I think TC would have loved to stay with continuity but instead got ahead of the Towns contract conundrum brought on by the second apron. After the Rudy trade and subsequent announcement of the aprons, we all knew it would come to that. I dont fault him for moving on it.
Very true. TC inherited a very difficult cap situation with KAT's gigantic salary looming. He knew future moves would be severely limited if he couldn't find a way to get out of it. And he did it in a brilliant way, bringing back a starter, a key reserve, and a mid-first round pick. Nice work.
Many here are saying we were "close" to making a deal for Durant. Let me remind everyone that we don't know that, because nobody on the Wolves has said anything...TC is one of the most guarded POBOs in the Association. The only "news" we got came out of Phoenix or from pundits who were talking with Phoenix. I never felt we were anywhere close to a deal to get Durant. Just one year ago TC maneuvered his way out of KAT's contract. It never made sense to me that he had changed so much in just 12 months that he would lock himself into another massive contract. I think we know that Phoenix wanted to do a deal with us, and I think the unrealistic deals we heard about out there were nothing more than the Suns' wish list...I can just imagine TC spitting out his coffee and laughing every time he heard one of the pundits talk about what he was offering. I think there could have been a deal out there that would have been so attractive that TC would have bit (something like giving up Ju, Donte and pieces in exchange for Durant and picks), but that was never going to happen. I'll continue to believe what I believed from the start...that we were never close to a Durant deal. Now I'm going to sit back and see what magic TC will come up with the rest of the month.
I don’t think TC inherited a particularly difficult cap situation. He created a particularly difficult one by trading for Rudy. KAT will make $53.1M next season. TC was attempting to trade for a player, Durant, who will make $54M next season and was apparently prepared to give him the two year extension reported to be around nearly $60M per year for two more years, which is almost exactly what we would have paid Towns for the remainder of his contract. I don’t see TC deserving a reward for cap management or a pass on disrupting continuity based on what he inherited. Having said that, I think the return for KAT was reasonable but if KAT’s salary drove the deal then why did TC wait two years to trade KAT? A really savvy move of a chess playing thinking several steps ahead would have been trading KAT when they acquired Rudy when the return for KAT would have likely been much greater. I want to be clear — I think TC is a good basketball executive. I just don’t think his performance here has been at the same high chess level as Sam Presti. I think his approach has been too scatter-shot without grounding in a consistent strategy. Just imagine the Wolves under TC without the guys he inherited from Rosas - specifically Ant, Jaden and Naz.
We can’t know what TC was offering for KD, but the reports, coupled with the obviously salary match constraints, strongly suggest that TC’s offer included Donte and either Randle or Rudy. We also know that the Suns were insisting on young talent and/or picks. I think there was enough consensus reporting that the Suns were very interested in what the Wolves were offering, which means the offer likely included at least one of our three best young guys (Dilly, TSJ and/or Clark) and probably one of our two current draft picks. I think we know for sure that Durant didn’t not want to sign an extension here. I doubt the reporting got that wrong. Put all of this together and I think we have a pretty good idea of what TC offered for Durant and why it didn’t come to fruition. Of course, this is all speculation, but there were enough fairly consistent reports and salary cap realities, to indicate what TC was likely offering. That’s why I’m relieved Durant didn’t want to come here.
We might just have to agree to disagree on this one, FNG.
Lip I think you should give Connelly more credit for his trades. The 2 nice draft picks this year are due to his trades. He has twice made draft day deals to acquire higher end talent. Donte on this roster is why the Wolves have a better shot at making a deal with teams if there is a player that might work better. Or an overall upgrade. The 2nd apron likely drove the Towns trade but I always thought it also made basketball sense at the time and that honestly looks more true now than it did then.
To me the best leaders aren't completely stuck in any sort of way. Yes the best do what they do best but the best ones are creative innovative and also surround themselves with smart people some of which might have different takes than they do. I would need some people to think well outside the box or I wouldn't be really looking at making any moves outside of the bottom of the roster (which I tend to think might be a strength of mine). Sticking with the roster largely as it is might be a big mistake. Now when it comes to technology I'm often turning over items pretty quickly. Lol
FNG wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 11:19 am
Yes, we do disagree on this one, Lip. I think the difference is you’re judging him with respect to the Durant deal based on information that is reported to only be coming from Suns sources…I’m judging him by his actions, and he didn’t make a deal for Durant. TC himself has said nothing, and the deals he was reported to have offered are preposterous…it seems he was just being used by the suns to get a better price. Has anyone actually ever heard TC say he was going after Durant? I never have…I’ve only heard other people say it. I suspect he’s been chuckling through this whole process.
I don’t disagree that perhaps he could have dealt KAT earlier…others here have suggested that too. But then again, he got us to a WCF with KAT, and then got us there again after getting out of his obscene contract. Pretty good work if you ask me!
As often happens in this trade reports we only hear what the Wolves supposedly offered. In some trades or trade offers we later find out the teams offering that package also were asking more than just the centerpiece player. Maybe the Wolves wanted Ryan Dunn or Richards or draft picks of some kind of some pick swap action? Anyway just something to think about if you want to.
If all those picks hit that would be 7 players, almost an entire rotation. On the bright side, most of those picks will never be on their roster due to constraints of some kond OR they will push some of their 68 win rotation out the door. We shall see.
They will keep using some of those picks for future picks. They can perpetuate this for the foreseeable future.
As long as they dont keep trading 3 firsts for Ousmane Dieng.
Last night OKC traded the 24th pick to Sacramento for a Kings top 16 protected first. It becomes 2 2nds if that doesnt occur.
Its highly likely the Thunder punted that first away, which isn't a huge surprise necessarily due to their circumstances but TC would be thoroughly ripped if he did that.
They will keep using some of those picks for future picks. They can perpetuate this for the foreseeable future.
As long as they dont keep trading 3 firsts for Ousmane Dieng.
Last night OKC traded the 24th pick to Sacramento for a Kings top 16 protected first. It becomes 2 2nds if that doesnt occur.
Its highly likely the Thunder punted that first away, which isn't a huge surprise necessarily due to their circumstances but TC would be thoroughly ripped if he did that.
A protected first that turns into two 2nds isn't a total punt though. If the 1st is lottery protected and doesn't go to OKC or whoever has it that means the first 2nd rounder would at least be in the 40's. Then the next 2nd round pick might be a bad one but it's still not worthless. It's not like they sold it for cash... I really have no idea what the Kings will look like in 2027 it feels line they are kinda in a middle ground that you don't exactly want to be in. Still OKC has a bunch of picks so that protected pick could be something they use to acquire some sort of player in a trade.
As long as they dont keep trading 3 firsts for Ousmane Dieng.
Last night OKC traded the 24th pick to Sacramento for a Kings top 16 protected first. It becomes 2 2nds if that doesnt occur.
Its highly likely the Thunder punted that first away, which isn't a huge surprise necessarily due to their circumstances but TC would be thoroughly ripped if he did that.
A protected first that turns into two 2nds isn't a total punt though. If the 1st is lottery protected and doesn't go to OKC or whoever has it that means the first 2nd rounder would at least be in the 40's. Then the next 2nd round pick might be a bad one but it's still not worthless. It's not like they sold it for cash... I really have no idea what the Kings will look like in 2027 it feels line they are kinda in a middle ground that you don't exactly want to be in. Still OKC has a bunch of picks so that protected pick could be something they use to acquire some sort of player in a trade.
I maintain TC would be ripped a new one if he did that. Im just saying their mountain of firsts is not perpetual nor bulletproof.
Last night OKC traded the 24th pick to Sacramento for a Kings top 16 protected first. It becomes 2 2nds if that doesnt occur.
Its highly likely the Thunder punted that first away, which isn't a huge surprise necessarily due to their circumstances but TC would be thoroughly ripped if he did that.
A protected first that turns into two 2nds isn't a total punt though. If the 1st is lottery protected and doesn't go to OKC or whoever has it that means the first 2nd rounder would at least be in the 40's. Then the next 2nd round pick might be a bad one but it's still not worthless. It's not like they sold it for cash... I really have no idea what the Kings will look like in 2027 it feels line they are kinda in a middle ground that you don't exactly want to be in. Still OKC has a bunch of picks so that protected pick could be something they use to acquire some sort of player in a trade.
I maintain TC would be ripped a new one if he did that. Im just saying their mountain of firsts is not perpetual nor bulletproof.
They will keep using some of those picks for future picks. They can perpetuate this for the foreseeable future.
As long as they dont keep trading 3 firsts for Ousmane Dieng.
Last night OKC traded the 24th pick to Sacramento for a Kings top 16 protected first. It becomes 2 2nds if that doesnt occur.
Its highly likely the Thunder punted that first away, which isn't a huge surprise necessarily due to their circumstances but TC would be thoroughly ripped if he did that.
Sorber puts OKC roster up to the full 15 guaranteed contracts next year, they would have needed to trade or waive a player to draft and keep a player at 24.
As long as they dont keep trading 3 firsts for Ousmane Dieng.
Last night OKC traded the 24th pick to Sacramento for a Kings top 16 protected first. It becomes 2 2nds if that doesnt occur.
Its highly likely the Thunder punted that first away, which isn't a huge surprise necessarily due to their circumstances but TC would be thoroughly ripped if he did that.
Sorber puts OKC roster up to the full 15 guaranteed contracts next year, they would have needed to trade or waive a player to draft and keep a player at 24.
Exactly. Their mountain of firsts have a carrying capacity. I said a few weeks ago they can't use them all or they replace members of their 68 win title team with them.
Thunder traded last years first round pick, Dillon Jones, plus a 2nd for a guy that they will waive. I think they traded 5 2nds to get him last year. So they used 6 seconds on this guy who was picked ahead of TJ Shannon, Ryan Dunn, Isaiah Collier, Baylor Scheierman, and Kyle Filipowski.
