younggunsmn wrote:shangrila wrote:Slim Tubby wrote:KAT wanted to stay in MIN. We even traded a league generation of FRPs for Gobert to pair with Karl to create a unique advantage. A year later, we abandon this strategy and move Karl for absolute ****.
Why did we do this? What changed following our greatest season in 20 years? Was Connelly unaware that he could review our Salary Cap structure farther than six (6) months out?
I can't think of a worse scenario for an NBA team than having your GM, on the last year of their contract, making long-term decisions for the franchise.
Tim Connelly can **** off right along with our ownership. The ultimate cost of his actions will be the loss of Ant. The road to his departure has already been paved.
With that said, I DO appreciate your efforts to remain positive. It's a rare quality these days and admirable...but sometimes a guy just needs to read the room and accept what his eyes are telling him.
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What changed? The CBA. The Gobert trade was done prior to the newest CBA.
A lot of people on this board seem unwilling to admit that they overrated KAT's value. If there were significantly better trades out there they would have been made, but there weren't. And for as good as KAT is he has an equal number of drawbacks, whether that's defensively (worst rim protector in the league this year), health or contract.
The deal was a soft reboot around Ant. The effect of it, good or bad, was always a long term thing. It can't be judged definitively at this time.
This is wrong on so many levels.
1. This franchise in this market was NEVER going to maintain such a high level of salary for more than a year or two, luxury tax, new CBA or no. Adding Gobert to a supermax and soon to be supermax player was either a short term gamble or ridiculously shortsighted decsion by Connelly.
2. TC traded 5 first round picks for Gobert whose on court presence destroyed KAT's value by forcing him to be a perimeter player only.
3. TC then traded KAT and the primary return was Julius Randle, who we likely can't even get an expiring contract for.
4. To get out of 4 years of KAT we took on 2 years of Julius Randle, who also has a substantial injury history, which was absolutely a moronic thing to do and is likely to cost us Naz this summer.
For a supposed salary dump trade we are getting little to no savings for half of his remaining contract.
5. KAT has a shot at first team All-NBA this year if he can remain healthy.
He was once rated the most valuable trade asset in the entire league and is still in his prime at 29 years old.
His team is on a pace to be 6 or 7 wins better and the team he left is on a pace to be 10 wins worse and that could get even worse.
Lets call the KAT trade what it really is, Tim Connelly being a terrible judge of fit and talent.
He has a coach who plays a 5 out system and since he's arrived he has traded 5 1st round picks and an All-NBA talent in his prime for Rudy Gobert and a ball pounding PF who is most effective playing like a bulldozer.
Were we going to get fair value for KAT? Maybe. Maybe not.
But the best path forward was always letting KAT be KAT and getting the most out of our supermax player.
That became impossible once he traded for Gobert, so his first mistake is what caused the 2nd.
I'll be honest, I'm not going to touch the trade KAT debate again because of my last go at that. So, sure, whatever you say mate.
