Trade season

[kekgeek]

The New York Knicks are trading Guerschon Yabusele to the Chicago Bulls for Dalen Terry, sources tell ESPN.

[Lipoli390]

The most recent reports indicate that the Heat are no longer in on the Giannis sweepstakes, having been told by the Bucks they have no interest in the package, including Tyler Herro, Miami is able to offer. The Warriors trade just announced would appear to take the Warriors out of the running for Giannis. Based on these events and the most recent reporting, Minnesota appears to be the only team still in pursuit of Giannis. The latest reporting indicates that the Bucks are inclined to keep Giannis through this season and that the Wolves are trying to convince them otherwise. Doesn’t sound like a good leverage position for the Wolves. Here’s a recent report on what the Bucks will have to get from the Wolves for a deal to happen.

The Bucks want Jaden McDaniels, a source tells SI, with Milwaukee seeing McDaniels, 25, as a potential future All-Star. But the Bucks also want multiple first-round draft picks, sources say, and Minnesota’s war chest of them is nearly empty.

It’s why the Wolves have been canvassing the league in search of them. One source who has discussed a deal with Minnesota tells SI the Timberwolves have been clear that most of the roster—sans Edwards, of course—is up for discussion for the right draft compensation. The belief is Minnesota will have to get as many as four teams involved to make a deal work.

Put this together and it would seem the Wolves would need to trade Jaden to the Bucks and also trade Naz and other players to get 1st round draft picks to include in the deal. I don’t know how TC gets that done and I sure hope he doesn’t. I’m hoping the Bucks stand firm in their decision to keep Giannis. In the meantime, I want the Wolves to pivot to deals that would not involve Jaden or Naz. I’m not even sure what potentially available player would be worth giving up Randle or Donte.

I think TC has put the himself in a position where he’ll have to make a deal, having given up Conley and also weakened our draft standing for this year with the Pistons swap. The rest of the League probably smells blood in the water as the deadline approaches. If it were up to me, I’d use the extra cap room we now have to sign the best available free agent. Lonzo Ball is among a number of good players who have been or will be released following the flurry of trade deadline deals. Lonzo has struggled with his shot this season but he’s an excellent playmaker and very good defender.

[WildWolf2813]

the only conclusion I can surmise from the Giannis stuff is that nobody values Randle that much even with the season he's had.


The pivot should really be to get what you can for Randle but Finch will never let it happen.

[Coolbreeze44]

If Giannis is off the table, I'd like to go after Kyrie.

[Lipoli390]

The Orlando Magic are trading Tyus Jones to the Charlotte Hornets for cash considerations, sources tell ESPN.
4:53 PM · Feb 4, 2026

Tyus was obviously available for next to nothing. Getting him would have been the way to go in my view.

[Lipoli390]

If Giannis is off the table, I'd like to go after Kyrie.

The mercurial Kyrie Irving is still recovering from surgery to repair an ACL tear that happened less than a year ago. He’s 33 years old. No team that has traded for Kyrie has ever made it to the Conference finals. He has a reputation for quitting on his teammates. All that was true when he was in his later 20s without any major structural injuries. Trading for any 33 year old recovering from an ACL tear that occurred less than 12 months ago is highly problematic. Then add all the other Kyrie baggage and I see no sense in pursuing Kyrie.

[Coolbreeze44]

If Giannis is off the table, I'd like to go after Kyrie.

The mercurial Kyrie Irving is still recovering from surgery to repair an ACL tear that happened less than a year ago. He’s 33 years old. No team that has traded for Kyrie has ever made it to the Conference finals. He has a reputation for quitting on his teammates. All that was true when he was in his later 20s without any major structural injuries. Trading for any 33 year old recovering from an ACL tear that occurred less than 12 months ago is highly problematic. Then add all the other Kyrie baggage and I see no sense in pursuing Kyrie.

Do you remember how he killed us in the conference finals and seemed to have more energy than guys 10 years younger than him including Ant?

[kekgeek]

If the wolves do not make a trade tomorrow and/or add a player that the wolves couldn’t have added before the Mike trade via the buyout market I will have serious doubts about new ownership.

I hated Glen Taylor but there was mixed reports on Lore/Arod financial situation. Now 14 hours until the trade deadline the wolves have done nothing besides save the owners money.

If the wolves do nothing I will interpret that all the Giannis stuff was a smokescreen distraction from cheap ownership because of the report they could have had Colby White back in the trade.

I will then have long term concerns with ownership. These concerns would not of been there even staying put and keeping Mike.


*My prediction is they add Ayo tomorrow or Middleton and Conley in the buyout market

[WildWolf2813]

If the wolves do not make a trade tomorrow and/or add a player that the wolves couldn’t have added before the Mike trade via the buyout market I will have serious doubts about new ownership.

I hated Glen Taylor but there was mixed reports on Lore/Arod financial situation. Now 14 hours until the trade deadline the wolves have done nothing besides save the owners money.

If the wolves do nothing I will interpret that all the Giannis stuff was a smokescreen distraction from cheap ownership because of the report they could have had Colby White back in the trade.

I will then have long term concerns with ownership. These concerns would not of been there even staying put and keeping Mike.


*My prediction is they add Ayo tomorrow or Middleton and Conley in the buyout market

I don't think this is a we're too poor to spend situation though. Trading Conley got us out of the aprons. Now if the goal is to always stay under, that's a problem, but then we'd be selling high on Randle by 3pm tomorrow.

If they don't address PG it's because they thought they could get Giannis which even now seems like TC was being overly ambitious.

[Lipoli390]

If Giannis is off the table, I'd like to go after Kyrie.

The mercurial Kyrie Irving is still recovering from surgery to repair an ACL tear that happened less than a year ago. He’s 33 years old. No team that has traded for Kyrie has ever made it to the Conference finals. He has a reputation for quitting on his teammates. All that was true when he was in his later 20s without any major structural injuries. Trading for any 33 year old recovering from an ACL tear that occurred less than 12 months ago is highly problematic. Then add all the other Kyrie baggage and I see no sense in pursuing Kyrie.

Do you remember how he killed us in the conference finals and seemed to have more energy than guys 10 years younger than him including Ant?

I remember that. But that’s one series. Kyrie has a long career record. He’s a great player - when he wants to be. The problem is that you can’t count on him. Moreover, all of that great stuff from Kyrie before his ACL tear. Coming back from an ACL tear at age 33 isn’t something I’d want to count on. The best organizations inside and outside sports don’t gamble. They don’t swing for the fences. They don’t panic. They build intelligently and methodically over time.

The Rudy deal has worked out for the Wolves but Rudy was 31 and completely healthy with a long record as a great teammate who always showed up. Yet, I’d still say that the Rudy deal wasn’t necessary. We were a 46-win team with Ant, Jaden and Naz at ages 19, 20 and 21 respectively, along with KAT and a vagabond supporting cast that featured Beasley, Vanderbilt and Pat Bev. That team was going to get much, much better solely from the maturation of Ant, Jaden and Naz. We could have done a a number of things to build around them without expending all the assets we used to get Rudy. Interestingly, if we had done that, we might have the draft picks needed now to get Giannis.

This big swing stuff rarely works. It’s what failed organizations do. It’s just amazing to me that organizations continue to ignore history in favor of gambles rather than make sound, smart decisions over time. The really good executives succeed with the latter approach. The mediocre and bad executives take big swings and fail.