Extension Eligible: KAT & DLo

[UnFadeable21]

I said it for two years that this team will go as far as these two guys take it. Many here said we should blow up the team and hand the reigns to Ant and rebuild again.

Both KAT & DLo have showed a ton of leadership & maturity this season. Both deserve a ton of credit.

KAT has returned to his superstar Top 15 player level. He is just so damn skilled and talented. DLo is playing like the All Star that led Brooklyn to the playoffs. He is a true floor general that he can make every pass, score from every spot on the floor and his teammates trust him.

The new owners Lore & Arod officially take 100% Control in December but all notions are that they are already the decision makers behind the scene now. With news last month that Finch is already locked in for an extension. The first and biggest decisions of their career will be the contract extensions of KAT & DLo.

Both guys are 26 years old and in their primes leading us to the second best wolves season since 03-04. KAT will be All Pro and be extension eligible for 5 years 200 million. DLo may not be a true max guy but for a mid market like this and has shown how important he is for this team, he is. He’s averaging 20 ppg & 8 ast while leading the team in clutch scoring.

Wolves will have to max both guys just like Denver did for Jokic and Murray. While they might not ever be a championship team, this is the most revenant the Wolves have been in decades.

[winforlose]

There are a couple of issues.

1. In order to qualify for the super max KAT must make an all NBA team. Dave and Jim were saying last night that Embiid, Jokic, and Gobert are stiff competition for the 3 spots. If Towns doesn’t get one of the 3 spots he can only make 30% of the cap instead of 35%. I don’t know that he wants to extend this year under those circumstances. He might want to wait a year and try to get the super max.

2. Ant is going to be a max when his time comes. That is 25% of the cap. With KAT being an eventual 35%, 60% of our cap will be owed to two players.

3. Dlo is certainly valuable and keeps KAT happy, but on a 30% max he restricts our options even after the cap expands . Better to pay him 25-30 than to max him. Dlo might not like that, but he does seem to like it here. Sometimes players need to sacrifice so their team can win. If he is unwilling then perhaps we can sign and trade him for someone as good or who helps in different ways.

[life_saver]

I am selfishly hoping that KAT doesn't make All-NBA team so that he isn't Super Max eligible

[UnFadeable21]

There are a couple of issues.

1. In order to qualify for the super max KAT must make an all NBA team. Dave and Jim were saying last night that Embiid, Jokic, and Gobert are stiff competition for the 3 spots. If Towns doesn’t get one of the 3 spots he can only make 30% of the cap instead of 35%. I don’t know that he wants to extend this year under those circumstances. He might want to wait a year and try to get the super max.

2. Ant is going to be a max when his time comes. That is 25% of the cap. With KAT being an eventual 35%, 60% of our cap will be owed to two players.

3. Dlo is certainly valuable and keeps KAT happy, but on a 30% max he restricts our options even after the cap expands . Better to pay him 25-30 than to max him. Dlo might not like that, but he does seem to like it here. Sometimes players need to sacrifice so their team can win. If he is unwilling then perhaps we can sign and trade him for someone as good or who helps in different ways.

1. Joel and Jokic are a lock for All NBA. KAT will beat out Rudy who has been hurt this season.

2. Ant needs to play better before we discuss max with him. He has regressed in year two. Giving him max is like Denver giving one to Michael Porter Jr so soon.

3. DLo is the most valuable player for the wolves this season based on wins. When he’s out, we lose. When he plays, wolves are 17-6 at home this season.

[life_saver]

Ant is guaranteed to get Max unless his knee situation is really terrible

[winforlose]

There are a couple of issues.

1. In order to qualify for the super max KAT must make an all NBA team. Dave and Jim were saying last night that Embiid, Jokic, and Gobert are stiff competition for the 3 spots. If Towns doesn’t get one of the 3 spots he can only make 30% of the cap instead of 35%. I don’t know that he wants to extend this year under those circumstances. He might want to wait a year and try to get the super max.

2. Ant is going to be a max when his time comes. That is 25% of the cap. With KAT being an eventual 35%, 60% of our cap will be owed to two players.

3. Dlo is certainly valuable and keeps KAT happy, but on a 30% max he restricts our options even after the cap expands . Better to pay him 25-30 than to max him. Dlo might not like that, but he does seem to like it here. Sometimes players need to sacrifice so their team can win. If he is unwilling then perhaps we can sign and trade him for someone as good or who helps in different ways.

1. Joel and Jokic are a lock for All NBA. KAT will beat out Rudy who has been hurt this season.

2. Ant needs to play better before we discuss max with him. He has regressed in year two. Giving him max is like Denver giving one to Michael Porter Jr so soon.

3. DLo is the most valuable player for the wolves this season based on wins. When he’s out, we lose. When he plays, wolves are 17-6 at home this season.

1. KAT might get there he might not. Rudy is essential for Utah and Utah is more successful than us. KAT playing 10 more games is not dispositive.

2. Young teams tend to max their up and coming stars. Ant is an elite slasher who shows signs of significant defensive improvement and streaky but impressive 3 point shooting. Ant should have been an all star this year instead of Wiggins and I have no doubt that he will get a max. His regression can largely be associated with his injury, and even if it isn’t, Ant is still only 20 and has not hit his ceiling.


3. I am not saying Dlo isn’t valuable. I am saying having 3 max players is difficult and Dlo has the lowest long term value of the 3. KAT is an elite level superstar. When he gets aggressive he can take over games. Ant is the future of this franchise. Dlo is very good, but plenty of very good players don’t get max contracts.

[Klomp]

2. Young teams tend to max their up and coming stars. Ant is an elite slasher who shows signs of significant defensive improvement and streaky but impressive 3 point shooting. Ant should have been an all star this year instead of Wiggins and I have no doubt that he will get a max. His regression can largely be associated with his injury, and even if it isn’t, Ant is still only 20 and has not hit his ceiling.


3. I am not saying Dlo isn’t valuable. I am saying having 3 max players is difficult and Dlo has the lowest long term value of the 3. KAT is an elite level superstar. When he gets aggressive he can take over games. Ant is the future of this franchise. Dlo is very good, but plenty of very good players don’t get max contracts.

This reeks of "don't max Love so we can max Rubio." I know we think higher of Edwards and Russell isn't quite Love level, but I think at times our fan base can be too overly money-conscious. Good teams have to pay their players.

[Worm Guts]

DLo really isn’t a max player, which puts us in an awkward situation. I don’t know if should be willing to overpay him just to keep the band together.

[winforlose]

2. Young teams tend to max their up and coming stars. Ant is an elite slasher who shows signs of significant defensive improvement and streaky but impressive 3 point shooting. Ant should have been an all star this year instead of Wiggins and I have no doubt that he will get a max. His regression can largely be associated with his injury, and even if it isn’t, Ant is still only 20 and has not hit his ceiling.


3. I am not saying Dlo isn’t valuable. I am saying having 3 max players is difficult and Dlo has the lowest long term value of the 3. KAT is an elite level superstar. When he gets aggressive he can take over games. Ant is the future of this franchise. Dlo is very good, but plenty of very good players don’t get max contracts.

This reeks of "don't max Love so we can max Rubio." I know we think higher of Edwards and Russell isn't quite Love level, but I think at times our fan base can be too overly money-conscious. Good teams have to pay their players.

1. There are all star level players who don’t get max money. Sabonis and VanVleet come to mind. I want Dlo to get paid well, just not so much that we cannot build a team around our big 3.

2. Unless we are going to become a repeat tax team we have to build with a cap conscious approach. We are the 2nd youngest team and have a lot of talented young players who will want real money. Nowell, Naz, V8, MCD, and who knows who else (maybe Leo or someone we acquire via free agency or trade.) My point is that max contracts scale and that scaling will negate the cap boost coming with the next tv deal. We need room to operate to build a contender.

[Klomp]

1. In order to qualify for the super max KAT must make an all NBA team. Dave and Jim were saying last night that Embiid, Jokic, and Gobert are stiff competition for the 3 spots. If Towns doesn’t get one of the 3 spots he can only make 30% of the cap instead of 35%. I don’t know that he wants to extend this year under those circumstances. He might want to wait a year and try to get the super max.

He can sign an extension this summer with it written in the details that he can go up to the 35% if he qualifies after next summer, no need to wait.

[moss_is_1]

Kat absolutely.

Dlo is a bigger question. I'd hate to give him a max deal.

[UnFadeable21]

DLo really isn’t a max player, which puts us in an awkward situation. I don’t know if should be willing to overpay him just to keep the band together.

I think many wolves fans finally appreciate Dlo after watching him for an extended time this season with a full squad around him.

DLo can score like Steph Curry and make 8 threes in a game like he did vs Embiid at Philly. That was a cold killer game where KAT was fouled out and DLo legit carried the entire wolves squad Vs a complete Sixers team and won in OT. Then that game last week Vs Memphis and he goes for 24 points in the 4th and carry us again. Some nights the shot isn’t going in but he’s not afraid to shoot it and shoot it with confidence. Wolves have not had that in years and you all know that.

Then some games he can pass like Ricky Rubio. He always gets 7-8-9-10 assist games. Last night he had 15. He can make the cross court pass and is deadly in the pick and roll with Naz or pick and pop with KAT.

He is so damn skilled and especially at 6’5, he is a very tough guy to guard. He has become a master at that pull through rake the arms foul draw this year. He gets it every game and his team mates go crazy when he gets it called by the refs.

Yea DLo is not a true max player top 20 player in the league but for a mid market like us and what he has shown how valuable he is on the court for the wolves, yes he is a max player we can’t afford to lose.

[Dewey]

Ownership needs to make choices … Contenders vs Complacency. Settling to be relevant should not be the goal of any owner

[wolves_89]

I am selfishly hoping that KAT doesn't make All-NBA team so that he isn't Super Max eligible

He'd still have one more chance to make All-NBA next season and get the super max. If he stays relatively healthy, I think he has a fairly good chance of making it at least one of this year or next. The Wolves offering KAT the absolute max extension this off-season isn't in doubt.

[wolves_89]

Coming into this season giving DLO a max extension would have seemed crazy. At this point, he's played himself into at least a discussion on whether he deserves a max extension. Advanced stats have looked pretty good for DLO with RPM having him as high as 14th in the NBA (he's 31st in RAPTOR and 51st in EPM). While the decision isn't as obvious as with KAT, there is a real argument that he's on the border of being worth max money.

[winforlose]

1. In order to qualify for the super max KAT must make an all NBA team. Dave and Jim were saying last night that Embiid, Jokic, and Gobert are stiff competition for the 3 spots. If Towns doesn’t get one of the 3 spots he can only make 30% of the cap instead of 35%. I don’t know that he wants to extend this year under those circumstances. He might want to wait a year and try to get the super max.

He can sign an extension this summer with it written in the details that he can go up to the 35% if he qualifies after next summer, no need to wait.

You get the and 1 above and another here.

[Neeva]

Why should the Wolves continue to overpay DLO? He is worth 20-22 million a year, nothing more.

[IceManBK1]

dlo needs to play at allstar level to warrant a max...he can barely crack 40 cuz he's not that good at drawing fouls. Plus he won't get so many touches with Towns and Ant having to eat. Players like Tatum, Trae Young can drop 40, 50 on any given night. They are the true superstars, max players. Dlo is borderline allstar who took advantage of all the injuries when he was with nets..now he's just complacent after earning his first max contract.

[winforlose]

Why should the Wolves continue to overpay DLO? He is worth 20-22 million a year, nothing more.

The fear is someone else will poach him. That said, offering him a little less to stay in a city he likes and play with his best friend (KAT,) a coach he likes (Finch,) and a team he loves does not seem unreasonable.

[moss_is_1]

dlo needs to play at allstar level to warrant a max...he can barely crack 40 cuz he's not that good at drawing fouls. Plus he won't get so many touches with Towns and Ant having to eat. Players like Tatum, Trae Young can drop 40, 50 on any given night. They are the true superstars, max players. Dlo is borderline allstar who took advantage of all the injuries when he was with nets..now he's just complacent after earning his first max contract.

If he could consistently make his open threes he'd be more valuable. He's a solid 3rd option/floor general who has been a better team defender and leader. His lack of athleticism getting to the rim really hurts him, he's not going to break the defense down consistently. We really don't need that with KAT and hopefully ANT, though.