Free Agency Thread

[Krapinsky]

Apparently that's been debunked. They had contact as recently as the other week.

But I'd take everything with a grain of salt at this point. And if I had to bet on which of these is true, I'd unfortunately have to side with Simmons' being a spoilt man-child.

It’s likely a little but of them all, but spoiled is not really one of them imo… he actually plays all star defense. One of the bigger issues I see is being called out by his teammate in public and no one backed him - not even a coach. No one took any accountability and pretty much put it all on Ben. People with character don’t do that.

A few things.

Firstly, he deserved it. Passing up that layup went beyond sad and into the farcical.

Secondly, he's had the same criticisms leveled against him for almost his entire career to this point. And his response to that criticism? To do nothing. Seriously, he's the same exact player he was 4 years ago. Everything from his per game averages to his advanced stats are near identical year in, year out.

Thirdly, an adult doesn't cut off communication from their employer because it makes them uncomfortable. If an employer gives them resources to train with (a shooting coach his 2nd season) they don't decide, without informing their employer, that they're going to do something completely different. He shirks from responsibility and runs from criticism. He's a man-child, spoiled by those around him who seem more interested in blowing smoke up his arse than actually seeing him improve and grow.

And this is coming from someone who wants us to trade for him. But there's no denying he's got serious character flaws that are effecting his work.

This is sort of an aisde, but i think its a question worth asking. If he goes up for the lay up but gets fouled and ends up at the line, would you say he made the right or wrong basketball play? To pass up the lay up looks bad, but when you are in hack a shaq territory at the free throw line, passing up the potential foul might have been the right basketball play in the moment.

[shangrila]

It’s likely a little but of them all, but spoiled is not really one of them imo… he actually plays all star defense. One of the bigger issues I see is being called out by his teammate in public and no one backed him - not even a coach. No one took any accountability and pretty much put it all on Ben. People with character don’t do that.

A few things.

Firstly, he deserved it. Passing up that layup went beyond sad and into the farcical.

Secondly, he's had the same criticisms leveled against him for almost his entire career to this point. And his response to that criticism? To do nothing. Seriously, he's the same exact player he was 4 years ago. Everything from his per game averages to his advanced stats are near identical year in, year out.

Thirdly, an adult doesn't cut off communication from their employer because it makes them uncomfortable. If an employer gives them resources to train with (a shooting coach his 2nd season) they don't decide, without informing their employer, that they're going to do something completely different. He shirks from responsibility and runs from criticism. He's a man-child, spoiled by those around him who seem more interested in blowing smoke up his arse than actually seeing him improve and grow.

And this is coming from someone who wants us to trade for him. But there's no denying he's got serious character flaws that are effecting his work.

This is sort of an aisde, but i think its a question worth asking. If he goes up for the lay up but gets fouled and ends up at the line, would you say he made the right or wrong basketball play? To pass up the lay up looks bad, but when you are in hack a shaq territory at the free throw line, passing up the potential foul might have been the right basketball play in the moment.

Finish strong and get the and-1, then the FT is just a bonus. He only had Young to beat and if you can't dunk it over him you have bigger issues than poor FT shooting.

But even if it did play out as you suggest, it just feeds into the larger issue that he's seemingly refused to improve his shooting since his rookie season. There is no reason he should be a sub 60% shooter from the line, not 4 years into his career. Yet here we are...

Funny, I might be talking myself out of trading for him.

[Note30]

Trading for Ben Simmons might actually be a worse decision than when we traded for Butler depending on what we give up

[Krapinsky]

Trading for Ben Simmons might actually be a worse decision than when we traded for Butler depending on what we give up

Trading for Butler was the right decision IMO, but we screwed up and failing to build a team around Butler.

I also think trading for Simmons is the right move so long as it means we don't have to throw Edwards in the deal. Bet on young proven talent over young unproven potential. How many times have we been burned by the hope of draft picks and the potential superstardom of our young unproven players?

[Krapinsky]

A few things.

Firstly, he deserved it. Passing up that layup went beyond sad and into the farcical.

Secondly, he's had the same criticisms leveled against him for almost his entire career to this point. And his response to that criticism? To do nothing. Seriously, he's the same exact player he was 4 years ago. Everything from his per game averages to his advanced stats are near identical year in, year out.

Thirdly, an adult doesn't cut off communication from their employer because it makes them uncomfortable. If an employer gives them resources to train with (a shooting coach his 2nd season) they don't decide, without informing their employer, that they're going to do something completely different. He shirks from responsibility and runs from criticism. He's a man-child, spoiled by those around him who seem more interested in blowing smoke up his arse than actually seeing him improve and grow.

And this is coming from someone who wants us to trade for him. But there's no denying he's got serious character flaws that are effecting his work.

This is sort of an aisde, but i think its a question worth asking. If he goes up for the lay up but gets fouled and ends up at the line, would you say he made the right or wrong basketball play? To pass up the lay up looks bad, but when you are in hack a shaq territory at the free throw line, passing up the potential foul might have been the right basketball play in the moment.

Finish strong and get the and-1, then the FT is just a bonus. He only had Young to beat and if you can't dunk it over him you have bigger issues than poor FT shooting.

But even if it did play out as you suggest, it just feeds into the larger issue that he's seemingly refused to improve his shooting since his rookie season. There is no reason he should be a sub 60% shooter from the line, not 4 years into his career. Yet here we are...

Funny, I might be talking myself out of trading for him.

He's 60%. Lebron has been at 65-69% the last three years. Giannis is at 68%. Zion is 69%. Westbrook is 65%.

The think that's common with all these guys is that they are extremely high usage and high minute players. Of them all, Simmons is the one that puts the most effort in on defense. Thus, it's not surprising that at the end of games or in the playoffs when players are giving 110% that you see his FT% dip.

I think if he were asked to shoulder less of a load his FT% will increase. That simple.

[shrink]

Simmons is 52% FT over the last three years of playoff basketball. He was 34.2% this playoffs.

How do you keep him on the court during crunch time? Every opposing coach, particularly in the playoffs, is going to target him.

For reference, Hack-a-Shaq had a FT 50.6%.

Simmons has had many years to improve his shooting. I don’t have faith that just “decreasing his load,” is going to solve his problems.

[Krapinsky]

Simmons is 52% FT over the last three years of playoff basketball. He was 34.2% this playoffs.

How do you keep him on the court during crunch time? Every opposing coach, particularly in the playoffs, is going to target him.

For reference, Hack-a-Shaq had a FT 50.6%.

Simmons has had many years to improve his shooting. I don’t have faith that just “decreasing his load,” is going to solve his problems.

What's the Timberwolves combined FT% over the playoffs in the last three years? Oh that's right... But I'm sure McDaniels steady improvement will have us in the playoffs by 2026.

When we tear these guys down everyone seems to forget how hard it is to make it to the finals. Chris Paul couldn't get there for years. All of a sudden he was damages goods. Donovan Mitchell? Dame? There are so many guys that our great players and they haven't carried a team to the finals either. Yet those teams would be crazy to trade their star players. Simmons mean while is actually available. Players of his caliber don't hit the trade market too often.

I'm from the Charlie Munger/Warren Buffett school of though. By low, sell high. Right now everyone on the street is panicking about Simmons and in my opinion the narrative is overblown. Julius Randle shot 30% from the field against the Hawks and that story never even made the press. Simmons seems to be everyone's favorite scape goat.

And Simmons career FT% is heavily skewed by this year's performance. Before this year he was in line with his career averages around 60%.

[shangrila]

This is sort of an aisde, but i think its a question worth asking. If he goes up for the lay up but gets fouled and ends up at the line, would you say he made the right or wrong basketball play? To pass up the lay up looks bad, but when you are in hack a shaq territory at the free throw line, passing up the potential foul might have been the right basketball play in the moment.

Finish strong and get the and-1, then the FT is just a bonus. He only had Young to beat and if you can't dunk it over him you have bigger issues than poor FT shooting.

But even if it did play out as you suggest, it just feeds into the larger issue that he's seemingly refused to improve his shooting since his rookie season. There is no reason he should be a sub 60% shooter from the line, not 4 years into his career. Yet here we are...

Funny, I might be talking myself out of trading for him.

He's 60%. Lebron has been at 65-69% the last three years. Giannis is at 68%. Zion is 69%. Westbrook is 65%.

The think that's common with all these guys is that they are extremely high usage and high minute players. Of them all, Simmons is the one that puts the most effort in on defense. Thus, it's not surprising that at the end of games or in the playoffs when players are giving 110% that you see his FT% dip.

I think if he were asked to shoulder less of a load his FT% will increase. That simple.

Those are 5-10% different. That's more significant than you want to admit.

Not to mention, as shrink pointed out, Simmons hit in the 30s on FTs during this playoffs. Even Giannis never dropped below 48%, and Westbrook hadn't/hasn't had his playoff FT% drop below 74% outside of Houston.

I get where you're coming from and if the price isn't too high then I'd still be up for trading him. But the price seems to be absurdly high for someone who seems to be a liability in playoff situations. And yes, I realise even making the playoffs for us would be worthy of celebration. But if we're going to invest this much, in terms of assets and salaries, we need to have a thought for how it will all play out in the future.

[shrink]

Simmons is 52% FT over the last three years of playoff basketball. He was 34.2% this playoffs.

How do you keep him on the court during crunch time? Every opposing coach, particularly in the playoffs, is going to target him.

For reference, Hack-a-Shaq had a FT 50.6%.

Simmons has had many years to improve his shooting. I don’t have faith that just “decreasing his load,” is going to solve his problems.

And Simmons career FT% is heavily skewed by this year's performance. Before this year he was in line with his career averages around 60%.

Of course it was heavily influenced! His FTA’s nearly doubled this playoffs, and it wasn’t because he was trying to get to the line - he was actively trying to avoid it. It was because opposing coaches targeted him, with his 34.2% FT shooting.

He’s gotten worse and worse, each of his three playoffs. Why would this change? His FT problems aren’t about his workload (he worked slightly fewer minutes this last series). Those problems are with his head.

Moreover, if he was going to fix his shooting, it should have come by now. I don’t think you can wish his shooting problems away, even if you love his defensive abilities. Sometimes prices go down because the value goes down, when buyers realize the product has serious flaws that aren’t likely fixable.

[moonpie]

Millsap as a stopgap veteran PF? I'm not sure how much he has left in the tank

[KGdaBom]

Article on McKinley Wright. Super productive college player, but small and not a great 3 point shooter.

By Sam Metivier Jul 30, 2021, 6:25am MDT

His dream is coming true: McKinley Wright IV has signed a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves after going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft.


Wright had one of the greatest careers in Colorado basketball history. Over his four-year career, he was thrice named first team All-Pac-12, once to All-Defense and once to All-Freshman. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.2 assists (and is the career leader at CU) and 4.9 rebounds over 131 career games.

Obviously he put up great stats, but his impact was felt more outside of the box score. He was the captain of CU basketball in every sense of the word, leading the offense and setting the tone defensively. When he was focused, the Buffs were focused. They had a great run of success, making the NIT in 2019, being a lock for the NCAA Tournament in 2020, and making it to the second round of the tournament in 2021.


Although a star guard in college, Wright will have to step back into a supporting role in the pros. All of the skills that made him great to stay with him — his offensive awareness, his intense on-ball defense, his great floater game and, of course, his passion for the sport. It’s not hard to see him becoming a high-level backup point guard, something in the vein of Ish Smith or Facundo Campazzo.

He is a bit small at just 6’0 and can’t really shoot. That’s why he went undrafted and why he’s probably never going to be a starter. But in terms of what he can offer on the court, and the kind of presence he will have in the locker room, he will be a beloved rotation guard.


The Wolves have a solid stable of guards, but Kin will have his chance at playing time behind starter D’Angelo Russell. There’s a Ricky Rubio-sized hole in the rotation following the draft night trade that sent the Spaniard to Cleveland. The main competition will be former Pac-12 rivals Jaylen Nowell, who is more of a 2-guard than traditional point guard, and Jordan McLaughlin, who is currently a restricted free agent.

Even if the Timberwolves sign another guard, this is a great landing spot for Wright. As part of his two-way contract, he will be assigned to their G League affiliate Iowa Wolves and will have up to 45 days on the Minnesota roster. Should he exceed those 45 days, the NBA squad will have to sign him to a full contract or lose his rights.

[KGdaBom]

Simmons is 52% FT over the last three years of playoff basketball. He was 34.2% this playoffs.

How do you keep him on the court during crunch time? Every opposing coach, particularly in the playoffs, is going to target him.

For reference, Hack-a-Shaq had a FT 50.6%.

Simmons has had many years to improve his shooting. I don’t have faith that just “decreasing his load,” is going to solve his problems.

And Simmons career FT% is heavily skewed by this year's performance. Before this year he was in line with his career averages around 60%.

Of course it was heavily influenced! His FTA’s nearly doubled this playoffs, and it wasn’t because he was trying to get to the line - he was actively trying to avoid it. It was because opposing coaches targeted him, with his 34.2% FT shooting.

He’s gotten worse and worse, each of his three playoffs. Why would this change? His FT problems aren’t about his workload (he worked slightly fewer minutes this last series). Those problems are with his head.

Moreover, if he was going to fix his shooting, it should have come by now. I don’t think you can wish his shooting problems away, even if you love his defensive abilities. Sometimes prices go down because the value goes down, when buyers realize the product has serious flaws that aren’t likely fixable.

To me Simmons playoff FT% is irrelevant. Too small a sample size. His regular season % is relevant and it's not good. However, with Simmons on the floor The 76ers outscored the Hawks in all games, but one. In that game it was even. Simmons wasn't a problem for the 76ers he was a solution.

[moonpie]

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[Nick K]

My list of guys the Wolves could look to sign as free agents using part of the MLE include:

JaMychal Green (player option, good chance he declines)
Dan Theis (FA)
Otto Porter (FA)
Gorgui Dieng (FA)
Jarred Vanderbilt (our own RFA)
Mo Harkless (FA)
Justise Winslow (team option)
Zach Collins (FA)
Frank Ntilikina (maybe RFA, but probably not)

I think I like Vando better than anybody else on that list. We're in trouble if that's all we have to look forward to.

Zach Collins might be interesting but he's made of glass.

[_AIJ_]

Gorgui Dieng reunion anyone?

[Dewey]

One thing we know is that if Simmons was worth what the 76’ers are asking - they wouldn’t be trading him …

McKinley Wright and Taurean Price … they likely ease moving any combo of McL/Okogie/Culver/Layman/Juancho.

Still gotta figure out the interior defense.

[Baseline81]

Gorgui Dieng reunion anyone?

No

[shrink]

Gorgui Dieng reunion anyone?

I always liked the guy, and he did well here. He played good defense, and pushing his reliable midrange shot out to corner three’s increased his worth. I heard the reason he was traded was because we wanted to be a running team, and we were committed to Rosas’ “one-big” system.

Now, I hope they consider him as a bench center. He shouldn’t cost much, we know he defends and he comes in knowing how to play with Towns.

[Wolves21]

While not my ideal offseason move signing Bobby Portis might not be the worst route to go if we can get him.Still just 26 and coming off winning a title,solid big that when give a bigger role and minutes(his half season with the Wizards) put up something like 14/8 which would be great on this team to go along side Towns.

Don't know if he would want to leave a title contender like the Bucks but we could pay him more and would finally be a full time starter in the league with us.Problem is other teams can offer the same role and some more money then we can which would be around $10M.

[moonpie]

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