Minnesota Sports Forum

Mnwild1128 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 10:43 pm Well it cannot be official until the Wolves actually recieve SOMETHING in that trade. Right now it is illegal. Has to be at least: 110k cash. A draft pick of some type. A player. Or the rights to some stashed player. That is what the league rules stipulate. I haven't seen anything yet.

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 7:39 pm

kekgeek wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 7:36 pm I do think there is a chance (what I would hate) this is a straight salary dump to avoid the tax. New owners who had mixed reporting on financials. Low attendance numbers, a non impact player traded on a probable non title team. Just thinking it’s possible

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hj3U18FHgQ

kekgeek wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 11:51 pm Serious question when is the last impactful player that was acquired via the buyout market. Think it’s pretty darn rare

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 04, 2026 2:31 am I’ll follow up my last post by reiterating my sense that the Wolves already have a deal for Giannis (or some other player as a backup deal) in place and are waiting on a few more details before announcing. I just can’t imagine TC dealing Conley and giving a pick swap as part of that deal just to trim some salary now for financial reasons or to create flexibility for a deal that may or my not happen.

The Conley trade makes no sense unless it’s tied to a major trade deadline deal. Mike Conley’s contract is expiring so it was going to come off the books at the end of this season anyway. The pick swap to trade Conley means we’ll have Detroit’s 2026 pick instead of our own, which means it will likely be pick 29 instead of what could be much higher depending on where he Wolves end up. This summer we’ll be able to deal our 1st round pick as part of a package. Right now, we can’t deal that pick and it will have less trade value in the off season because of the Conley deal. It’s clear that TC wanted the extra cap room right now and that has to mean he has a deal for which that extra cap room is essential. I think it’s Giannis, but if there is no Giannis deal actually in place, then I have to think that TC has another deal locked in as an alternative.

60WinTim wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 10:36 pm Looks like the trade is official. Our pick swap is protected if better than number 20.

Even if a Giannis trade doesn’t go down, the salary dump makes trading Dilly easier. Before the trade, the Wolves could not take back more salary. But now they can take back a little over 8 mil. That’s enough to trade Dilly straight up for guys like Tre or Tyus Jones, or Ayo. Even bigger trades are much easier to construct. Sure seems like something will go down by Thursday.