Minnesota Sports Forum

bleedspeed177 wrote:I like this list. I think Okafor is a buy low guy and Towns would excel not being the C. Mario Hezonja seems like a guy that needs minutes. If we didn't have Thibs as a coach and GM I think we would take a risk on them.

https://www.hothothoops.com/2018/6/12/17441950/free-agent-miami-heat-offseason-2018-hezonja-belinelli-okafor-nba

This isn't the spot for Okafor I have no interest in that. If we are buying low the Nets will probably offer that money and a better opportunity. Honestly Okafor might not even be ahead of Dieng here.

Hezonja is an interesting guy. I agree with you I think he is gonna look for a team that's legitimately going give him a fairly big role. Miami or the Nets seem liketeams thatcould get something good out of him.

It's still early but it seems like that the numbers that keep coming in put the cap going up 2 million at the most. That's good news because the cap this year is what Wiggins 5 year deal is going to be based on. When you see some players can sing deals that mid 30's and then approaching 40 million a few years down the road Wiggins deal may not seem quite so bad espcially if he is actually a pretty good player.

Q12543 wrote:Yeah, Bjelly may need to be sacrificed if the asking price is too high. I like him, but he isn't assertive enough to be a big difference maker. He is one of the few reliable 3-point shooters we've got, but we can't overpay for him just because of our skill shortage in that area. Trades and other free agent signings need to be explored.

Bjelly hasn't shown that can stay healthy, nor that he can consistently contribute. Maybe he'll finally put it all together soon, but I wouldn't bank on it.

bleedspeed177 wrote:I like this list. I think Okafor is a buy low guy and Towns would excel not being the C. Mario Hezonja seems like a guy that needs minutes. If we didn't have Thibs as a coach and GM I think we would take a risk on them.

https://www.hothothoops.com/2018/6/12/17441950/free-agent-miami-heat-offseason-2018-hezonja-belinelli-okafor-nba

Jahlil Okafor would fit in perfectly with Thibs' offseason because it goes 100% against his mission statement of wanting defense and/or shooting.

Wolves suck on defense! Wolves don't shoot enough threes?

I know! Let's sign Okafor and bring back Derrick Rose! Yeah!

TheSP wrote:

Q12543 wrote:Yeah, Bjelly may need to be sacrificed if the asking price is too high. I like him, but he isn't assertive enough to be a big difference maker. He is one of the few reliable 3-point shooters we've got, but we can't overpay for him just because of our skill shortage in that area. Trades and other free agent signings need to be explored.

Bjelly hasn't shown that can stay healthy, nor that he can consistently contribute. Maybe he'll finally put it all together soon, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Considering a guy like Ilyasova is being constantly dumped as a throw-in in trades or bought out... how much should the Wolves even consider to pay for Belly based on what we've seen?

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

TheSP wrote:

Q12543 wrote:Yeah, Bjelly may need to be sacrificed if the asking price is too high. I like him, but he isn't assertive enough to be a big difference maker. He is one of the few reliable 3-point shooters we've got, but we can't overpay for him just because of our skill shortage in that area. Trades and other free agent signings need to be explored.

Bjelly hasn't shown that can stay healthy, nor that he can consistently contribute. Maybe he'll finally put it all together soon, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Considering a guy like Ilyasova is being constantly dumped as a throw-in in trades or bought out... how much should the Wolves even consider to pay for Belly based on what we've seen?

IMO Illyasova is a better player than Belly and yet there is some parallels in that Illyasova had some problems staying healthy for a stretch of his career. Illyasova is just good enough and paid the right amount to make it easy to deal him and or sign him. You bring up a great point and why i think the Wolves can keep Belly at a reasonable number...at least for one more year.

Yeah, I'm all for keeping Bjelly at the right price. But it really shouldn't be too much. He's kind of like Tyus Jones in that I think he can thrive when playing together with other good, higher usage players. That right price to me should be pretty low.

To me the only interesting info is quoted below which is some good need for Tyus Jones fans.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/timberwolves-roster-news-nba-trade-rumors-karl-anthony-towns-jimmy-butler-andrew-wiggins/wz8imgz2vmi61y0pt35opiuul

"The player who has been most stonewalled by Thibodeau's preference for veterans -- to the frustration of Wolves fans -- has been backup point guard Tyus Jones, who is just 21 years old and played all 82 games last year. But his minutes fluctuated, his playing time sapped by the presence of Jamal Crawford (age 37) and midseason signee Derrick Rose. With starter Jeff Teague averaging 33.0 minutes and Crawford getting 20.7 minutes, there wasn't much room for Jones to continue his growth.

Teague, according to a source, went to Thibodeau during last season and suggested that Jones play more. The Wolves are considering bringing Rose back for next season, and that's fueled speculation that Jones would be traded this offseason -- a package of Jones and Minnesota's No. 20 pick could bring back some much-needed perimeter shooting.

But sources told Sporting News that Jones met with team management after the playoffs, and Thibodeau reasserted his support of Jones and his development. Even if the Wolves re-sign Rose, Jones was assured, his minutes and opportunities would increase because Crawford is not expected to return to the team. Rose mostly played shooting guard with the Wolves last season, so there's a chance Jones could play alongside Rose as a backcourt bench unit.

Jones had considered requesting a trade, but the meeting with the team defused that notion before it arose. And for now, at least, the Wolves have no intention of dealing him."

I posted this hypothetical trade earlier in the year:

Minnesota receives: Ken Bazemore (ATL), Pat Beverley (LAC), 34th Pick (ATL)

Atlanta receives: Dano Gallinari (LAC), 13th Pick (LAC)

LA Clippers receives: Jeff Teague (MIN), 20th Pick (MIN), 48th Pick (MIN)

Resign:
Bjelica to MLE
Derrick Rose to Vet Min
The following to either Min deals or 2 way:
Anthony Brown
Amile Jefferson
Marcus Georges-Hunt

Draft:
34th: Okogie (or Grayson Allen if he's gone)

Beverley / Rose / Jones
Butler / Bazemore / Okogie
Wiggins / Brown / Georges-Hunt
Gibson / Bjelica / Jefferson
Towns / Dieng / Patton

KiwiMatt wrote:I posted this hypothetical trade earlier in the year:

Minnesota receives: Ken Bazemore (ATL), Pat Beverley (LAC), 34th Pick (ATL)

Atlanta receives: Dano Gallinari (LAC), 13th Pick (LAC)

LA Clippers receives: Jeff Teague (MIN), 20th Pick (MIN), 48th Pick (MIN)

Resign:
Bjelica to MLE
Derrick Rose to Vet Min
The following to either Min deals or 2 way:
Anthony Brown
Amile Jefferson
Marcus Georges-Hunt

Draft:
34th: Okogie (or Grayson Allen if he's gone)

Beverley / Rose / Jones
Butler / Bazemore / Okogie
Wiggins / Brown / Georges-Hunt
Gibson / Bjelica / Jefferson
Towns / Dieng / Patton

I like it, Matt! I think it would be a good deal for the Wolves and I could see the Hawks going for it. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I see the Clippers going along with it, but hard to say.