Minnesota Sports Forum

If this is the deal that goes through main asset-wise combined with the fact that Philly is actually really far below the salary threshold I expect up to be able to drop as much bad salary as we want on them. If that's the case I can dig the framework of the trade.

longstrangetrip wrote:This sounds a little more reliable than some of the tweets of the past week, although the fact that the salaries are still unbalanced tells us that there is still more to this deal. But to me this is the strongest indication yet that Young is coming our way, and that Bennett is likely not. I'm not happy about that and was hoping that we would end up with both PF's plus unload some contracts, but perhaps that was greedy thinking. So the rumor is far from perfect, but from the start I have been on board with anything that had Love and Wiggins changing time zones...the peripheral pieces don't concern me as much, and I'll have to trust that Flip will make the best deal that he can. He's done well so far.

He hasn't done anything so far, other than throw away our cap space last season and sign in injury prone Pek to deal longer than any other team could (if any had even made an offer).

If the choice is between Wiggins and Thad or Wiggins + Bennett+ the Miami and Memphis picks, I'd take the latter. Why? Because Thad's presence on the team next season won't get us into the playoffs in West. At most, his presence will improve our record enough to hurt our draft position or possibly cause us to lose the pick to the Suns. Then he either re-ups at nearly $10 million, which is way overpriced for his contribution, or he departs and leaves us with cap space. In other words, Thad adds little meaningful value to the Wolves in its current rebuilding mode.

In my view, Thad would add meaningful value only via the cap space we would get if he chooses to leave after this season, but that cap space value would be minimal. Cap space simply isn't a very strong rebuilding tool for a team like the Wolves. We are rarely a destination of choice for better free agents and attracting free agents will be even more difficult as a rebuilding lottery team. So the Wolves are much better off with assets rather than cap space -- i.e., young talent and first round picks that can be traded. That's why I'd rather have Bennett and a couple extra first round picks.

sjm34 wrote:

alexftbl8181 wrote:

Camden wrote:Sports Update @MySportsUpdate · 2h
ESPN insider Brian Windhorst reports that a Kevin Love deal to Cleveland is basically done barring a last minute change. (1/2)

CLE will get Love, Wiggins & Thaddeus Young go to Minnesota and Anthony Bennett and picks go to Philadelphia is rumored to be a deal. (2/2)

I would hope Minnesota got picks back instead of Philly. Maybe Cool's idea of sending multiple picks to Philly and them giving one back could be in play?

Still doesn't make sense. We would have 16 players under deals in that deal. Plus Philly needs to be adding salary to make the cap floor, not getting rid of.

This is why your GM/Prez and coach should be different guys. Why would you WAYYYYY overpay for Young. The guy isn't a difference maker. I understand Cam's like for him, and he can certainly be a serviceable player, but you are going to be waiting on Wiggins and Lavine to develop so why not keep some future assets to add to that. I could live with Bennett or a first, but both??????

I agree, SJM.

lipoli390 wrote:In my view, Thad would had meaningful value only via the cap space we would get if he chooses to leave after this season. But cap space simply isn't a very strong rebuilding tool for a team like the Wolves. The Wolves are much better off with assets -- i.e., young talent and first round picks -- that can be traded. That's why I'd rather have Bennett and a couple extra first round picks to either keep or use in trades.

I agree but we really do have a TON of young talent on the team with Wiggins incoming, we have young high pick talent at every damn position except PF so maybe cap space wouldn't be so bad?

When discussing future cap space for the Wolves, it's important to note that yes cap space allows you to sign free agents, but it ALSO provides you the flexibility to take on bad contracts (AND DRAFT PICKS) from other teams who are looking to sign free agents.

Example of this? LAC (clearing cap space) sending B. Davis to Cleveland (who had tons of space) with the addition of a future 1st, which ended up being...........Kyrie Irving.

This is EXTREMELY important because starting next July, numerous teams are going to be doing the same thing for Durant that teams did four years ago for Lebron. The Wolves, who ARE rebuilding, could take on bad contracts in the short term to get additional 1st's in the long-term.

Is there anyone that believes THad is a starting PF on a PO team in the West?

I think this is Flip being overly confident about his coaching skills.

zigzag22 wrote:When discussing future cap space for the Wolves, it's important to note that yes cap space allows you to sign free agents, but it ALSO provides you the flexibility to take on bad contracts (AND DRAFT PICKS) from other teams who are looking to sign free agents.

Example of this? LAC (clearing cap space) sending B. Davis to Cleveland (who had tons of space) with the addition of a future 1st, which ended up being...........Kyrie Irving.

This is EXTREMELY important because starting next July, numerous teams are going to be doing the same thing for Durant that teams did four years ago for Lebron. The Wolves, who ARE rebuilding, could take on bad contracts in the short term to get additional 1st's in the long-term.

The example is Philly in this deal.

zigzag22 wrote:When discussing future cap space for the Wolves, it's important to note that yes cap space allows you to sign free agents, but it ALSO provides you the flexibility to take on bad contracts (AND DRAFT PICKS) from other teams who are looking to sign free agents.

Example of this? LAC (clearing cap space) sending B. Davis to Cleveland (who had tons of space) with the addition of a future 1st, which ended up being...........Kyrie Irving.

This is EXTREMELY important because starting next July, numerous teams are going to be doing the same thing for Durant that teams did four years ago for Lebron. The Wolves, who ARE rebuilding, could take on bad contracts in the short term to get additional 1st's in the long-term.

I understand what you're saying, Zig. But the Wolves have the chance right now to get picks without also taking on any bad contracts. I don't get the logic in choosing future cap space over picks on the chance that the cap space might be used to get picks plus a bad contract or two.

Honestly, I think Flip wants Thad because of the contribution he expects to get from him and his desire to have another veteran on the team. I think it's a mistake. In my view, you can't rebuild effectively without going all in on the rebuild. Trying to walk the line between rebuilding and competing is a prescription for failure or mediocrity. Drafting LaVine and then trading Love for a prospect, Wiggins, who even his biggest supports say is 3-5 years away from being a top player means a rebuild even if Ricky turns out to be as good as I think he'll be.

I understand the need for some vets mixed in with young talent in a rebuilding phase, but we already have Martin, Brewer, Pekovic, Turiaf and Mo Williams as very experienced vets. And Rubio, while young, isn't exactly a babe in the woods when it comes to the NBA or professional basketball. That's a much larger vet presence than Durant and Westbrook had when starting out in Ok City.

But who knows, The report may be off. We'll know for sure in another few weeks.

TheGrey08 wrote:

I think this tweet is BS. I'm seeing nothing from Brian Windhorst himself. So yeah.. I call BS.

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I think you are right BT. Why would he be a source as a reporter, but not tweet it himself.