Next Years Bigs

[Leado01]

Our spacing is awful offensively when we have KAT and Gobert on the floor together.

I'd like to see KAT used as the floor spacer he's capable of being when Rudy's on the floor.

Naz is a sieve on defense but his offensive game and the speed at which he can play gives us another style of basketball we can play (small but long and athletic with the ability to switch everything).

I do think Minot will play minutes next year and his progress will determine as much as anything as to when we move KAT.

[Porckchop]

I vote to keep Nazi and Gobert. Trade Kat while he still has value. He’s not gonna be a better player next year than he is today. There’s a better chance we see more regression and whatever trade value he did have will vanish in front of our eyes.

[KiwiMatt]

I chose 'Bring back KAT, Rudy, and NAZ'

I think you have to give it another season to see if it works. Not wise to try move them while both their trade values are probably at an all time low. That's what bad franchises do (like the Wolves), buy high and sell low. And it would be stupid to let Naz Reid walk after the Wolves have finally developed a non drafted player in to a gem.

There were signs earlier in the season before KAT got injured that looked like it could work, although the record didn't portray it (due mainly to poor backcourt play). KAT was embracing the stretch 4 and point forward role and becoming more of a playmaker at the top of the key. The lack of PnR and PnP offense certainly didn't help things. And in the later stages of season Naz looked more comfortable playing the 4 next to Gobert.

I am actually happy with the current SF, PF and C depth - KAT, Gobert, Naz, McDaniels, Anderson, Prince and Minott. The issue is our backcourt play and depth. NAW was a good acquisition and should be retained, however I think we need to move on from Nowell and McLaughlin, the playoffs proved they aren't NBA caliber players. I would roll with Edwards, Conley, NAW (resigned) and look to sign Pat Bev (vet min) and a prospect PG.

I'm sure Donnelly would listen to offers for KAT, but think they'd have to be blown away on an offer to trade him. I see Atlanta, Brooklyn and Golden State as possible trade partners.

[Q-is-here]

It's such a mess. I don't think it's a total train wreck, because after all, we did end the season with a winning record and got into a playoff series. As us Minnesotans like to say amidst decades of disappointment in our sports team, "Well gosh, it could have been worse!".

But it's a mess when it comes to the bigs. I believe KAT and Gobert help ensure we have a fairly high floor as an NBA team, meaning we should be a perennial playoff team. But it also seems like they limit our ceiling too. We already know that KAT is an uneven playoff performer and Gobert just can't be relied upon offensively late in games.

I mean, our best player refuses to pass Gobert the ball. It seems to require highly skilled tacticians like Conley and Anderson to get Rudy the ball in situations where he can actually a) catch it, and b) finish. Ant is a lot of things, but he is not a clinical type player that can pull this off, so he just puts his head down while Rudy occupies space in the lane. Rudy probably resents the fact he does all the hard work setting borderline illegal screens for Ant only to never see the ball come back to him.

Yet our defense would crater without Rudy. So it gets back to what kind of return we could get for either of these guys. I don't want us to take a step back and just trade for picks. We need Ant and Jaden to keep seeing playoff basketball every year, even if we are limited in how far we can go in the short term.

[Wolvesfan21]

It's such a mess. I don't think it's a total train wreck, because after all, we did end the season with a winning record and got into a playoff series. As us Minnesotans like to say amidst decades of disappointment in our sports team, "Well gosh, it could have been worse!".

But it's a mess when it comes to the bigs. I believe KAT and Gobert help ensure we have a fairly high floor as an NBA team, meaning we should be a perennial playoff team. But it also seems like they limit our ceiling too. We already know that KAT is an uneven playoff performer and Gobert just can't be relied upon offensively late in games.

I mean, our best player refuses to pass Gobert the ball. It seems to require highly skilled tacticians like Conley and Anderson to get Rudy the ball in situations where he can actually a) catch it, and b) finish. Ant is a lot of things, but he is not a clinical type player that can pull this off, so he just puts his head down while Rudy occupies space in the lane. Rudy probably resents the fact he does all the hard work setting borderline illegal screens for Ant only to never see the ball come back to him.

Yet our defense would crater without Rudy. So it gets back to what kind of return we could get for either of these guys. I don't want us to take a step back and just trade for picks. We need Ant and Jaden to keep seeing playoff basketball every year, even if we are limited in how far we can go in the short term.

That is my biggest issue with KAT. He as a Wolves player has been 50% of the time a train wreck in the playoffs. You simply are a 1st round playoff exit waiting to happen every time he suits up. If he gets traded he can start fresh like Wiggins and Love did. Not have the extra pressure and all the years of losing on his shoulders, the continual loser stench of bad defense, leading the NBA in fouling and playoff flops.

KAT starting over with a new team is best for both franchises. He has upside with a new team with being able to start over. It would be impossible and foolish to think he can fix his issues as a Wolves player now heading into year 9. He is basically the same player he was as a rookie as he is now while other players like Jokic and Embiid have become MVP players.

[AbeVigodaLive]

LOL.

What a shitshow.

The team has $77M tied up next year... and $94M tied up the following year... in two bigs. And here we are, lamenting which one has worse value while mostly discussing each player's flaws.

All the while, the elephant in the room will remain Tim Connelly's historically bad idea to pair them together.

[Coolbreeze44]

I was the one who voted to trade both Rudy and KAT, and retain NAZ. But the one thing I'm certain we should do is trade KAT, provided his value is still reasonable. The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. We need his value to help with other parts of the roster and our lack of draft capital. Plus we have a guy in NAZ who can give us some of what we would be giving away. Don't wait another year and let him prove again that he isn't up to the task of lifting the organization.

[Q-is-here]

LOL.

What a shitshow.

The team has $77M tied up next year... and $94M tied up the following year... in two bigs. And here we are, lamenting which one has worse value while mostly discussing each player's flaws.

All the while, the elephant in the room will remain Tim Connelly's historically bad idea to pair them together.

While it was a mistake, it's not an irrecoverable one.

[Q-is-here]

It's such a mess. I don't think it's a total train wreck, because after all, we did end the season with a winning record and got into a playoff series. As us Minnesotans like to say amidst decades of disappointment in our sports team, "Well gosh, it could have been worse!".

But it's a mess when it comes to the bigs. I believe KAT and Gobert help ensure we have a fairly high floor as an NBA team, meaning we should be a perennial playoff team. But it also seems like they limit our ceiling too. We already know that KAT is an uneven playoff performer and Gobert just can't be relied upon offensively late in games.

I mean, our best player refuses to pass Gobert the ball. It seems to require highly skilled tacticians like Conley and Anderson to get Rudy the ball in situations where he can actually a) catch it, and b) finish. Ant is a lot of things, but he is not a clinical type player that can pull this off, so he just puts his head down while Rudy occupies space in the lane. Rudy probably resents the fact he does all the hard work setting borderline illegal screens for Ant only to never see the ball come back to him.

Yet our defense would crater without Rudy. So it gets back to what kind of return we could get for either of these guys. I don't want us to take a step back and just trade for picks. We need Ant and Jaden to keep seeing playoff basketball every year, even if we are limited in how far we can go in the short term.

That is my biggest issue with KAT. He as a Wolves player has been 50% of the time a train wreck in the playoffs. You simply are a 1st round playoff exit waiting to happen every time he suits up. If he gets traded he can start fresh like Wiggins and Love did. Not have the extra pressure and all the years of losing on his shoulders, the continual loser stench of bad defense, leading the NBA in fouling and playoff flops.

KAT starting over with a new team is best for both franchises. He has upside with a new team with being able to start over. It would be impossible and foolish to think he can fix his issues as a Wolves player now heading into year 9. He is basically the same player he was as a rookie as he is now while other players like Jokic and Embiid have become MVP players.

The other option is that with Ant carrying a larger share of the scoring and leadership mantle, may be the "fresh start" can happen organically. KAT was CLEARLY the #2 guy during the playoffs. Now, he wasn't a good #2, but the point is he's already taking a reduced role.

Also, it seems like whenever we give guys like Love or Wiggins a "fresh start", the team they go to benefit and the guy we get ends up not helping us much. May be the DLO for Conley/NAW/2nds trade finally breaks that cycle, we'll see.

[Wolvesfan21]

It's such a mess. I don't think it's a total train wreck, because after all, we did end the season with a winning record and got into a playoff series. As us Minnesotans like to say amidst decades of disappointment in our sports team, "Well gosh, it could have been worse!".

But it's a mess when it comes to the bigs. I believe KAT and Gobert help ensure we have a fairly high floor as an NBA team, meaning we should be a perennial playoff team. But it also seems like they limit our ceiling too. We already know that KAT is an uneven playoff performer and Gobert just can't be relied upon offensively late in games.

I mean, our best player refuses to pass Gobert the ball. It seems to require highly skilled tacticians like Conley and Anderson to get Rudy the ball in situations where he can actually a) catch it, and b) finish. Ant is a lot of things, but he is not a clinical type player that can pull this off, so he just puts his head down while Rudy occupies space in the lane. Rudy probably resents the fact he does all the hard work setting borderline illegal screens for Ant only to never see the ball come back to him.

Yet our defense would crater without Rudy. So it gets back to what kind of return we could get for either of these guys. I don't want us to take a step back and just trade for picks. We need Ant and Jaden to keep seeing playoff basketball every year, even if we are limited in how far we can go in the short term.

That is my biggest issue with KAT. He as a Wolves player has been 50% of the time a train wreck in the playoffs. You simply are a 1st round playoff exit waiting to happen every time he suits up. If he gets traded he can start fresh like Wiggins and Love did. Not have the extra pressure and all the years of losing on his shoulders, the continual loser stench of bad defense, leading the NBA in fouling and playoff flops.

KAT starting over with a new team is best for both franchises. He has upside with a new team with being able to start over. It would be impossible and foolish to think he can fix his issues as a Wolves player now heading into year 9. He is basically the same player he was as a rookie as he is now while other players like Jokic and Embiid have become MVP players.

The other option is that with Ant carrying a larger share of the scoring and leadership mantle, may be the "fresh start" can happen organically. KAT was CLEARLY the #2 guy during the playoffs. Now, he wasn't a good #2, but the point is he's already taking a reduced role.

Also, it seems like whenever we give guys like Love or Wiggins a "fresh start", the team they go to benefit and the guy we get ends up not helping us much. May be the DLO for Conley/NAW/2nds trade finally breaks that cycle, we'll see.

We can't worry about a player getting better in a better circumstance. It only matters what that player is here. I haven't seen anything in big games that tells me he is ready here to make a step up and help the Wolves win a playoff series. A fresh start on a new team could help KAT though. Certainly I wouldn't trade him just to get rid of him either, we do need a good return.