The trade deadline is approaching... and while the Timberwolves simply don't have the resources after the Gobert trade to do anything of great significance... it's becoming clear something is going to happen.
And we can see it from the blurbs of NBA "news" being sent out recently. I'm convinced most of these are leaked by organizations. For example, there's the "Alex Caruso nearly untouchable in trade talks" blurb. NEARLY UNTOUCHABLE! Hmmm...
Anyway, the Wolves are part of the fun:
Last week, the D. Russell rumblings were afoot with cryptic stories about the Wolves looking... or other teams possibly interested in him... or even the Wolves mentioned in Conley talks with the Jazz.
Today is a 2-for-one:
1. Jaylen Nowell leaning toward leaving Minnesota this summer (i.e., the Wolves not extending him).
2. The Wolves interested in a Bones Hyland trade.
Both penned by Shams Charnia. And both leaked/backed by quite probably the same source. We've heard how Tim Connelly is well respected throughout the league. And as I've mentioned before, he seems to have his hooks into Jon K from The Athletic a bit.
Whether he's great at making trades and picks in Minnesota will be debatable for years... I think we're seeing that he is well connected, which may make it easier to play other parts of the GM game.
It makes me chuckle as I think about the David Kahn days. He was a terrible GM which was only exacerbated by him being disliked or dismissed by virtually everybody, including fans, players, former players or the media. As one of those smug guys who always carried himself as the smartest dude in the room, he definitely thought he knew how to play the game... but he was clueless which made him the worst GM I've ever seen.
In any event... enjoy the next couple of weeks. I know a Naz Reid for Bones Hyland trade of some sort was already mentioned here. Could Nowell's inclusion be added to the mix?
Here comes the chatter!
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BloopOracle
- Posts: 3353
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Re: Here comes the chatter!
Naz for Bones to replace Nowell would be fantastic!
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Crazysauce
- Posts: 2145
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Re: Here comes the chatter!
It sounds like they want a defensive minded big. Not sure who we have that meets what they want. Maybe Minott but would think they want someone ready to contribute. It will be interesting to see what or if something comes together. I would love getting Hyland.
Re: Here comes the chatter!
There's an interesting dynamic that we are not privy to, such as what happened with Myles Turner in Indiana. You know Indiana had to be lining up trade offers for Turner since he could walk for nothing in the offseason. But they wanted to keep him. The question was could they reach an agreement on an extension. In Turner's case, they did reach an agreement, and we will not see a Turner trade by the deadline.
The Wolves have 3 players in the same situation: Dlo, Naz and Jaylen. But each situation seems different.
Dlo:
Most blurbs we see say Dlo wants to be here, but his agent and the team don't see eye-to-eye on the dollars, yet. This seems like a pretty even tossup to me: 1) they could reach an extension deal by the trade deadline, 2) DLo could be traded, 3) nothing happens with the hope a deal can be reached in the offseason (ie. Dlo tests the market).
Naz:
Naz's value has really grown this season. And all credit to Naz -- he has made tremendous strides in his athleticism and mobility and turned himself into a good player. I don't see a lot of opportunity for Naz here once KAT returns, so I assume he winds up elsewhere if he hits free agency in the offseason. And it seems unlikely his agent and the Wolves would meet on an extension before the deadline. So it's either get something in return for Naz, or lose him for nothing. But a trade would put the team in a bind while KAT is out. It's a tough choice.
Jaylen:
The "Jaylen Nowell leaning toward leaving Minnesota this summer" is a reasonable vibe for his agent to put out there in hopes of pushing the Wolves to agree to an extension. But I don't think he has played well enough to warrant an extension. With Austin Rivers providing solid minutes, is Jalen even in the rotation when McLaughlin returns? I would rank Jaylen as the most likely to be traded by the deadline, or included in a larger trade involving Naz and/or Dlo.
We don't have too much longer to wait!
The Wolves have 3 players in the same situation: Dlo, Naz and Jaylen. But each situation seems different.
Dlo:
Most blurbs we see say Dlo wants to be here, but his agent and the team don't see eye-to-eye on the dollars, yet. This seems like a pretty even tossup to me: 1) they could reach an extension deal by the trade deadline, 2) DLo could be traded, 3) nothing happens with the hope a deal can be reached in the offseason (ie. Dlo tests the market).
Naz:
Naz's value has really grown this season. And all credit to Naz -- he has made tremendous strides in his athleticism and mobility and turned himself into a good player. I don't see a lot of opportunity for Naz here once KAT returns, so I assume he winds up elsewhere if he hits free agency in the offseason. And it seems unlikely his agent and the Wolves would meet on an extension before the deadline. So it's either get something in return for Naz, or lose him for nothing. But a trade would put the team in a bind while KAT is out. It's a tough choice.
Jaylen:
The "Jaylen Nowell leaning toward leaving Minnesota this summer" is a reasonable vibe for his agent to put out there in hopes of pushing the Wolves to agree to an extension. But I don't think he has played well enough to warrant an extension. With Austin Rivers providing solid minutes, is Jalen even in the rotation when McLaughlin returns? I would rank Jaylen as the most likely to be traded by the deadline, or included in a larger trade involving Naz and/or Dlo.
We don't have too much longer to wait!
Re: Here comes the chatter!
I read the report from Shams. It's kinda amusing that Nowell would want to leave the team that keeps rolling him out there despite him kinda sucking at times. I'm sure he is still hoping for a payday. I would not have thought at this point in time I would be saying this but he might be wise to take what the Wolves are offering in an extension. Like the Wolves ended up being fortunate that Bazz turned down 10 million a year at one point they might be happy that Nowell turned them down and Nowell ends up going elsewhere. I still believe in Nowell's talent but...
Also it would be interesting to know what price the Nuggets have for Hyland.
Someone said the Wolves are looking for a defensive big. Trading Naz for one would make some sense. I feel like Garza is a guy they could throw in if they wanted a big that can score. Knight is the guy with the physical ability to play in a scramble defense more than the other options and does various things.
I am not getting my hopes up for much of deal. Maybe a Bryn Forbes for another player some other team doesn't want that might help the Wolves more.
Also it would be interesting to know what price the Nuggets have for Hyland.
Someone said the Wolves are looking for a defensive big. Trading Naz for one would make some sense. I feel like Garza is a guy they could throw in if they wanted a big that can score. Knight is the guy with the physical ability to play in a scramble defense more than the other options and does various things.
I am not getting my hopes up for much of deal. Maybe a Bryn Forbes for another player some other team doesn't want that might help the Wolves more.
Re: Here comes the chatter!
Good stuff here guys.
I don't think DLO and Naz are going anywhere before the trade deadline. As long as this team is in "win now" mode and in the Western Conference top 6 playoff mix, I don't see how we could move either one.
On Bones Hyland, are we sure we want him on the squad??? His defensive metrics are HORRIBLE, like even worse than Jaylen. I get that he has that Jamaal Crawford shot making vibe and flare, but guys like this can crater an entire half court defense. I guess I haven't seen him enough to truly know, but he has by far the worst On/Off defensive rating on the Nuggets and his Defensive Estimated Plus Minus is in the bottom 1-percentile of the league.
I'm sad about Nowell. I was following him closely when he was first playing with the Iowa squad and had super high hopes for him after he made the most of his minutes last season. What a shame that he not only continues to struggle defensively, but has a 3-point shot that has completely broken down. This dude was one of the best collegiate shooters for two years and now people at the stadium are running for cover every time he launches a long range shot.
I don't think DLO and Naz are going anywhere before the trade deadline. As long as this team is in "win now" mode and in the Western Conference top 6 playoff mix, I don't see how we could move either one.
On Bones Hyland, are we sure we want him on the squad??? His defensive metrics are HORRIBLE, like even worse than Jaylen. I get that he has that Jamaal Crawford shot making vibe and flare, but guys like this can crater an entire half court defense. I guess I haven't seen him enough to truly know, but he has by far the worst On/Off defensive rating on the Nuggets and his Defensive Estimated Plus Minus is in the bottom 1-percentile of the league.
I'm sad about Nowell. I was following him closely when he was first playing with the Iowa squad and had super high hopes for him after he made the most of his minutes last season. What a shame that he not only continues to struggle defensively, but has a 3-point shot that has completely broken down. This dude was one of the best collegiate shooters for two years and now people at the stadium are running for cover every time he launches a long range shot.
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AbeVigodaLive
- Posts: 10272
- Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2013 12:00 am
Re: Here comes the chatter!
Q-was-here wrote:Good stuff here guys.
I don't think DLO and Naz are going anywhere before the trade deadline. As long as this team is in "win now" mode and in the Western Conference top 6 playoff mix, I don't see how we could move either one.
On Bones Hyland, are we sure we want him on the squad??? His defensive metrics are HORRIBLE, like even worse than Jaylen. I get that he has that Jamaal Crawford shot making vibe and flare, but guys like this can crater an entire half court defense. I guess I haven't seen him enough to truly know, but he has by far the worst On/Off defensive rating on the Nuggets and his Defensive Estimated Plus Minus is in the bottom 1-percentile of the league.
I'm sad about Nowell. I was following him closely when he was first playing with the Iowa squad and had super high hopes for him after he made the most of his minutes last season. What a shame that he not only continues to struggle defensively, but has a 3-point shot that has completely broken down. This dude was one of the best collegiate shooters for two years and now people at the stadium are running for cover every time he launches a long range shot.
I don't know enough about him. He's definitely a bucket-getter, which is what's needed at times... advanced metrics be damned.
That being said... he's still had a +VORP each of his two seasons in the league.
+0.5 last year
+0.3 this season
He also seems very annoying (when he's on the opposing team) in the games I've watched. I'm not entirely sure where he ranks on the PunkOmeter though.
Re: Here comes the chatter!
AbeVigodaLive wrote:Q-was-here wrote:Good stuff here guys.
I don't think DLO and Naz are going anywhere before the trade deadline. As long as this team is in "win now" mode and in the Western Conference top 6 playoff mix, I don't see how we could move either one.
On Bones Hyland, are we sure we want him on the squad??? His defensive metrics are HORRIBLE, like even worse than Jaylen. I get that he has that Jamaal Crawford shot making vibe and flare, but guys like this can crater an entire half court defense. I guess I haven't seen him enough to truly know, but he has by far the worst On/Off defensive rating on the Nuggets and his Defensive Estimated Plus Minus is in the bottom 1-percentile of the league.
I'm sad about Nowell. I was following him closely when he was first playing with the Iowa squad and had super high hopes for him after he made the most of his minutes last season. What a shame that he not only continues to struggle defensively, but has a 3-point shot that has completely broken down. This dude was one of the best collegiate shooters for two years and now people at the stadium are running for cover every time he launches a long range shot.
I don't know enough about him. He's definitely a bucket-getter, which is what's needed at times... advanced metrics be damned.
That being said... he's still had a +VORP each of his two seasons in the league.
+0.5 last year
+0.3 this season
He also seems very annoying (when he's on the opposing team) in the games I've watched. I'm not entirely sure where he ranks on the PunkOmeter though.
His On/Off ratings are terrible. I can't ignore just how drastically bad the Nuggets are when he's on the court and it's mostly on the defensive side, which passes the smell test.
I think the Wolves, if anything, need to lean into what I see as a defensive identity forming. I feel like if/when Prince and McLaughlin come back and elbow Nowell out of the rotation, we may be a legit top 10 defense without losing much on offense. Not sure we need a Bones Hyland in that case.
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Jester1534
- Posts: 3766
- Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2013 12:00 am
Re: Here comes the chatter!
This next week is so huge for this team to catapult themselves to that 3 seed. I personally would Trade Naz and Nowell for picks and hope I can get a buyout candidate to come here to replace Nowell Minutes or worst case scenario you throw Minott or Moore into the fire and deal with growing pains because it cant be much worse than what Nowell is Producing on a nightly basis.
Re: Here comes the chatter!
Saw this kinda fun tweet searching for stuff about Hyland.
https://twitter.com/katszn_/status/1620083411116507137?s=46&t=qiYVGpm1flhqo4_Ffou6xQ
It wasn't that long ago that Nowell one of his strengths was he didn't lay too fast and did his thing. This year he is going 100mph sometimes and in transition or going to the basket I think that's good. Can he find a way to change gears better? Meanwhile Hyland probably will need to dial things back a bit. He does seem to be a guy that might be a better component as a rotation PG type than Nowell. It would nice to have someone with more juice breaking down and making plays for himself. Nowell can score in the paint though. I wonder if the Nuggets like Moore. Hyland's value partly is his youth being a 2nd year player who could get better and is signed for 2 years beyond this one. You could easily argue he is already contributing more this season than Nowell ever has advanced numbers be damned. Lol I'm not like all in on the guy at all but I am a little intrigued depending on what it takes to acquire him.
https://twitter.com/katszn_/status/1620083411116507137?s=46&t=qiYVGpm1flhqo4_Ffou6xQ
It wasn't that long ago that Nowell one of his strengths was he didn't lay too fast and did his thing. This year he is going 100mph sometimes and in transition or going to the basket I think that's good. Can he find a way to change gears better? Meanwhile Hyland probably will need to dial things back a bit. He does seem to be a guy that might be a better component as a rotation PG type than Nowell. It would nice to have someone with more juice breaking down and making plays for himself. Nowell can score in the paint though. I wonder if the Nuggets like Moore. Hyland's value partly is his youth being a 2nd year player who could get better and is signed for 2 years beyond this one. You could easily argue he is already contributing more this season than Nowell ever has advanced numbers be damned. Lol I'm not like all in on the guy at all but I am a little intrigued depending on what it takes to acquire him.