Trade Talk (Part 15): Trade Deadline Day (and onwards!)

[BlacJacMac]

btw this an extract of the article: "Additionally, Sexton's energetic defense and competitive nature would inject new life into the Timberwolves' defensive schemes. His ability to guard multiple positions and disrupt opposing offenses would be invaluable, especially during the playoffs. Pairing him with Edwards could create a formidable backcourt duo capable of high-scoring outputs and relentless defensive pressure."

Is "Fadeaway World" considered a "legit" source? It very well might be, but I had never heard of it before this.

I agree that Sexton tries hard at defense. He just appears to be very, very bad at it.

But I think you're also burying the lede. The article suggests Markkanen, Sexton and two 1st Round Picks for KAT...

https://fadeawayworld.net/5-trade-ideas-for-karl-anthony-towns-if-the-timberwolves-decide-to-reshape-their-roster

not that I think Sexton is great, but he doesn't get steals/blocks or rebound well, players like that don't have good D stats since they are used in the formulas

I remember Avery Bradley always had horrible defensive stats even though opposing players thought he was one of the tougher players to go against in his prime with Boston

I'm not in the "trade KAT" camp, but that's an interesting trade, even without the picks
Lauri I think is a better "bucket getter" than KAT, can create something out of nothing better in the half court when its a slog

but ultimately if Wolves move KAT, getting best possible guard or ball handling wing should be priority, way more important

I think there is zero percent chance Utah does that deal. They’re not nearly close enough to being competitive to pay a 28 year-old a Max salary.

I can’t fathom Ainge thinking he can build a team around KAT, Kessler and Keyonte George…

[MN7725]

Is "Fadeaway World" considered a "legit" source? It very well might be, but I had never heard of it before this.

I agree that Sexton tries hard at defense. He just appears to be very, very bad at it.

But I think you're also burying the lede. The article suggests Markkanen, Sexton and two 1st Round Picks for KAT...

https://fadeawayworld.net/5-trade-ideas-for-karl-anthony-towns-if-the-timberwolves-decide-to-reshape-their-roster

not that I think Sexton is great, but he doesn't get steals/blocks or rebound well, players like that don't have good D stats since they are used in the formulas

I remember Avery Bradley always had horrible defensive stats even though opposing players thought he was one of the tougher players to go against in his prime with Boston

I'm not in the "trade KAT" camp, but that's an interesting trade, even without the picks
Lauri I think is a better "bucket getter" than KAT, can create something out of nothing better in the half court when its a slog

but ultimately if Wolves move KAT, getting best possible guard or ball handling wing should be priority, way more important

I think there is zero percent chance Utah does that deal. They’re not nearly close enough to being competitive to pay a 28 year-old a Max salary.

I can’t fathom Ainge thinking he can build a team around KAT, Kessler and Keyonte George…

Lauri is only signed through next season, that would be the reason to do it
and then as the cap increases, KAT's giant contract will look more normal in a couple seasons

but yeah, doesn't make a ton of sense

[cmoss84]

KAT is gone...just feels like it.

I'm going to beat a dead horse. Give up something handsome centered around KAT for Cunningham. Now and future move.

[Domejandro]

Lol man, Hayward is beyond cooked. Why would you want him?

Some of you guys clearly follow only the Wolves, and that's fine, but damn.

Stat wise he didn't see that bad, guess my memory of his was from like 2018

He is far worse than NAW. NAW is a good player because he defends and can hit the corner 3. That's important in the regular season, even if his shooting drops in the post-season.

Hayward was a slasher who relied on athleticism who has had multiple injuries. He just isn't what he use to be and has almost 0 chance of playing meaningful post-season minutes.

NAW was solid for 2 playoff series.

Gordon Hayward is more efficient and consistent at scoring and can actually dribble the ball up the court. They are completely different players, it's bizarre to compare the two.

Regardless, Gordon Hayward will be out of Minnesota's budget.

[wolves_89]

I think Anderson is gone, like most do, but I was surprised to hear that Britt thinks he may be back. In a recent Dane Moore podcast, he talked about Kyle’s exit interview, and for the first four questions, he may have included the phrase “if I’m still here next year.” He knows what he’s worth, and probably what Connelly can afford to pay him.

However, Britt mentioned that Kyle lit up glowingly when he talked about Finch. Kyle said many coaches don’t know how to use him, but Finch puts the ball in his hands, and lets him make decisions. Finch trusts him and empowers him.

Anderson has always been a decent-but-not-spectacular player, and has made decent-but-not-spectacular money. I don’t have any problem if he wants to go elsewhere and get a bigger paycheck. But I think it’s interesting that he’s another player that wants to be here. I guess there is a ray of hope he will be back, and it would be on a discount contract.

I think if the Wolves could offer anything remotely close to what he can get in free agency he would stay. Unfortunately, I can see somebody giving him MLE level money which is way beyond what Minnesota can afford. I also think having Minott/Miller waiting in the wings makes it less likely that the team will pay Kyle.

[Domejandro]

not that I think Sexton is great, but he doesn't get steals/blocks or rebound well, players like that don't have good D stats since they are used in the formulas

I remember Avery Bradley always had horrible defensive stats even though opposing players thought he was one of the tougher players to go against in his prime with Boston

I'm not in the "trade KAT" camp, but that's an interesting trade, even without the picks
Lauri I think is a better "bucket getter" than KAT, can create something out of nothing better in the half court when its a slog

but ultimately if Wolves move KAT, getting best possible guard or ball handling wing should be priority, way more important

I think there is zero percent chance Utah does that deal. They’re not nearly close enough to being competitive to pay a 28 year-old a Max salary.

I can’t fathom Ainge thinking he can build a team around KAT, Kessler and Keyonte George…

Lauri is only signed through next season, that would be the reason to do it
and then as the cap increases, KAT's giant contract will look more normal in a couple seasons

but yeah, doesn't make a ton of sense

For what it is worth, there is no world where I can imagine the Utah Jazz trading Lauri Markkanen, Colin Sexton, AND picks for Karl-Anthony Towns. I think there is an unlikely three-way trade where a team trades a ton of value for Karl-Anthony Towns and Minnesota reroutes that to Utah for Lauri Markkanen instead (shaving off a staggering $31.2MM next season), but a straight up trade doesn't really make sense, unfortunately.

In reality, Utah is going to give Lauri Makkanen a nice bonus this year using their cap space to get him to extend his contract, and they will move forward with him locked up.

[Neeva]

KAT is gone...just feels like it.

I'm going to beat a dead horse. Give up something handsome centered around KAT for Cunningham. Now and future move.

Why would detriot do it though? They would want to pair kat and cunningham.

The wolves looked good without Rudy, so I can see them trading Rudy instead of Kat as well. Atlanta, SA, and lots of other teams would love to have him.

I do feel it will be an interesting off season because now we fully know that this is Ant’s team moving forward and that the wolves need more scoring help for him in the playoffs. Wolves defense will still be good even without Kat or even Rudy IMO.

[Neeva]

Is "Fadeaway World" considered a "legit" source? It very well might be, but I had never heard of it before this.

I agree that Sexton tries hard at defense. He just appears to be very, very bad at it.

But I think you're also burying the lede. The article suggests Markkanen, Sexton and two 1st Round Picks for KAT...

https://fadeawayworld.net/5-trade-ideas-for-karl-anthony-towns-if-the-timberwolves-decide-to-reshape-their-roster

not that I think Sexton is great, but he doesn't get steals/blocks or rebound well, players like that don't have good D stats since they are used in the formulas

I remember Avery Bradley always had horrible defensive stats even though opposing players thought he was one of the tougher players to go against in his prime with Boston

I'm not in the "trade KAT" camp, but that's an interesting trade, even without the picks
Lauri I think is a better "bucket getter" than KAT, can create something out of nothing better in the half court when its a slog

but ultimately if Wolves move KAT, getting best possible guard or ball handling wing should be priority, way more important

I think there is zero percent chance Utah does that deal. They’re not nearly close enough to being competitive to pay a 28 year-old a Max salary.

I can’t fathom Ainge thinking he can build a team around KAT, Kessler and Keyonte George…

I wouldn’t want that deal anyway, Markannen is about to get a huge contract and he is not nearly as good a second option as Kat and who knows how he would play in the playoffs since he’s never been in them in his entire career, and sexton is overpaid and plays horrible defense.

[Guest84]

Saw these trades in an article:

Pistons receive: Rudy Gobert
Timberwolves receive: Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Evan Fournier, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick

Cavaliers receive: Rudy Gobert
Timberwolves receive: Jarrett Allen, Max Strus, 2025 second-round pick, 2026 second-round pick (via Bucks)

Warriors receive: Rudy Gobert
Timberwolves receive: Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, 2027 first-round pick (This one made me laugh. I wouldn't even consider putting Rudy in this situation honestly.)

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanović (Variations of this have been discussed here quite often.)

Det and Cle were teams I thought about recently as well. But the more I think about trades, the harder it is for me to see one that I actually like.

[Colbinii]

Stat wise he didn't see that bad, guess my memory of his was from like 2018

He is far worse than NAW. NAW is a good player because he defends and can hit the corner 3. That's important in the regular season, even if his shooting drops in the post-season.

Hayward was a slasher who relied on athleticism who has had multiple injuries. He just isn't what he use to be and has almost 0 chance of playing meaningful post-season minutes.

NAW was solid for 2 playoff series.

Gordon Hayward is more efficient and consistent at scoring and can actually dribble the ball up the court. They are completely different players, it's bizarre to compare the two.

I never compared the two. I said that NAW is better because his skill-set scales into the post-season while Gordon Hayward is completely washed.

[Colbinii]

not that I think Sexton is great, but he doesn't get steals/blocks or rebound well, players like that don't have good D stats since they are used in the formulas

I remember Avery Bradley always had horrible defensive stats even though opposing players thought he was one of the tougher players to go against in his prime with Boston

I'm not in the "trade KAT" camp, but that's an interesting trade, even without the picks
Lauri I think is a better "bucket getter" than KAT, can create something out of nothing better in the half court when its a slog

but ultimately if Wolves move KAT, getting best possible guard or ball handling wing should be priority, way more important

I think there is zero percent chance Utah does that deal. They’re not nearly close enough to being competitive to pay a 28 year-old a Max salary.

I can’t fathom Ainge thinking he can build a team around KAT, Kessler and Keyonte George…

Lauri is only signed through next season, that would be the reason to do it
and then as the cap increases, KAT's giant contract will look more normal in a couple seasons

but yeah, doesn't make a ton of sense

KAT's contract is not going to be more normal. His Contract is tied to the cap with 8% raises while the cap is projected to raise at 10%. So, for KAT's entire 5-year extension, it will be quite large, and not normal.

[BlacJacMac]

I think there is zero percent chance Utah does that deal. They’re not nearly close enough to being competitive to pay a 28 year-old a Max salary.

I can’t fathom Ainge thinking he can build a team around KAT, Kessler and Keyonte George…

Lauri is only signed through next season, that would be the reason to do it
and then as the cap increases, KAT's giant contract will look more normal in a couple seasons

but yeah, doesn't make a ton of sense

KAT's contract is not going to be more normal. His Contract is tied to the cap with 8% raises while the cap is projected to raise at 10%. So, for KAT's entire 5-year extension, it will be quite large, and not normal.

And it makes no sense for a lottery team to trade its most valuable assets for a 28-year old on a Max deal.

[cmoss84]

KAT is gone...just feels like it.

I'm going to beat a dead horse. Give up something handsome centered around KAT for Cunningham. Now and future move.

Why would detriot do it though? They would want to pair kat and cunningham.

The wolves looked good without Rudy, so I can see them trading Rudy instead of Kat as well. Atlanta, SA, and lots of other teams would love to have him.

I do feel it will be an interesting off season because now we fully know that this is Ant’s team moving forward and that the wolves need more scoring help for him in the playoffs. Wolves defense will still be good even without Kat or even Rudy IMO.

They (Det) would definitely be rolling the dice. And probably would not. But the supplemental parts they would be getting might soften the risk.
Do they have faith in their other guards to run the show (they have some pretty good talent)? How badly do they want to offset some bad expensive salary for good expensive salary? Would depth attract them? What are they going to do to get to the floor ($140, correct?). Probably not but who knows.

Maybe something like this:
Det receives: pick #27, KAT and NAW ($53) (and WMJ/Minott if they want a prospect throw in)
MN receives: pick #53, Cade and Fournier ($33)

[jpatrick]

I’m confident we’re running it back but do we need to have a Naz discussion? I think we’ll sign Rudy to a long term extension at a lower annual number (30ish/year) at some point. KAT is going to be very difficult to trade for anything close to equal value. I love Naz but if he has anything close to a similar season next year, next offseason we will lose him for nothing. He’ll want, and deserves, to start somewhere. And he’ll command a salary, with the rising cap, of 25m/year and actually probably more. We can’t match that with our salary constraints.

Do we consider options this offseason? Thinking longterm, do we push a KAT deal even if not equal value to free up playing time and money for Naz?

Just a thought. Like I said, I fully expect us to just run it back.

[TimberKat]

Looks like Tim Connelly is getting a new deal from Taylor. Is he really worth keeping? Maybe trade him to DET for a 1st round pick?

[Worm Guts]

Looks like Tim Connelly is getting a new deal from Taylor. Is he really worth keeping? Maybe trade him to DET for a 1st round pick?

That's a strange thought. They wouldn't resign him if they didn't want to keep him.

[m2002brian]

Looks like Tim Connelly is getting a new deal from Taylor. Is he really worth keeping? Maybe trade him to DET for a 1st round pick?

That's a strange thought. They wouldn't resign him if they didn't want to keep him.

Just think of it as a sign and trade.
Otherwise they lose them for nothing.

[Worm Guts]

Looks like Tim Connelly is getting a new deal from Taylor. Is he really worth keeping? Maybe trade him to DET for a 1st round pick?

That's a strange thought. They wouldn't resign him if they didn't want to keep him.

Just think of it as a sign and trade.
Otherwise they lose them for nothing.

But why wouldn't Connelly just sign with Detroit if he was interested in going to Detroit and they were interested in him?

[jpatrick]

That's a strange thought. They wouldn't resign him if they didn't want to keep him.

Just think of it as a sign and trade.
Otherwise they lose them for nothing.

But why wouldn't Connelly just sign with Detroit if he was interested in going to Detroit and they were interested in him?

This. He had an opt out of his contract for this offseason, so he was essentially a free agent that could simply leave if he wanted.

[frankenwolf]

Just think of it as a sign and trade.
Otherwise they lose them for nothing.

But why wouldn't Connelly just sign with Detroit if he was interested in going to Detroit and they were interested in him?

This. He had an opt out of his contract for this offseason, so he was essentially a free agent that could simply leave if he wanted.

I think Brian was trying to be sarcastic, since this was posted in the trade talk.