inconsistent Caris LeVert is making almost $20M this year! It's why Jaden McDaniels was untouchable in the trade with Utah.

Lavert is more of a big playmaking guard not a big wing. It's sort of the same principal though as those types of guys are pretty valuable these days as well.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

Camden wrote:I can't blame anyone for not liking the Rudy Gobert trade. I certainly wasn't a fan of it nor would I have done it myself. But at this point we can't go back and undo it so the Timberwolves, and Chris Finch, need to make it work effectively, or as good as it can get. And there are some ways where it can be very successful.

If it doesn't work, and we have a full 82-game schedule to assess it, then they need to have the gumption to self-correct and retool the roster -- even if it means flipping Gobert to his third team.

Cam - I think your approach is the right one. But if I were in TC's shoes I'd have an open mind and open phone line to entertain deals for Rudy by the trade deadline. If the Wolves could swap Rudy and Forbes for Anunoby, Trent and one unprotected future first round pick (2023, 2025 or 2027), I'd pull the trigger on that deal.

No chance. Consider:

"The entire league wants OG Anunoby. Everybody wants OG Anunoby. If he ever gets traded, the price and picks are going to surprise people because it might be on par almost with what the Cavs gave up for Donovan Mitchell"

- Zach Lowe



[Note: Maybe a better trade scenario is whether the Wolves could even trade Gobert for Anunoby straight up.]

Wish I could say you're wrong, Abe. But I can't.

Gobert indirectly affects any return you could get on KAT. You HAVE to trade big for small in either scenario.

WildWolf2813 wrote:Gobert indirectly affects any return you could get on KAT. You HAVE to trade big for small in either scenario.

Correct. And I'd rather lose on Gobert (relative to what was given up) than trade KAT to recoup on the screw up. KAT wants to be here, is younger, and can always be traded down the line to fully pivot around Ant if need be.

I've disliked prior trades before, but this one actually makes me mad. The worrisome part is that this has new ownership fingertips on it, not Glen's.

Connelly blew up a team that choked away advancing to the 2nd round instead of adding to it and keeping his options open. How does he have a job? How many in the FO signed off on this?

TheFuture wrote:

WildWolf2813 wrote:Gobert indirectly affects any return you could get on KAT. You HAVE to trade big for small in either scenario.

Correct. And I'd rather lose on Gobert (relative to what was given up) than trade KAT to recoup on the screw up. KAT wants to be here, is younger, and can always be traded down the line to fully pivot around Ant if need be.

I've disliked prior trades before, but this one actually makes me mad. The worrisome part is that this has new ownership fingertips on it, not Glen's.

Connelly blew up a team that choked away advancing to the 2nd round instead of adding to it and keeping his options open. How does he have a job? How many in the FO signed off on this?

I think you nailed it, Future. Trading KAT to remedy TC's screwup with Gobert would probably be the worst thing the Wolves could do next summer for all the reasons you stated plus others.

And yes, we can't blame this one on Glen Taylor other than perhaps blaming him for not stopping the front office from doing the Gobert deal. But Glen Taylor has never stopped his front office from doing what they want to do - whether it was trading KG, letting Billups walk or entering into the illegal Joe Smith deal. Seems like the new owners loved the Gobert deal and we'll probably never know whether there were any naysayers in the front office. I suspect there weren't. Based on all the accounts I've read, it sounded like a classic example of group-think inside the offices at 600 N. First Avenue.

Gobert is obviously a poor fit for the Wolves as some of us predicted he'd be. But it's so much worse when you consider the Wolves circumstances when the Gobert deal was made and what the Wolves gave up to get him. Then there's this max contract the Wolves are paying him. None of this is Rudy's fault. He is who he is. Optimal conditions with the Jazz brought out the best in him during the prime of his career, although it wasn't enough to keep him from getting benched in the playoffs. Maybe TC acquired him so we'd have someone to keep DLO company on the bench during the playoffs. :) Unfortunately, as it stands I wouldn't bet a lot on the Wolves even making the playoffs.

Is what TC did this past summer grounds for being fired? Absolutely. By any reasonable measure of accountability, what he did merits termination. However, that's not going to happen because the egos of Lore and A-Rod won't allow it. And I don't think I'd fire him. He was at the helm of the Nuggets organization as that team rose to become a really good team. He made some bad picks and deals, but he also made some excellent picks in Jokic, Nurkic, Murray, Morris, Hyland and Porter Jr. His strength has always been the draft, not deals, and he's actually admitted that publicly.

What would I do if acquired the team tomorrow? I'd tell Connelly to fix his screw up and get this team back on the track it was on before he got here. I'd tell him to rely on what he does well - spotting and drafting/signing young talent - and not rely on things he's bad at. I'd tell him he's not expected to get it all back right away, but should instead get back to building this thing piece by piece. Fortunately, he starts with some impressive pieces in Edwards, McDaniels, KAT, Naz, Minott and Garza. Finally, I'd tell him that what he does will ultimately be up to him except that (1) he needs to start repairing his screw up by trading Gobert for the best return he can get; and (2) he can't trade Edwards, KAT or McDaniels. Of course, the sad reality is that the Wolves won't get anything close to what they gave up for Rudy. But that's simply a measure of how dumb the deal was in the first place.

Zion Williamson will be out for at least three weeks with a hamstring injury. There are players who can't shoot, players who don't defend well and players who don't rebound. But there are also players who can't stay healthy. We have a one of those players in Taurean Prince. The Lakers have Anthony Davis. Zion Williamson seems to be another of that type. Obviously, the ability to stay healthy - at least healthy enough to play -- is at least as important as any other attribute like shooting, rebounding, etc.

You have to take your hat off to the New Orleans Pelicans. They are 9 games over .500 even thought their best player from last season, Brandon Ingram, has played in only 15 of their 37 games. Moreover, Zion Williams has actually missed 8 of those 37 games. Ingram's not back yet and Zion will now be out for at least 3 weeks. It will be interesting to see how they fair.

Utah now below .500. Their hot start has proven unsustainable it turns out. And they have just one guy - Colin Sexton - on the injury report, so this is not due to injuries, but perhaps regression to the type of team they started as on paper.