Almost off-season discussion! Trades/Free Agency Ep. 9

[8on]

Do you take a Top 10 player who just needs to become a below average/mediocre defender to be an MVP candidate or 3 additional cost controlled years of a rookie prospect who has better tools but even worse intangibles/showing on the other end. Assuming such a deal is even on the table (I don't believe it is, Minny would only accept a godfather offer) I do the first in a heartbeat.

I cannot accept your presupposition.

Which one? KAT is a proven commodity and most would go with the sure thing over the off chance that Ayton ever matches how good KAT was offensively this season (even more efficient than Anthony Davis) while playing enough D to not be net negative

In the meantime, he’s the worst defensive center in the league. The names that shot 60 or 70% against him would surprise you.

Rather have eight years of Ayton, and the opportunity to sign 2019 free agents, than five of Towns. Our cap flexibility is gone after we extend Booker and Towns.

[saintEscaton]

I cannot accept your presupposition.

Which one? KAT is a proven commodity and most would go with the sure thing over the off chance that Ayton ever matches how good KAT was offensively this season (even more efficient than Anthony Davis) while playing enough D to not be net negative

In the meantime, he’s the worst defensive center in the league. The names that shot 60 or 70% against him would surprise you.

Rather have eight years of Ayton, and the opportunity to sign 2019 free agents, than five of Towns. Our cap flexibility is gone after we extend Booker and Towns.

I agree, but I'm not sold on Ayton being any better

[8on]

Which one? KAT is a proven commodity and most would go with the sure thing over the off chance that Ayton ever matches how good KAT was offensively this season (even more efficient than Anthony Davis) while playing enough D to not be net negative

In the meantime, he’s the worst defensive center in the league. The names that shot 60 or 70% against him would surprise you.

Rather have eight years of Ayton, and the opportunity to sign 2019 free agents, than five of Towns. Our cap flexibility is gone after we extend Booker and Towns.

I agree, but I'm not sold on Ayton being any better

How could you be? Ayton hasn’t played in the NBA. You don’t have to be sold with Ayton. You just have to believe in potential.

If Thibs can’t get Towns to play D, who can?

[8on]

I would deal 2 for KAT if I were Sacramento, and I would do it now.

There may be some competition. Little worried we’re going to get into a bidding war with Sacramento for a guy I don’t even want here. We shall see

[saintEscaton]

If Ayton's "floor" was really a hyper athletic version of a future hall of famer then he would be the consensus #1 andwe wouldn't have this contentious debate right now

[collidingNeurons]

most this is just unfounded rumor and speculation, i seriously doubt 'there is much to any of it other than writers doing click bait and realgm posters and twitter people playing nbaY2K, if there's any substance to any of this, Boston or San Antonio have better assets from Minnesota's point of view and more reason to make trades. the obvious one is something around Leonard for Kat

[bwgood77]

In the meantime, he’s the worst defensive center in the league. The names that shot 60 or 70% against him would surprise you.

Rather have eight years of Ayton, and the opportunity to sign 2019 free agents, than five of Towns. Our cap flexibility is gone after we extend Booker and Towns.

I agree, but I'm not sold on Ayton being any better

How could you be? Ayton hasn’t played in the NBA. You don’t have to be sold with Ayton. You just have to believe in potential.

If Thibs can’t get Towns to play D, who can?

Thibs defensive philosophy is archaic with the way the league has changed. Towns was a much better defender in college. That's one thing we have to go by.

Towns isn't getting traded anyway.

[8on]

I agree, but I'm not sold on Ayton being any better

How could you be? Ayton hasn’t played in the NBA. You don’t have to be sold with Ayton. You just have to believe in potential.

If Thibs can’t get Towns to play D, who can?

Thibs defensive philosophy is archaic with the way the league has changed. Towns was a much better defender in college. That's one thing we have to go by.

Towns isn't getting traded anyway.

Well, Ayton can’t be worse than Towns on D in the pros.

Could’ve said the same thing about Kawhi not getting traded not too long ago.

Ayton is a marvel on offense, in a way Towns was not in college. No one was doing this in college. Embiid, AD, Shaq - no one had this skill set on offense in college.

Sign me up.

[Frank Lee]

Doncic or Ayton
It’s a win win argument

The bigger question and perhaps more pivotal decision is what FA we acquire to round out the roster. Ayton would certainly require a PG .... Doncic a big

I like the thought of Doncic + Capella or Randle .... though both could be matched

If Sarver is boner-ing for the play offs, you have to lean towards Luka. He’s ready

I also think Bender is destined to be a stretch 5 if he amounts to anything

[thamadkant]

Everyone is hooked on the Ayton vs Doncic argument..

But I think Mikal Bridges is PERFECT for what McD is trying to get the Suns to do... athletic, shooters who can play combination of positions.
He shoots 43.5% from 3pt... 2.6 per game
Blocks and Steal combination of 2.6
Shoots 50+% from FG, 80+% from FT....
Long arms and solid frame

Smart player

[BobbieL]

I agree, but I'm not sold on Ayton being any better

How could you be? Ayton hasn’t played in the NBA. You don’t have to be sold with Ayton. You just have to believe in potential.

If Thibs can’t get Towns to play D, who can?

Thibs defensive philosophy is archaic with the way the league has changed. Towns was a much better defender in college. That's one thing we have to go by.

Towns isn't getting traded anyway.

Do you have inside knowledge BWG about Towns not getting traded?

[bwgood77]

How could you be? Ayton hasn’t played in the NBA. You don’t have to be sold with Ayton. You just have to believe in potential.

If Thibs can’t get Towns to play D, who can?

Thibs defensive philosophy is archaic with the way the league has changed. Towns was a much better defender in college. That's one thing we have to go by.

Towns isn't getting traded anyway.

Do you have inside knowledge BWG about Towns not getting traded?

I know someone who has a good source that said Taylor would get rid of Thibs before signing off on a Towns trade.

[bwgood77]

Doncic or Ayton
It’s a win win argument

The bigger question and perhaps more pivotal decision is what FA we acquire to round out the roster. Ayton would certainly require a PG .... Doncic a big

I like the thought of Doncic + Capella or Randle .... though both could be matched

If Sarver is boner-ing for the play offs, you have to lean towards Luka. He’s ready

I also think Bender is destined to be a stretch 5 if he amounts to anything

That's the interesting thing. If he wants to please the overall fan base on draft night and maybe sell more season tickets, Ayton would be the pick, but Doncic likely makes them much more competitive quicker and helps everyone else and the team gets better quicker and on a faster track to the playoffs which really brings the fans in, and it's probably a more exciting brand of basketball. They obviously could both be superstars and both probably have fairly high floors, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out, even though most of the time I feel Ayton is almost certainly going to be the pick.

[GDFTony]

Anyone talking about going after Capella and playing Ayton at PF?

For the last and final time, he isn't worth the max. The only reason why he looks outstanding is because he has 2 great point guards who command so much attention and they just simply spoon feed him easy buckets. Great shot blocker but that's just it. He needs a superstar PG to make him shine and PHX doesn't have that

Oh I must of missed the post where that opinion was made final for everyone - Also don't recall anything about maxing?

[GDFTony]

KAT scares me, seems like another round of Amare ball (not that Amare was a bad thing - just infuriating during the playoffs).

KAT will get us into the playoffs and help us win but I fear the lack of defense will be a bigger hinderance than his offensive gains (especially since most of our squad is horrible at D already) when playoff ball comes. For as much as Amare was a beast on the offensive end he gave up a lot or even more on the defensive end when forced to play 7 against the more talented players or better coached teams.

[GetYourPHX]

IF Wolves would trade KAT it is for another star, not pick. So you would have to find 3rd team willing to trade their star to Minny for 1st pick. And this team would have to prefer 1st over taking Towns themselves.

In other words this won't happen.

The trade is:

KAT to PHX
Kawhi to MIN
#1 (Doncic) + Gibson to SA

Just gotta figure out Kawhi's extension and it'll happen.

[GDFTony]

IF Wolves would trade KAT it is for another star, not pick. So you would have to find 3rd team willing to trade their star to Minny for 1st pick. And this team would have to prefer 1st over taking Towns themselves.

In other words this won't happen.

The trade is:

KAT to PHX
Kawhi to MIN
#1 (Doncic) + Gibson to SA

Just gotta figure out Kawhi's extension and it'll happen.

I don't like this trade, if Kawhi's involved why don't we go after him instead of KAT?

[JMac1]

How could you be? Ayton hasn’t played in the NBA. You don’t have to be sold with Ayton. You just have to believe in potential.

If Thibs can’t get Towns to play D, who can?

Thibs defensive philosophy is archaic with the way the league has changed. Towns was a much better defender in college. That's one thing we have to go by.

Towns isn't getting traded anyway.

Well, Ayton can’t be worse than Towns on D in the pros.

Could’ve said the same thing about Kawhi not getting traded not too long ago.

Ayton is a marvel on offense, in a way Towns was not in college. No one was doing this in college. Embiid, AD, Shaq - no one had this skill set on offense in college.

Sign me up.

I think that’s what people keep missing. The guy is new to the game and doing all of the things he does at 19?!? He is gonna get better.....

Love Doncic and I understand if we drafted him, however, I’d be soooo disappointed.

Chambers made a point about putting the other team in foul trouble. Also, what about when your shot isn’t falling and you can just pick and roll, throw it to the post or face-up depending on the defense and defender.

Dude has every move. And he isn’t slow with the ball either. Decisive decision making.

[JMac1]

IF Wolves would trade KAT it is for another star, not pick. So you would have to find 3rd team willing to trade their star to Minny for 1st pick. And this team would have to prefer 1st over taking Towns themselves.

In other words this won't happen.

The trade is:

KAT to PHX
Kawhi to MIN
#1 (Doncic) + Gibson to SA

Just gotta figure out Kawhi's extension and it'll happen.

I don't like this trade, if Kawhi's involved why don't we go after him instead of KAT?

Because GS isn’t going anywhere in the next few years and Kahwi isn’t going to help us become a contender. In 3 years what would Ayton be compared to Kawhi

[Frank Lee]

You think Leonard would be happy in Minny endorsing furniture stores?