Timberwolves: The Minnesota Timberwolves are a two guard away from being very good. They know it. The league knows it and Timberwolves’ fans have known it all season.
The Wolves have a number of cashable parts. The problem is there does not seem to be a lot of interest in Wes Johnson, Wayne Ellington or Luke Ridnour – especially not for a starting caliber two guard.
Sources close to the situation say there are few teams that would do a deal for rookie Derrick Williams but at this point the Wolves seem unwilling to move him or entertain talks involving him.
The parts the Wolves would cash don’t seem to be drawing much, so while the Wolves understand they need to upgrade, they are not eager to make a bad deal, but expect them to be active in the march up to the deadline. If a starter at the two spot shakes loose, they seem eager and willing to pull the trigger.
Keep an eye on Houston’s Courtney Lee… Wolves’ coach Rick Adelman knows him and it seems he is available from the Rockets. If the price comes down, don’t be surprised to see a deal.
Courtney is no Kevin Martin, but at this point the Wolves are buyers in a sellers’ market place.
Hoopsworld.com, FWIW...
4 months ago
jianfu
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This
Is basically how i assumed things were going. The pieces we have that we want to move wont really bring in anything that we need, and the pieces we won’t give up might.
Personally, I’d trade Williams for a solid 2. Not because i’m “giving up” on him, I think he’ll be a good player, but he doesn’t fit on this roster….and a solid 2 does!
I watch this team, and i care so much, simply because i can’t not. It’s just a part of who i am..
I agree - don't need to rob someone blind
Just Williams for an equivalent prospect at the SG position.
Getting worried that Williams value and attitude will plummet with his lack of minutes.
"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." -- Yogi Berra
by Wile E Coyote on Jan 30, 2012 10:46 AM CST up reply actions
He won't leave!
Actually, it appears quality PFs are in abundance.
You can't...dust...for vomit.
I saw that too. Bill Ingram expanded a bit on it in his chat today
Brian: Good morning, Bill.
It was clear after last night’s game against the Lakers that the Wolves are lacking at SG. Mayo has been mentioned, but either the Wolves aren’t interested or we don’t have anything the Grizzlies want….other than Love, Rubio, or Williams (shouldn’t give up). What should they do?
Thanks!
Bill Ingram: Yeah, the Grizzlies have been very schizophrenic on the Mayo trade issue. Courtney Lee has asked for a trade and he would be a great fit in Minnesota, depending on how much the Rockets want for him . . .word is they are vastly overvaluing their players. I believe the Wolves would part with Beasley, Randolph and maybe even Ridnour for the right piece. Trouble is, the other teams around the league know Minny is a 2-guard away from being extremely good, and they’re using that against them in trade talks.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-chat-with-bill-ingram-1302012
"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." -- Yogi Berra
Lee's also an RFA this summer
So I’m not sure how Houston can ask the moon for him. Urgency issues aside, if the Wolves were interested (which is speculative in these links) they could always just try to sign him. Not sure how much I’d be comfortable trading/paying him as he’s just ok. Same for Mayo.
Lots of Wolves comments in the above chat.
Be sure to follow the link.
To summarize: Wolves are actively shopping for a SG, but the Rockets overvalue Courtney Lee. The Wolves are unwilling to trade DWill at this point. Ingram says to keep an eye on a Lee-to-Wolves trade closer to the deadline when Morey gives up and is ready to deal. He says Darko is better than he’s given credit for, and the Wolves aren’t looking for a C at all, but if they were he thinks McGee is a great fit.
I stopped trusting a word...
that comes out of Kahn’s mouth awhile ago, but everything in that discussion directly contradicts what Kahn said in the recent chat.
I’m hoping this is the more true of the two takes.
I'm still hoping all the "We're going to draft Wes and not Cousins" stuff
was all a clever smokescreen by Kahn, but I’m quickly losing hope.
…
He’s not clever that way.
Can you quickly summarize
what that chat consisted of? I never saw a transcript and didn’t watch the video. I’m guessing he denied actively looking for any trade, and he wants to see the core grow together?
The eyebrow raising moment of the Kahn chat
for me was when he basically said they have a greater need for upgrade at the center position than at the wing. The sources linked to in this post contradict that notion and of course I think for most of us here that makes more sense.
I remember him saying roughly....
“we are happy with our team and not looking to trade anyone”… however “we are definitely set at the wings, but may consider looking for an upgrade at center”
I hope that this is just...
…yet another sign that he has been sent to man the elliptical and not much else.
That elliptical needs some use.
Why do you hate Kahn so much you think he can’t do it? Why would you say he kills puppies?
"Oh my, oh my, oh my. Is that great basketball or what?" --Hubie Brown, Jan. 20, 2012
by Cynical Jason on Jan 31, 2012 1:40 AM CST up reply actions
The Hoopsworld guy said it
Teams know we need wings. Maybe Kahn is letting those teams know we actually don’t, thereby lowering the price of Wesley Matthews!
You can't...dust...for vomit.
My two cents
There are all sorts of signals going up from 600 First Avenue that they want a wing player. Not just a 2, but a wing player. It doesn’t take a whole lot to see that the Wolves have 1 big asset that they’d be willing to depart with. It also doesn’t take a lot to realize that Williams is probably worth the most as an asset in a sign and trade for a RFA like McGee, Hibbert, Gordon, or Batum.
They can win this year if they get a player soon enough. It is fairly obvious that Williams does not have a long term place on this squad. Will it happen before the deadline or as a sign and trade over the summer?
Sounds good to me, I guess.
Williams is too valuable a piece to trade for a Courtney Lee-caliber player. Any of the above mentioned RFAs would be fine in a Williams trade, as well as guys who may or may not be available anymore, like Martin or Iggy.
I have a feeling they’re going to wait until after the season. It seems like they don’t want to tinker, and they don’t want to screw up by trading anyone too early. I’m okay with this approach, I just feel like they could do SOMETHING small before the deadline, such as a move for Courtney Lee. Mix him in with Martell/Barea/Malcom Lee, and I would say we have ourselves a decent wing rotation until we make a splash in the offseason.
Dwill is not a three
and never will become one?
I can predict the future using Norm Van Lier's crystal balls.
"Sam has a tendency to denigrate reports coming from any reporter who didn’t also cover the day Naismith first put up the peach baskets." - snley
by NBA Observer on Jan 30, 2012 3:47 PM CST up reply actions
He's a four. He might be able to eventually make the switch, but why?
600 N First Ave "like a Pirate's cove".
Look at the dude.
He’s closer to a 5 than he is a 3.
You can see just in this picture
that even if he’s a shade shorter than Love, he’s just as thick, and maybe thicker. He’s built like a brick shithouse. If he’s a three, so is Charles Barkley.
"Oh my, oh my, oh my. Is that great basketball or what?" --Hubie Brown, Jan. 20, 2012
by Cynical Jason on Jan 31, 2012 1:47 AM CST up reply actions
I sure hope that is true.
The whole Kahn chat about needing a center is exactly the opposite of what I’ve seen. We can go little with Love at center, or we can roll a Darko/Pek combination and this seems to work fine except against Bynum+Gasol. Beas is schizophrenic and Martel is nothing more than average at best… it’s pretty clear we just need a 2 or 3 and we will be in the playoffs. In short Kahn scares me.
This made me want to check, and his FTA/FGA is half of what it was last year.
His overall numbers have held up pretty well, but that’s a huge change.
by Madison Dan on Jan 30, 2012 12:13 PM CST up reply actions
OJ is the answer
Long time lurker, first time poster here!
I know he’s buried in the bench in Memphis, but we new a consistent jump shooter that doesn’t need the ball to be effective. Mayo fits that mold. He’s also young, athletic, and a decent perimeter defender. I say let Rubio make plays so he can make shots, and open the post more for K Love. I’m willing to trade any combo ridnour, Randolph, and Beasley….unless Beasley keeps playing like last night.
by blingin_egyptian on Jan 31, 2012 12:29 PM CST via mobile reply actions
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