The Wolves need several things on their road to being competitive.  As we saw last night, outside shooting is one of them.

I'm not sure how good Gallinari will end up, but at worst he's proving that he's at least a very good shooter (on 3s anyway) with good size for a SF.  There's no chance that a deal like Simmons suggested would happen during the season.  They're not giving up Gallo for a possibility to pair LeBron with another star.  The deal would have to materialize during the free agent period.   NY would need the word from LeBron that he'd sign there provided they could fit Bosh or Wade as well.

Gomes is nice player, but he just doesn't have enough talent to justify the cap space hit this summer. I think we've seen enough from Hollins to know that he's not vital to the future.  A deal of Gomes and Hollins to Boston for Scalabrine, Giddens, B. Walker (non-guaranteed deal next year) and a 2012 first would provide Boston with even more quality depth in Gomes and shed salary for us next year. 

The Wolves would only have Al, Love, Sessions, Flynn, Brewer, and Ellington on the books for next year along with the Rubio and likely 2 draft pick holds (ours and the Utah pick with the Charlotte pick being pushed off another year).  That should be enough for....

1) Eddy Curry, a 2013 first rounder and $3 million for cap space and a 2nd round pick

2) Jared Jefferies and $3 million for 2nd rounder and cap space

3)  Danillo Gallinari and $3 million for a 2nd rounder and cap space

By breaking it down into 3 separate trades we can get the maximum cash involved from the Knicks via the $3 million max per trade.  The $9 million in cash pays for Jefferies completely and a chunk of Curry.  Tying in the earlier Gomes deal we'd have essentially traded our cap space, Gomes, Hollns, and our three 2nd rounders this year (really...how many young guys can a team use anyway?) for Gallinari, 2 future protected firsts and 2 large expirings for next year.  If the goal is to preserve cap flexability while collecting assets we'd have done exactly that.  For the money, Gallo is a much better fit than say Rudy Gay at $10 million/yr or a Deng type player/contract.

NY pays through the nose to unload Curry and Jefferies with the $9 million, Gallo and the future first, but how do they not do it if LeBron and Wade or Bosh would commit?  With only Hill, Chandler and Douglas committed for 2010-11, the Knicks would have something like $43 million in cap space after cap holds.  That should be enough to sign 2 of the big 3 AND David Lee or potentially all 3 of LeBron, Wade and Bosh if they'd agree to start their contracts at just over $14 million.  We'd have helped the hated Knicks achieve a potential 5 year dynasty, but hey...injuries can happen right? 

In my fantasy world, this scenario plays out after we've already drafted John Wall or more likely Evan Turner with our pick.  Potentially we've traded the Utah pick and maybe Sessions or another asset for another lotto pick as well? 

Going forward...

• Flynn, Sessions
• Turner, Brewer, Ellington
• Gallinari, Brewer, Jefferies
• Love, Pekovic?
• Al, Pekovic?, Curry, draft pick/FA
• Additional assets: Rubio's rights, Charlotte, Boston and NY future firsts