ESPN: Minnesota has virtually no chance in Lee sweepstakes

Kurosawa · Post #1 » by **Kurosawa** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 5:32 pm

None among a poll of its panel of experts posted today gives the Wolves more than a 10% chance of signing Lee, and some of them give MIN no chance at all.

I must admit that's my suspicion as well.

So who's Plan B? (Please, not Tyrus Thomas.) And would the best plan for obtaining the more athletic PF Rambis covets be a Jefferson trade or free agency?

jack612 · Post #2 » by **jack612** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 5:36 pm

Thank god.

Winter Wonder · Post #3 » by **Winter Wonder** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 5:37 pm

I am happy with the news, myself, not thinking Lee should be towards the top of our roster wants. Plan B has to be a trade of Jefferson to the team that doesn't fill their cap space with who they want from the FA class. It depends if we get cap space or a player, so hard to determine who we "go after" next.

funkatron101 · Post #4 » by **funkatron101** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 5:41 pm

Esohny · Post #5 » by **Esohny** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 5:41 pm

jack612 wrote:Thank god.

I agree. I'm much rather Kahn have to "settle" for keeping Jefferson.

cpfsf · Post #6 » by **cpfsf** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 5:44 pm

Kurosawa wrote:None among a poll of its panel of experts posted today gives the Wolves more than a 10% chance of signing Lee, and some of them give MIN no chance at all.

I must admit that's my suspicion as well.

So who's Plan B? (Please, not Tyrus Thomas.) And would the best plan for obtaining the more athletic PF Rambis covets be a Jefferson trade or free agency?

I don't know why we even need a plan B. I'm pretty much convinced that 2010/11 will be our last rebuilding season (I'm not sure if that's an optimistic or pessimistic view). Since we're not going to even come close to a playoff spot, there's absolutely no reason we should overpay a free agent who is considered a consolation prize at best.

Devilzsidewalk · Post #7 » by **Devilzsidewalk** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 5:47 pm

Esohny wrote:
jack612 wrote:Thank god.

I agree. I'm much rather Kahn have to "settle" for keeping Jefferson.

don't underestimate the (Please Use More Appropriate Word) ideas he might have up his sleeve

Darko Miliminutes · Post #8 » by **Darko Miliminutes** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 5:56 pm

Nene, Lee, Tyrus Thomas...wtf, doesn't this team need a 2? The front court is kinda stacked right now. Minny needs a 2. I'm also one of those that wants to see Al stay and have a chance with Darko and pek. Trade Love and a pick or two for an off guard dang it!

TrentTuckerForever · Post #9 » by **TrentTuckerForever** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 6:22 pm

Hmm... have we driven up Al's value with our interest in Lee? Seems at least possible to me.

shrink · Post #10 » by **shrink** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 6:23 pm

jack612 wrote:Thank god.

LOL! Well put. ESPN's continual attempt to bash the non-destination of Minnesota actually is good news!

I never understood interviewing David Lee anyway. Do you think that Kahn felt that when Gay went off the market right away, and LeBron didn't choose MIN as one of the six teams he'd talk to, that Kahn felt he had to talk with SOMEBODY that would come here and interview? Maybe he felt he needed to say to fans, "Yes, I know I've said for a year that we'd be active in the free agent market, so look - I interviewed a free agent!"

I imagine Lee only interviewed here to try to raise his value to other teams.

moss_is_1 · Post #11 » by **moss_is_1** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 6:25 pm

Awesome. I hope that we will just sit on the capspace until Al becomes a bigger trade chip. I still wish we could get Derrick Favors from NJ.

Winter Wonder · Post #12 » by **Winter Wonder** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 6:34 pm

shrink wrote:
I never understood interviewing David Lee anyway. Do you think that Kahn felt that when Gay went off the market right away, and LeBron didn't choose MIN as one of the six teams he'd talk to, that Kahn felt he had to talk with SOMEBODY that would come here and interview? Maybe he felt he needed to say to fans, "Yes, I know I've said for a year that we'd be active in the free agent market, so look - I interviewed a free agent!"

I imagine Lee only interviewed here to try to raise his value to other teams.

I believe you made a good point here. Whether MN or Lee had any true intention or hope to sign and play here, it did make both MN (to other free agents possibly) and Lee (to other teams) look more appealing possibly. The whole flirt/date someone to make someone you like more jealous, for a real poor analogy.

At least, that is my hope. Never had any interest in Lee on the Wolves short of Love and AL being traded for great pieces in other positions.

shrink · Post #13 » by **shrink** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 7:06 pm

To go further, let me ask this. Suppose Kahn feels he needs to interview SOME free agent to appease fans.

Are there big-name (or even "middle-name") free agents he could interview?

bluethunder0005 · Post #14 » by **bluethunder0005** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 7:08 pm

I hope this is true. There is no room on this team for Lee and no point in trading Al to open up space for him since Al is vastly superior to Lee.

Post #15 » by **Calinks** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 7:16 pm

Esohny wrote:
jack612 wrote:Thank god.

I agree. I'm much rather Kahn have to "settle" for keeping Jefferson.

I think we may be past the point of being able to settle. Too many burnt bridges.

Rolf · Post #16 » by **Rolf** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 7:21 pm

I don't see how interviewing David Lee "appeased" very many fans. If anything, it confused and pissed a lot of fans off, and lead them further along the belief that Kahn doesn't know what he's doing.

From Lee's perspective, it makes a heck of a lot of sense if his meeting with Kahn was a sham meant to boost his asking price from other teams. But if it was a sham to begin with, what did the Wolves get out of it? I don't buy the appeasement angle. There would have to be some additional motive on Kahn's part. Just thinking out loud, but maybe the deal is Kahn agrees to pretend to wine and dine Lee, and Bartelstein promises to send more of his clients Kahn's way? Probably not... but if we sign Adam Morrison or Shannon Brown next, I might be on to something.

Any other ideas?

Post #17 » by **Worm Guts** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 7:23 pm

I just think Kahn thought Lee was a good fit for a running team.

slinky · Post #18 » by **slinky** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 7:37 pm

Worm Guts wrote:I just think Kahn thought Lee was a good fit for a running team.

Exactly, it could very well be that he had all of these different motives or it could just be that he wants a running team, and he picked a guy that could make that work. I have zero problem with them talking with Lee...who knows maybe lee's value plummets a bit, and he can be had for 9-10mil, not saying it will happen, but from Lee's POV, it might mean something that MIN has wanted him from the beginning.

I think a lot about FA is building relationships with other players and agents. If in fact Lee and his agent were 'really impressed' with the wolves presentation, than thats at least something good that Lee can pass on to whatever other future free agents ask him about MIN. Or the agent can pass on to his other clients. Let's face it, MIN hasn't exactly gotten their brand name out there positively the last few years.

cpfsf · Post #19 » by **cpfsf** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 7:37 pm

shrink wrote:To go further, let me ask this. Suppose Kahn feels he needs to interview SOME free agent to appease fans.

Are there big-name (or even "middle-name") free agents he could interview?

Childress, Kleiza, or Thomas. I'm surprised Welsey Matthews hasn't really been discussed here at all.

shrink · Post #20 » by **shrink** » Tue Jul 6, 2010 7:43 pm

cpfsf wrote:
shrink wrote:To go further, let me ask this. Suppose Kahn feels he needs to interview SOME free agent to appease fans.

Are there big-name (or even "middle-name") free agents he could interview?

Childress, Kleiza, or Thomas

Good names. I especially like Childress, and TT is a Kahn-type guy .. high pick mini-bust that we hope we could be a renovation project.

Are there names out there of the same stature as All Star David Lee? Would Boozer interview here, if even just to raise his value to another team?