Wolves off-season...(special coding makes it pretty, *wink*)

[john2jer]

With all the discussion of Mayo versus Lopez, the Wolves need for a defensive center, and our cap situation, a couple idea popped into my head. Last night's lottery makes things a little more concrete and here's where my crazy thought pattern took me...

Draft Day Trade:
Memphis Gives: #5, Milicic, and Lowry
Minnesota Gives: #3 and Walker

1. Chicago - Rose
2. Miami - Beasley
3. Memphis - Lopez
4. Seattle - Bayless
5. Minnesota - Mayo

Why for Memphis - They save around 7.5mil, make Conley the clear cut starter, and solidify their front court.

Why for Minnesota - They get extra value out of the player they want anyways, but could possibly fall a couple more picks. They also pick up the big man who could legitimately start and defend the paint. They also get a good back-up point who's younger than Telfair, but put up similar numbers in less time. Contracts they take on line-up with Foye's extension.

Memphis
C - Lopez/Collins
PF - Warrick/Cardinal
SF - Gay/Walker
SG - Miller/#28 pick
PG - Conley/Crittenton

July 1st Trade, after BYC goes away:
New York Gives: Marbury, Collins, Lee, 2010 2nd, 2011 1st(lottery protected)
New York Gets: Diaw, Barbosa, Telfair, Madsen, TPE(Reed from Minnesota)

Phoenix Gives: Diaw, Barbosa, 2012 1st(lottery protected)
Phoenix Gets: Lee, Jaric, Buckner, McCants

Minnesota Gives: Jaric, Buckner, McCants, Telfair, Madsen, TPE(Reed)
Minnesota Gets: Marbury, Collins, 2010 2nd, 2011 1st lottery protected), 2012 1st(lottery protected)

Disclaimer: This trade is actually a couple trades combined into one due to sign and trade rules as well as TPE rules.

Why for New York - D'Antoni wants Barbosa and Diaw. Telfair is a point guard who can run the break and Madsen is a phenomenal dancer. It's been stated that Lee isn't a D'Antoni type of player. Moving Marbury is a plus.

Why for Phoenix - They shave a TON of money off their cap situation. Jaric can fill in at many positions. Lee is a good back up big man, which Phoenix desperately needed against San Antonio. I honestly don't see Barbosa as a better player than McCants with all things considered.

Why for Minnesota - They use McCants to cut off the years from Jaric and Madsen's deals. Collins fits in well as a combo guard who can score, pass, and rebound with Foye/Mayo. He's also cheap. 2011 pick comes at a time when New York has just recently signed a big time FA and probably made the play-offs, making it in the 20-25 range. The 2012 pick comes at a time when Phoenix could be in a situation similar to what Minnesota was just in. Good enough to make the play-offs just barely, but not good enough to go anywhere, as Amare would be their KG, without a supporting cast, making it in the 15-20 range.

Roster assuming we re-sign all of our FA's and not including our 2nd round picks. Obviously it would be slightly different due to those factors. Our back-up center would be whoever falls to #31 from the previously mentioned 12 big men who are in the 11-30 range.

C - Milicic/Richard
PF - Jefferson/Smith
SF - Gomes/Snyder
SG - Mayo/Brewer/Collins
PG - Foye/Marbury/Lowry

~40mil guaranteed in 2009, including 2008 and 2009 draft picks) with team options on Foye, Brewer, Lowry, and Collins putting the total to 50.8 assuming all are picked up. That'll probably be around 10mil less than the salary cap.

Our roster would look like this at that time(Not counting this year's 2nds and next year's draft picks):
C - Milicic
PF - Jefferson
SF - Gomes/Brewer
SG - Mayo/Collins
PG - Foye/Lowry

Milicic would be a big, young, expiring, kind of like Kwame Brown. Package him with the future picks we'd have and there might be a Pau Gasol type situation in our future. Perfect timing as Foye, who by that time has turned into mini-Wade, is looking at an extension. Wolves blow their load and have a Laker quality team 2 years from now. This would be when Bosh, LeBron, Wade, and other would be hitting the market. The supporting cast might be enough to get free agents to ignore the cold, besides May/June in Minnesota is beautiful.

[B Calrissian]

If Mayo is there for the Sonics to pick they will do it. The only way I would do deal with the Grizzlies is if it was Jaric and not Walker. I don't think the Knicks would do the second deal. I was reading a thread about trading with the Suns on their board the other day that I saw that their front office doesn't want to take on contracts that go past a certain year (both Diaw and Barbosa do).

[john2jer]

D'Antoni has made comments about bringing in "his type of players", with strong hints going out about Diaw and Barbosa.

Another thought would be related to the Seattle blurp just put on the wire...

#3 for #4 and #24?

It would get us Mayo or Lopez, whoever fell, although I see Seattle taking Bayless, and it would get us the later pick to get the big man.

#3, #34, McCants
for
#4, #24, and Sene?