Ideal Offseason for my #2 Team

[FNQ]

I've been a Minny fan since the KG days... I have to admit, I'm still not sold, at all, on Al Jefferson as a C... so keep that in mind when I do this

As far as the draft goes, I have to unfortunately give the Wolves the #3.

Trade #1

Wolves get:
Earl Watson
Donyell Marshall (EC)

Sonics get:
Antoine Walker (EC)
Mark Madsen OR Greg Buckner / MIN 2nd 2009

Salary dump for the Sonics to prepare for 08/09. For the Wolves, they get a distributing PG, which is key to developing their younger players (using Miller as a good example in PHI).

Draft
#3 Brook Lopez
#31 Mario Chalmers
#44 Devon Hardin

Free agency:

QO for Kirk Snyder
3 years, 15 mil for Ryan Gomes
2 year, 4 mil deal for Patrick O'Bryant (team option for year 3 at 2.5m)

I think those 2 signings set up the Wolves for the class of 09 FA better than anything. Signing Snyder long-term could bite them on the ass.

At some point during the season: Trade Rashad McCants. His cap-hold for the 09 free agency will be around 6 million, and that's pretty rough. I left this part up to interpretation, because it could go down 1 of 2 ways:

1 - trade McCants along with Earl Watson for ECs and a younger, rawer player with a more favorable deal or a late 1st/early 2nd. This option most likely if McCants does not establish himself as a decent prospect to the rest of the league.

2 - trade McCants along with Jaric for ECs. More likely if McCants proves his worth around the league.

Let's be optimistic and go with #2...

So here's how you'd look opening day 2008/09:

Watson / Jaric / Chalmers
Foye / McCants / Snyder
Brewer / Snyder / Gomes
Jefferson / Gomes / Hardin
Lopez / POB / Hardin

And how you'd look hopefully going into the 09 FA class:

Watson / Chalmers
Foye / Snyder (?)
Brewer / Snyder (?)/ Gomes
Jefferson / Gomes / Hardin
Lopez / POB / Hardin

(with roughly 25-30m capspace to play with - depending on what type of pick you draw)

Good? Bad?

[andyhop]

I've been a Minny fan since the KG days... I have to admit, I'm still not sold, at all, on Al Jefferson as a C... so keep that in mind when I do this

As far as the draft goes, I have to unfortunately give the Wolves the #3.

Trade #1

Wolves get:
Earl Watson
Donyell Marshall (EC)

Sonics get:
Antoine Walker (EC)
Mark Madsen OR Greg Buckner / MIN 2nd 2009

Salary dump for the Sonics to prepare for 08/09. For the Wolves, they get a distributing PG, which is key to developing their younger players (using Miller as a good example in PHI).

Draft
#3 Brook Lopez
#31 Mario Chalmers
#44 Devon Hardin

Free agency:

QO for Kirk Snyder
3 years, 15 mil for Ryan Gomes
2 year, 4 mil deal for Patrick O'Bryant (team option for year 3 at 2.5m)

I think those 2 signings set up the Wolves for the class of 09 FA better than anything. Signing Snyder long-term could bite them on the ass.

At some point during the season: Trade Rashad McCants. His cap-hold for the 09 free agency will be around 6 million, and that's pretty rough. I left this part up to interpretation, because it could go down 1 of 2 ways:

1 - trade McCants along with Earl Watson for ECs and a younger, rawer player with a more favorable deal or a late 1st/early 2nd. This option most likely if McCants does not establish himself as a decent prospect to the rest of the league.

2 - trade McCants along with Jaric for ECs. More likely if McCants proves his worth around the league.

Let's be optimistic and go with #2...

So here's how you'd look opening day 2008/09:

Watson / Jaric / Chalmers
Foye / McCants / Snyder
Brewer / Snyder / Gomes
Jefferson / Gomes / Hardin
Lopez / POB / Hardin

And how you'd look hopefully going into the 09 FA class:

Watson / Chalmers
Foye / Snyder (?)
Brewer / Snyder (?)/ Gomes
Jefferson / Gomes / Hardin
Lopez / POB / Hardin

(with roughly 25-30m capspace to play with - depending on what type of pick you draw)

Good? Bad?

A couple of quibbles.

1) If McCants is good enough during next year to enable the team to shift Jaric's deal for expirings then they probably shouldn't be trading him.

2) Watson does nothing for me I would rather wait another year to get a PG with Foye/Jaric/whoever playing the position than take him on.

[deeney0]

Yuck, not a fan of that plan at all. Watson? Lopez at three? Keeping Snyder but letting Smith and Bassy walk? Not what I want to see.

[Krapinsky]

I have my quibbles as well--


Trades: The Earl Watson trade is not a good deal and it doesn't make sense for a rebuilding team.

Draft: This is acceptable to me. One thing I might change is drafting Chalmers and letting Telfair walk. I'd keep Telfair and go elsewhere with the pick. One of the picks will definitely be international. I think the t-wolves have invested too much of their scouting resources overseas for one not to be.

Free Agency: I think you're overpaying for Gomes. I like him, but for that much he can walk. He's a nice role player, but whether we sign him or not will not have much effect on whether we make the playoffs in the next three years.

I'm okay with the Bryant signing, but I think it should be a last resort. I'm not sure if anyone will give him a guaranteed contract to start though. let's give him a training camp invite and see what happens. There's not going to be a lot of demand there. Most people (I'm guessing) would rather have Diop over Gomes and Bryant if possible.

Future scenarios: I don't really like the idea of moving McCants during the middle of the year. On a rebuilding team, that could be very disheartening for the rest of the players. Also doesn't make sense to me to trade ECs for Watson, then to turn around and trade McCants and Watson for ECs and another player. Wouldn't it make more sense just to trade McCants for that player now- maybe McCants for a first rounder?

Your lineup: Concerns here. Your back court is very small. The entire team lacks outside shooting. For our team to succeed we need to put shooters around Al. Foye is probably the only one on that team that should be aloud to attempt a three pointer.

What would I do differently?

#1 Priority: sign Diop before any of the Wolves FAs.

#2 Priority: Draft Mayo over Lopez.

Foye/
Mayo/McCants
Brewer/Jaric
Jefferson/Madsen
Diop/Richard

If we can sign Gomes to backup the 3/4 great. If we can't (no $ left), the 2nd rounder goes there. I think Mayo will be able to backup Foye at the one in kind of a combo guard role. If we wanted to get rid of Jaric for ECs I might try Jaric + Boston pick, or if Miami makes the playoffs, Jaric + Miami pick for ECs.

[theGreatRC]

I'd like it better if we drafted Mayo at #3, keep McCants, sign Diop but do the rest of the trades.


Foye/Mayo
Mayo/McCants
Brewer /Snyder/ Gomes
Jefferson /Gomes / Hardin
Diop/Hardin

That looks like a defensive squad right there.

[john2jer]

The trade was bad!

The Gasol trade showed us what expirings can get a team. We shouldn't expect to get THAT good of a deal, but Walker/Buckner should be able to get us better than Watson/Marshall.

[4ho5ive]

I have heard nobody mention Dale Davis as somone we can bring in for the vet min and perhaps start while either letting possible draftee DeVon Hardin or possible signee POB come off the bench.

Is Dale Davis, while old, someone we should be interested in?

[PeeDee]

I have heard nobody mention Dale Davis as somone we can bring in for the vet min and perhaps start while either letting possible draftee DeVon Hardin or possible signee POB come off the bench.

Is Dale Davis, while old, someone we should be interested in?

Sure, if they are agreeable to it, I think signing some cheap vets to short contracts is a good idea. I think it's good for a young squad to have some mentors on the team that go about things in the right way.

[john2jer]

Guys likes Dale Davis want to play on contenders, though, to have a chance at a ring, not babysit.

[FNQ]

Don't buy into the Mayo hype... that's exactly the type of player the Wolves dont need... if he wasn't hyped since 8th grade, he'd be on par with Rush. Superstar potential but his court vision isn't that good, so he's essentially got to be a pure scorer in the NBA... and his scoring isn't that great when you bring him here.

But at #3, the Wolves hypothetically would be in one of the least enviable positions in the lotto... the talent disparity between 3-15 is pretty minimal. To be honest, I'd take Kevin Love @ #3 and then use your 2 early 2nds to find a playoff team that needs depth (helllllo, Houston) or a team that needs more assets to rebuild (NJ) and try and nab one of the extremely tall and exceptionally talented "World" bigs, Serge Ibaka or Alexis Ajinca...

But about Watson, I firmly believe that pass-first, drive and dish PGs are the key to building rookie's confidence... what Dre Miller has done in Philly speaks volumes about it... Watson has done a great job getting Green and Durant involved in Seattle. Guys who cannot create their own shots that well (re: Brewer) would be helped, getting open looks and developing a chip on their shoulders... ideally, whoever you take at #3 would also be helped.

My main issue with the PG situation is the inability to drive and dish well (Telfair/Jaric) and their issue with a simple entry pass (Telfair). The Wolves can continue to try and develop Foye as a PG, but it may hinder the development of the rest of the youngins if Foye isn't extremely improved by 09.


Lastly... about the trade, the Gasol trade is a poor measuring stick... one of the worst GMs in the leagues history (Chris Wallace) being forced to deal Pau by management and a strict edict to get ECs... It was just a perfect storm for the Lakers. Expirings are valuable when your willing to take on big time salaries with it... are the Wolves prepped to do that? Besides, SquiEarl is an EC the following year, and EC's that are actually capable of playing with out making you are extremely valuable... factor in that he's a PG, and I'd really like the Wolves situation going into 09.

[deeney0]

What seperates Mayo from the other scorers in this draft is his superb defense. Wolves have had enough scorering guards who don't play on the other end - Rider, Wally, Peeler, Cassell, Hudson, Davis, and now McCants. Mayo can finally be that guy who plays on BOTH ends. Despite the Mayo backlash because of the Mayo hype, he's still clearly the 3rd best player in this draft. No way the Wolves should pass on him for Lopez.

Watson has done a great job? I disagree. Telfair could be everything Watson is for cheaper. And Randy is a good passer too, if players hit their open shots this year Randy would've been near 7 apg in March/April. Foye already WAS extremely improved at the end of the season. There is NO reason for this team to take on a PG like Watson.

[kandiking]

i actually like watson, especcially if telfair walks. remember that the wolves would probably like to keep telfair, smith, and snyder but other teams would probably want to pay them more than they're worth. we can't just foolishly match any contract (cough-hudson-cough)

[FNQ]

What seperates Mayo from the other scorers in this draft is his superb defense. Wolves have had enough scorering guards who don't play on the other end - Rider, Wally, Peeler, Cassell, Hudson, Davis, and now McCants. Mayo can finally be that guy who plays on BOTH ends. Despite the Mayo backlash because of the Mayo hype, he's still clearly the 3rd best player in this draft. No way the Wolves should pass on him for Lopez.

Watson has done a great job? I disagree. Telfair could be everything Watson is for cheaper. And Randy is a good passer too, if players hit their open shots this year Randy would've been near 7 apg in March/April. Foye already WAS extremely improved at the end of the season. There is NO reason for this team to take on a PG like Watson.

Watched some SEA games... I tuned in for Durant and Watson didn't disappoint me for a second.. as soon as he got downcourt, look for KD... not open? Where's Jeff Green? No? Is Petro in? Wilcox was last on the list That's the kind of heady play I love from PGs.. he knows the team isnt about him and Wilcox, the refined players.. its about developing talent, and thats why he stayed on court while Ridnour was head cheerleader. Perfect developing PG, in fact...

As for Mayo "hype", that trash is for scouting report readers.... same "hype" that surrounded Yi all last draft season, that makes you have to wade through pages of BS to actually see the player... he'll be a good player on bad teams no doubt, but to use #3 on him? Meh... I'd rather have Bayless at this point, as Bayless possess a greater than 1:1 AST/TO ratio and doesnt try and take on the whole opposing team at once... the defense is his main attribute IMO, but doesnt show much interest in it... I think Mayo will get his #s, and that will be the priority for him.

Not that Lopez is much better, he has a much lower ceiling and is essentially a "Bogut" pick... but I think priority 1 in Minny has to be to move Al to PF... putting the poor guy in the middle of a defense just isn't his thing.

[Devilzsidewalk]

I like Lopez, not Watson though unless its a straight trade for Jaric. Watson is a backup guard, or starter on a really talented team like LA, but for the Wolves, we need more for our money.

[FNQ]

Well I understand the Watson trade isn't ideal, but I try and shy away from fairytale homer deals... regardless of #s and talent, neither of which should be a concern to a rebuilding team IMO, players like Andre Miller and Earl Watson are key to rebuilding teams... Dude got 7 apg on Seattle... Seattle! Often times you'd wonder if they got 7 FGs all game...

I dunno if its you haven't seen Earl play or just headstrong-ness... there's a reason he supplanted the supposed PG of the future in Ridnour and got Delonte West traded... the guy is a decent PG with an amazing head on his shoulders... when I made the trade up, I had a hard time justifying Seattle's position in it... the development of Durant and somewhat of Green has a large part to do with SquiEarl