Following my appearance on KFAN yesterday, I would like to hear your ideas for the Timberwolves this off-season. Let's start the conversation.
Now that we know we draft in the seventh spot, who will be available for Minnesota to select? Who should we draft?
What trades need to be made before training camp? What trades are even possible?
Are there free agents out there that you believe could make an impact on this Timberwolves team?
...and, of course, is this now the time to trade Kevin Garnett? If so, what is even possible?
Just click on the comments button below to post your thoughts. Enter your name, so we all know who we are speaking with.
14 comments:
It's been time to deal KG for the past two seasons. We see less and less value as McHale holds on to him. With Kobe's recent demands and a possible Jerry West return to LA, he can use his Memphis connection to swing this next deal to start the re-building in MN and Memphis and send KG to Kobe.
MN outgoing: KG, Smith, #7 pick
MN in: Gasol, Gay, Bynum, Swift
Mem out: Gasol, Swift, Lowry
Mem in: Odom, Kwame, C. Smith, MN #7, LA #19
LA in: KG, Lowry
LA out: Odom, Kwame, Bynum, #19 pick
Salaries match up. Your thoughts?
With the seventh pick, the Wolves should take the best available player, unless it is Mike Conley Jr. I think he is a very good prospect, but this team can't add another guard to their team. And to beleive they can trade Jaric, James and/or Hudson is a pipe- dream. Maybe one of them can be traded, but even that scenario would be lucky. I think they should continue to get young talet on the team, it is going to be at least a few years before they are good again. I would be fine with Jianlian, Green, Brewer or either of the Wrights. Also, I hope they avoid Noah like the plague. I like his energy but to me he has bust written all over him with his thin frame and lack of offensive skills.
Trading our two best front court guys is crazy and while I like Gasol & Swift we still need a Strong Power Forward in the Western Conference. Also where does Gay come into the equation. It has him coming in but nowhere does it list the team he's coming out of so I would make sure your trade scenario's work.
Gay comes out of Memphis, sorry I missed that in the MEM out. He's the player we should have taken with our pick last summer instead of Foye
Gay comes out of Memphis. Sorry I didn't make that clear. The deal works. Swift is actually just a throw in to make salaries match for the deal. Gay is the kid we should have drafted last year over Foye. He and Bynum are the centerpiece of this deal for the wolves
My name is Jeff Sampson and I'm a Piston fan that lives Michigan but I saw your comment on facebook. For KG, there is no way memphis will give up Rudy Gay. The Lakers have said that they wouldn't give up Bynum. I think the T-Wolves could possibly get Vince Carter if they feel like paying the cash. I think that I also saw that Rashard Lewis is opting out of his contract and he wouldn't be a bad fit at Minnesota. As for the 7th pick, I think if he is there, you take cory brewer or joakim noah. I also think that if it is Minnesota's pick, and conley jr. hasn't been picked yet (highly unlikely), you work a deal with portland (if they draft oden 1) and give them your 7 pick for either randolph or aldridge.
I'll tell you this...if that deal could be worked out, I would take it.
...but, it never would happen.
Great stuff though! Keep 'em coming!
I don't think that KG needs to be traded. I've divised a plan that would put the team back on top, some possible some not so much, but it all depends on whether Taylor willing, well here they go:
First, if possible buy a pick from Phoenix(#24) and Charlotte(#22), I've heard that Charlotte wants to trade there second pick.
Second, trade Blount, Davis(expiring contract), McCants, Smith and the Phoenix and Charlotte pick for Jermaine O'Neal, Darrell Armstrong and 2008 second round pick. Indy gets two young players, an expiring contract, and two first round picks in a deep draft.
Third, trade Hudson and Madsen for Adonal Foyle. Rumor has it that Jasikeviuos(I know I didn't spell it right) may go back to play overseas. Hudson fits perfectly in that system and Madsen gives them a post defender that can rebound and run all day. Foyle has three years on his deal but the third is a team option.
Fourth, Mike James for Bob Sura(expiring contract) and Kirk Snyder.
Fifth, Hassell for Jarret Jack and Fred Jones(expiring contract).
Sixth, trade the 7th pick to Philly for the 12th and 21st pick, draft Al Thornton and Sean Williams, then an overseas sg in the second.
Sign P.J. Brown, Ima Udoka, Michael Ruffin or Danny Fortson and Matt Carroll.
JO/Foyle/Williams
KG/Brown/Fortson or Ruffin
Thornton/Udoka/Synder
Jaric/Jones/Carroll
Foye/Jack/Armstrong
I think the time is right to trade KG, I just think it is too late. The Twolves have 13 players under contract next year. With KG's salary we have to get multiple players back. I don't know how we would free up the roster slots to do that. We don't have any giveawayable (to make up a word) assets. I don't see Taylor paying Reed or Madson a couple mil for the next couple of years to sit at home (I don't believe they would find other jobs). So I think the time to trade KG has passed. Maybe we can work out a sign and trade next summer if he wants it. Otherwise here's to another 30-some win season in 07-08.
Oh, and I think Noah will be a bust.
College Wolf,
I accidentally denied your post when I went to hit "Moderate comments."
So, here's College Wolf's post...minus the part that wasn't needed.
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I dunno... I guess I have talked about this ad nauseum in various posts, but I'll answer the questions on your blog:
Now that we know we draft in the seventh spot, who will be available for Minnesota to select? Who should we draft?
- Should have the following to choose from in some shape or form: Yi, Horford, Conley, Noah, Brewer, Jeff Green. Personally, I hope we take Brewer. Fufills our glaring need at SF who is probably one of the best perimeter defenders in the draft. Think Josh Howard with better range. After that, I guess I'd want Conley or Horford. One of these 6 will obviously still be around. We really can't go wrong with any of them. I'd want Noah the least.
What trades need to be made before training camp? What trades are even possible?
- Explore a KG trade that we should have done last year. The longer we wait, the more his value drops. After that, I'd say basically any and everyone on the roster is expendable, including Foye. I've been saying for two years that I don't really care what trades we make but we need to do something to get rid of our glut of 1's and 2's and bring in a big man. Foyle, Muhammad, Magloire, Pryz are probably all available off the top of my head. Unfortunately, none of them are really all that desirable. Still, it would help for our lineup composition...
Are there free agents out there that you believe could make an impact on this Timberwolves team?
- That we could sign for the MLE? Lol... probably not. Maybe Kapono or Carroll. No really good impact players are going to come to Minny and join team for just the MLE.
...and, of course, is this now the time to trade Kevin Garnett? If so, what is even possible?
- It was time last summer to the Bulls for Deng, Thomas, PJ Brown's Expiring, Knicks #1 and Bulls #1. Whelp, looks like that offer is off the table....
Mike James and Marko for Larry Hughes, I think Pavlovic is a better fit for LeBron and Hughes isn't a pg, this gives Cleveland a pg who can shoot the three and play defense and Jaric who does a bit of everything. Also, Cleveland has no picks in this draft and it looks as if they are a better team without Hughes and with more shooters.
Troy Hudson and Madsen for Adonal Foyle. It gets rid of bad contracts on both sides but also good fits on both sides, Foyle can play 20 minutes a game bang, get rebounds and blocks shots. GS gets a chucker who fits there system.
Ricky Davis for Artest, this is a team that can't afford no to take a chance on someone like Artest's talent. He plays hard on both ends of the floor and he is willing to dive on the floor for loose balls, this team lacks those type of players. Artest just wants to win and has two years on his deal.
Trenton Hassell for Antonio Daniels, I don't think this deal has much chance of happening unless DeShawn Stevenson is re-signed, I can't imagine him not opting out for more money.
Buy Phoenix's pick, draft Brewer at 7, Sean Williams with the Phoenix pick, and someone from overseas with the second round pick.
Sign P.J. Brown and Matt Carroll with the MLE.
Foye/Daniels/?
Hughes/McCants/Carroll
Artest/Brewer/Reed
KG/Brown/Smith
Blount/Foyle/Williams
Why on earth would you make the Lakers better? I just cant understand that logic. Unless your a Lakers fan...you do not want KG and Kobe on the same team if you expect to compete in the next 5 years.
The Wolves ranked in the lower third in both offense and defense, as measured by points per 100 possessions. That's a tall hill to climb. As far as I can tell, they desperately need a real point guard to run the offense, and they need someone to help protect the paint and rebound on D.
So here it goes. This deal passes ESPN.com's trade checker:
MIN
In: Andrei Kiralenko, Jameer Nelson
Out: Ricky Davis, Trenton Hassell, Justin Reed
UTAH
In: Trenton Hassell, Hedo Turkeglu
Out: AK-47
ORLANDO
In: Ricky Davis, Justin Reed
Out: Jameer Nelson, Hedo
Now, does this make sense for all parties? You tell me.
The Wolves really need to gamble if trading KG isn't an option. AK-47 and Nelson are both coming off bad years, but both are young and have shown some ability to be something the Wolves could use: Nelson a quick PG who can shoot the three; AK-47 a defensive menace/ match-up nightmare. Can you imagine the Wolves with a frontline of KG, Kiralenko, and Al Horford/Joakim Noah? They'd be vulnarable to physical centers (not that there're a ton of those anymore), but they'd feature one of the most versatile and athletic frontcourts in the league. They'd have at least one mismatch a night, and defensively they'd protect the rim and clean the glass with anybody. Combine that with an ultra-quick Nelson/Foye/McCants rotation in the backcourt parked behind the 3-point line... I think that's a playoff team.
The Magic? Well, they get out of Hedo's longer deal with two short-term contracts. (They've got Darko to take care of, as well as Howard down the road.) Additionally, this allows them to get Ariza more playing time and Davis immediately steps in as their 2-guard (which they lack). They have Arroyo to play point, so Nelson's expendable.
The Jazz? AK-47 has a bad contract (less so for the Wolves, because he's not redundant), and he seems to have worn out his welcome with Sloan. By jettisoning him, Jazz pick up a scoring forward at a better price in Hedo, and a Sloanish hard-nosed defender in Hassel (who can play the 2, where the Jazz are thin).
Thoughts?
Another idea to get a PG (which, as I've stated, is mandatory in my opinion; after all, if you need to get the most out of your inert, flawed roster, what better way to start than a PG with a decent IQ?):
1) Deal Davis and Foye to Philly for Dre Miller and the #12 pick. Philly picks up an expiring contract in Davis and picks up Foye, whom they love (but so does Minny and many Minny fans, so this is very unlikely). However, if you don't consider Foye to have a ton of upside left in him, this deal would make sense in that it gives the Wolves their first competent PG since Cassell left (one whose contract expires the same year as Garnett's, incidentally). Then pick the best big at #7 (Horford, Noah--I actually think Brewer will be gone by then) and pick whichever small forward falls to 12 (Green, Wright, Thornton--who would benefit playing with a good point since he can't handle, even Vandy's Byars, a favorite of mine though admittedly a reach that high).
Miller, James
McCants, Hassell
Green/Thornton/Byars, Jaric
Garnett, Smith
Horford/Noah, Blount
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