This Substack was the first to report that the Clippers are seeking to upgrade both their frontcourt and backcourt and before the deadline. I've heard two new names that the Clippers have been monitoring for those respective searches: Dallas' Christian Wood and Minnesota's D'Angelo Russell.
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com
I like hearing that the Clippers are interested in Russell, but who would they be willing to give us back who could help us this season. Would they give up Kennard and Powell? Or would TC be more interested in picks?
60WinTim wrote:I could see a 4 team trade in the making where the key moving parts are Westbrook to the Jazz, Irving to the Lakers, Dlo to the Nets, and Conely to the Wolves. Add in the fillers needed to make every one happy and off we go!
We would be getting dealt the green weenie on that deal Doug. I read the Clippers have made a substantial offer for Irving.
I think Conley would be a great fit here. Just who do you imagine we could acquire?
Edit: never mind, I see you have Mann in mind. The problem with that is we need a floor general, and that is not Mann.
Some of this fan base is borderline obsessed with point guards past their prime and on their last days -- Patrick Beverley, Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley Jr...
What's Tony Parker up to these days? Does Darren Collison have a pulse? Jameer Nelson? We should give their reps a call.
Camden wrote:Some of this fan base is borderline obsessed with point guards past their prime and on their last days -- Patrick Beverley, Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley Jr...
What's Tony Parker up to these days? Does Darren Collison have a pulse? Jameer Nelson? We should give their reps a call.
I just don't get it.
Have to agree with you on this, Cam. I was a big fan of both Lowry and Conley in their prime. But the notion that either one would move the needle for the Wolves this season strikes me as a stretch to say the least. And if they don't move the needle this season, why would we want to pay them for another season when they're yet another year well past their prime?
60WinTim wrote:I could see a 4 team trade in the making where the key moving parts are Westbrook to the Jazz, Irving to the Lakers, Dlo to the Nets, and Conely to the Wolves. Add in the fillers needed to make every one happy and off we go!
We would be getting dealt the green weenie on that deal Doug. I read the Clippers have made a substantial offer for Irving.
I think Conley would be a great fit here. Just who do you imagine we could acquire?
Edit: never mind, I see you have Mann in mind. The problem with that is we need a floor general, and that is not Mann.
I like Conley too, but I think Mann is the player too target at this deadline. If you can get Mann for any combination of our expiring guys you do it. Ideally I'd keep dlo and try to trade Naz and nowell for Mann.
Naz has really turned himself into a solid player, but if you're planning to keep both Rudy and Kat, there's no way I'm resigning Naz for what he will cost.
Unless someone blows you away with an offer, I think you keep Dlo and see if anyone outbids you this off-season.
To the person who said Dlo will go for Brunson money this off-season, I say you're delusional... lay off the crack pipe. Brunson is twice the player Dlo is. 3/60 will get you Dlo this off-season, if you're willing to play hard ball and wait it out. Dlo is a very flawed player and the league knows that... no way anyone is giving him 4/104. Take your 3/60 that they're probably offering you now and say thank you for the overpay and the offer of goodwill.
D-Loser wrote:As I've said over and over again since it happened, the Rudy trade was horrendous. I'm not a big Dlo fan, but that trade for Dlo on a max contract was nothing compared to the Rudy trade. That trade brought me from never missing a minute of a game, to watching roughly half the games now... my point is that I don't really care what moves they make at the trade deadline, because it's essentially comparable to shifting chairs on the titanic :) I think I'm a pretty objective person, so I'll admit that I think the slo mo and Garza signings were both great, but that trade is just unforgivable and probably the worst trade in nba history. I think TC probably should have been instantly fired after getting fleeced by Ainge, but after seeing just how bad the trade has been, definitely fired by now. So yeah, I really don't care, but if I was taking over for TC, I'd probably just stand pat at the trade deadline, unless someone has unexpected trade value that most of don't realize.
I'm in the same boat. The Rudy trade isn't bad just because of the assets given up, but also because of the bind it has put the team in for extensions.
Without that trade, there isn't a big issue extending D'Lo and Naz. There wouldn't be the looming idea of what happens when Ant and Jaden are also due soon. Or what you're going to do with Gobert even on an expiring, because you'll need assets to get off that contract or he walks and you are capped and can't do much of anything with that expired 40 some million. It was so short-sighted all around.
I think it is safe to say that Connelly and Co knew that they would max Ant when they made the trade. They also refused to include Jaden so they had planned to extend him. So Gobert didn't change the calculus there.
Before the trade, one thought was the Wolves could let DLo expire this summer and possibly have max salary slot to offer someone which precludes extending him. So if you look at it as is, it is possible to have both Gobert in that cap space slot and DLo extended or traded for a different piece, which may happen. Is there a pending free agent that does more for the team than a combo of Rudy and DLo? The options aren't great. As for Naz, it's great that he has elevated himself but I don't recall people shedding tears about him at the time.
The Wolves decided to operate over the cap which isn't the worst idea for this market. Having tradeable salary when Ant and Jaden are soaking up a ton of cap in a few years could be valuable.
I get where you're going with the whole filling of salary slots, but we're not one of the few teams that can live a million miles above the salary cap, so I think that's a tired argument in the real world. IMO Rudy is a lot like Dlo... solid player, but I absolutely hate him in terms of his value/contract/asset status. I mean I would rather have Kessler over Rudy right now, all things considered. That doesn't even factor in the 4/5 picks, Beasley, Vando and Beverly. If you can put a positive spin on this trade, there might be a pretty lucrative press secretary position waiting for you in the swamp :)
So, adding to the chatter. Here is TC's "public" perspective on Dlo. Read it how you will, but I think it points to a desire to trade him...
From Chris Hine's Star & Tribune article:
Q: With D-Lo, he's had a big year offensively. Helped you win a lot of games. Do you think you've seen enough that he can fit in long-term if you want him to be the point guard down the road?
A: What I've seen is the guy put in a huge summer. He was in the gym all the time. I don't think it's coincidental he's having such a good shooting year. Every time I looked up, he's down there working out. He knew the expectations were risen this year. He challenged himself to have a better year. He's such a basketball-obsessed guy. Nobody watches more college or NBA. He's had a great year, a tremendous summer where he worked his tail off and certainly there's plenty of scenarios where he's our point guard not just now but for the future as well.
60WinTim wrote:So, adding to the chatter. Here is TC's "public" perspective on Dlo. Read it how you will, but I think it points to a desire to trade him...
From Chris Hine's Star & Tribune article:
Q: With D-Lo, he's had a big year offensively. Helped you win a lot of games. Do you think you've seen enough that he can fit in long-term if you want him to be the point guard down the road?
A: What I've seen is the guy put in a huge summer. He was in the gym all the time. I don't think it's coincidental he's having such a good shooting year. Every time I looked up, he's down there working out. He knew the expectations were risen this year. He challenged himself to have a better year. He's such a basketball-obsessed guy. Nobody watches more college or NBA. He's had a great year, a tremendous summer where he worked his tail off and certainly there's plenty of scenarios where he's our point guard not just now but for the future as well.
Oh, wow. Sounds like they're close to waiving him entirely. Get him out of there immediately.
60WinTim wrote:So, adding to the chatter. Here is TC's "public" perspective on Dlo. Read it how you will, but I think it points to a desire to trade him...
From Chris Hine's Star & Tribune article:
Q: With D-Lo, he's had a big year offensively. Helped you win a lot of games. Do you think you've seen enough that he can fit in long-term if you want him to be the point guard down the road?
A: What I've seen is the guy put in a huge summer. He was in the gym all the time. I don't think it's coincidental he's having such a good shooting year. Every time I looked up, he's down there working out. He knew the expectations were risen this year. He challenged himself to have a better year. He's such a basketball-obsessed guy. Nobody watches more college or NBA. He's had a great year, a tremendous summer where he worked his tail off and certainly there's plenty of scenarios where he's our point guard not just now but for the future as well.
Oh, wow. Sounds like they're close to waiving him entirely. Get him out of there immediately.
Well, as much as I wouldn't mind seeing a change, I wouldn't waive him... ;-)
