Minnesota Sports Forum

This thread takes the "look back" thread and focuses specifically on what, if anything, you would have done differently than Thibs this past summer. Here's my list. I would have:

1. Kept Ricky and not signed Teague.

2. Signed Dedmon, Patterson or Moute instead of Gibson, saving around $7M in cap space

3. Used the extra cap space money Thibs used on Teague and Gibson to sign Ingles or Snell

4. Drafted John Collins instead of Patton

5. Purchased the Bulls 2nd round pick for cash as an addition feature of the Butler trade and taken Jordan Bell. I know I can't prove the Bulls would have accepted that additional term, but it's highly likely they would have given the fact that they ended up selling the pick for cash. I can't believe they'd blow up the Butler deal by refusing to sell the rights to the 2nd round pick when they ended up selling those rights.

I hope that Thibs got it right and that I end up being proven wrong on all five of these. Just for fun, I'll note that Ricky had 20 points in 15 minutes tonight on 8-10 shooting, including 2 for 2 from behind the arc tonight. John Collins had 8 boards and 2 blocks in 19 minutes tonight. Then again, it's one preseason game.

Of all the moves Thibs made this off season, I think the biggest mistake will prove to be taking Patton over John Collins.

I also would not have traded Ricky for Teague (indirectly). I would have traded Andrew rather than Zach assuming that deal was available.

Big O wrote:I also would not have traded Ricky for Teague (indirectly). I would have traded Andrew rather than Zach assuming that deal was available.

I have to believe the Bulls would have loved to get Wiggins instead of Zach. I suspect we could have kept Dunn if we had offered Wiggins instead of Zach.

lipoli390 wrote:

Big O wrote:I also would not have traded Ricky for Teague (indirectly). I would have traded Andrew rather than Zach assuming that deal was available.

I have to believe the Bulls would have loved to get Wiggins instead of Zach. I suspect we could have kept Dunn if we had offered Wiggins instead of Zach.

I think there is no question that the Bulls would have preferred Wig to Zach. A year ago when there were rumors of the Wolves going after Butler, the Bulls beat writer said the front office had no interest in Zach and that the conversation had to start with Wig. Well, as time passed the Bulls softened on that stance, but
I still think they would have much preferred Wig.

And I, for one (at least), am delighted we kept Wig rather than Zach...I think he is the far superior player, even though I share others' frustrations with Wig at times. I enjoyed Zach as a guy and admired his athleticism and skills, but there was always something missing in a basketball (and statistical) sense, and I wasn't sure he would ever figure it out. It was apparent to me that we played our best basketball of the year after he got hurt and Rush took his place in the starting lineup, and we only started to play terribly again after Belly went down. (I still think we make the playoffs if Belly doesn't get hurt).

I'll cheer for Zach and Dunn in Chicago (although both are now hurt, and Zach won't even practice with contact until November), but I think our 10-man rotation is much stronger with them not in it.

Are these things that actually could have happened? Because honestly what Thibs pulled off exceeded my imagination. But as long as were talking hypothetical I guess I would have traded Ricky for CP3 and still did the Butler deal and suffered having very little depth in the front court because we wouldn't have money for Taj. Every move Thibs made gave us improvement at the respective place in the roster. I could dream up scenarios where we could have still done that but I doubt any of the suggestions could have been pulled off in reality.

thedoper wrote:Are these things that actually could have happened? Because honestly what Thibs pulled off exceeded my imagination. But as long as were talking hypothetical I guess I would have traded Ricky for CP3 and still did the Butler deal and suffered having very little depth in the front court because we wouldn't have money for Taj. Every move Thibs made gave us improvement at the respective place in the roster. I could dream up scenarios where we could have still done that but I doubt any of the suggestions could have been pulled off in reality.

Exactly, it is hard to say we should of did this and that when there is no proof that any of this as possible.

Ala the 2nd round pick from the Bulls. We didn't know if the Bulls wanted to give the pick up at the time of the butler trade. The Bulls might of had a player that they wanted in the 2nd round but then when that player was selected they wanted to sell the pick. Also it is hindsight that bell was still on the board, if we made the trade including a 2nd, we didn't know at the time bell would be avaliable so we didn't want to end up with a player we didn't want and take up more cap space.

We have no idea if ingles and Snell would of signed here and they were both RFA. I agree I would rather of had Patterson at the money but who knows if Patterson wanted to be a wolf.

Now on the stuff we could of controlled. Ricky for teague and a 1st. I would have done because I think teague and Ricky are in similar tiers and adding a future asset what we would not of had in the 1st is huge. Can now add young cheap talent when all our cap is used up (for example a player like bell this year could of been) and now we have a trade asset and can trade the pick and Aldrich non guaranteed contact to a team for a player and ~10 mil a year. (So more flexibility)

We got shabazz for the min, taj who we might of overpaid but still productive, another ball handler in Crawford and Butler (best player ever aquire not by draft in wolves history)

Also in 2 years we could have flexibility again. So if we did screw up it should be a short screw up

All in all I'm pretty happy with this offseasons moves but here's what I would have done different:

*Kept Ricky Rubio.

*Offered Taj 24mil over two seasons, not 28mil. Take it or leave it.

*Trade 16th pick to Lakers for their 27th, 42nd and future 2nd. Draft Kyle Kuzma (27) and Ike Anigbogu (42 - G League)

*Signed Jamal Crawford and Bazz as per current contracts.

Signed Milos Teodosic - 12 mil over two years

Signed Luc Mbah a Moute to one year 2 million.

Rubio / Teodosic / Jones
Butler / Crawford / Georges Hunt
Wiggins / Muhammad / Mbah a Moute
Gibson / Bjelica / Kuzma
Towns / Dieng / Aldrich

2ways - Brown and Anigbogu.

longstrangetrip wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

Big O wrote:I also would not have traded Ricky for Teague (indirectly). I would have traded Andrew rather than Zach assuming that deal was available.

I have to believe the Bulls would have loved to get Wiggins instead of Zach. I suspect we could have kept Dunn if we had offered Wiggins instead of Zach.

I think there is no question that the Bulls would have preferred Wig to Zach. A year ago when there were rumors of the Wolves going after Butler, the Bulls beat writer said the front office had no interest in Zach and that the conversation had to start with Wig. Well, as time passed the Bulls softened on that stance, but
I still think they would have much preferred Wig.

And I, for one (at least), am delighted we kept Wig rather than Zach...I think he is the far superior player, even though I share others' frustrations with Wig at times. I enjoyed Zach as a guy and admired his athleticism and skills, but there was always something missing in a basketball (and statistical) sense, and I wasn't sure he would ever figure it out. It was apparent to me that we played our best basketball of the year after he got hurt and Rush took his place in the starting lineup, and we only started to play terribly again after Belly went down. (I still think we make the playoffs if Belly doesn't get hurt).

I'll cheer for Zach and Dunn in Chicago (although both are now hurt, and Zach won't even practice with contact until November), but I think our 10-man rotation is much stronger with them not in it.

I hope you are correct about Wiggins but at this point with his lack of "fire" I am willing to wager that he will never be an all star and will not earn his max contract. On the other hand I believe that if Zach is able to fully recover from his injury he will be an all star within four years. I also believe Dunn will be a perennial benchwarmer if he even gets a second contract.

Keep Ricky. He is a better player than Teague. I actually like Taj. But --I would have gone hard after Bogut. Imagine him backing Kat off the bench

Zach over Wiggins? I disagree. Dunn is Johnny Flynn part 2. So far Thibs has been about as good at drafting Pg's as Rick Speilman is at drafting QB's