Super Hypothetical Rebuild

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Let's imagine a scenario in which everything I say works out the way I say it does. That needs to be said first before I can type out the rest of this thread.

In this hypothetical chain of events, the Wolves get zero help from the ping pong balls in the lottery like they always do and stay at pick No. 13. This is almost a certain to happen anyways, but it needed to be said anyways. Phoenix also doesn't move and they stay at No. 14, resulting in Minnesota keeping its first rounder this year.

The Lakers win the 2nd overall pick in the NBA lottery, setting them up for one of Wiggins/Parker/Embiid via draft.

Minnesota trades Kevin Love to Los Angeles for the No. 2 overall pick in 2014, an unprotected first round pick in 2016 and an unprotected first round pick in 2018. As well as three first rounders, the Lakers send Pau Gasol to Minnesota in a S/T (two years, $24M) and take back the contracts of Corey Brewer and Chase Budinger.

Why would Pau Gasol sign on to play with the Wolves? The chance to play with his countryman and friend, Ricky Rubio, plus a healthy $12M for the next two years. No contending team can beat that offer unless Gasol decided he's going to play for much cheaper.

So it looks like this:

MIN: Pau Gasol, Three unprotected first-rounders (2014, 2016, 2018)

LAL: Kevin Love, Corey Brewer and Chase Budinger


Following this trade, Minnesota sends Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin to Cleveland for Dion Waiters, Anderson Varejao and Alonzo Gee. Gee is cut almost immmediately after the deal clears as his contract for 2014 is non-guaranteed.

Looks like this:

MIN: Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin

CLE: Dion Waiters, Anderson Varejao and the contract of Alonzo Gee


With the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves select Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins. Either one is fine with me. Parker's the polished scorer with superstar mentality and Wiggins is the two-way elite athlete who lacks a killer instinct. Either way, both look primed to be All-Star wings.

At pick No. 13, the Wolves select Doug McDermott. McDermott looks to me like a clone of Love offensively, minus the elite rebounding. Plus he gives way more effort on defense.

Sets Minnesota up for the future with young prospects with relatively high ceilings and isn't bad on the cap at all after 2014 when Varejao, Mbah a Moute, Barea, Shved and Turiaf are all gone.

Not to mention after the 2014 season, Gasol might look enticing to a playoff contender looking to make a splash. Trade could bring back assets and cap space.

Best case scenario on paper, the new-and-improved Wolves would look like this for the future:

PG: Rubio (23)
SG: Waiters (22)
SF: Wiggins (19)
PF: McDermott (22)
C: Dieng (24)

Muhammad (21) as the sixth man.

Minnesota changes their name from the Timberwolves to the Wolves, ridding themselves from all the bad luck of the past and hoping to have a Tampa Bay Devil Rays (to Rays) change.

[60WinTim]

More like the Minnesota Revolving Door Wolves...

And don't we have to take back contracts for Love?

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

More like the Minnesota Revolving Door Wolves...

And don't we have to take back contracts for Love?

That's what happens when an organization drafts for shit over the years. Revolving door.

Take back contracts? MIN would be receiving Gasol while LA takes some unneeded contracts of ours.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Somewhere on the Michigan campus, Nik Stauskas is weeping...

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Somewhere on the Michigan campus, Nik Stauskas is weeping...

Hypothetically, he'll refuse to get drafted by anyone but Minnesota and we get him in the second round. Everyone wins... except Stauskas' bank account.

[60WinTim]

I guess I am confused on the time of your transaction(s). Gasol cannot be S&T'ed for until the summer. But LA can't trade draft picks only for Love.

[Lipoli390]

Cam -- I like it. That's about as good a deal as we could get for Love. In response to Tim, I don't think we need to take any salary in return since the Lakers can absorb those three contracts without exceeding the cap. However, I like the idea of getting Gasol for two reasons. First, I think it would help us convince Ricky to sign an extension. Second, combined with other pieces, Gasol's presence could make us a competitive team.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Somewhere on the Michigan campus, Nik Stauskas is weeping...

Hypothetically, he'll refuse to get drafted by anyone but Minnesota and we get him in the second round. Everyone wins... except Stauskas' bank account.

You're not thinking big enough. Remember, it's your hypothetical.

The reason Nik says he won't play for anyone but the Wolves is that Glen "Joe Smiths" him under the table, but this time he gets away with it!

[Lipoli390]

Cam - I'm not kidding when I say I wish you were our President of Basketball Operations. I don't always agree with you, but unlike Flip, you think creatively and your ideas are always logical and defensible.

[mjs34]

Cam, the lakers can't trade a pick until 2019 at the earliest unless it is a pick swap. They could draft a player this year and trade him, but the other two picks couldn't happen as suggested. I would hope to get Gasol for a little cheaper than the 12mil/yr as he has had significant injuries that are longterm as well. Here is a link for future picks owed -

http://www1.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed

Tim, Lip is right about the lakers taking contracts into cap space. I think a team can always take in less in salary in any deal. The team taking in more salary must follow the guidelines set depending upon being under the cap, under the lux, or a lux tax team.

I would definitely prefer something along these lines as opposed to a complete rebuild.