RealGM

MIN GETS: Raja Bell + 2013 GSW 1st
UTA GETS: Ridnour

The GSW 1st is currently #24, and I suppose we could alternatively ask for the UTA 1st, Top 20 protected, but they are currently at #17. MIN does this if we decide we should be rebuilding, and may believe that the pick is an easier asset to trade for talent next year. Maybe Raja Bell would play for the Wolves, and we could certainly use anyone to pick up some SG minutes.

UTA is #7 in the West right now. Their short-term goal is to make the play-offs, but Mo Williams is out until at least March with a torn ligament in his thumb, and they've been getting by with Jamaal Tinsley, Earl Watson and even Alec Burks some time. Our boy Randy Foye completes their guard rotation, so Ridnour would get plenty of minutes and probably keep them in the play-offs. UTA's biggest target this summer will be to add a young starting PG, and while Ridnour cuts into their cap space, they have plenty and he can easily slide into the back-up/mentor role. Mo Williams, Tinsley, Watson and Foye are all expirings. The Jazz can't reach a buy-out with Raja Bell, so they are paying him and he's not with the team - and the Jazz hate wasting money.

(If you don't like the pick, I'm flexible on the value piece we receive from the Jazz. UTA should certainly find great value in Ridnour right now, and even more by dumping Raja Bell.)

We need Luke right now. We can't afford to bring another guy who doesn't know the plays and the system and lose a guy who does, not in these tough times.

I guess it comes down to whether we're still trying to win. Before last night, I'd have said we'd lose with or without Ridnour.

I want to look longterm, but I suppose we still need to give fans some semblance of an NBA product. Let's say we don't offer the deal until Shveddy is back.

Do you think the value is fair?

We could ask for better of Utah and GSW 1st. I would definitely do it.

No from me. I know guys on this board don't like Luke but Love does and Ricky does and Adelman does. He's too valuable to the team right now to just throw away for a late pick in a poor draft.

What do we think about Burks these days?

Utah fan here, it's not a terrible offer, however I don't think Ridnour is really worth it at this point. Tinsley is serivceable enough right now.

You realize that you aren't the actual GM of the T-Wolves and aren't authorized to make trades, right?

C.lupus wrote:No from me. I know guys on this board don't like Luke but Love does and Ricky does and Adelman does. He's too valuable to the team right now to just throw away for a late pick in a poor draft.

Nailed it.

LordBaldric wrote:You realize that you aren't the actual GM of the T-Wolves and aren't authorized to make trades, right?

How can you be so sure?

I dont think we can make any trades at all until the season is over.

shrink wrote:What do we think about Burks these days?

I still think he's got good upside. Definitely the kind of player I'd be interested in based on age and position.

As an update from the Jazz, Earl Watson is now out with a stress fracture in his tibia and bone bruising in his fibula. He joins Mo Williams behind the bench in a suit. So the Jazz have Jamaal Tinsley, Alec Burks, and Randy Foye handling the point.

Is there a PG that the Timberwolves would consider moving in a deal? How many of the 4 PGs are healthy currently? Just trying to get a sense of if anything would be possible or not and I haven't been following closely enough to know.

Thanks!

PS: The lead Jazz scout was spotted at the MIN-NOH game the other night. Not that that means anything in particular.

We're 18 and 27 so hard to see how Luke is too valuable to move at this point, let alone any player other than Rubio/Love. We have three point guards and Luke is the least valuable of the three. I think we'd eventually move him just to move his salary next year, so the Jazz can gladly have him for an expiring and a late first. If the expiring is a guard even better.

Krapinsky wrote:We're 18 and 27 so hard to see how Luke is too valuable to move at this point, let alone any player other than Rubio/Love. We have three point guards and Luke is the least valuable of the three. I think we'd eventually move him just to move his salary next year, so the Jazz can gladly have him for an expiring and a late first. If the expiring is a guard even better.

This

Krapinsky wrote:We're 18 and 27 so hard to see how Luke is too valuable to move at this point, let alone any player other than Rubio/Love. We have three point guards and Luke is the least valuable of the three. I think we'd eventually move him just to move his salary next year, so the Jazz can gladly have him for an expiring and a late first. If the expiring is a guard even better.

Yep, I just don't get the Ridnour love. He's not that good or attractive to other teams, plus is a negative on defense for us.

Figjamjr wrote:

Krapinsky wrote:We're 18 and 27 so hard to see how Luke is too valuable to move at this point, let alone any player other than Rubio/Love. We have three point guards and Luke is the least valuable of the three. I think we'd eventually move him just to move his salary next year, so the Jazz can gladly have him for an expiring and a late first. If the expiring is a guard even better.

This

Care to elaborate?

I would much rather keep Luke and move Barea... I feel like Luke plays within the system much better, and he and Rubio actually work together quite well at times.

I'd actually like to see us keep Luke long-term as a really good back up who spells Rubio for 12-15 mpg and plays another handful of minutes next to him some nights depending on matchups. Luke is a good ballhandler and outside shooter (on a team that needs guys who can stick open shots), and he also seems like a really solid high-iq system guy who 100% buys into what Adelman wants. I don't get all the negativity about him sometimes. I mean, I don't want to start the guy long-term (or even play him more than like 20 mpg), but I think he's a really good guy to have on the roster.

Barea, on the other hand, has a worse contract than Luke and often plays as if he is determined to be a star at the expense of the team... I get so frustrated watching him ignore open guys, dribble the ball for the most of the clock, be determined to find his own shot when it's not the smart play, and so on. My guess is both guys have similar value (probably Luke is more valuable to teams that need a traditional PG and Barea is more valuable to teams that need a scoring spark), so why not move Barea, and keep Luke?

I would say yes....if the Wolves actually were willing to pick someone instead of trading it for cash consideration. Or if we had a better scouting department.

I like Luke as a person. He's a nice guy. Plays hard. Tries his best. He also likes MN, which is a bonus. But I don't think he's worth his salary atm.

Krapinsky wrote:We're 18 and 27 so hard to see how Luke is too valuable to move at this point, let alone any player other than Rubio/Love.

Well, probably because he's one of the guys who is actually HEALTHY...