Minnesota Sports Forum

In our season ticket holder meeting with Flip he talked a bit about Love and Rubio. Here's a summary:

1. Love - Flip said he has a great relationship with Love and that Love has done everything asked of him. As an example, he pointed out that Love came to camp in the best shape of his life. He said love has shown. O signs of wanting out and that Love would really like to have a winner build around him here. That!'s consistent with what I've heard from other sources over the last couple years. Flip admitted that, in the end, it will come down to winning because, in Flip's words, "players like Kevin want to win."

2. Ricky - Flip said he continues to have a lot of confidence in Ricky. He's convinced that Ricky's shooting will improve. He cited Ricky's great free throw percentage and his solid 3-point percentage as evidence that Ricky will eventually develop a good mid-range shot.

3. Shabazz -- Flip again praised Shabazz for his work ethic. Said he continues to come to practice early and leave late.

4. Trades- Flip made it clear he's not likely to make any deals by this season's trade deadline. He said he doesn't want to make any deals for the short term that would hurt the team's longer-term horizon. He also recited stats purporting to show that teams typically don't benefit from trades made in February before the deadline.

all hot air coming from Flip

On point #4: How about he doesn't make a deal for the short term then? Try to free up some of the cap you wasted on Martin, Buddinger, Brewer? Can you find a home for JJ to free up cap? Make a long term deal Flip!

More than anything fire the coach and tell who ever replaces him to start Ricky, Shved, Muhammad, Love, Dieng (until Peck gets back). This way we can watch something of interest and maybe see growth out of these kids.

I read #4 as. "I totally screwed the team up and we don't have any assets left to make a trade to improve the team. I have even been able to screw us for years to come with long term deals to Bud and Brewer and extending Derrick Williams and then trading him for a player that is over paid for an extra year"

I am with the past couple posters in regards to trading this deadline. It is not acceptable for this team to remain idle IF something comes along that helps either address a talent level off the bench or clear cap room heading into next season. The overriding issue is that we have too many middling talents making $5M...see The "B" Brothers (Barea, Bud, Brewer). Wish my last name started with a "B":) We are at $66M committed next season, so even getting rid of 1 or 2 of those contracts doesn't really open up any avenues to sign anyone of any significance. That being said, it may allow us to make some smart signings ala the Blazers this year. Stupid to say, but we need better players for less money, which is precisely what they did while we VASTLY overpaid our "talent".

I am with Lip in that Love will simply look at our ability to win. I have highlighted previously that I think Love is a selfish guy and will sign with the Wolves (max deal) IF it looks like we have a chance to win. I see this as a problem as I think we are overspent, and I simply don't feel like there will be any takers for guys like the B brothers. I think we are kind of stuck where we are, which doesn't lend well to our ability to resign Love. I believe if we do NOTHING heading into next year, we may have to consider Love a 100% trade asset rather than a long term answer for this team. Hopefully, we find a way to perk up our bench like the Blazers, but that is much easier said than done.

I desperately hope Flip isn't stupid enough to be the GM and coach at the same time. That will be the end of this current edition of the Wolves franchise and it will be a hard falling out because Taylor likes him and he would have all the control on the team that he runs into the ground. It's a joke if someone believes that they can do both of those jobs at the same time. If Flip wants to be the coach, then he needs to relinquish the GM duties to someone else. That's too much work for one person to be responsible for and expect him to succeed. It's a recipe for disaster and I hope he doesn't take the temptation.

I would think the only assist we have at this point outside our big 3 is Kevin Martin. I still think a trade to the Cavs for Waiters would make sense for both teams.

If Love needs to go, and certainly this is not a foregone conclusion, would the Bulls be a good fit? I think it a reasonable scenario considering the Bulls are clearly looking at a run past this season. They also have some good assets to get a player like Love. Here is what I was thinking:

Love / Martin / Barea
for
Boozer / Gibson / Butler / Mirotic / Bulls 2014 1st

Gives the Bulls the star power they are after in Love, as well as adding some solid talent to surround Noah, Rose, Love. Adds a much needed defensive presence in Taj to start next to Pek...they would be a solid tandem. I actually also really like Booker as a bench player as he is still an extremely solid scorer and rebounder. Like the potential of Butler and Mirotic as we grow as a team.

The Bulls may be the team that makes the most sense from an asset standpoint.

I would replace Martin with Bud.

bleedspeed177 wrote:I would think the only assist we have at this point outside our big 3 is Kevin Martin. I still think a trade to the Cavs for Waiters would make sense for both teams.

Bleed - What do you think it would take to get Waiters? The Cavs are clearly interested in unloading him. Their tea is in turmoil so it would seem like the time to strike a deal with them.