Trade Talk (Part 17): Early Offseason Planning

[Klomp]

Ok then you only trade Rudy if the plan is to tank the season and Ant’s injuries will be a season long thing.. wolves will go nowhere without Rudy.

I guess it comes down to if you think we are getting all you can get from Gobert defensively. Because if you are, you need to have a baseline in the Top 3-5 I'd argue. If they are closer to 10th, I'm not sure it's enough to offset how much he holds back the team on offense.

I'm not saying not to replace him. You need to bring in another big man, probably even a defensive big. It just might need to be someone who gives a little bit more offensively.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

In the same time, finally Kessler show big improvements....

[winforlose]

Replacing Rudy means actually having someone who can give you some of what Rudy gives you. Pretend you could trade Rudy for Darius Garland, that doesn’t mean you should. We would get a scoring PG but have a massive hole at C. You don’t fix bad roster construction by trading to acquire as bad or worse construction.

Randle cannot defend the C or rebound the way KAT did. There is a reason when Rudy was on the bench our defense held up in 23/24, and why it went to dead last when Rudy was on the bench in 24/25. Rudy is also much less effective offensively without a PNR partner and teammates who can throw lobs.

Question for everyone, if we could trade Gobert for Myles Turner would you?

[Klomp]

Question for everyone, if we could trade Gobert for Myles Turner would you?

I would consider it, depending on what else is involved in the trade package.

[MN7725]

Ok then you only trade Rudy if the plan is to tank the season and Ant’s injuries will be a season long thing.. wolves will go nowhere without Rudy.

I guess it comes down to if you think we are getting all you can get from Gobert defensively. Because if you are, you need to have a baseline in the Top 3-5 I'd argue. If they are closer to 10th, I'm not sure it's enough to offset how much he holds back the team on offense.

I'm not saying not to replace him. You need to bring in another big man, probably even a defensive big. It just might need to be someone who gives a little bit more offensively.

Other than the top-tier Cs (Jokic, Bam, KAT, Sabonis, etc), pretty much any C is going to be dependent on a team's PG play

Gafforrd, Duren, Ware, Allen, Claxton, Missi etc that are commonly thrown out as trade targets aren't going to look good with poor PG/primary ball handler play

yes, Rudy's hands are terrible, but he's still as good a lob/roller threat as any of those guys, he doesn't play with anyone that the defense is scared of other than ANT, and ANT just doesn't have that in his game to affect this and I don't think ANT would find it with any of these other "dependent" Cs

I just don't see the point in switching C's (unless you can get an offensive hub type, which I don't see how) if the guard play remains so weak

[Klomp]

Ok then you only trade Rudy if the plan is to tank the season and Ant’s injuries will be a season long thing.. wolves will go nowhere without Rudy.

I guess it comes down to if you think we are getting all you can get from Gobert defensively. Because if you are, you need to have a baseline in the Top 3-5 I'd argue. If they are closer to 10th, I'm not sure it's enough to offset how much he holds back the team on offense.

I'm not saying not to replace him. You need to bring in another big man, probably even a defensive big. It just might need to be someone who gives a little bit more offensively.

Other than the top-tier Cs (Jokic, Bam, KAT, Sabonis, etc), pretty much any C is going to be dependent on a team's PG play

Gafforrd, Duren, Ware, Allen, Claxton, Missi etc that are commonly thrown out as trade targets aren't going to look good with poor PG/primary ball handler play

yes, Rudy's hands are terrible, but he's still as good a lob/roller threat as any of those guys, he doesn't play with anyone that the defense is scared of other than ANT, and ANT just doesn't have that in his game to affect this and I don't think ANT would find it with any of these other "dependent" Cs

I just don't see the point in switching C's (unless you can get an offensive hub type, which I don't see how) if the guard play remains so weak

There is a good amount of truth in this.

I don't think just switching out the C is a cure-all. I think they would have to be pretty intentional about the kind of C a trade would bring in. Personally, all I'm looking for from a starting center on offense is to be some level of threat if you were to have the ball in your hand more than 10 feet away from the basket. That could be through shooting or driving, possibly passing. If a certain level of defensive aptitude is required as well from a trade target, we probably won't be able to get both offensive traits from a center in a return package though.

Most of the centers you listed probably wouldn't be my targets, for that reason. On the higher end, I would be looking at offensive player types like Hartenstein, Turner and Vucevic on the high end, with guys like Carter or Valanciunas on the more medium/lower end which would come as a secondary piece in a trade.

[Neeva]

Replacing Rudy means actually having someone who can give you some of what Rudy gives you. Pretend you could trade Rudy for Darius Garland, that doesn’t mean you should. We would get a scoring PG but have a massive hole at C. You don’t fix bad roster construction by trading to acquire as bad or worse construction.

Randle cannot defend the C or rebound the way KAT did. There is a reason when Rudy was on the bench our defense held up in 23/24, and why it went to dead last when Rudy was on the bench in 24/25. Rudy is also much less effective offensively without a PNR partner and teammates who can throw lobs.

Question for everyone, if we could trade Gobert for Myles Turner would you?

I’m keeping Rudy till Joan shows something. if wolves suck this year and Ant misses a lot of time. Then we talk about trading Rudy or Naz for a 2026 pick. It’s my dream for a future wolves lineup of pg Peterson, sg Ant, sf Jaden,pf Boozer and C Joan

[FrenchMinnyFan]

Lot's of true in this. For me it also depend on how Rudy slow down. he got 4 bad games an one good right now. Slow start? Father age?....Him and Naz have to stand up with no delay as others teams in the West will not wait for them. Mike is finding rythm but he is 38, we need a younger PG. I would trade DDV + Rob if we could get a better PG. But there is not plenty of option on the market.

[winforlose]

Lot's of true in this. For me it also depend on how Rudy slow down. he got 4 bad games an one good right now. Slow start? Father age?....Him and Naz have to stand up with no delay as others teams in the West will not wait for them. Mike is finding rythm but he is 38, we need a younger PG. I would trade DDV + Rob if we could get a better PG. But there is not plenty of option on the market.

Let’s be fair to Rudy for a second. Game after game perimeter defenders allow their men to get past them. Rudy is often forced to step up and surrender an easy dunk/put back, or stay back and surrender a floater. He is also playing in a scheme telling him to stay down and focus on the paint. But when Jaden is screened and no one helps him, this creates serious problems leading to someone either getting an open 3 or a good driving lane. Rudy’s rebounding has been an issue, and his offense game s far from good, but he has not been the primary problem.

[younggunsmn]

Trading Rudy Gobert for a better fit is one direction we could go to course correct.
Doesn't have to be that exact type of player, could be a Vucevic type.
And honestly we would be wise to get off that contract while we still can.

Could be a bad contract for bad contract type of deal like
Suggs+Wendell Carter Jr
for
Conley + Gobert

if both us and Orlando keep struggling.
We take the worse contract but they are getting a 34 year old and we are getting a 24 year old.

But let's be honest, given what TC has invested in assets and his own reputation, we are stuck with Gobert for the duration of that contract.
TC isn't trading him, he'll go down with the ship just like the fiddlers on the Titanic.

[younggunsmn]

Lot's of true in this. For me it also depend on how Rudy slow down. he got 4 bad games an one good right now. Slow start? Father age?....Him and Naz have to stand up with no delay as others teams in the West will not wait for them. Mike is finding rythm but he is 38, we need a younger PG. I would trade DDV + Rob if we could get a better PG. But there is not plenty of option on the market.

Let’s be fair to Rudy for a second. Game after game perimeter defenders allow their men to get past them. Rudy is often forced to step up and surrender an easy dunk/put back, or stay back and surrender a floater. He is also playing in a scheme telling him to stay down and focus on the paint. But when Jaden is screened and no one helps him, this creates serious problems leading to someone either getting an open 3 or a good driving lane. Rudy’s rebounding has been an issue, and his offense game s far from good, but he has not been the primary problem.

Our defense is DESIGNED to funnel perimeter players into him.
It's also the only style he is capable of playing and if we ask him to do anything different he gets all up in his feelings and sucks badly at it.
We had a fringe top 10 defense the year before we traded for Rudy with a totally different scheme, and we had KAT and DeAngelo Russell to carry on that team.

Rudy is our 2nd highest paid player, and if that player is an inconsistent role player who drags your whole offense down, your team has big problems.