Lowe - Timberwolves Still Want D-Russell

[Klomp]

Maybe this is obvious, but somebody reassure me that signing Russell to the max isn’t adding the Wiggins deal all over?

In Russell, I see a young guy that performed below his lottery pick expectations, produces offensive counting stats without great efficiency, doesn’t defend, and you hope that with his youth, he grows to be worth the max deal.

I think a major difference between the two is that Russell provides superior floor spacing, which is imperative in today's NBA and much needed on this team.

[Krapinsky]

The problem here is that you want to send Teague to a place where he would have the most on court value, to minimize the asset it would take to move him. Unfortunately, teams where Teague could help at PG are likely the same places where simply signing Russell for cap and a 2nd would be a better move.

I agree with you on the concept that perhaps a team would want to get Teague’s expiring over Russell so they can hit the reset button on cap space in 2020. But that has timing issues too, because teams with cap would first need time to find out if they struck out spending it this year. There are about 15 free agents they’d likely need to see go off the board, before they’d settle for expirings. However, Russell is not going to wait a few weeks for all the FA’s to sign before he signs an offer sheet, and BRK has to decide whether to match it.

But doesn't Russell have a say in the matter? I think that's the point your missing. That "other team" can't cut us out if Russell doesn't want to play there.

Yes, but Russell is not going to wait and turn down a max deal from some other team, hoping that MIN can convince the team with cap space to give it to us. It’s his first big free agent deal.

There are a lot of teams with cap space that are not going to be players in free agency and there is no reason this has to play out over weeks, or even days. If it happens, I think it would happen at the outset of free agency.

Moreover, Russell is restricted so if he has any desire to return to Brooklyn (and by all appearances he does) he is going to be waiting for the Nets to decide what they want to do first.

[Krapinsky]

Maybe this is obvious, but somebody reassure me that signing Russell to the max isn’t adding the Wiggins deal all over?

In Russell, I see a young guy that performed below his lottery pick expectations, produces offensive counting stats without great efficiency, doesn’t defend, and you hope that with his youth, he grows to be worth the max deal.

It's still risky no doubt because your're betting on continued improvement with a young player, but Wiggins he ain't. He's at least filling up the stat sheet and had a 19.4 PER last year and positive VORP of 3.3. Wiggins on the other hand sports a career high 16.4 PER and has never has a positive VORP.

I feel like when you're a team that is not a free agent destination (and let's not kid ourselves), you either have to tank and collect high draft picks, or take some risks on upside. With Towns and Roco in the fold, tanking doesn't seem to be an option. And I think when surveying the NBA landscape Russell is as good an upside play as there is right now.

[Klomp]

Now, this is one hypothetical, but part of me wonders if this Russell tidbit was old intel. Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt the truthfulness of the report, but I think it's possible that the draft outcome changed things. Rosas kept talking about the tier drop after Culver, so clearly he felt pretty good about Culver's value. 11 and Saric doesn't move the needle, but Culver might.

I know I personally don't want to sign Russell if it costs us Culver. Then again, it's also possible that 6 was targeted specifically because we knew Brooklyn would want either Culver or Garland, and we knew we could get either at 6.

[Slim Tubby]

Just from the standpoint of clearing cap space to sign Dlo straight up, what does the board in general feel a fair cost to move Teague, Dieng and/or Wiggins?

Teague - Future 2nd Round Pick?
Dieng - Future 1st Round Pick (Lottery Protected)?
Wiggins - ????

[Killboard]

Maybe this is obvious, but somebody reassure me that signing Russell to the max isn’t adding the Wiggins deal all over?

In Russell, I see a young guy that performed below his lottery pick expectations, produces offensive counting stats without great efficiency, doesn’t defend, and you hope that with his youth, he grows to be worth the max deal.

1st. Russell carried his team to the playoffs (is the East but still) while being an all-star last season.
2nd. Russell is a much high volume 3pt shooter and still more efficient on them, even with a high amount of unasisted tries (pull up)
3rd. Russell is a high skilled passer and can handle the ball in P&R as Wiggins never will be able to do.
4th. Russell is a very good rebounder for his position

[SmokeyPaw]

Maybe this is obvious, but somebody reassure me that signing Russell to the max isn’t adding the Wiggins deal all over?

In Russell, I see a young guy that performed below his lottery pick expectations, produces offensive counting stats without great efficiency, doesn’t defend, and you hope that with his youth, he grows to be worth the max deal.

1st. Russell carried his team to the playoffs (is the East but still) while being an all-star last season.
2nd. Russell is a much high volume 3pt shooter and still more efficient on them, even with a high amount of unasisted tries (pull up)
3rd. Russell is a high skilled passer and can handle the ball in P&R as Wiggins never will be able to do.
4th. Russell is a very good rebounder for his position

Maybe. But the guy we saw in the playoffs is not a max player.

[TheZachAttack]

Maybe this is obvious, but somebody reassure me that signing Russell to the max isn’t adding the Wiggins deal all over?

In Russell, I see a young guy that performed below his lottery pick expectations, produces offensive counting stats without great efficiency, doesn’t defend, and you hope that with his youth, he grows to be worth the max deal.

1st. Russell carried his team to the playoffs (is the East but still) while being an all-star last season.
2nd. Russell is a much high volume 3pt shooter and still more efficient on them, even with a high amount of unasisted tries (pull up)
3rd. Russell is a high skilled passer and can handle the ball in P&R as Wiggins never will be able to do.
4th. Russell is a very good rebounder for his position

Maybe. But the guy we saw in the playoffs is not a max player.

By that measure neither is KAT after his play versus Houston. Let's not play the small sample size game, it's worthless.

Russell has all of the tools to be a very productive modern NBA guard and is definitely a max player. He may not be an elite max player, but he's certainly a max player. There is 10+ teams in this market that would be willing to pay him a max contract.

Russell/Culver/Covington/Towns is a great start at a core that can compete and at the top end of the potential scenarios over the next 5+ years of a team construction for the Wolves given all of the realistic possible outcomes. Pretty much end of story.

[Worm Guts]

I don't think D-Lo is comparable to Wiggins, but I wouldn't give him the max either.

[minimus]

Just from the standpoint of clearing cap space to sign Dlo straight up, what does the board in general feel a fair cost to move Teague, Dieng and/or Wiggins?

Teague - Future 2nd Round Pick?
Dieng - Future 1st Round Pick (Lottery Protected)?
Wiggins - ????

Depends on what we get in return. Honestly if we can move Teague for SRP, and Dieng for FRP (Lottery Protected) AND get Russell I'd be more than happy.

Then if we will progress with Russel as expected (playoff appearance, better offense and defense) I'd try to move Wiggins for better fit, not for expiring contract.

[Killboard]

Maybe this is obvious, but somebody reassure me that signing Russell to the max isn’t adding the Wiggins deal all over?

In Russell, I see a young guy that performed below his lottery pick expectations, produces offensive counting stats without great efficiency, doesn’t defend, and you hope that with his youth, he grows to be worth the max deal.

1st. Russell carried his team to the playoffs (is the East but still) while being an all-star last season.
2nd. Russell is a much high volume 3pt shooter and still more efficient on them, even with a high amount of unasisted tries (pull up)
3rd. Russell is a high skilled passer and can handle the ball in P&R as Wiggins never will be able to do.
4th. Russell is a very good rebounder for his position

Maybe. But the guy we saw in the playoffs is not a max player.

Against the team who lost with the champions for a bounce? The 76ers were build to win now and the Nets were a very limited team. Maybe Dlo was the culprit of playing against the best 76ers lineup?

[darmani]

Read on Twitter

[Killboard]

I don't think D-Lo is comparable to Wiggins, but I wouldn't give him the max either.

I will say I prefer Dlo at 27M at age 23 than Teague at 19M at age 31.

[Macwolf527]

[quote="Slim Tubby"]Just from the standpoint of clearing cap space to sign Dlo straight up, what does the board in general feel a fair cost to move Teague, Dieng and/or Wiggins?

Teague - Once everything play out in FA, I think we can get a 2nd round pick for him. I guarantee he'll have a market
Dieng - Future 1st Round Pick (Lottery Protected) - DEFINITELY! It will take nothing less.
Wiggins - I still think you can get a pick for Wiggins depending on what you're willing to take back in salary will determine if its a 1st or 2nd round pick.

[Killboard]

Read on Twitter

Maybe it happens, but LA media needs a high amount of clicks.

[Mattya]

So he is going to take ~7 million dollar a year less to play in LA? Doesn't seem like a reliable source.

[shrink]

Maybe this is obvious, but somebody reassure me that signing Russell to the max isn’t adding the Wiggins deal all over?

In Russell, I see a young guy that performed below his lottery pick expectations, produces offensive counting stats without great efficiency, doesn’t defend, and you hope that with his youth, he grows to be worth the max deal.

1st. Russell carried his team to the playoffs (is the East but still) while being an all-star last season.

BRK was 42-40 playing primarily eastern conference opponents, 13-17 vs the West. If the schedule was normalized 50/50, BRK was a sub 500 team. Worse, their 42-40 record got them the sixth seed in the East, while if they were in the West, they’d have missed the playoffs by a wide margin. LAC got the 8th seed at 48-34, playing a western-heavy schedule.

As for the All Star game, he came in 9th. In the East. For guards. In fact, freakin’ Eric Bledsoe had a higher ranking from NBA players, and would have gotten that final Eastern All Star spot, but Russell got more fan votes - being from populated Brooklyn.

https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2019/01/2019-Eastern-Conference-Guard-NBA-All-Star-Starter-Voting-Results.pdf

I think both the playoffs and all star accolades are as about as minimal as they come.

[Klomp]

Why are people believing these no-name reporters?

[alabamawolf]

Read on Twitter

That guy doesn’t have legitimate sources

[Macwolf527]

I don't think D-Lo is comparable to Wiggins, but I wouldn't give him the max either.

I will say I prefer Dlo at 27M at age 23 than Teague at 19M at age 31.

Dlo is definitely not max, but it may take it for him to choose us over a larger market team where he would recoup some of those dollars in endorsements. If we can unload Wiggins, I have no problem paying it because I expect him to thrive in the environment we're creating more so than Wiggins. And because I know that's the nature of the beast for small market teams....You overpay! Que será, será, Whatever will be will be!