Hypothetical: 3rd pick.

[Whiz Kid]

I love the positivity on this board, I really do. But let's face it, the Wolves have an incredible knack for picking in the "N+1" slot in an N person draft. (It started with getting the 3rd pick in the Shaq/Alonzo Mourning draft...ouch.)

So let's confront the painful (inevitable?) reality -- we have a high likelihood of picking 3rd in the 2010 draft. In that scenario, what do we do? (Every other thread/post seems to assume that we get either Wall or Turner...but there is less than a 50% chance of that happening.) The first question is who we take at #3. But I also want to know how we reshape the roster after that.

I'll throw out one proposal, and hopefully others will throw out some more ideas.

1) Draft Cousins -- Huge upside, potential to play 4 and 5. Look to go with a Jefferson/Darko/Cousins rotation at the 4/5.

2) Resign Darko for ~$4 mil per year. (Really hard to guess what he will command right now, but I'd have to snap him up if $4 mil was acceptable to him. Might be willing to pay more, depending on how the rest of the roster shapes up.)

3) Trade Love for an established scoring wing, or another high pick.

I think Love would bring a better return this summer than Jefferson. Much better contract, and people seem really down on Jefferson right now. Hate the idea of selling low on a potential offensive stud like Jefferson. (I'm not necessarily saying we should never trade Jefferson, but why not at least wait until the trade deadline next season when he has had a chance to restablish himself while fully healthy? Of course, if we trade Love and then get to see a healthy Jefferson for 1/2 season or more, I suspect we won't be nearly as anxious to unload Jefferson.)

Would Memphis want Love as part of a S&T for Gay? We could obviously absorb more contract than we send out, so perhaps Gay for Love + Peckovic or Gomes (We wouldn't really need Peckovic with Jefferson/Darko/Cousins, but they may be more interested in a swing man like Gomes if they are losing Gay.)

If we can't get an established scoring wing like Gay, we trade Love (or Jefferson) for another pick in this year's draft, hopefully in the 5-8 range. Then use that pick to take either Aminu or Wes Johnson.

Flynn/Session/***Rubio***
Gay OR Brewer/Ellington
Brewer OR [Johnson OR Aminu]/UTH pick
Jefferson/Cousins
Darko/Cousins/Hollins

[AQuintus]

Jefferson and Cousins are far too similar as players to work together and neither are good fits for an offense based on running the fast break first and moving into a half court offense based around ball movement when stopped.

We'd be much better off picking Favors and moving Jefferson for a solid wing.

Flynn/Sessions
Brewer/Ellington
Wing/Brewer
Favors/Love
Darko/Favors/Hollins

[Whiz Kid]

I appreciate that point of view, but here are my main two concerns with that:

1) Selling low on Jefferson.

2) Picking players to try to fit an offensive system we WANT to run, instead of taking the best players available and installing a system that works best for those BPAs.

I would love a fast breaking team that flows into a motion/ball movement offense. But that doesn't fit Jefferson, and he is our best offensive player currently (or certainly would be if fully recovered from the knee injury).

I realize that Rubio/Favors sounds great for a fast breaking team, and I HOPE TO GOD we end up getting Rubio, but that is putting a lot of eggs in the Rubio basket. If he never comes to the Wolves, we've got Flynn, Brewer, Jefferson, Love, Darko...not exactly a fast breaking team.

[Calinks]

Yea, we haven't seen to many contingency plans around here. Everything is based on getting Wall or Turner and or trading Big Al. I think Kahn is looking to improve by any means necessary and I don't believe that he thinks Love is even close to untradable. I can see teams out there saying, they don't want Al but they want Love and if the deal is right, I can see Kahn firing away on a deal like that.

[AQuintus]

2) Picking players to try to fit an offensive system we WANT to run, instead of taking the best players available and installing a system that works best for those BPAs.

I actually agree with you for the most part, but unfortunately the guys that are actually shaping the roster are set on installing the system I described and are very willing to make the moves necessary to get it to work. Both Kahn and Rambis have said that this coming off season and next season's trade deadlines are going to bring about a lot of changes and that the roster we have today is going to be quite different compared to the one we start the season with next year.

I would love a fast breaking team that flows into a motion/ball movement offense. But that doesn't fit Jefferson,

Which is why Jefferson is probably going to be moved soon.

and he is our best offensive player currently (or certainly would be if fully recovered from the knee injury).

Being the best player on a team that's won 22, 24, and currently 14 of 72 games really doesn't mean much. On top of that, with Rubio, Love, and potentially Favors (or Cousins), Jefferson might not even be our best player starting relatively soon.

I agree with you that selling low on Jefferson do to his injuries isn't ideal, but if this team wants to actually start competing sometime soon, we might just need to cut our losses.

I realize that Rubio/Favors sounds great for a fast breaking team, and I HOPE TO GOD we end up getting Rubio, but that is putting a lot of eggs in the Rubio basket.

David Kahn has already said at least once that he's positive that Rubio's coming over and every move that he makes in the future is going to be based on the idea that Rubio is going to be on the team.

Edit:

I think Kahn is looking to improve by any means necessary and I don't believe that he thinks Love is even close to untradable. I can see teams out there saying, they don't want Al but they want Love and if the deal is right, I can see Kahn firing away on a deal like that.

I agree with this, too. I really don't think Love is untouchable at this point, either.

[cpfsf]

I wouldn't want Cousins because I feel Pekovic and Jefferson are redundant enough. In that case I narrowed it down to either Favors (it's encouraging that Favors is a year younger than Cousins) or Johnson.

Don't rush anything. We can rebuild for one more year. I do not want to be a team in limbo. In the meantime, enjoy watching the 2011 Rookie-Sophomore game and Ricky Rubio highlights. Oh, and Harrison Barnes wanted me to say hi to you all.

[Esohny]

Take Favors or Wes Johnson. Or trade down and take Johnson/Aminu/Aldrich. I realize that some people will consider drowning themselves if/when we drop out of the top 2 picks, but we're still going to be able to add some really high quality talent in the draft no matter what.

[Worm Guts]

Jefferson and Cousins are far too similar as players to work together

Maybe, but Cousins supposedly has great perimeter skills that he hasn't shown in college.

[Foye]

Your hypothetical thread should be about the 5th pick not the 3rd. Because we'll get the 5th pick in the lottery.

[slinky]

I realize that Rubio/Favors sounds great for a fast breaking team, and I HOPE TO GOD we end up getting Rubio, but that is putting a lot of eggs in the Rubio basket. If he never comes to the Wolves, we've got Flynn, Brewer, Jefferson, Love, Darko...not exactly a fast breaking team.

I actually think Love, Brewer and Flynn are good for a fast breaking team.

Not too interested in Rudy Gay for KLove either...can we afford Rudy/Darko/3 draft picks/Rubio Cap Hold/Minimum roster holds...even if/when we cut gomes, it still gonna be pretty close

Decent idea, but I am just not sure Rudy Gay is the guy we should be blowing our cap space load on...but thats the not the point of the thread...I prefer Favors or WesJohnson. I think Favors as a big guy can play with any combination of Love/Jefferson/Pekovic/Darko...some better than others, but he is a versatile big man, as has been said Cousins isnt as atheltically versatile...

[Slum_Dillinger]

Jefferson and Cousins are far too similar as players to work together

Maybe, but Cousins supposedly has great perimeter skills that he hasn't shown in college.

I've read in a few different places he has some solid mid range game too. I havent seen it myself, but if true that would actually make me consider giving him a look.

[dunkonu21]

To me Cousins and Favors r long shots to be on this team. Wesley or Aminu will be the picks, both would fair well with Brewer Imo.

[Krapinsky]

I don't really like either Johnson or Aminu next to Brewer -- especially not Aminu. We need our wings to have good handles. I would take Favors and figure the rest out later. I think Favors could play next to any of our big men.

[Biff Cooper]

I don't expect us to stay pat at 3 to pick Cousins or Favors. Either we trade up or trade out of the pick for a good young player(s). OKC would probably be a good trading partner for the the #3 pick if we trade out of it.

[Krapinsky]

I don't expect us to stay pat at 3 to pick Cousins or Favors. Either we trade up or trade out of the pick for a good young player(s). OKC would probably be a good trading partner for the the #3 pick if we trade out of it.

Care to extrapolate? I assume that would mean Harden or Green, neither of which would be enough for me to give up some of the talent available at 3.

[Slum_Dillinger]

I don't expect us to stay pat at 3 to pick Cousins or Favors. Either we trade up or trade out of the pick for a good young player(s). OKC would probably be a good trading partner for the the #3 pick if we trade out of it.

Care to extrapolate? I assume that would mean Harden or Green, neither of which would be enough for me to give up some of the talent available at 3.

Especially if it helps OKC get a Cousins or Favors. They are one post presence away from destroying people.

[Biff Cooper]

I don't expect us to stay pat at 3 to pick Cousins or Favors. Either we trade up or trade out of the pick for a good young player(s). OKC would probably be a good trading partner for the the #3 pick if we trade out of it.

Care to extrapolate? I assume that would mean Harden or Green, neither of which would be enough for me to give up some of the talent available at 3.

Especially if it helps OKC get a Cousins or Favors. They are one post presence away from destroying people.

Isn't it obvious that this is why they make sense as a trading partner for the pick. They should be willing to overpay to team this pick up with Durant and Westbrook. I don't think Harden + Green would be overpaying, so I would expect more than this. I think I'd want Harden + Green + Ibaka in the deal.

I think our preferred route would be to move up, but if that isn't feasible, I'd want to look into getting a deal like this.

[AQuintus]

I think I'd want Harden + Green + Ibaka in the deal.

The problem with this is that Minnesota needs quality not quantity. Adding a bunch of Ok's role players (even if they are quality role players) doesn't do anything for this team.

[Biff Cooper]

I think I'd want Harden + Green + Ibaka in the deal.

The problem with this is that Minnesota needs quality not quantity. Adding a bunch of Ok's role players (even if they are quality role players) doesn't do anything for this team.

If you view Harden, Green and Ibaka as role players, this would be true. Harden and Ibaka are rookies. Harden was the #3 pick in last years draft.

[Krapinsky]

Yeah that's quite a haul. Despite the always effective quality>quantity argument I would have to do that for #3. I wouldn't expect OKC to give up all of that though. The player they need is probably Aldrich. If they're making a trade it's probably for him at #6-8.