Minnesota Sports Forum

So like many here (I think) I'm trying to digest everything that has happened so far. We all knew sole fairly significant things would happen this off-season but there has been a lot so far including MAYBE Lebron signing here. What?!? WARNING: Some of what my follow will be jumbled and possibly contradictory.

When we were maybe in the running for trading for Giannis I wasn't sure exactly what I was willing to give up. It sounded like maybe Naz was at least considered by the Wolves in the deal but my guess is they would have had to give up multiple other players too. Now if I was trading Naz for Giannis and whatever draft picks we could muster...yeah that's likely a no brainer and I like Naz a lot.

So then a while later we move him for Lamelo Ball and some draft stuff assets or whatever. Even now I do feel a little conflicted even though I'm actually a Ball fan. Will he stay healthy? There is some fairly solid optimism there. If so this is also a no brainer and to be honest a better deal than Giannis. On thing to consider is that while I think most of us were excited and reasonably confident that Naz would be good as a starter that wasn't a certain thing that he will be a good or high level starter including the playoffs. I can think of times I said in my mind or posted it or read other posts that Naz still isn't as good as Randle. Now we all agree in general Randle wasn't up to the task the last 2 playoff series the Wolves were eliminated (more about Randle later). There is a chance Naz wasn't the answer either. I don't like saying that because I did have a very strong belief in Naz as the player but he wasn't absolutely proven there...of course it's true most players aren't. It's still something to consider.

I think we all knew it but it's even more clear now that Randle wasn't coming back unless there was absolutely no market for him. We moved him for nothing and now have McDaniels and Trey Lyles and Beringer at PF and a wing and a mystery FA maybe? Also the Lebron possiblity. I think it's clear Randle wasn't wanting to cole back the Wolves were ready to move on and I also think it's possible Edwards was ready for Randle to move on. This isn't anything new it's just even more cemented now.

Connelly made his moves with a possible signing of LeBron in mind. He also didn't do anything wild like trade draft picks (which he doesn't have anyway lol) to clear cap space or something drastic to open up a spot for him. The most drastic thing was he traded Randle for nothing but again that allowed for more financial flexibility including Ball and also adding Green. if Connelly thought there was even a real 5 percent chance of signing Lebron making moves that could also make a landing spot for him was a thing.

Connelly again has quietly built a roster with seeming depth and also it's young. Isaiah Evans who can't hit a 2 but is 20 years old is the current worst player on the roster. The next worst? Try Lyles a 10 year vet that turns 31 in a few months? Bones Hyland? Personally I think getting Bones back on a vet min deal especially with a sudden change at the guard spot is a nice move.

As for young talent the Wolves now have 4 players 26 or older. 2 of them are over 30. Donte the 3rd oldest guy turns 30 in January. The Wolves have 2 players 20 or younger on the roster. The amount of going on this roster is pretty impressive and it's a roster that could still be a pretty good playoff team.

Rudy is more valuable than the last couple seasons and in some ways this roster is built for him. More ball handling especially with a true PG in Ball. If Jaden does start next to him that's gonna be good for his offense as well Jaden has always had a pretty good feel for getting the ball to Rudy when he drives.

The Wolves have some assets to make a deal if they need too. They also happen to be assets teams are usually looking for. Versatile perimeter players or in Green's case a versatile complimentary player that can play winning basketball in the minutes he plays. Because they have those players they can also play a few different ways. You need another hot shooter ball handler? Throw Bones out there. You want a defender who can make a 3 put Green out there. Ayo does all those things fairly well. Oh and if you need a guy that can drive and kinda cause chaos TSJ is your guy and he brings some decent size. Imagine some PGs trying to stick with him especially if the Wolves actually play with pace.

Speaking of TSJ I think he is a player that assuming reasonably good health for the rest of the roster can be the difference between a good team and a really good team. This has been said before but the bar or expectation isn't him becoming some sort of all star. He can become more of a high end bench player like Naz and give you a really good option to play because...he is actually good most nights. That wing spot is kinda crowded so idk how much he will even play when everyone is healthy but if he forces he way into minutes that's going to make the Wolves a tough team. You will have players attacking from everywhere all the time all game and Rudy or Beringer will get to clean up misses etc.

Overall I like where we are at. If we miss out on Lebron hopefully the Wolves can add a solid FA whoever the mystery player/s is/are we are also looking at convincing to come here if Lebron doesn't.

I probably need to dust off the Forward Options list and see who is left assuming LeBron isn't coming here! Freeman had the door wide open for him, but he's looked pedestrian in three summer league games. Kevin Love may be? Batum?

Overall, our success will be based on 1) staying (relatively) healthy; 2) maintaining a top 10-12 defense; and 3) Joan and TJ successfully stepping into bigger roles.

Nice post, Monster. Your thoughts don’t seem jumbled to me, but maybe that’s because my brain is already jumbled. . Here are some responsive thoughts:

I think it’s clear that the Wolves were aggressively pursuing Giannis and no doubt Naz was on the table as part of our proposed outgoing package. I recall reports saying that the Bucks were insisting on both Naz and Jaden, but other reports said that Jaden and Beringer were off limits. I suspect we offered the same package we gave up for Ball but probably added TSJ and perhaps this year’s pick to the package - maybe more. I would not have made that deal if I were in TC’s shoes. I’m happy we kept Jaden and Beringer off the table and I’m also pleased we ended up with LaMello rather than Giannis for several reasons. First, I’m sure we would have had to give up TSJ and our pick (maybe Clark as well) to get him. Second, Ball fits better with Ant and Rudy as a guy who can spread the floor and facilitate at an elite level. Third, Ball is 24 years old and fits better with our Ant, Jaden, Ayo core than the 32 year old Giannis for sustainable success over time. Regarding the issue of durability/availability, Giannis’s recent availability is no better than Ball’s and at his age one would expect Giannis’s physical durability to decline, especially given all the miles on his treads. Sometimes the best deals are the ones you don’t make.

I think you’re right about Randle. Tim referred to having conversations with Ant about the team and I’m with you in speculating that Edwards expressed his view that the team should move on from Randle, but I also think Tim and Finch came to that conclusions independently. It seems clear Ant wasn’t happy with the Wolves decision to trade KAT and was never happy with Randle as KAT’s replacement. The Wolves stuck with Randle one season too long but landed on their feet by trading him for cap space. So while we technically traded Randle “for nothing” we actually got significant value by finding a team willing to absorb his salary and that put the team in position for the LaMelo trade. I have to give Tim Connelly credit for his ability to clean up his own messes and getting cap space for Randle without giving up any additional assets as sweetener was a nice clean-up move after making a mess last summer by re-signing Randle and letting NAW go.

I share your positive view of our depth. I see only one weak link among on our current 13-player roster and that’s Isaiah Evans but he’s only 20 and hasn’t had a chance yet to develop. There’s a lot of near panic on this board over the PF position, but we’re not in bad shape there. In addition to Jaden’s ability to play the PF position effectively as the stats from last season show, Trey Lyles is no slouch. A lot of people seem to be dismissing Trey as some bench filler but he’s far more than that. He provides the size and floor-spacing ability that many consider essential for the Wolves at the PF next season. He’s shown he can provide quality productive minutes as well. In his last NBA season (2024-25) he averaged 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game. On the 36-minute basis, that’s 12 points and 8.5 rebounds. He was tremendous in Europe last season. Moreover, at age 30 (turning 31 in November), he’s still in his prime and there’s no telling what playing with guys like Rudy, Jaden, Ant and Ball will unlock in his game. It’s unlikely we’ll get LeBron, but there’s no doubt the Wolves will add another quality PF or C at the vet minimum via free agency. Options include Kevin Love, Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, David Roddy, Jeremy Sochan, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Keshad Johnson, EJ Liddell, Trey Jamison, Trenton Watford, Anthony Gill, Mason Plumlee and Kelly Olynyk. No great options, but all guys with talent who have shown the ability to play at the NBA level.

Finally, a note on TSJ. The source I spoke with the other day who tipped me off to Beringer being out before it was public told me the Wolves front office and coaching staff are super high on TSJ. That doesn’t mean they won’t consider trading him, but it does mean they see him as a highly valuable piece of the puzzle for the Wolves next season and it would take a lot to pry him away in a trade. Dane Moore mentioned yesterday that a number of teams like Jaylen Clark. I suspect a lot of teams have interest in TSJ as well. I think Josh Green is being undervalued as a player by our own fan base. He does things on the court that teams value and that value is enhanced in the trade market by his expiring contract. I want to hang onto to Green, TSJ and Clark but I share your view that those guys have fairly significant trade value.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2026 10:10 am Nice post, Monster. Your thoughts don’t seem jumbled to me, but maybe that’s because my brain is already jumbled. . Here are some responsive thoughts:

I think it’s clear that the Wolves were aggressively pursuing Giannis and no doubt Naz was on the table as part of our proposed outgoing package. I recall reports saying that the Bucks were insisting on both Naz and Jaden, but other reports said that Jaden and Beringer were off limits. I suspect we offered the same package we gave up for Ball but probably added TSJ and perhaps this year’s pick to the package - maybe more. I would not have made that deal if I were in TC’s shoes. I’m happy we kept Jaden and Beringer off the table and I’m also pleased we ended up with LaMello rather than Giannis for several reasons. First, I’m sure we would have had to give up TSJ and our pick (maybe Clark as well) to get him. Second, Ball fits better with Ant and Rudy as a guy who can spread the floor and facilitate at an elite level. Third, Ball is 24 years old and fits better with our Ant, Jaden, Ayo core than the 32 year old Giannis for sustainable success over time. Regarding the issue of durability/availability, Giannis’s recent availability is no better than Ball’s and at his age one would expect Giannis’s physical durability to decline, especially given all the miles on his treads. Sometimes the best deals are the ones you don’t make.

I think you’re right about Randle. Tim referred to having conversations with Ant about the team and I’m with you in speculating that Edwards expressed his view that the team should move on from Randle, but I also think Tim and Finch came to that conclusions independently. It seems clear Ant wasn’t happy with the Wolves decision to trade KAT and was never happy with Randle as KAT’s replacement. The Wolves stuck with Randle one season too long but landed on their feet by trading him for cap space. So while we technically traded Randle “for nothing” we actually got significant value by finding a team willing to absorb his salary and that put the team in position for the LaMelo trade. I have to give Tim Connelly credit for his ability to clean up his own messes and getting cap space for Randle without giving up any additional assets as sweetener was a nice clean-up move after making a mess last summer by re-signing Randle and letting NAW go.

I share your positive view of our depth. I see only one weak link among on our current 13-player roster and that’s Isaiah Evans but he’s only 20 and hasn’t had a chance yet to develop. There’s a lot of near panic on this board over the PF position, but we’re not in bad shape there. In addition to Jaden’s ability to play the PF position effectively as the stats from last season show, Trey Lyles is no slouch. A lot of people seem to be dismissing Trey as some bench filler but he’s far more than that. He provides the size and floor-spacing ability that many consider essential for the Wolves at the PF next season. He’s shown he can provide quality productive minutes as well. In his last NBA season (2024-25) he averaged 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game. On the 36-minute basis, that’s 12 points and 8.5 rebounds. He was tremendous in Europe last season. Moreover, at age 30 (turning 31 in November), he’s still in his prime and there’s no telling what playing with guys like Rudy, Jaden, Ant and Ball will unlock in his game. It’s unlikely we’ll get LeBron, but there’s no doubt the Wolves will add another quality PF or C at the vet minimum via free agency. Options include Kevin Love, Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, David Roddy, Jeremy Sochan, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Keshad Johnson, EJ Liddell, Trey Jamison, Trenton Watford, Anthony Gill, Mason Plumlee and Kelly Olynyk. No great options, but all guys with talent who have shown the ability to play at the NBA level.

Finally, a note on TSJ. The source I spoke with the other day who tipped me off to Beringer being out before it was public told me the Wolves front office and coaching staff are super high on TSJ. That doesn’t mean they won’t consider trading him, but it does mean they see him as a highly valuable piece of the puzzle for the Wolves next season and it would take a lot to pry him away in a trade. Dane Moore mentioned yesterday that a number of teams like Jaylen Clark. I suspect a lot of teams have interest in TSJ as well. I think Josh Green is being undervalued as a player by our own fan base. He does things on the court that teams value and that value is enhanced in the trade market by his expiring contract. I want to hang onto to Green, TSJ and Clark but I share your view that those guys have fairly significant trade value.

I think Edwards view on Randle is because Randle this season and his funk he got into. I wouldn't be shocked if a Edwards at various points was like come on dog let's get it and Randle just couldn't get out of his head. The NBA asks a lot of players and they are paid and work hard to get to these spots but they are humans. Randle clearly is a guy that's struggles with some things mentally. I don't think Edwards seems like a guy that's gonna dog a guy for that but it seems clear that Randle was kinda out and Edwards may have been we gotta let him go right? He doesn't want to be here. If I was Edwards I would be pissed. He seems like a good vibes guy and Randle basically just left. Maybe that's what Randle needed to do but it was definitely disappointing. Fortunately he is a good basketball player even with his issues so he was moved.

That's good to hear about TSJ and Clark too. That's such a crowded group but some offer different things. I do wonder how all these guys get opportunities to play.

I think maybe at this point the most underrated player of the roster on this board might be Bones Hyland. He is sort of the 3rd PG on this team but that's pretty good. If TSJ is really a guy that can handle the ball and do the stuff we saw in the playoffs that puts Bones down even farther. Still a guy like him is something this roster had been lacking for a long time and we aren't even planning on him maybe playing every night.

Thanks for the jumbled rambling of a man who hasn't quite lost his mind to the July heat!

Like you I was and am a big Naz Ried fan and was very excited to see him get a chance to start, so the trade is a little double edged. That said, I think it's a home run set of moves by TC and crew.

I had Melo on my radar for a while this season, but assumed it was a dead end. We were in a sad state of affairs when the list of PGs was whittled down to IQ, Ja, and Suggs; all of whom are flawed players with which we needed to squint to see how they would actually make the team better or worth the incredible gamble.

Getting LaMelo for essentially losing 5 draft slots this year, Naz Ried and a future 1st is a good trade. It's not a coup but I think the wolves got the better end of the deal considering their goals and circumstances.

What I like about this trade is that it signals a clear plan and intention --- the PF position notwithstanding. Something that had concerned me leading into the off-season, and the subsequent Randle trade and Ayo signing was that the array of players being assembled certainly looked as tho the team was heading in heliocentric direction around Ant. This would have been a overly hopeful approach, and making a rather decisive move for an Uber talented PG is a clear signal that they understand what is need for the their best players to succeed.

I honestly don't know a lot about Ball beyond his numbers and some more respectable expert analysis, and to be honest I don't mean to sound overly bullish on his abilities. I'm aware that he has his detractors, and health concerns, but even before this trade happened I was very confident that Ball Edwards would be a match made in heaven. They'll both have to adapt parts of their play styles to each other but their strengths will be compounding forces that simply doesn't have a ceiling.

All that said, what has become interesting to me is what these sequence of moves and how they were made says about Tim Conely and his views the cards in his hand. There is much gnashing of teeth regarding the cavalier nature with which Tim regards his draft capital, I'm not going to defend it or even critique it, but it is worth understanding how he perceives it--- well at least how I guess he does. I don't think it's a matter of carelessness or even to devalue building through the draft, rather I believe Tim sees the draft ---like most--- as purchasing tickets to a lottery. Given the nature of a lottery, not every tickets hits, and obviously Tim is aware of that.

This of course brings us back to the Rudy trade. This trade obviously shaped the direction that draft picks would be purposed in this team's future and the cascading effects have been enormous. I also think that in retrospect we can see that Tim becomes rather single minded when an opportunity presents itself. I don't think it's a matter of fixating on a single player, but rather when opportunities or needs arise he is very determined to seize on them.
- young core in need of rudder; trade for Rudy
- impending cap doom; trade Kat once the price is right (DDV was added)
- Randle must go and a PG must be got; get one the same age as your star

From an asset management perspective, Tim has shown that he doesn't few perspective assets (draft picks) at the same value as fixed ones (established players).
This is incredibly prescient for a team who's superstar is entering his prime.

It's not without its drawbacks. Chief among them is that trading for established players rarely means they are on value contracts. Ball could be by seasons end in 27, but we don't know that for sure now. In fact the only players on this team on value contracts are the home grown ones. The bell will roll on this one eventually. The other issue is that if they come to a point of needing to garner draft picks, they'll have to trade a player.... Liquidating assets is not always guaranteed to recoup value.

I don't know that I would have made the Rudy trade and the knockdown effect of that and the 2nd apron meant you had to trade Kat. Which is to say I think Tim has navigated the high speed rapids that he willingly choose to chart rather well. There is a team of prime ages players who have the potential to be more than the sum of their parts for the next few years, replacements are in place for the few older vets and even the biggest hole (PF) isn't without some semblance of an answer.

Given the insane roster building competition that the thunder and spurs have revealed themselves to be, I really do believe Conely has positioned the team well

AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2026 8:02 pm Thanks for the jumbled rambling of a man who hasn't quite lost his mind to the July heat!

Like you I was and am a big Naz Ried fan and was very excited to see him get a chance to start, so the trade is a little double edged. That said, I think it's a home run set of moves by TC and crew.

I had Melo on my radar for a while this season, but assumed it was a dead end. We were in a sad state of affairs when the list of PGs was whittled down to IQ, Ja, and Suggs; all of whom are flawed players with which we needed to squint to see how they would actually make the team better or worth the incredible gamble.

Getting LaMelo for essentially losing 5 draft slots this year, Naz Ried and a future 1st is a good trade. It's not a coup but I think the wolves got the better end of the deal considering their goals and circumstances.

What I like about this trade is that it signals a clear plan and intention --- the PF position notwithstanding. Something that had concerned me leading into the off-season, and the subsequent Randle trade and Ayo signing was that the array of players being assembled certainly looked as tho the team was heading in heliocentric direction around Ant. This would have been a overly hopeful approach, and making a rather decisive move for an Uber talented PG is a clear signal that they understand what is need for the their best players to succeed.

I honestly don't know a lot about Ball beyond his numbers and some more respectable expert analysis, and to be honest I don't mean to sound overly bullish on his abilities. I'm aware that he has his detractors, and health concerns, but even before this trade happened I was very confident that Ball Edwards would be a match made in heaven. They'll both have to adapt parts of their play styles to each other but their strengths will be compounding forces that simply doesn't have a ceiling.

All that said, what has become interesting to me is what these sequence of moves and how they were made says about Tim Conely and his views the cards in his hand. There is much gnashing of teeth regarding the cavalier nature with which Tim regards his draft capital, I'm not going to defend it or even critique it, but it is worth understanding how he perceives it--- well at least how I guess he does. I don't think it's a matter of carelessness or even to devalue building through the draft, rather I believe Tim sees the draft ---like most--- as purchasing tickets to a lottery. Given the nature of a lottery, not every tickets hits, and obviously Tim is aware of that.

This of course brings us back to the Rudy trade. This trade obviously shaped the direction that draft picks would be purposed in this team's future and the cascading effects have been enormous. I also think that in retrospect we can see that Tim becomes rather single minded when an opportunity presents itself. I don't think it's a matter of fixating on a single player, but rather when opportunities or needs arise he is very determined to seize on them.
- young core in need of rudder; trade for Rudy
- impending cap doom; trade Kat once the price is right (DDV was added)
- Randle must go and a PG must be got; get one the same age as your star

From an asset management perspective, Tim has shown that he doesn't few perspective assets (draft picks) at the same value as fixed ones (established players).
This is incredibly prescient for a team who's superstar is entering his prime.

It's not without its drawbacks. Chief among them is that trading for established players rarely means they are on value contracts. Ball could be by seasons end in 27, but we don't know that for sure now. In fact the only players on this team on value contracts are the home grown ones. The bell will roll on this one eventually. The other issue is that if they come to a point of needing to garner draft picks, they'll have to trade a player.... Liquidating assets is not always guaranteed to recoup value.

I don't know that I would have made the Rudy trade and the knockdown effect of that and the 2nd apron meant you had to trade Kat. Which is to say I think Tim has navigated the high speed rapids that he willingly choose to chart rather well. There is a team of prime ages players who have the potential to be more than the sum of their parts for the next few years, replacements are in place for the few older vets and even the biggest hole (PF) isn't without some semblance of an answer.

Given the insane roster building competition that the thunder and spurs have revealed themselves to be, I really do believe Conely has positioned the team well

Aussie lots of good thoughts here. I like your thought about how various assets have their chances of hitting. One thing I thing I think is that while having draft picks is obviously good the depth of talent around the world only continues to get better. There is a better chance on hitting on a Jaylen Clark guy not than however many years ago and there is a better chance of finding the next day Norman Powell or someone even better than that after the 2nd round.

The other thing is that I think there will be so many opportunities to bring in what the Dunc'd on guys started calling the 2nd draft guys. That's players that didn't really fully develop on their rookie deal but then end up somewhere and figure it out. Bones had a career year last yeah can he improve on it if he gets opportunities? Can the Wolves find some contributors via 2-way deals? Pullin looks legitimately promising. I think there is lots of ways to build up young talent that simply wasn't there like 10 years ago. Roster spots and having spots open is almost like a draft pick in a way.

Meanwhile the Wolves have a guy in Isaiah Evans that's kind of a bet on a very cheap player for potentially 4 years. I thought it was a 3 year deal but it's actually a 4 year one with a team option. If he doesn't work out at all he will have cost the Wolves a little more than 6 million over 3 years? That's cheap. If the ends up being a valuable rotation player that last year they might work something to get him locked into a solid deal quicker but that's quite a ways away.

The Wolves need to hit on some young players that have been brought in by Connelly and it needs to be more than Ball. Beringer is promising. TSJ has looked promising at times. Clark has been a worthwhile rotation guy at times. Some of these guys need to turn into meaningful contributors. Maybe Ayo take another step up or is simply a terrific fit. There are lots of options but yeah.

I'll say this that Connelly has found ways to manufacture some picks from trading players. With the Wolves he moved Russell for 2nd rounders. He got some 2nds for sign and trade deals too. He moved some players while he was in Denver too.

Ultimately Connelly seems to always be willing to make a move and you don't know what it's going to be. He is willing to trade players even ones he really likes. If the Wolves need something different in a few months he isn't gonna just sit and not do anything. The Wolves do have some tradable players to make a move. One thing I think he has largely avoided which is not easy to do is saddling the Wolves with contracts nobody will want.

1. I liked Naz in the role he had. I am confident he would not have been able to extrapolate the stats with more playing time and in the starting lineup. Maybe 15 ppg at most. I also think he was a bit overpaid. 20 aav seems more accurate to me..

2. The trade was actually:
Dubious, Naz, 2028 1st, 2033 1st, swaps, 2nds

For Melo, Green and Evans (pick 33)

That probably makes the trade neutral.

3. I don't view this roster as a contender. Another 2nd round exit team.

I keep contemplating if there was a way to get Melo, plus Green and Grant Williams for Gobert and Naz both.

Then for Giannis trade Jaden, Randle and the picks/swaps.

Melo
Ant
Ayo
Lyles
Giannis

Beringer
TSJ
Green
Grant
Clark
Bones
Player X from Bucks for more roster depth

Donte

This also probably gets Lebron here. I am confident these trades worked in the machines. For sure with Lebron we at least make the west finals. This is the route i personally would have went with.

4. Evans looks god awful to me. If he doesnt hit and Beringer doesnt turn into a starter at any point then Connely needs to hire someone else to make the draft decisions. So far he has been pretty bad. Wendell Moore, Dilly, Evans look like busts to me. Clark and TSJ are end of bench pieces. All those picks he should have hit on one guaranteed starter by now imo.