We need shooting. Who do we get?

[TheProdigy]

I wouldn't dump Aldrich. I get the appeal but I'd rather Aldrich and a first than CJ Miles.

Agreed. Aldrich is on a reasonable contract. It doesn't make sense for us to add a 1st just to dump his contract.

I don't really understand. A rotation wing is clearly more important than a non-rotation big. I think if we want a competitive team this year we need to fill in the holes.

Well it really depends whether you think Aldrich is a rotation quality big. I happen to think he is, he just got lost in the shuffle last season with Towns and Dieng on the roster. He played extremely well for the Clippers (#4 ranked center according to RPM in 2016.

[AirP.]

You're going to pay 7 mil this year for a player at the end of the bench that Thibs doesn't trust? Waste of space

Then trade him somewhere that can use him. We shouldn't have to attach a 1st to dump a contract that is a reasonable contract to begin with.

Nobody is going to take him without a sweetener.

Unless they're getting rid of a 2 year contract they don't want. That can be your sweetener. If you're adding a 1st round pick to get rid of his contract, Thibs may want a player back on a smaller contract(depending on how much money needs to be freed up) to fill a need.

Currently Minnesota has Towns, Dieng, Gibson and Patton who can play center. Aldrich is a solid big on a solid contract but no longer fits on the roster, for his own good, he needs to be moved to get playing time somewhere for his next contract.

[C.lupus]

I wouldn't dump Aldrich. I get the appeal but I'd rather Aldrich and a first than CJ Miles.

Agreed. Aldrich is on a reasonable contract. It doesn't make sense for us to add a 1st just to dump his contract.

This is our depth chart right now:

Teague / Jones
Wiggins / ----
Butler / ----
Gibson / Bjelica / Patton
Towns / Dieng / Aldrich

That $7M can clearly be spent more wisely.

[Worm Guts]

Agreed. Aldrich is on a reasonable contract. It doesn't make sense for us to add a 1st just to dump his contract.

I don't really understand. A rotation wing is clearly more important than a non-rotation big. I think if we want a competitive team this year we need to fill in the holes.

Well it really depends whether you think Aldrich is a rotation quality big. I happen to think he is, he just got lost in the shuffle last season with Towns and Dieng on the roster. He played extremely well for the Clippers (#4 ranked center according to RPM in 2016.

Whether he's a rotation caliber big doesn't matter if he's not in our rotation. Obviously I'd rather trade him away without the pick, I just don't think that's line I'm willing to hold when it comes to an improvement to our team.

[TheProdigy]

I don't really understand. A rotation wing is clearly more important than a non-rotation big. I think if we want a competitive team this year we need to fill in the holes.

Well it really depends whether you think Aldrich is a rotation quality big. I happen to think he is, he just got lost in the shuffle last season with Towns and Dieng on the roster. He played extremely well for the Clippers (#4 ranked center according to RPM in 2016.

Whether he's a rotation caliber big doesn't matter if he's not in our rotation. Obviously I'd rather trade him away without the pick, I just don't think that's line I'm willing to hold when it comes to an improvement to our team.

What about trading Dieng? If we think he can play together at the same time with Towns, then I'd probably keep him. But if he's going to be a full time center behind Towns, then we're going to be paying $14 million a year for a backup playing about 12 min a game. I think Aldrich could fill that role fine.

[shangrila]

I wouldn't dump Aldrich. I get the appeal but I'd rather Aldrich and a first than CJ Miles.

Agreed. Aldrich is on a reasonable contract. It doesn't make sense for us to add a 1st just to dump his contract.

I don't really understand. A rotation wing is clearly more important than a non-rotation big. I think if we want a competitive team this year we need to fill in the holes.

We'll be competitive regardless of our backup wings and next year we'll have the MLE to fill that need. We really don't need to blow our entire load this season. Big money, starter level FAs? Sure, this was probably the last year we had a shot at them. But backups? We can keep adding them as needed.

[shangrila]

I wouldn't dump Aldrich. I get the appeal but I'd rather Aldrich and a first than CJ Miles.

Agreed. Aldrich is on a reasonable contract. It doesn't make sense for us to add a 1st just to dump his contract.

This is our depth chart right now:

Teague / Jones
Wiggins / ----
Butler / ----
Gibson / Bjelica / Patton
Towns / Dieng / Aldrich

That $7M can clearly be spent more wisely.

If it doesn't cost us the 1st, then by all means dump Aldrich. I like having a guy like him as insurance since we've been lucky with Towns/Dieng, but I get it's an expensive luxury.

I just don't think dumping him and signing someone like Miles is worth a 1st.

[KGdaBom]

Agreed. Aldrich is on a reasonable contract. It doesn't make sense for us to add a 1st just to dump his contract.

I don't really understand. A rotation wing is clearly more important than a non-rotation big. I think if we want a competitive team this year we need to fill in the holes.

Well it really depends whether you think Aldrich is a rotation quality big. I happen to think he is, he just got lost in the shuffle last season with Towns and Dieng on the roster. He played extremely well for the Clippers (#4 ranked center according to RPM in 2016.

This is the frustrating thing. I thought Aldrich was a superb signing and then we get him and nothing. Most teams are going to look at him as a what have you done for me lately and I don't think we can give him to anybody for cap space.

[KGdaBom]

I wouldn't dump Aldrich. I get the appeal but I'd rather Aldrich and a first than CJ Miles.

Agreed. Aldrich is on a reasonable contract. It doesn't make sense for us to add a 1st just to dump his contract.

This is our depth chart right now:

Teague / Jones
Wiggins / ----
Butler / ----
Gibson / Bjelica / Patton
Towns / Dieng / Aldrich

That $7M can clearly be spent more wisely.

I would think Dieng is the starting PF with Gibson backing him up. Bjelica might be usable at the SF and has to be in our current roster state.

[KGdaBom]

Well it really depends whether you think Aldrich is a rotation quality big. I happen to think he is, he just got lost in the shuffle last season with Towns and Dieng on the roster. He played extremely well for the Clippers (#4 ranked center according to RPM in 2016.

Whether he's a rotation caliber big doesn't matter if he's not in our rotation. Obviously I'd rather trade him away without the pick, I just don't think that's line I'm willing to hold when it comes to an improvement to our team.

What about trading Dieng? If we think he can play together at the same time with Towns, then I'd probably keep him. But if he's going to be a full time center behind Towns, then we're going to be paying $14 million a year for a backup playing about 12 min a game. I think Aldrich could fill that role fine.

Dieng is going to be playing a lot of minutes at the PF, probably the starter. He will be around a 30 MPG guy. Gibson has never in his career averaged over 28 MPG and only got 21 last year.

[TheProdigy]

Whether he's a rotation caliber big doesn't matter if he's not in our rotation. Obviously I'd rather trade him away without the pick, I just don't think that's line I'm willing to hold when it comes to an improvement to our team.

What about trading Dieng? If we think he can play together at the same time with Towns, then I'd probably keep him. But if he's going to be a full time center behind Towns, then we're going to be paying $14 million a year for a backup playing about 12 min a game. I think Aldrich could fill that role fine.

Dieng is going to be playing a lot of minutes at the PF, probably the starter. He will be around a 30 MPG guy. Gibson has never in his career averaged over 28 MPG and only got 21 last year.

You might be right but I'm not convinced yet. Last season's defense was such a train wreck, that it's hard to tell how much of it was due to the Towns-Dieng pairing.

[AirP.]

Whether he's a rotation caliber big doesn't matter if he's not in our rotation. Obviously I'd rather trade him away without the pick, I just don't think that's line I'm willing to hold when it comes to an improvement to our team.

What about trading Dieng? If we think he can play together at the same time with Towns, then I'd probably keep him. But if he's going to be a full time center behind Towns, then we're going to be paying $14 million a year for a backup playing about 12 min a game. I think Aldrich could fill that role fine.

Dieng is going to be playing a lot of minutes at the PF, probably the starter. He will be around a 30 MPG guy. Gibson has never in his career averaged over 28 MPG and only got 21 last year.

The reason for Gibson not averaging a lot of minutes is because he's always played on teams with a lot of quality bigs. Chicago signed Boozer to be their starter next to Noah for Gibson's second year, they finally get rid of Boozer then they bring in Gasol and Mirotic. He may not be able to do a ton of minutes but that's never been because he couldn't, he just didn't have the opportunity because of the quality in the frontcourt, but yes, he'll probably come off the bench and much like he did with Thibs in Chicago, be on the court at the end of games because he can guard so many different positions.

BTW, he got 21 in OKC, over 27 most of the season in Chicago. In OKC they had Adams, Kanter, Gibson, Sabonis and they also played J.Grant at 4 so his minutes were shorter.

[AirP.]

I'm not so sure Dieng is a lock to stay in Minnesota, sounds like Aldrich could have been sent packing by now. Maybe they're still in the hunt for a wing with Dieng and keeping Aldrich. I'd suspect Thibs is getting all options possible on the table before deciding what to do.

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[KGdaBom]

I just found out something that convinces me we don't need any more shooting. Taj Gibson was perfect from 3 in his tenure with OKC.
Now others might point out that previously in his career he had seasons of 0% and his best had been .231. I choose to look at the bright side.

[shrink]

We are about $6 mil under the cap.
We have the room exception.
We can get vet min guys for insurance.
And we can trade Cole Aldrich.

Even if Cole Aldrich was injured and couldn't play at all, you shouldn't trade him with the OKC 1st. $9 mil for a protected first rounder is well worth it. MIN could stretch him, and get $5 mil in cap space, maybe more if he takes a lower buyout, and keep the pick.

[Oriole8159]

We are about $6 mil under the cap.
We have the room exception.
We can get vet min guys for insurance.
And we can trade Cole Aldrich.

Even if Cole Aldrich was injured and couldn't play at all, you shouldn't trade him with the OKC 1st. $9 mil for a protected first rounder is well worth it. MIN could stretch him, and get $5 mil in cap space, maybe more if he takes a lower buyout, and keep the pick.

agree.
It was one thing to move the pick if it was to help facilitate a big signing like Millsap, but now with that off the table and with us just looking at mid level guys, I'd rather keep the pick.

[AirP.]

We are about $6 mil under the cap.
We have the room exception.
We can get vet min guys for insurance.
And we can trade Cole Aldrich.

Even if Cole Aldrich was injured and couldn't play at all, you shouldn't trade him with the OKC 1st. $9 mil for a protected first rounder is well worth it. MIN could stretch him, and get $5 mil in cap space, maybe more if he takes a lower buyout, and keep the pick.

More then likely Thibs will add a vet minimum point guard that can shoot 3s, that's the one spot on the roster he always got great production out of at a vet minimum salary. So that will be some more shooting off the bench.

[KGdaBom]

We are about $6 mil under the cap.
We have the room exception.
We can get vet min guys for insurance.
And we can trade Cole Aldrich.

Even if Cole Aldrich was injured and couldn't play at all, you shouldn't trade him with the OKC 1st. $9 mil for a protected first rounder is well worth it. MIN could stretch him, and get $5 mil in cap space, maybe more if he takes a lower buyout, and keep the pick.

Doesn't stretching eventually bite you in the ass.

[Krapinsky]

We are about $6 mil under the cap.
We have the room exception.
We can get vet min guys for insurance.
And we can trade Cole Aldrich.

Even if Cole Aldrich was injured and couldn't play at all, you shouldn't trade him with the OKC 1st. $9 mil for a protected first rounder is well worth it. MIN could stretch him, and get $5 mil in cap space, maybe more if he takes a lower buyout, and keep the pick.

I have us closer to $2.2M.

Are you counting:
J. Butler trade kicker? $.92M
K. Martin dead money? $1.36M
J. Patton cap hold? $2.24M
Roster cap holds? $1.63M

[shrink]

We are about $6 mil under the cap.
We have the room exception.
We can get vet min guys for insurance.
And we can trade Cole Aldrich.

Even if Cole Aldrich was injured and couldn't play at all, you shouldn't trade him with the OKC 1st. $9 mil for a protected first rounder is well worth it. MIN could stretch him, and get $5 mil in cap space, maybe more if he takes a lower buyout, and keep the pick.

More then likely Thibs will add a vet minimum point guard that can shoot 3s, that's the one spot on the roster he always got great production out of at a vet minimum salary. So that will be some more shooting off the bench.

I agree, and it's an attractive job Not only will the Wolves be winning, but he may feel he can outcompete Tyus Jones for minutes here. I could see Shelvin Mack come here to play defense, Norris Cole or Ronnie Price come back. But we'd only offer the minimum. Swingman is where we would devote our remaining assets.