RealGM

Fortunately, both Darko and Pek are paid in the $5 mil range, which looks like back-up center money now.

Say we got a trade for a definite #1 center (let's shoot for the moon, and say Bogut), but MIL said they wanted either Darko or Pek back .. but we could choose.

Which would you keep for the back-up role, and why?

Darko Milicic 4,776,500 5,228,000 5,670,000 ($2 mil guaranteed)

Nikola Pekovic 4,595,000 4,915,000

shrink wrote:Fortunately, both Darko and Pek are paid in the $5 mil range, which looks like back-up center money now.

Say we got a trade for a definite #1 center (let's shoot for the moon, and say Bogut), but MIL said they wanted either Darko or Pek back .. but we could choose.

Which would you keep for the back-up role, and why?

It depends on if that center is more offensively or defensively focused

I think Darko is the obvious choice. This team has plenty scoring. It needs all the defense it can get.

Not only do I think Darko is the more valuable of the two for the wolves, I think Pek is the player more teams would be interested in. To me it is something of a no-brainer.

I like Pek in that we don't have to worry about how fragile his emotional state is. I like the odds of Pek figuring out how to not foul people better than I like the odds of Darko realizing he has more basketball tools than most of the NBA players bigger than 6'8" and becoming the player he should be.

If Darko would play consistently like he did in the preseason game, I would go with him. He's a good defender when focused and, for a backup, I think that's what they would be looking for.

I like Pek though and hope he develops into something nice.

Darko and Ridnour are both ideal back-ups IMO. We've got a true point guard for Rid to back up, now we just need the centre.

The 17 win team from Minnesota doesn't want them, so one is being traded to the Bucks. Who wants to tell them they've been traded? Anybody?

BONZI, GET OVER HERE. WE GOT A PROJECT FOR YOU.

I'm going with Milicic. Better facilitator (that's not saying much), better shotblocker, and Milicic isn't going to draw as many fouls as Pekovic.

Can I pick "any starting center is going to cost to much - I'm fine with what we've got"?

We should be able to grab a project defensive center with an upcoming draft pick.

Peezo wrote:Not only do I think Darko is the more valuable of the two for the wolves, I think Pek is the player more teams would be interested in. To me it is something of a no-brainer.

jade_hippo wrote:I like Pek in that we don't have to worry about how fragile his emotional state is.

I see a lot of RealGM trades with Darko in them, and I sometimes wonder how Darko would handle being traded away from his fourth NBA team.

Biff Cooper wrote:Can I pick "any starting center is going to cost to much - I'm fine with what we've got"?

We should be able to grab a project defensive center with an upcoming draft pick.

This!

I really feel that a lot of people suffer from " the grass is greener on the other side"! I don't know what you guys think a starting center is nowadays. There are a bunch of scrubs out there and now you got teams paying Kwame Brown 7 MILLION and Deandre Jordan 10 MILLION! Darko is as good as them and half of the centers in the league. I really don't understand how people give Kahn grief about getting Darko for 4 to 5 mill a year. Granted, he's inconsistent, but he gave you guys 9 pts, 5.5 rebs and 2 blks in 24 mins. There are about 4 premium centers nowadays, the rest are comparable to Darko and DEFINITELY not worth the money.

NYForever wrote:

Biff Cooper wrote:Can I pick "any starting center is going to cost to much - I'm fine with what we've got"?

We should be able to grab a project defensive center with an upcoming draft pick.

This!

I really feel that a lot of people suffer from " the grass is greener on the other side"! I don't know what you guys think a starting center is nowadays. There are a bunch of scrubs out there and now you got teams paying Kwame Brown 7 MILLION and Deandre Jordan 10 MILLION! Darko is as good as them and half of the centers in the league. I really don't understand how people give Kahn grief about getting Darko for 4 to 5 mill a year. Granted, he's inconsistent, but he gave you guys 9 pts, 5.5 rebs and 2 blks in 24 mins. There are about 4 premium centers nowadays, the rest are comparable to Darko and DEFINITELY not worth the money.

This is also how I feel about the center position, especially since we'll need Love to put in minutes there if D.Williams is going to get significant time. I would make an exception for a few players, however, like Gasol (top 15 player) or Bynum (potential to be a top 15 player) -- but in those scenarios Williams would be traded for those players anyway.

If we're looking at merely above average centers like Bogut (i.e. will never be top 15-20), then I think upgrading our SG position is more important. For the money, I think Iggy would be a much bigger upgrade than Wes Johnson + Martell Webster + Wayne Ellington than someone like Bogut would be over Darko or Love (w/ Williams at PF).

Of anyone on the roster, Darko probably has the greatest sense of loyalty towards the team. I imagine he'd want to re-sign after his contract ends, which is great since I don't think there will be a bidding war for him. It made the organization look pretty good by giving him chance and reviving his career, and I don't see much of a reason to trade him now.

I do agree with Krapinsky that shooting guard is a little more important, although I'm not Iguodala's biggest fan. Trading for a center will just reduce Derrick William's role on the team.