Pre-Draft Thread / Workout Updates

[Nitroglycerin]

So the only targets are Orlando's #2, Charlotte's #4, and maybe Phoenix's #5.
Oladipo is top 5 imo and wont fall out of that range.
And guess what? Nobody wants tweener Dwill lol.
Then our only attractive assets are the #9, Ridnour's expiring, maybe Barea and Shved. Pretty bleak
Cleveland's #1? Maybe.. I dunno
Varejao
Thompson
Dwill
Waiters
Irving
...meh

[Nitroglycerin]

So the only targets are Orlando's #2, Charlotte's #4, and maybe Phoenix's #5.
Oladipo is top 5 imo and wont fall out of that range.
And guess what? Nobody wants tweener Dwill lol.
Then our only attractive assets are the #9, Ridnour's expiring, maybe Barea and Shved. Pretty bleak
Cleveland's #1? Maybe.. I dunno
Varejao
Thompson
Dwill
Waiters
Irving
...meh

[Maefteda]

The latest mock from NBADraft.net has Oladipo falling down to 8 with the Detroit Pistons. If that's the case, we can trade up with the Kings who want Zeller at 7, even though he will also be available at 9. Wouldn't cost much. They have Bobcats=Bennett, Suns=Len, Hornets=Burke and Kings=Zeller. Interestingly, Nogueira has jumped up to Philadelphia at 11.

[FinnTheHuman]

The glaring weakness on this team is having 5 point guards, and no SG's. Not the backup center position. I'm not sure how 'potentially' getting a wee bit more production over Steamer/CJ is really a game changer for the team. Especially when we get destroyed at SG for 48 minutes, pretty much every game. The idea that some shot blocking for 15 minutes against the other teams backups will turn the tide is just weird.

I'd much rather draft two SG's, and sign a vet SG, then pray that one works out, screw acquiring more bigs.

You have a point about a back-up C. People are also forgetting that Love can slide to C from time to time, and AK to 4, but anyway that's just too many SGs lol. If we get a quality MLE SG (like Martin, Mayo), then imo we should get Len/Zeller at #9 and a SG at #26, because SG position is the deepest in this draft.

[[RCG]]

I'd be willing to trade Williams & Shved to move up and draft Oladipo/McLemore and draft Zeller/Len at #9.

[Howard Cosell]

Well, I was wrong. Al Harrington's contract of 7.1Mil is only half guranteed. This will actually help in trade talks because Orlando has an incentive for someone to take Harrington's salary in a trade. Orlando has given Harrington the ok to workout for other teams. I don't know how the hell I missed all of this. So we could absorb for Orlando 3.5 Mil of Harrington's contract in a deal


Something in the lines of this:


Minnesota trades Williams (5.0Mil) + 1st Round Pick - 9th overall + 1st Round Pick - 26th overall
for

Orlando's 1st Round Pick - 2nd overall + Al Harrington (3.5Mil)Harrington's 3.5 non-guranteed contract makes this deal legal.

Maybe one of you can convince me otherwise but I still believe we would need to give up the 26th pick overall to make this deal happen no matter what the other pieces turn out to be. But Harrington's partial non-guranteed contract makes all of this more possible. My apologize for getting Harrington's contract incorrect earlier in the thread.

[Saltine]

Project bigs? lol, they have the highest failure rate in the NBA. There isn't one big in this draft whose certain to provide more than Steamer in his first year. Yet every draft people just get this bizarre obsession with tall guys most of whom will flop hard... I hope flip isn't so afflicted

Malcolm Lee may not play again, AK and Bud may not be back, which leaves us nobody to play SF or SG, except Gelabale and our combo guard Shved, whose much better at the point. Center is not an issue, it's a want, not a need.

Wasting the #9 on a project player to backup Pek is not a bright move.

[Esohny]

Saltine is correct.

[Klomp]

Orlando's 1st Round Pick - 2nd overall + Al Harrington (3.5Mil)Harrington's 3.5 non-guranteed contract makes this deal legal.

Thats not how trades work. You count the player's entire cap number, not just the guaranteed portion.

[Klomp]

The latest mock from NBADraft.net has Oladipo falling down to 8 with the Detroit Pistons.

Thats not happening.

[FinnTheHuman]

Project bigs? lol, they have the highest failure rate in the NBA. There isn't one big in this draft whose certain to provide more than Steamer in his first year. Yet every draft people just get this bizarre obsession with tall guys most of whom will flop hard... I hope flip isn't so afflicted

Malcolm Lee may not play again, AK and Bud may not be back, which leaves us nobody to play SF or SG, except Gelabale and our combo guard Shved, whose much better at the point. Center is not an issue, it's a want, not a need.

Wasting the #9 on a project player to backup Pek is not a bright move.

AK and Bud may not be back? That's a bold prediction. I'd say there's zero chance both of them don't come back, and it's a big chance they're both back. Anyways, if the rookie center doesn't work out as even below Steamer lvl, you can always move Love to C for some time and AK/DWill at PF, and do some trade in mid season, or bring an FA.

[Howard Cosell]

Orlando's 1st Round Pick - 2nd overall + Al Harrington (3.5Mil)Harrington's 3.5 non-guranteed contract makes this deal legal.

Thats not how trades work. You count the player's entire cap number, not just the guaranteed portion.

You are correct we would take the full cap hit of 7.1Mil.

Crap!!!

Flip is not going for that deal.

KCP is looking better at 9# all the time. I just hope we get a SG with Size. I wish I wasn't so obsessed with getting Oladipo.

[PG24]

Shabazz is still intriguing despite all of the negative reviews he's been receiving. He won't become a Wolf with Adelman around helping call the shots, but I'll be curious to see where he winds up.

I disagree with the statement of not drafting big. The Wolves are severely flawed in the weakside interior defense aspect of the game. In order to become a legitimate threat, a big with the ability to alter shots at the rim is a must. Gorgui Dieng is an all but perfect candidate to complement Love/Pek, as he would seemingly do wonders to help alleviate that weakness, at an elite level, and he'd do so on the cheap for multiple seasons.

[AQuintus]

and draft Zeller...at #9.

Why would you want another PF?

[Dewey]

and draft Zeller...at #9.

Why would you want another PF?

He's a F/C and a damn good one. We NEED a solid 3rd big in a bad way and he'd be an instant upgrade and locked into rookie pay scale ... The Steimsma/Johnson gig has not and will never be a success.

[Dewey]

Project bigs? lol, they have the highest failure rate in the NBA. There isn't one big in this draft whose certain to provide more than Steamer in his first year. Yet every draft people just get this bizarre obsession with tall guys most of whom will flop hard... I hope flip isn't so afflicted

Malcolm Lee may not play again, AK and Bud may not be back, which leaves us nobody to play SF or SG, except Gelabale and our combo guard Shved, whose much better at the point. Center is not an issue, it's a want, not a need.

Wasting the #9 on a project player to backup Pek is not a bright move.

yeh ... ok ... SG and a Big are both needed. Most any player in the draft over 6'10" will be an instant upgrade backing up Pek. No need to sweat it ... We'll be drafting a SG and acquire a veteran SG as well if there is any possible way we can find takers for some of our unwanted players.

[[RCG]]

and draft Zeller...at #9.

Why would you want another PF?

He's a F/C and a damn good one. We NEED a solid 3rd big in a bad way and he'd be an instant upgrade and locked into rookie pay scale ... The Steimsma/Johnson gig has not and will never be a success.

Exactly. He is athletic as heck and can play either position.

[AQuintus]

Exactly. He is athletic

In combine testing, sure. But like Love (who also tested out great), it doesn't show on the court.

as heck and can play either position.

I don't buy this at all. He's significantly better at PF at both ends. He struggles badly against bulkier and longer players.

If we're going big at #9, I'd obviously be happy with Len, but I'd take Adams over Zeller every time.

Edit:

He's a F/C and a damn good one. We NEED a solid 3rd big in a bad way and he'd be an instant upgrade and locked into rookie pay scale ... The Steimsma/Johnson gig has not and will never be a success.

Pekovic + Love + Cunningham already equals 3 bigs. Love will likely be the one playing PF and C. However, if the team wants to add another big into that rotation (and they probably should. Stiemsma is awful), then they should be looking for a big, shot-blocking rim protector. That ain't Zeller.

[Twolf16]

As each day goes by getting a stronger feeling that wolves won't trade up. I hope that's not the case because KCP and McCollum leave so many questions. While I like Len at 9, will Ledo fall to 26? It would also help if Kirilenko would make his decision soon.

[[RCG]]

MCW has jumped up in mock drafts because of his athleticism - which was questioned during the year. Part of it could be playing a little timid, another part could be the system they play in. We'll see.