Minnesota Sports Forum

I've already posted my preference to deal Butler for the Memphis pick and take a high upside guy like Doncic as a long-term pairing with KAT to eventually be a championship contender down the road when the Warriors key players are no longer in their prime. But I've also acknowledged that the deal I'd like to see will never happen so long as Thibodeau remains in charge.

So here's what I'd propose as a series of transactions to improve the team that could actually occur under Thibodeau:

1. Do the deal Matt proposes in this thread -- dealing Teague, #20 and $48 for Bazemore, Beverley and the 34th pick.

2. Select the BPA with the 34th pick.

3. Trade Wiggins to Memphis for Parsons and #4 then draft Mo Bamba. If Memphis won't do that deal (as I suspect), then deal Wiggins to Cleveland for the 8th pick and take the best player available.

4. Sign Rose to the vet minimum

5. Use the $5.5 million MLE to sign the best 3-point shooting FA available.

Who says no?

Wizards: SG/SF Jimmy Butler, C Gorgui Dieng, No. 48 overall pick

Wolves: SF Otto Porter, PF Markieff Morris, No. 15 overall pick

NOTE: I posted this in the Memphis trade thread and decided it made sense here more:

A couple of things to consider.

1. The reason some people here are interested in dealing Butler is why some teams might not pony up a ton for a theoretical deal. Some team will give up a nice package if you were dealing Butler way for a rebuild but will it be enough to trade the Wolves best player and possibly the 2nd best player in franchise history at a time when you would like to take some sort of step forward? There is risk in keeping Butler but there is risk in dealing him away. Thibs ain't dealing him and IMHO some people are undervaluing his effect on this franchise in a positive way.

2. Lip said the Wolves only have #20 pick and mid-level but they also have the bi-annual exception to use as well and with Crawford opting out unless they resign Belly to a pretty big co tract they should have the full mid-level to work with.

3. Jon K said that he thinks Rose is likely to end up settling for the vet min unless the Wolves really strike out and have some of the mid-level left and he gets some of it. He said he thinks Rose likely wants to stay here play for Thibs etc and his value around the league just isn't more than the vet min. Jon knows more than me and this makes sense and kinda what i was thinking. Rose at the vet min is a good gamble and a chance to get a pretty worthwhile player for cheap. Thanks Thibs!!!....assuming we do get him for cheap.

4. I really do think we will be able to sign Belly back for a reasonable deal. Who is gonna step up to try and sign this guy for the full-mid level? You might have some legit starting level players like KCP or Avery Bradley that end up having to take that kind of a deal. Illyasova might not get that kind of money. I just don't think Belly is gonna have that market that prices himself out of the Wolves price range plus he is a RFA which makes teams a little less likely to make an offer. Now I could see him only wanting to do a one year deal because he is frustrated with his role but I think it's very likely he is back with the Wolves next season. It only takes one team though to make an offer.

I'm not in the club that wants to deal Butler. Yeah, I get that he has an injury history and that there is risk of him leaving, but the fact is that this team is an entirely different team when Butler is on the floor. Either the Wolves improve greatly this year, in which case Jimmy likely will stay, or they don't and Glen fires Thibs mid-year. In the latter case, I suspect he will hire a new coach with the plan of resigning Butler, and may even get him involved in the decision process (I said "involved", not "in charge". Thibs simply hasn't shown that he can coach a team defensively that doesn't have Butler on the floor, so continuing with Thibs as coach makes it mandatory that we find a way to keep Butler at any cost. Now, keeping Butler and replacing Thibs with a more modern coach who understands the new NBA and how to effectively employ a bench would be the home run in my opinion.

Camden0916 wrote:Who says no?

Wizards: SG/SF Jimmy Butler, C Gorgui Dieng, No. 48 overall pick

Wolves: SF Otto Porter, PF Markieff Morris, No. 15 overall pick

IMO Wizards. That's a lot of money (assuming they resign Butler) and assets to give up for Butler. I retesting idea though.

monsterpile wrote: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."

Monster cites the Jones portion of this article, but there are many more sections which are not very positive. The part about Butler not being sure about Wig's work ethic or defense is really troubling for a franchise that just locked into a 5-year max contract with him. The Memphis #4 and Parsons for Wig discussed in another thread would be a dream move...but it's a pipe dream and not going to happen. I'm more and more convinced that Thibs wants to move Wig this summer, but less and less confident in his ability to do so in a way that really helps this team. This article is quite troubling to me.

The Zgoda article uses June 30th as the deadline for waiving Aldrich. But other sources have June 20th as the date. I suppose June 30 makes more sense, but if Zgoda is the only one tossing out that date... I don't know. Hopefully someone asks that question if the Wolves hold a pre-draft press conference.

IMO, Crawford leaving is a big addition by subtraction.

His minutes now get split with Rose and Tyus. tyus gets spot starts to give teague some rest days.

Dieng is the other shoe that needs to drop, but I cant see that happening. So, the priority is getting a BIG wing that can guard multiple positions.

crazy-canuck wrote:IMO, Crawford leaving is a big addition by subtraction.

His minutes now get split with Rose and Tyus. tyus gets spot starts to give teague some rest days.

Dieng is the other shoe that needs to drop, but I cant see that happening. So, the priority is getting a BIG wing that can guard multiple positions.

The rub with Rose is that like Crawford, he was a net negative for years. Was the end of last year a resurgence or a blip?

Camden wrote:Who says no?

Wizards: SG/SF Jimmy Butler, C Gorgui Dieng, No. 48 overall pick

Wolves: SF Otto Porter, PF Markieff Morris, No. 15 overall pick

I'd say no. That's not enough for Butler in my view. To trade Buter, I'd need a pick high enough in return to get an elite talent. That's why I like the Memphis deal.