RealGM

Imagine you're Mark Blount's agent. The Timberwolves took your client back solely as cap relief, and told yhim not to show up because of the bad blood, and his general lack of skill. The Wolves aren't even going to make an effort to trade you client either, saying that if you can find a deal for Blount, fine, otherwise he's going to be bought out. Oh, and your client makes $7,967,375.

You're desperate. You need to find a team that not only is so shallow at center that your client might get playing time, but also has something on the team who could be just as unproductive, and just as expensive. What do you do?

You call the Kings.

Perhaps the two, worst performing expirings in the league right now are Kenny Thomas and Mark Blount. However, their skill-sets might actually have a little more value on each other's teams. The Love injury makes some minutes available at PF for the next eight weeks, if Kenny Thomas can steal them from powerhouse Brian Cardinal. Meanwhile, the Kings are trying to get by without a legitimate back-up center of any kind. Second rounder John Brockman? Melvin Ely? Yuck. As bad as Blount is, he's still a 7-footer and can make an occasional outside shot.

Now, I could see a straight up trade working if their salaries were identical, but Kenny Thomas makes about $800,000 more than Blount. Would cash do it?

MIN GETS: Kenny Thomas + $800,000 cash

SAC GETS: Mark Blount


... and people said Mark Blount couldn't be traded!

If only I didn't feel so dirty afterwards.

Nah. Going to the Kings gives him a new jersey, but pretty much the same situation. Young team thats rebuilding that really isn't going to use you.

His simple best option is a buyout, especially with all the money he has made. That way he can pick a team that will use him for depth and he can pick a start date.

Kenny Thomas has nothing left. So basically the Wolves would be adding salary to buyout a different player.

Only real option that would make sense, would be if some team had a young overpaid big that wasn't expiring. That way they could add an expiring and the Wolves would get a player looking for a change of scenery.

Remember the old days when MIN was just full of PF's? Well, can three months ago be considered the old days? Right now, sham has the Wolves depth chart as:

PF: Brian Cardinal, Pecherov, (Love)
C Al Jefferson, Hollins, Blount

Now through sheer effort, Gomes can play a little PF, and Al can play PF with Pechrov or Hollins at center, but .. wow. That's thin. Cardinal's averaged 17.5 mpg in preseason (yeah, its just preseason).

SAC on the other hand, looks like this:

PF: Jason Thompson Andres Nocioni Sean May Kenny Thomas
C: Spencer Hawes Jon Brockman Melvin Ely

Equally bad.


Now, maybe both teams would be better off if they just bought out those big contracts. They might not get much savings, but they'd get a roster spot to sign a more interesting player. However, a trade gives a change of scenery, and for me as a trade board junkie, big expiring pieces to work into deals, rather than dead cap space.

I think a trade is possible, but I could see either one saying we'd rather go with the buy-out option, if they think someone else's garbage smells worse than their own.

eh. This does nothing for me. I would rather just give the minutes to Stewie/Hollins/Cardinal/Gomes.

NBA teams don't make moves this rational.

dunkonu21 wrote:NBA teams don't make moves this rational.

motion seconded

as an aside, i'd like to see us take back on Kurz for a bit to see how he'd work out.