Free Agents of Interest

[Lipoli390]

Speaking of Dilly, there are a couple of paths that smallish guards took that are now productive. VanVleet was a sixth man sniper for Toronto while Lowry ran the show. He has blossomed into a great passer and ballhandler. The other is Quickley who also was a sixth man sniper for the Knicks and now is a decent starter for the Raptors. Running an offense is difficult for young point guards and I don't mind bringing in a Lonzo Ball or Tre Jones or another veteran to start for a few years until Dilly is ready to run the show. Let Dilly run the second unit for now and bring some outside shooting like Vanvleet and Quickley did early in their careers. Conley can ease the ballhandling pressure on him a bit if need be and I expect Conley will soon become a vet mentor more than a player.

My biggest worry for Rob was defense most of the year. After that OKC series, my biggest worry for him is being able to handle playoff physicality like OKC, Houston, Detroit and others play with.

Note that Finch said what impressed him the most this season about Rob was his improvement on the defensive end. He’s probably basing that observation on things he’s seen in practice as well as games. And if you saw Rob in the Finals you probably noticed the significant muscle he’s added to his arms. He’ll always be a smallish PG, but as we all know there’s a long list of good to great starting NBA PGs about the same size as Dilly - including Allen Iverson, Chris Paul, John Stockton, Mark Price, Steph Curry, Trae Yong, Ja Morant, DeAaronFox, Darius Garland, our own Mike Conley, Brunson, VanVleet, Lowry and Quickly.

I agree it might take a couple more years before Dilly is ready to be our starting PG for a championship run, but I wouldn’t assume it. I think the Wolves have to be willing to take a chance next season even if he means possibly taking a step back before this team gets back to championship contention the following season and beyond. We still have Mike Conley for one more season so we don’t have to turn the reins over to Dilly entirely next season. In fact, I think it makes sense to throw Dilly into the deep end while Conley is still here to pull him out if it looks like he’s drowning. When asked last year whether Dilly would be our starting PG, TC answered that you don’t trade up to #8 for a player if you don’t intend to play him. That’s what TC said in reference to Dilly as a 19 year old college player. He was right then and the case for playing Rob is even stronger next season with Rob having an entire NBA season and off-season under his belt.

[kekgeek]

Personally the Jones brothers do pretty much nothing for me. Both way to small, I don’t know if Tre is a legit NBA player and I like Tyus but I don’t think he has a legit nba role.

I don’t think the PG issue is fixed at all via FA

I sort of like Aldama, Bol Bol, Jerome and Gary Tent Jr as FA

Jerome and Aldama probably unrealistic

[Wolvesfan21]

I'll play my role as fantasy GM.

So I did a little research on Brook Lopez, I think he's the ideal backup big behind Rudy because of his skillset(he did play starter minutes last year but has slowed down a bit according to guys who watched him play every game). His defense is solid and he can space the floor. It looks like a ton of teams can offer him the Lux tax MLE at 5.7 but the Bucks have his bird rights and can pay him more. So we'd probably have to trade for him. Which is fine, we could trade the second rounder, Leonard and Minott (fill in whatever non rotation guys you want) and potentially get him on a two year type of deal on the cheap. Say 7 mill per year. He gets to contend again, likely making him happy as well.

Now I only say him because I could see a Durant for Ju and Naz trade which then mandates getting another big. Now we get super old in those spots, but these guys are proven NBA chip winners too.

Lineup could look like-

Dilly/Conley/Clark
Ant/DDV/Clark
Jaden/TJ
Durant/Jaden/17th pick/Garza
Rudy/Lopez/17th pick

We'd still go easy 10 deep, so days off and limited minutes for Conley, Lopez, Rudy and Durant won't be an issue and could sustain injury time also. We still got youth in Dilly, DDV, Ant, Jaden, Clark, TJ, 17th pick.

Now what does the team look like in 3 years when Conley/Lopez/Rudy and Durant are older then dirt? Maybe not great, but you can still make moves like this around the margins. Trade for so and so 36 year old and do it again. Hopefully hit on pick 17, etc...

Now we got great roster flexibility to go heavier minutes with certain players based on matchup/how well they are playing.

[Q-is-here]

Personally the Jones brothers do pretty much nothing for me. Both way to small, I don’t know if Tre is a legit NBA player and I like Tyus but I don’t think he has a legit nba role.

I don’t think the PG issue is fixed at all via FA

I sort of like Aldama, Bol Bol, Jerome and Gary Tent Jr as FA

Jerome and Aldama probably unrealistic

If you feel that way about the Jones brothers, than presumably you feel that way about Dillingham. Putting your pretend GM hat on, how would you propose the Wolves address the PG position? And don't say LaMelo Ball please!

On Jerome specifically, he was a huge disappointment in the playoffs (similar to DDV). I would be very wary of a guy that out of nowhere had this incredible regular season off the bench and then turned into a pumpkin when defenses really ratcheted things up.

[Wolvesfan21]

Personally the Jones brothers do pretty much nothing for me. Both way to small, I don’t know if Tre is a legit NBA player and I like Tyus but I don’t think he has a legit nba role.

I don’t think the PG issue is fixed at all via FA

I sort of like Aldama, Bol Bol, Jerome and Gary Tent Jr as FA

Jerome and Aldama probably unrealistic

If you feel that way about the Jones brothers, than presumably you feel that way about Dillingham. Putting your pretend GM hat on, how would you propose the Wolves address the PG position? And don't say LaMelo Ball please!

On Jerome specifically, he was a huge disappointment in the playoffs (similar to DDV). I would be very wary of a guy that out of nowhere had this incredible regular season off the bench and then turned into a pumpkin when defenses really ratcheted things up.

I read Lips post and kind of think it's not a bad idea to simply hand Dilly the starting job over Conley if he earns it over the offseason. We can STILL make a trade prior to the trade deadline if need be! I'm kind of fine just seeing how it goes then if we need to add a PG mid season.

[kekgeek]

Personally the Jones brothers do pretty much nothing for me. Both way to small, I don’t know if Tre is a legit NBA player and I like Tyus but I don’t think he has a legit nba role.

I don’t think the PG issue is fixed at all via FA

I sort of like Aldama, Bol Bol, Jerome and Gary Tent Jr as FA

Jerome and Aldama probably unrealistic

If you feel that way about the Jones brothers, than presumably you feel that way about Dillingham. Putting your pretend GM hat on, how would you propose the Wolves address the PG position? And don't say LaMelo Ball please!

On Jerome specifically, he was a huge disappointment in the playoffs (similar to DDV). I would be very wary of a guy that out of nowhere had this incredible regular season off the bench and then turned into a pumpkin when defenses really ratcheted things up.

I am not high on Dilly, I do want to say he does have significantly higher offensive upside than the Jones brothers but I think his ceiling is Garland and the Cavs have seen a ton of playoff issues with Garland.

For fixing the PG issue, I’m not really sure, I made a case for Lamelo in another thread. I know I will be in the minority there. Haha. Possibly it comes in the draft again this year. I don’t think there is an easy solution here. In all honesty I think I’m going to hate every option that is presented at least a little bit.

Also very fair point on Jerome

[Q-is-here]

Personally the Jones brothers do pretty much nothing for me. Both way to small, I don’t know if Tre is a legit NBA player and I like Tyus but I don’t think he has a legit nba role.

I don’t think the PG issue is fixed at all via FA

I sort of like Aldama, Bol Bol, Jerome and Gary Tent Jr as FA

Jerome and Aldama probably unrealistic

If you feel that way about the Jones brothers, than presumably you feel that way about Dillingham. Putting your pretend GM hat on, how would you propose the Wolves address the PG position? And don't say LaMelo Ball please!

On Jerome specifically, he was a huge disappointment in the playoffs (similar to DDV). I would be very wary of a guy that out of nowhere had this incredible regular season off the bench and then turned into a pumpkin when defenses really ratcheted things up.

I am not high on Dilly, I do want to say he does have significantly higher offensive upside than the Jones brothers but I think his ceiling is Garland and the Cavs have seen a ton of playoff issues with Garland.

For fixing the PG issue, I’m not really sure, I made a case for Lamelo in another thread. I know I will be in the minority there. Haha. Possibly it comes in the draft again this year. I don’t think there is an easy solution here. In all honesty I think I’m going to hate every option that is presented at least a little bit.

Also very fair point on Jerome

Yup, no easy answers. I keep coming back to Derrick White, but that isn't an easy answer in that he may be an impossible get.

I looked at Garland's playoff on/off net rating stuff. Sigh. Yet another one we should cross off our wish list! And similar to DDV, the sample size is not small enough to just brush aside.

2025 Playoffs
On Court Net Rating: -6.0
Off Court Net Rating: +20.7 (I mean, that is just nuts!)

2024 Playoffs
On Court Net Rating: -10.5
Off Court Net Rating: +3.3

2023 Playoffs
On Court Net Rating: -5.3
Off Court Net Rating: -7.1

The situation has only deteriorated since his first playoffs two years ago! There was nearly a 30 point per 100 possession delta between team performance with Garland on versus off the court in this season's playoffs. That's incredibly damning!

[WildWolf2813]

Personally the Jones brothers do pretty much nothing for me. Both way to small, I don’t know if Tre is a legit NBA player and I like Tyus but I don’t think he has a legit nba role.

I don’t think the PG issue is fixed at all via FA

I sort of like Aldama, Bol Bol, Jerome and Gary Tent Jr as FA

Jerome and Aldama probably unrealistic

If you feel that way about the Jones brothers, than presumably you feel that way about Dillingham. Putting your pretend GM hat on, how would you propose the Wolves address the PG position? And don't say LaMelo Ball please!

On Jerome specifically, he was a huge disappointment in the playoffs (similar to DDV). I would be very wary of a guy that out of nowhere had this incredible regular season off the bench and then turned into a pumpkin when defenses really ratcheted things up.

I am not high on Dilly, I do want to say he does have significantly higher offensive upside than the Jones brothers but I think his ceiling is Garland and the Cavs have seen a ton of playoff issues with Garland.

For fixing the PG issue, I’m not really sure, I made a case for Lamelo in another thread. I know I will be in the minority there. Haha. Possibly it comes in the draft again this year. I don’t think there is an easy solution here. In all honesty I think I’m going to hate every option that is presented at least a little bit.

Also very fair point on Jerome

I don't hate the idea of LaMelo here under a stronger structured organization, but I don't see Charlotte pulling the plug on that until they get a good look at Miller and Ball together.

I wouldn't mind moving Rudy to Charlotte though.

[rapsuperstar31]

If you feel that way about the Jones brothers, than presumably you feel that way about Dillingham. Putting your pretend GM hat on, how would you propose the Wolves address the PG position? And don't say LaMelo Ball please!

On Jerome specifically, he was a huge disappointment in the playoffs (similar to DDV). I would be very wary of a guy that out of nowhere had this incredible regular season off the bench and then turned into a pumpkin when defenses really ratcheted things up.

I am not high on Dilly, I do want to say he does have significantly higher offensive upside than the Jones brothers but I think his ceiling is Garland and the Cavs have seen a ton of playoff issues with Garland.

For fixing the PG issue, I’m not really sure, I made a case for Lamelo in another thread. I know I will be in the minority there. Haha. Possibly it comes in the draft again this year. I don’t think there is an easy solution here. In all honesty I think I’m going to hate every option that is presented at least a little bit.

Also very fair point on Jerome

Yup, no easy answers. I keep coming back to Derrick White, but that isn't an easy answer in that he may be an impossible get.

I looked at Garland's playoff on/off net rating stuff. Sigh. Yet another one we should cross off our wish list! And similar to DDV, the sample size is not small enough to just brush aside.

2025 Playoffs
On Court Net Rating: -6.0
Off Court Net Rating: +20.7 (I mean, that is just nuts!)

2024 Playoffs
On Court Net Rating: -10.5
Off Court Net Rating: +3.3

2023 Playoffs
On Court Net Rating: -5.3
Off Court Net Rating: -7.1

The situation has only deteriorated since his first playoffs two years ago! There was nearly a 30 point per 100 possession delta between team performance with Garland on versus off the court in this season's playoffs. That's incredibly damning!

I think there are players that have warts that you need to surround them with the right players. Luka Doncic for instance isn't nearly as effective if he doesn't have a center to lob it to. Rudy doesn't have enough offense in him that, you need to have great shooters around him on offense. Maybe Garland needs a certain lineup around him, could even be playing with Rudy and Jaden. Although Jaden would probably have to go out for Garland, which I have no interest in doing this year. I do think there is a player called Noa Essengue that used to be mocked at 17-20 a month ago but is now likely going in the lottery. Essengue screams Jaden McDaniels, and would have been the perfect player for Jaden to mentor if he was there for us at 17. I don't think were going to get him, but maybe we trade up for him. But say we did draft Essengue and he did pan out as the next Jaden, than I could see trading Jaden for someone like Garland or someone else in a year or two.

[TheFuture]

How many of the tier 2 PG trade options like Sexton and Coby White are better than what the Wolves can nab in FA?

I am leaning towards going the FA route at this point. I am sure we could get one of the following on the minimum or with part of the MLE (if we have that to use, I don't know as I'm not a cap guy):

Tre Jones
Tyus Jones
Chris Paul
Russell Westbrook
Spencer Dinwiddie
Dennis Schroeder
Hell, maybe even James Harden opts out

Go get one of them and have a platoon with Conley and Dilly. I think the Wolves would be alright with any of them.

Dilly was drafted to be that young PG shot creator, ball handler next to Ant that everybody here is talking about acquiring. So let's find out by giving him some actual consistent minutes out there.