Who's safe and who's vulnerable?

[Klomp]

Here's your annual opportunity to make a list of who has a secure spot on the team and who is most likely to be traded at the deadline

0 D'Angelo Russell
1 Anthony Edwards
3 Jaden McDaniels
4 Jaylen Nowell
5 Kyle Anderson
6 Jordan McLaughlin
7 Wendell Moore Jr.
8 Josh Minott
10 Bryn Forbes
11 Naz Reid
12 Taurean Prince
13 Nathan Knight
25 Austin Rivers
27 Rudy Gobert
32 Karl-Anthony Towns

[Klomp]

32 Karl-Anthony Towns
Literally CANNOT be traded.
---------------------------
1 Anthony Edwards
No explanation needed.
----------------------------
3 Jaden McDaniels
It's possible, but I don't think another team is shopping anyone good enough that would merit McDaniels' inclusion.
----------------------------
27 Rudy Gobert
5 Kyle Anderson
12 Taurean Prince
25 Austin Rivers
Veterans who are too important for the culture this team is trying to build.
-----------------------------
8 Josh Minott
7 Wendell Moore Jr.
6 Jordan McLaughlin
13 Nathan Knight
Young guys who I think they want to hold onto.
-----------------------------
0 D'Angelo Russell
4 Jaylen Nowell
11 Naz Reid
10 Bryn Forbes
Expirings who haven't shown a reason for the team to keep them.

[BlacJacMac]

I think you can close the thread.

Hard to quibble with any of that.

[NebWolvesFan]

32 Karl-Anthony Towns
Literally CANNOT be traded.
---------------------------
1 Anthony Edwards
No explanation needed.
----------------------------
3 Jaden McDaniels
It's possible, but I don't think another team is shopping anyone good enough that would merit McDaniels' inclusion.
----------------------------
27 Rudy Gobert
5 Kyle Anderson
12 Taurean Prince
25 Austin Rivers
Veterans who are too important for the culture this team is trying to build.
-----------------------------
8 Josh Minott
7 Wendell Moore Jr.
6 Jordan McLaughlin
13 Nathan Knight
Young guys who I think they want to hold onto.
-----------------------------
0 D'Angelo Russell
4 Jaylen Nowell
11 Naz Reid
10 Bryn Forbes
Expirings who haven't shown a reason for the team to keep them.

Agree with tiers but I do wonder what TC's patience will be with Minott, Moore and Knight. All are signed on the cheap, but even with all the injuries this season, the trio has barely played. I wonder if TC is willing to wait for them or would move them with their pathway to the rotation blocked by Vets

[shrink]

Hard to quibble with any of that.

But I’m a born quibbler, so ..

I would have it exactly like you have it, except for a couple quibbles ..

1. I would have Rudy in a tier by himself, right behind Ant. I think that Tim Connelly can’t make a trade right away without admitting failure, and GM’s don’t do that. This was a longterm bet, and we have only just started the experiment, with KAT missing so much time. We also have sunk in some cost for the time it has taken the guards to learn to play with Rudy. Finally, probably not a lot of buyers that would make an offer - certainly not ones that are enough for Connelly to justify the price he paid seven months ago.

2. But how can he be a tier above Jaden? We love him, and he’s essential to what we do! I agree with both of these points, but every team in the league would love Jaden, so he probably gets many offers a day. He also fits as a salary matching piece in other deals. I still have the idea of the Wolves trading him nearly impossible, but not as high as KAT, Ant and Rudy.

3. I like your next tier, and I would probably put them in the same order. SloMo and Prince are both “more valuable to us than you” players for MIN, that makes them unlikely to be traded. I agree SloMo should be above Prince, because he is a better player, and because his signing makes Connelly look smart. I would probably out Austin Rivers and Jordan MacLaughlin on a separate tier, since they are expiring.

4. I like the next tier too, and might give the edge to Minnot over Wendell Moore Jr, but it’s a tough call. Minott has the upside, but they actually started WMJ for one game. Knight is a distant third here, and whi I agree the team seems to love him, they really don’t need him

5. The last group is where MIN is a motivated seller. It’s hard to know what the market is for each player. I think Bryn Forbes gets traded in many trades for the roster spot, especially if DLo is traded. I don’t think MIN hates having him on the bench as an option though, and 3P% is notoriously streaky.

Good idea, and good list!

[shrink]

Agree with tiers but I do wonder what TC's patience will be with Minott, Moore and Knight. All are signed on the cheap, but even with all the injuries this season, the trio has barely played. I wonder if TC is willing to wait for them or would move them with their pathway to the rotation blocked by Vets

This is an excellent question. If you’re a GM who takes a new job and immediately trades all your future picks for a star, you are firmly in win-now mode (or at least, “win-enough-to-get-Ant-early-playoff-experience” mode).

However, Connelly cut his teeth as a scout and talent evaluator. He showed in DEN that he is really good at it too. I think the fact that he drafted both Wendell Moore Jr (one of the most NBA ready prospects) AND Josh Minott (one of the least) shows he’s not a one-way guy, at least at the end of the bench.

[Klomp]

Hard to quibble with any of that.

But I’m a born quibbler, so ..

I would have it exactly like you have it, except for a couple quibbles ..

1. I would have Rudy in a tier by himself, right behind Ant. I think that Tim Connelly can’t make a trade right away without admitting failure, and GM’s don’t do that. This was a longterm bet, and we have only just started the experiment, with KAT missing so much time. We also have sunk in some cost for the time it has taken the guards to learn to play with Rudy. Finally, probably not a lot of buyers that would make an offer - certainly not ones that are enough for Connelly to justify the price he paid seven months ago.


2. But how can he be a tier above Jaden? We love him, and he’s essential to what we do! I agree with both of these points, but every team in the league would love Jaden, so he probably gets many offers a day. He also fits as a salary matching piece in other deals. I still have the idea of the Wolves trading him nearly impossible, but not as high as KAT, Ant and Rudy.

I definitely felt like I was selling Rudy a bit short, but thought the first four tiers only having one player apiece was getting a bit excessive.

3. I like your next tier, and I would probably put them in the same order. SloMo and Prince are both “more valuable to us than you” players for MIN, that makes them unlikely to be traded. I agree SloMo should be above Prince, because he is a better player, and because his signing makes Connelly look smart. I would probably out Austin Rivers and Jordan MacLaughlin on a separate tier, since they are expiring.

McLaughlin probably should be more in the vet category over the young guy category, good call. It's crazy to think about the fact he's only 1.5 months younger than Russell...

4. I like the next tier too, and might give the edge to Minnot over Wendell Moore Jr, but it’s a tough call. Minott has the upside, but they actually started WMJ for one game. Knight is a distant third here, and whi I agree the team seems to love him, they really don’t need him

I nearly split up Minott and Moore. While Moore was a higher pick to your later point, he also is another one of our easier paths to a cheap value upgrade to any deal similar to a Reid or Nowell.

5. The last group is where MIN is a motivated seller. It’s hard to know what the market is for each player. I think Bryn Forbes gets traded in many trades for the roster spot, especially if DLo is traded. I don’t think MIN hates having him on the bench as an option though, and 3P% is notoriously streaky.

I go back and forth on Forbes. We are a shooting deprived team right now, but one could also say Forbes is part of the reason for that. And he doesn't offer much else. But some team likely could offer a 2nd or something for him, which might be enough for us to part with him.

[shrink]

5. The last group is where MIN is a motivated seller. It’s hard to know what the market is for each player. I think Bryn Forbes gets traded in many trades for the roster spot, especially if DLo is traded. I don’t think MIN hates having him on the bench as an option though, and 3P% is notoriously streaky.

I go back and forth on Forbes. We are a shooting deprived team right now, but one could also say Forbes is part of the reason for that. And he doesn't offer much else. But some team likely could offer a 2nd or something for him, which might be enough for us to part with him.

Good feedback throughout.

I feel the same way about Forbes. If we dumped him, maybe just paid cash for another team to take him, what would we be looking for in that open roster spot? Maybe a vet, who’s willing to play for the minimum in MIN, with playoff experience who’s a historically good three point shooter?

I still find when I make trades, he is the most disposable guy on our team, by a wide margin.

[Klomp]

If we dumped him, maybe just paid cash for another team to take him, what would we be looking for in that open roster spot? Maybe a vet, who’s willing to play for the minimum in MIN, with playoff experience who’s a historically good three point shooter?

[shrink]

LOL! Poor Forbes would be waived so fast if a team waived Bev!

[Colbinii]

32 Karl-Anthony Towns
Literally CANNOT be traded.
---------------------------
1 Anthony Edwards
No explanation needed.
----------------------------
3 Jaden McDaniels
It's possible, but I don't think another team is shopping anyone good enough that would merit McDaniels' inclusion.
----------------------------
27 Rudy Gobert
5 Kyle Anderson
12 Taurean Prince
25 Austin Rivers
Veterans who are too important for the culture this team is trying to build.
-----------------------------
8 Josh Minott
7 Wendell Moore Jr.
6 Jordan McLaughlin
13 Nathan Knight
Young guys who I think they want to hold onto.
-----------------------------
0 D'Angelo Russell
4 Jaylen Nowell
11 Naz Reid
10 Bryn Forbes
Expirings who haven't shown a reason for the team to keep them.

Good Stuff.

Do we know the timeline on a Towns return?

[TimberKat]

32 Karl-Anthony Towns
Literally CANNOT be traded.
---------------------------
1 Anthony Edwards
No explanation needed.
----------------------------
3 Jaden McDaniels
It's possible, but I don't think another team is shopping anyone good enough that would merit McDaniels' inclusion.
----------------------------
27 Rudy Gobert
5 Kyle Anderson
12 Taurean Prince
25 Austin Rivers
Veterans who are too important for the culture this team is trying to build.
-----------------------------
8 Josh Minott
7 Wendell Moore Jr.
6 Jordan McLaughlin
13 Nathan Knight
Young guys who I think they want to hold onto.
-----------------------------
0 D'Angelo Russell
4 Jaylen Nowell
11 Naz Reid
10 Bryn Forbes
Expirings who haven't shown a reason for the team to keep them.

Good stuff but feel anyone from Rivers and below are fair game for improvement this year. Wolves are in danger with missing the play-in and we simply cannot miss the play-in.

[eyriq]

You've got an absolute stud in Anthony Edwards. I'm rooting for him to make the all-star game this year. Probably the number one shooting guard in the league in a few more years.

[Nick K]

32 Karl-Anthony Towns
Literally CANNOT be traded.
---------------------------
1 Anthony Edwards
No explanation needed.
----------------------------
3 Jaden McDaniels
It's possible, but I don't think another team is shopping anyone good enough that would merit McDaniels' inclusion.
----------------------------
27 Rudy Gobert
5 Kyle Anderson
12 Taurean Prince
25 Austin Rivers
Veterans who are too important for the culture this team is trying to build.
-----------------------------
8 Josh Minott
7 Wendell Moore Jr.
6 Jordan McLaughlin
13 Nathan Knight
Young guys who I think they want to hold onto.
-----------------------------
0 D'Angelo Russell
4 Jaylen Nowell
11 Naz Reid
10 Bryn Forbes
Expirings who haven't shown a reason for the team to keep them.

Nailed it for all the right reasons.

[Nick K]

5. The last group is where MIN is a motivated seller. It’s hard to know what the market is for each player. I think Bryn Forbes gets traded in many trades for the roster spot, especially if DLo is traded. I don’t think MIN hates having him on the bench as an option though, and 3P% is notoriously streaky.

I go back and forth on Forbes. We are a shooting deprived team right now, but one could also say Forbes is part of the reason for that. And he doesn't offer much else. But some team likely could offer a 2nd or something for him, which might be enough for us to part with him.

Good feedback throughout.

I feel the same way about Forbes. If we dumped him, maybe just paid cash for another team to take him, what would we be looking for in that open roster spot? Maybe a vet, who’s willing to play for the minimum in MIN, with playoff experience who’s a historically good three point shooter?

I still find when I make trades, he is the most disposable guy on our team, by a wide margin.

Yep. I would give Forbes away and pick up a G League shooting guard who is on fire. Who knows? What veterans are out there who can shoot? Stauskas?

I get Reid's situation but I'd kind of hate to lose him because he's been one of the few bright spots this year.

[Nick K]

If we dumped him, maybe just paid cash for another team to take him, what would we be looking for in that open roster spot? Maybe a vet, who’s willing to play for the minimum in MIN, with playoff experience who’s a historically good three point shooter?

Bev has had a down year in LA. I've heard his body is breaking down so I don't think he has much left. Also, I've heard the Wolves were getting a little tired of his schtick last year but the players sure love him. I was getting a little tired of it too. Yet, I'm still a fan.

[Nick K]

32 Karl-Anthony Towns
Literally CANNOT be traded.
---------------------------
1 Anthony Edwards
No explanation needed.
----------------------------
3 Jaden McDaniels
It's possible, but I don't think another team is shopping anyone good enough that would merit McDaniels' inclusion.
----------------------------
27 Rudy Gobert
5 Kyle Anderson
12 Taurean Prince
25 Austin Rivers
Veterans who are too important for the culture this team is trying to build.
-----------------------------
8 Josh Minott
7 Wendell Moore Jr.
6 Jordan McLaughlin
13 Nathan Knight
Young guys who I think they want to hold onto.
-----------------------------
0 D'Angelo Russell
4 Jaylen Nowell
11 Naz Reid
10 Bryn Forbes
Expirings who haven't shown a reason for the team to keep them.

Good stuff but feel anyone from Rivers and below are fair game for improvement this year. Wolves are in danger with missing the play-in and we simply cannot miss the play-in.

Minott could be an absolute monster. No way we let him go. I like Moore too but if I had to I'd include him.

[Domejandro]

I think Austin Rivers could be knocked down on that list. I highly doubt that a major trade exists where Minnesota would halt the deal over his inclusion.

[shrink]

I think Austin Rivers could be knocked down on that list. I highly doubt that a major trade exists where Minnesota would halt the deal over his inclusion.

I suppose that’s true. I also doubt the other team would halt a major trade over his exclusion.

I hadn’t read this metric the same as you, and it never occurred to me. You see it as “safe from the wolves trading you.” I saw it as ”safe from likely being included in a trade, so you’re still safely in MIN after the deadline.” Interesting. I think your definition is probably more what Klemperer was going for in the original post.

[younggunsmn]

32 Karl-Anthony Towns
Literally CANNOT be traded.
---------------------------
1 Anthony Edwards
No explanation needed.
----------------------------
3 Jaden McDaniels
It's possible, but I don't think another team is shopping anyone good enough that would merit McDaniels' inclusion.
----------------------------
27 Rudy Gobert
5 Kyle Anderson
12 Taurean Prince
25 Austin Rivers
Veterans who are too important for the culture this team is trying to build.
-----------------------------
8 Josh Minott
7 Wendell Moore Jr.
6 Jordan McLaughlin
13 Nathan Knight
Young guys who I think they want to hold onto.
-----------------------------
0 D'Angelo Russell
4 Jaylen Nowell
11 Naz Reid
10 Bryn Forbes
Expirings who haven't shown a reason for the team to keep them.

Tiers is a good way to look at it.
Here are mine, in terms of the front office's attachment to the player:
KAT
ANT
----------Hang up the phone
Jaden
-----------Star player Only
Rudy
------Huge Investment, would have to be a blockbuster
------
------
------
------
Anderson
------Glue Piece, 2 year investment
Moore
------1st round pick, 4 years investment
-------With not many picks the next few years,
-------Moore becoming a rotation player is a critical long term goal.
Naz
Prince
Rivers
McLaughlin
Nowell
------Veteran glue guys, tradeable contracts. Could probably be had if the right veteran is coming back
Minott
------2nd round pick, but still a lottery ticket.
Knight
Forbes
-------Waiver wire candidates for the right veteran free agent, or roster spot throw-ins in a 3/1 or 2/1 deal
Russell
--------Most uncertain long term future, most likely to be traded.


Come July 1st, this should change.
KAT will drop below Ant into the Rudy tier. If Naz is re-signed, he bumps up into the Slo-Mo tier.