Nemanja Bjelica

[Peezo]

I'm not ready to say that is definitely what his contract will be. If it is, great. But don't be caught off-guard if we give him more than that.

This is the point I was trying to make: I wouldn't be surprised if the final number is being under reported. It just seems like this is a really cheap deal. I'm thinking coming off the year he had as Euroleague MVP, what someone like Mirotic got last year, and the way contracts are being handed out right now, I find it hard to believe we are getting this cheap of a deal. I mean didn't Alexey originally sign for like 3 a year? Seems like he was a less polished product operating under a much smaller salary cap.

Just seems curious. I don't care as long as we get it done!

[C.lupus]

I can't imagine his agent agreeing to 3/12 now that he's seen the ridiculous contracts being thrown out the past couple days.

[horaceworthy]

The Wolves only have the MLE for him, and there's no other NBA team that can offer him a ridiculous contract, so Nemanja butter and Bjelly can't fully benefit from the FA frenzy. I wouldn't be surprised if it's more than 3/12, but I'm not expecting more than 3/15-16.

[Klomp]

Here is the MLE with maximum raises (4.5% - $245,280):

15-16: $5,464,000
16-17: $5,709,880
17-18: $5,955,760
18-19: $6,201,040

[Saltine]

Here is the MLE with maximum raises (4.5% - $245,280):

15-16: $5,464,000
16-17: $5,709,880
17-18: $5,955,760
18-19: $6,201,040

That wouldn't be bad either, 4 years, $23 million is still a tiny contract over the next few years. He'd be a free agent when he turned 31.

[Saltine]

• Flip Saunders, the Timberwolves president and coach, said Nemanja Bjelica, the European MVP who will join the Wolves, has the kind of presence that will make Andrew Wiggins better. “If I had one thing that we lack a little bit in our frontcourt it’s the ability for any of our players, outside of Wiggins, to put the ball on the floor and make a play. Those are things [Bjelica] can do. He’s a multidimensional player, he can play small forward, power forward, he really shoots the ball extremely well from the perimeter and he can handle the ball.”

http://www.startribune.com/healthy-mauer-shows-signs-of-hitting-breakout/311652901/

[Chislic]

Since opting out, things have been really quite with Nemanja Bjelica.

I'm waiting for the "Nemanja Bjelica has agreed to a _____ year, $______ million deal with the Timberwolves blah blah blah."

If you haven't heard official news by tomorrow or Tuesday would you begin to wonder what the heck is going on here? It seems like Bjelica was or still is being shoppped around.

[Klomp]

Since opting out, things have been really quite with Nemanja Bjelica.

I'm waiting for the "Nemanja Bjelica has agreed to a _____ year, $______ million deal with the Timberwolves blah blah blah."

If you haven't heard official news by tomorrow or Tuesday would you begin to wonder what the heck is going on here? It seems like Bjelica was or still is being shoppped around.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JerryZgoda/status/617124160259489792[/tweet]

[Worm Guts]

The moratorium ends on Thursday. That's probably when you'll hear something.

[Saltine]

If you haven't heard official news by tomorrow or Tuesday would you begin to wonder what the heck is going on here? It seems like Bjelica was or still is being shoppped around.

Nope.
He can't officially sign yet, why would we here anything new until he can?

[Chislic]

I understand players can not sign until Thursday. I get that. I'm just surprised there hasn't been a real media report other than Zgoda tweeting to a fan that the deal is done.

At least 6 teams are interested in Bjelica. (Spurs, Mavs, Pacers, Bulls + Knicks) It seems highly likely his rights are being shopped around considering the TWolves depth at the PF position.

Why would Bjelica sign here to keep the bench warm for Towns + KG?

Just speculation. I hope he ends up in either MN or NY.

[horaceworthy]

Flip's talked about Bjelica as if he's already on the roster since after the draft. He's hoping Bjelica will practice with the summer league team and maybe play a game or two. I'd be surprised if his rights were being shopped.

The Wolves don't really have depth at PF. Towns might see some time there, but will probably get most of his minutes at C. KG can be counted on for maybe 15-20 mpg for 60ish games (and could see some time at C himself). Payne and Bennett haven't established anything in this league and both landed themselves in Flip's doghouse last year. There are plenty of minutes available if Bjelica proves to be a capable rotation player.

[Saltine]

I understand players can not sign until Thursday. I get that. I'm just surprised there hasn't been a real media report other than Zgoda tweeting to a fan that the deal is done.

At least 6 teams are interested in Bjelica. (Spurs, Mavs, Pacers, Bulls + Knicks) It seems highly likely his rights are being shopped around considering the TWolves depth at the PF position.

Why would Bjelica sign here to keep the bench warm for Towns + KG?

Just speculation. I hope he ends up in either MN or NY.

Considering what Flip said in our morning paper, to Sid Hartman, and Sid's lead in to that statement. It's a done deal. When Sid says it's done, it's done. He was the General Manager of the 1947 Minneapolis Lakers, he's 95 years old, he uses an actual old school tape recorder, Flip told Sid it's done. That's it. As soon as Flip started praising Bjelica to our reporters, it was a done deal.

Flip Saunders, the Timberwolves president and coach, said Nemanja Bjelica, the European MVP who will join the Wolves, has the kind of presence that will make Andrew Wiggins better. “If I had one thing that we lack a little bit in our frontcourt it’s the ability for any of our players, outside of Wiggins, to put the ball on the floor and make a play. Those are things [Bjelica] can do. He’s a multidimensional player, he can play small forward, power forward, he really shoots the ball extremely well from the perimeter and he can handle the ball.”

[Wolves21]

Flip's talked about Bjelica as if he's already on the roster since after the draft. He's hoping Bjelica will practice with the summer league team and maybe play a game or two. I'd be surprised if his rights were being shopped.

The Wolves don't really have depth at PF. Towns might see some time there, but will probably get most of his minutes at C. KG can be counted on for maybe 15-20 mpg for 60ish games (and could see some time at C himself). Payne and Bennett haven't established anything in this league and both landed themselves in Flip's doghouse last year. There are plenty of minutes available if Bjelica proves to be a capable rotation player.

Ya theirs more then enough minutes at PF if Towns plays at C spot.KG is only going to play most likely 20-25 minutes per game and also will likely set out back to backs.This give more then enough minutes for Bjelica as the back up PF and depending on how well he plays can start at PF when KG takes games off.

[AQuintus]

The Wolves don't really have depth at PF.

They have depth; they just don't have much talent. Bjelica should easily get minutes at PF over Payne and Bennett.

[zDank]

Yall are silly of coarse Flip is gunna talk like he likes him and sees him on the roster the second he does otherwise Nemanja's value decreases. And as for the comments he made to Sid about it being a "done deal," yeah the contract is agreed upon because even if we do trade him it'd probably be in a sign and trade deal.

[Saltine]

Yall are silly of coarse Flip is gunna talk like he likes him and sees him on the roster the second he does otherwise Nemanja's value decreases. And as for the comments he made to Sid about it being a "done deal," yeah the contract is agreed upon because even if we do trade him it'd probably be in a sign and trade deal.

You can't sign and trade a guy who has never had an NBA contract.
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q91

[Klomp]

I don't really like the comparison to Mirotic. Bjelica is much more fluid with the ball. He looks more like a wing who just happend to be 6'10". Mirotic has decent athleticism for a post player, but he's still pretty stiff.

I need to find some old school Youtube footage to see if Flip's comparison to Schrempf is warranted. I remember watching him in Seattle, but don't remember too much about his game.

Trying to find a different comparison, the guy I came up with is Tobias Harris. Bjelica is two inches taller, but still has similar all-around offensive ability as Harris.

[zDank]

Yall are silly of coarse Flip is gunna talk like he likes him and sees him on the roster the second he does otherwise Nemanja's value decreases. And as for the comments he made to Sid about it being a "done deal," yeah the contract is agreed upon because even if we do trade him it'd probably be in a sign and trade deal.

You can't sign and trade a guy who has never had an NBA contract.
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q91

We'd have to wait 30 days so it wouldn't be your classic s&t but still an option

[Mattya]

if we wanted to trade him, why couldn't we just trade his rights?