Wolves are attempting to add another lotto pick

[AbeVigodaLive]

So... as a fan for team that has seen re-re-re-rebuld after re-re-re-rebuild...

I get why the Wizards are reluctant to trade Beal. By all reports he wants to stay there. And if they trade him, they get draft picks and young guys who... if EVERYTHING goes right... one of them will end up being as good as...




... Bradley Beal.

Beal isn't the problem. So why trade him?

[Monster]

So after connecting some dots with little bits of information I came up with this. Who says no?

Hawks trade pick 6 and Dedmon for Oubre and pick 17.
Wolves trade pick 17, Johnson, Culver, and Layman for pick 6, Rubio, and Dedmon.
Thunder trade Paul for pick 10, Johnson, and Culver.
Suns trade Oubre, Rubio, pick 10 for Paul, Layman and pick 25.

Rosas would say no. He's not trading for a 35-year old. If Rosas is in the market for a star, he'll be looking for someone close in age to his current duo of Towns and Russell. So I think it comes down to Simmons, Beal or Booker. I can't think of another young star might conceivably be available. And I honestly don't think Booker will be gettable. So I think it's Simmons or Beal. Simmons would be the guy I'd want, but that would probably require the Wizards to send Beal to the Wizards in a 3-way.

As I've written several times before, I think the Wizards are ready to blow it up and start a rebuild. Their front office can't possibly believe that John Wall will return at his age from an Achilles tear and combine with Beal to take the Wizards from one of the worst teams in the League to playoff contention. And they have to know that the team will become a championship contender with those two as their core. So while Wizards front office talks publicly about wanting to keep Beal and take a shot with Wall, I've never believed them.

They have over $100 million reasons to have to believe in Wall. It's not as if they have a choice.

They're not gonna blow it up no matter how much you want it to happen. They're not gonna start an all out rebuild until they're ready.

Well, I think they should be ready to blow it up. This isn't wishful thinking on my part. If I were the Wizards' PBO, I'd start the rebuild November 18. Wall's contract can't stop the Wizards from doing deals to accumulate valuable draft assets, add young guys on relatively cheap contracts and trim payroll. With Wall, it's just a waiting game. Eventually, he'll have positive trade value as an expiring contract. In the meantime, the Wizards can start adding draft assets and young talent while trading Beal's contract for a somewhat smaller or shorter one.

Beal is the key to any will never have higher trade than he has now. Every time he takes the floor, he risks an injury that will obliterate or substantially reduce his trade value. He's at the peak of his powers and would bring a huge return right now. Moreover, there are two teams at the top of this year's draft that appear to be highly motivated to get Beal - the Wolves and Warriors. Both teams also have assets that would be attractive to a team seeking to start a rebuild.

I could be wrong about whether the Wizards front office is quietly entertaining the idea of starting a rebuild with a draft-day trade next week. But if I were in charge of the Wizards organization, I'd be be looking to get the rebuild started and I'd be talking in earnest with both the Wolves and Warriors.

I wonder if ownership may be part of why they haven't done the rebuild yet.

Might be. Hard to know. Knowing when to cut loose and start over is one of the keys to good management of an NBA franchise. You have to know when you've hit a dead end and maximize your existing assets to start over. I would think the Wizards' front office has figured that out already, but who know. As you suggested, maybe their front office has figured that out but has been overruled by ownership.

I don't mean to disrespect Tommy Shepard because when the job was open it seemed like there was a reasonable amount of positive vibes about him but...he was picked by ownership as their guy not that long ago and that's part of why I am thinking ownership could have a real deciding factor in all this.

Meanwhile maybe they think adding even a 70% John wall for 55 games (I'd say 60 but it's a shorter and condensed schedule) will be an upgrade over Ish Smith and then whatever was behind him. They won 25 games it's not like they were completely horrendous and they are in the East. Maybe they have some faith in their young players. Bertans was quite good for them last year. We have seen other teams find takers for other high dollar PGs and yes Wall is less likely to have value than those guys...you never know what could happen.

I think you make a good argument why they should blow it up (I tend to agree with you) but as Abe said in his post...I get why they may not want to do that especially if Beal has committed to them so far. Wall will be nearly 2 years removed from his injury so...maybe he is completely healthy even if he will he rusty. We have seen Jimmy Butler garner a nice return in trades twice as a guy in his late 20's (and he had some injury history) so Beal will likely still have lots of value in a year or whenever if they decide to move on. Also I'll add here that I think Beal's defense is no longer a liability which adds Quite a bit to his value both for the Wizards and around the league.

[Phenom]

Saw on Rube Chat via some Hawks insider that Wolves could swap pick 1 and 17 for pick 5 and 6 in a convoluted 5 team scenario that at least the Wolves and Hawks have agreed to.

Hawks move down from 6 to 13 and 17
Cavs trade 5 and Love for 10, Rubio and Oubre
Wolves trade 1 and 17 for 5 and 6
Pels trade Holiday and 13 for 1
Suns trade 10 Rubio and Oubre for Holiday and Love

Probably contingent on if Holiday likes Phx. If nothing else a fun talker. This could net 2 of Haliburton, Okongwu, or Toppin.

How strange would it be to have pick 5 and 6 again? With Rubio involved no less?

[Monster]

Saw on Rube Chat via some Hawks insider that Wolves could swap pick 1 and 17 for pick 5 and 6 in a convoluted 5 team scenario that at least the Wolves and Hawks have agreed to.

Hawks move down from 6 to 13 and 17
Cavs trade 5 and Love for Rubio and Oubre
Wolves trade 1 and 17 for 5 and 6
Pels trade Holiday and 13 for 1
Suns trade Rubio and Oubre for Holiday and Love

Probably contingent on if Holiday likes Phx. If nothing else a fun talker. This could net 2 of Haliburton, Okongwu, or Toppin.

How strange would it be to have pick 5 and 6 again? With Rubio involved no less?

I think after reading this "insider" it makes me want to get outside more. Lol For starters I see no way the Cavs do that deal.

[Phenom]

Saw on Rube Chat via some Hawks insider that Wolves could swap pick 1 and 17 for pick 5 and 6 in a convoluted 5 team scenario that at least the Wolves and Hawks have agreed to.

Hawks move down from 6 to 13 and 17
Cavs trade 5 and Love for Rubio and Oubre
Wolves trade 1 and 17 for 5 and 6
Pels trade Holiday and 13 for 1
Suns trade Rubio and Oubre for Holiday and Love

Probably contingent on if Holiday likes Phx. If nothing else a fun talker. This could net 2 of Haliburton, Okongwu, or Toppin.

How strange would it be to have pick 5 and 6 again? With Rubio involved no less?

I think after reading this "insider" it makes me want to get outside more. Lol For starters I see no way the Cavs do that deal.

He added after that Cavs get pick 10 too. That makes more sense for them.

[Phenom]

This sounds like a trade that Gupta would concoct. Also makes sense with the narratives about Wolves loving Haliburton and Toppin.

[Monster]

Saw on Rube Chat via some Hawks insider that Wolves could swap pick 1 and 17 for pick 5 and 6 in a convoluted 5 team scenario that at least the Wolves and Hawks have agreed to.

Hawks move down from 6 to 13 and 17
Cavs trade 5 and Love for Rubio and Oubre
Wolves trade 1 and 17 for 5 and 6
Pels trade Holiday and 13 for 1
Suns trade Rubio and Oubre for Holiday and Love

Probably contingent on if Holiday likes Phx. If nothing else a fun talker. This could net 2 of Haliburton, Okongwu, or Toppin.

How strange would it be to have pick 5 and 6 again? With Rubio involved no less?

I think after reading this "insider" it makes me want to get outside more. Lol For starters I see no way the Cavs do that deal.

He added after that Cavs get pick 10 too. That makes more sense for them.

Ok that makes more sense. Wait...all the Suns give up for Love AND Holiday is just Oubre and Rubio?!? Must be more missing pieces. FWIW the basic idea of the Wolves giving up 1 and 17 for 5 and 6 would be something worth considering IMHO.

[Crazysauce]

The 10 pick would be from the suns as well.

[Lipoli390]

This deal seems like a pretty good one for the Wolves unless you believe that Wiseman is going to end up another Chris Bosh or Joel Embiid or that Edwards will end up another Victor Oladipo or Dwayne Wade.

Based on the reports we're reading, the Wolves front office appears to be zeroing in on Toppin and Haliburton, although at least one reports indicated the Wolves have an interest in Patrick Williams.

Toppin would appear to align well with the Wolves system. As Rosas has often said, they're looking for that alignment. He looks like a true stretch PF who could be a great offensive player. Of course, by all accounts, he's a terrible defender. I happen to think the Wolves need another star. I also think they need to substantially upgrade their defense and add mental toughness and competitiveness to the roster. So I wouldn't be interested in Toppin. I love Haliburton and wouldn't mind trading up from #17 to draft him. But I don't see him becoming an elite NBA player.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

1 and 17 for 5 and 6 isn't worth it. That's 4 whole teams that can snag away players we might want. Why do the Hawks move down just to pick up a playoff pick when they have a ton of young talent on that team and need veterans to help them make the playoffs? I'd rather get Holiday and 5 for example more than 5 and 6. I need something that helps me this year and in the future if I am giving up the #1 pick. 2 lottery picks aren't helping us make the playoffs until Towns and Russell are looking elsewhere. Here's my blockbuster that is never happening in the same vein.

MIN: Holiday
PHX: CP3
OKC: 10, Ricky, Oubre, Okogie
NO: James Johnson, Culver, 17

I don't think NO gets the kind of value they would want and I think OKC gets too much fodder they wouldn't want during their rebuild. Turning Johnson, Culver, Okogie and 17 into Holiday might be steep but we would keep #1 and maybe then we deal it to Charlotte for 3 and a wing or just take Wiseman and hope we can get some decent wings in the MLE range to consider coming here.