expatbayern wrote:SmokeyPaw wrote:expatbayern wrote:Yeah, if PDX absorb Dieng instead of sending him to NYK and then get to hold onto Simons, I think there's a viable deal there.
Whiteside, Little, and the 1st for Covington and Dieng?
No thats not close. Its 2 late firsts essentially for Covington.
Absorbing Dieng is worth something like another first, and Whiteside has some value beyond his expiring. You could probably move him at the deadline for a couple 2nds or a minor prospect, maybe a late first if a contender gets desperate for an injury replacement.
So it's more like 3-4 firsts worth of value for Covington. If Minny thinks they'll get more than that at the deadline they could hold onto him, but I'm guessing it's not too long before he gets tired of playing babysitter on a losing team like Butler did.
Not to single you out, but we tend to generalize what it costs to move dead salary. There are two problems when we get specific.
First, what if the guy can play? Dieng is not just dead salary. Is the difference between one year of production for Whiteside at $27 mil worth a whole first rounder more than getting TWO years of Dieng for $6 mil more? Both are overpaid. In the end though, the change from Whiteside to Dieng - when the ridiculously-healthy Towns is going to use up the bulk of center minutes - downplays the value of either Whiteside or Dieng. If the bulk of their contribution is in the locker room, Dieng is far better than the hothead Whiteside.
Second, the Wolves aren’t the Clippers, trying to clear a year of salary so they can sign Paul George. LAC should offer a 1st to clear salary, but MIN should not, since they are no free agent destination. They would have better luck at finding talent by keeping their value, rather than use value to reinvest it in future cap space.
I see this deal as two late 1sts, and a meh change from Whiteside to Dieng. That may be all POR thinks Covington is worth, but I think he’s more valuable to the Wolves than this, and would not be surprised to see several other teams outbid this offer.