RealGM

WOLVES
In: Bridges/Robinson
Out: Gobert/Clark

The Wolves are getting younger, gaining another key long-term piece alongside Edwards and a defensive center to cover for Rudy's departure.


KNICKS
In:Gobert/Clark
Out: Bridges/Robinson

The Knicks have been excellent offensively all season but have been weak defensively with KAT at the 5.. they get Rudy who playing alongside Towns was an elite defender and a 3D prospect to replace Mikal

2025 playoffs: 26mpg 3ppg 5rpg 43 fg% 37.5 ft%.....Gobert's trade value is about to plummet to 0 if this continues.

The other thing is I think Knicks will have a chance to get a good center in FA, with Myles Turner, Clint Capela, Brook Lopez, and Steven Adams all set to become FAs.

I don't think the Knicks would move Bridges unless it was a in a trade for Durant.

This seems like a bad trade for the Knicks. Thibs will probably get fired before the GM agrees to do this for him.

SA37 wrote:2025 playoffs: 26mpg 3ppg 5rpg 43 fg% 37.5 ft%.....Gobert's trade value is about to plummet to 0 if this continues.

The other thing is I think Knicks will have a chance to get a good center in FA, with Myles Turner, Clint Capela, Brook Lopez, and Steven Adams all set to become FAs.

I don't think the Knicks would move Bridges unless it was a in a trade for Durant.

I don't think Gobert's value will plummet. LAL is going into isolation against Gobert almost every time he is on the court, which means Gobert probably isn't blocking shots, getting steals or grabbing rebounds considering players who are defending on the perimeter typically don't impact the box-score.

Meanwhile, LAL only has a 105 ORTG with Gobert on the court. Gobert is having an incredible defensive impact when on the court, regardless of what his box-score says. Gobert is also a regular season destroyer, led the league in +/- over the final month and historically has been near the Top in +/- over the past decade.

The one caveat would be if his back spasms are going to continue to impact him.

yeah this is 2025. NBA teams aren't looking at box score totals to determine if a player is helping their team or not. We are way past that and have been for years now.

Not sure New York wants to re-create Gobert/Towns, but honestly that was a better combo for Minny than I think most expected.

I don’t get this for the Wolves. Where does Bridges play for them?

jscott wrote:I don’t get this for the Wolves. Where does Bridges play for them?

I mean I can find 32 minutes for him really easily, no? Gobert is now gone. Randle/NAW might be gone.

I don't love the trade for them, but not because Bridges isn't good enough to get minutes. And he's versatile enough to play in all kinds of combinations.

Texas Chuck wrote:

jscott wrote:I don’t get this for the Wolves. Where does Bridges play for them?

I mean I can find 32 minutes for him really easily, no? Gobert is now gone. Randle/NAW might be gone.

I don't love the trade for them, but not because Bridges isn't good enough to get minutes. And he's versatile enough to play in all kinds of combinations.

I guess my assumption is that one of Randle/NAW are on the squad and that the Wolves would be creating a bigger need than the hole they’d be filling with this trade.

Not saying he isn’t good enough to play but the Wolves strength is 2-4. IMO - it flies in the face of good roster construction.

I love this trade for the Knicks. Gobert gives us Robinson's defense (on the few days when the latter is fully healthy) combined with Mikal's ability to play just about every game. We also don't have to deal with Mikal's extension. Finally, Jaylen Clark seems like he'd be a decent shooter off our bench.

Don't get me wrong, I like both Robinson and Mikal. They are very good players. I just think Gobert gives us an elite rim-protector (key to a Thib's-coached team) that's going to play more than 50 games each year. And while Mikal provides key contributions on defense and offense--he's good on both sides of the ball--we'd still retain other good defenders (OG and McBride), Gobert can in a pinch still defend out to the perimeter and/or shut down key opposing players, and we'd still have more than enough offense left with Brunson, KAT, OG, Hart, McBride, etc. to excel without him.

As for what's in it for the Twolves, that's a bit more difficult to say. Maybe after this playoffs they decide they want to go in a different direction? Robinson and Mikal, when both are healthy, would provide most of Gobert's defense plus better offense--looks good on paper, right?

Of course, if the Knicks flame out early in these playoffs, I think the Knicks might decide their "different direction" is a new coach. If so, all bets are off about what we might do moving forward.

jscott wrote:I don’t get this for the Wolves. Where does Bridges play for them?

This gives them elite wing depth, you have Bridges/McDaniels to play 3 and 4 (with everyone healthy), then you have Naz/Randle who can play both 4 and 5 and Robinson backing up if you need a more traditional, bigger center, who is an elite rim protector and rebounder... plus Randle would be expiring (for more flexibility) or better yet, you can package him with Dillingham/Conley and the FRP they have for a starting guard (who would be Conley's long-term backup)... IMO a dream scenario would be Trae Young.

Trae/Edwards/Bridges/McDaniels/Naz
DDV/Shannon/NAW/Robinson

That would be a rotation of young and locked-up championships.

Need to take into consideration the 2nd apron here. NY will have a hard time building out the roster this year with Gobert's salary vs Bridges in a 2 for 1.

Would MIN consider Gobert and a 1st rd pick for Anunoby could be interesting for NY

Reroute Bridges to a third team for a point guard.

Astaluego wrote:

jscott wrote:I don’t get this for the Wolves. Where does Bridges play for them?

This gives them elite wing depth, you have Bridges/McDaniels to play 3 and 4 (with everyone healthy), then you have Naz/Randle who can play both 4 and 5 and Robinson backing up if you need a more traditional, bigger center, who is an elite rim protector and rebounder... plus Randle would be expiring (for more flexibility) or better yet, you can package him with Dillingham/Conley and the FRP they have for a starting guard (who would be Conley's long-term backup)... IMO a dream scenario would be Trae Young.

Trae/Edwards/Bridges/McDaniels/Naz
DDV/Shannon/NAW/Robinson

That would be a rotation of young and locked-up championships.

Naz doesn’t play the 5 and Robinson is never healthy. Again, creates a hole for MN and fills in a gap they don’t need.