RealGM

The Sensible Candidates

Minnesota Timberwolves

This might be the easiest fit on the board. Minnesota has plenty of cushion between its current cap level and the luxury tax. They also have Andrei Kirilenko, a tweener forward on a semi-expiring $9.8 million deal, and a bunch of interesting pieces in the $4 million-$5 million range. It’s very easy to build a Minny-Memphis trade around Kirilenko/Gay that gets Memphis under the tax and provides either an intriguing high lottery pick (Derrick Williams) or a useful guard to round out the Grizz’s rotation (Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea). Memphis would have to send out a cheap piece, such as Tony Wroten, in some scenarios, and the Grizz could also ask Minnesota to return a Memphis 2013 first-rounder originally sent to Houston for Shane Battier.

It’s not a no-brainer for Minnesota, obviously. Gay has gotten better as a cutter, but he’s still a ball-dominator at heart with a “blah” efficiency level, and such players aren't exactly Rick Adelman types — especially not with Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love around to dominate the ball. Bringing in Gay’s giant contract, which runs through 2014-15, would also make it hard for the Wolves to re-sign Nikola Pekovic at a fair number this summer. The Wolves could simply stand pat and have a decent chunk of cap room, assuming they end up voiding the second year of Brandon Roy’s deal.

So why even think about it? Minnesota, as of now, would only get that theoretical chunk of cap room if Kirilenko declines his $10.2 million option for next season in hopes of landing a longer-term deal at similar annual money. He’s played well enough to earn such a deal, but he’s nearly 32, and the Wolves might prefer to trade him rather than watch him walk or pay him big money into his mid-30s. If they shed Barea’s long-term contract in the Gay deal, Minnesota could build around the Rubio/Love/Gay/Alexey Shved core through 2014-15 — and even have some cap flexibility in the summer of 2014 for another piece or two.

Minnesota wants to make the playoffs this season. They’re starved for wing players and overloaded at power forward. It’s worth thinking about, especially if the Wolves could get a second cheap wing along with Gay. Quincy Pondexter’s knee injury and the prohibition against Minnesota reacquiring Wayne Ellington this season complicate things, and Minnesota rightfully believes it should emerge as a very strong team once everyone gets healthy — if that happens.

Worm Guts wrote:I think trading Kirilenko for Gay actually makes us worse.

Next year is AK option

AK is 32 and Gay 26

Bjelica is playing well

Shved and Gay can play at 3

We need shooters

Esohny wrote:Too expensive since it would probably cost Pekovic. And AK47 is playing a great all around game; I'd love to see him kept around on a 2-3 year deal at a lower annual cost than what he's currently on.

David Kahn says he plans to call two agents at 11 o'clock Wednesday, when the NBA's free-agency negotiation period begins. I hear from a good league source that one of those two guys is Memphis forward Rudy Gay. I texted David Kahn for a confirmation or denial Monday evening and he did not respond. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

The Minnesota Timberwolves are planning to meet face-to-face with top free-agent target Rudy Gay on Thursday night, according to sources close to the situation. The Wolves, armed with an estimated $13 million in cap space, were poised to invite Gay to Minnesota with a phone call when free agency commences Thursday at 12:01 a.m. ESPN.com

[RCG] wrote:This is what I come up with:

MN out: Williams, Ridnour, Roy, Memphis 1st
MN in: Gay