FanPost

So you want to make another Ramos/Capps deal with Iggy?

This has been bothering me, and I've mentioned it on a couple of FanPost comment sections. Many board members want the Wolves to trade the #2 overall pick for Andre Iguodala, admittedly a good player. I contend that a trade such as this (or others proposed) benefits one team far more than the other.

Let's look at what the Wolves would have to give up in an Iggy deal. His salary is 13.5M this year. The Wolves don't have to match that as long as they stay under the cap, but if they're giving up a substantial asset, why wouldn't they want the salaries to match? Therefore, I propose we send Webster, Darko, and Flynn...the salaries match, and Darko is bought out. Ultimately, given the buyout (half Darko's salary?), the 76ers would save 2.4 million in cap space for 2011/12. Dumping Flynn and Webster after one year, along with Darko's buyout, would then save Philly 12M in 2012/13 and 13M in 2013/14. How a buyout affects salary cap can be found here. Webster would fit in Philly's rotation for one year.

At the same time, the Wolves get a very good player for the next three years. This would come at a cost of the aforemention players and yield an upgrade at SG/SF plus the positive of someone besides Darko at center. Flynn's departure doesn't bring a positive because the Wolves could likely sell Flynn in a separate deal for a 1st or 2nd rd pick. For one year, this is an incredible trade for the Wolves, except for one problem...they will not make the playoffs with Iggy this coming year.

Years two and three of this, if Darko had been bought out by the Wolves for half his salary and Webster not opted for, would cost 12M and 13M in salary cap space. Is Iggy an improvement over that? Well, that's a 29 and 30 yr old Iggy, not overly old but certainly not in his prime (his prime was the 2009/10 season). To pay 15M and 16M for seasons when his equal but very young and currently unknown alter-option might make just a few million seems irresponsible. The team might make the playoffs, but it would be as a bottomish seed and likely would be one and done.

This, to me, is ensuring mediocrity that is probably coming anyway. Perhaps in spite of Kahn's attempts to slow it down. Plus, and this is crucial, the team is hamstrung by Iggy's salary. Would you do that deal? Some would, some wouldn't. Now, just for kicks, throw in the #2 pick. That's a potential star player. And note the Wolves don't have their high pick for next year. Two years in a row without a high pick when they should have one.

I realize some people have said they'd accept mediocrity over what they've endured the last number of years. Well, they're going to get mediocrity with or without Iggy. A good coach with no Flynn and no Darko brings the team instantly to that level. But with Iggy the team will have severe cap problems and no #2 pick to be a possible star at a cheap salary. He will not lead them to a playoff series win, but he can certainly delay one for a few extra years.

This deal is very similar to Bill Smith's awful trade of an up and coming great prospect (a very valuable asset in MLB these days) for a reliever whose team wanted to rid itself of anyway...no matter what spin is put on it.