From an Ebomb comment:
Gomes Trade
Poor Analysis by SNP
I think the best player in this deal is Webster. But even so, this trade seems to have brought out the worst in you SNP. Any objective analysis of offensive statistics shows that Webster is a better player, and this doesn’t account for the fact that Webster can guard 2 positions effectively whereas Gomes can’t guard any positions. I can understand having a difference of opinion about Webster, but this paragraph I’m quoting below flies in the face of why I come to this website:
Martel Webster is due roughly $14.3 mil over the next 3 years of guaranteed money before he enters his first option year. Luke Babbitt will get roughly $4.2 mil over the same period while Ryan Gomes can almost completely be wiped off the books before free agency. Not only did the Portland Trail Blazers add a dangerous three point shooter to an offense that values long distance shooting, but they did so with massive value, getting both the likely BPA at 16 and slashing money from the books. Even if they keep Gomes around, they still have a partial guarantee next year and his deal is always less than Webster’s.
I come to this website in the past you give me an analytic approach to the Wolves that the local and national rags just don’t give me. Then here, when judging this trade, you don’t factor in the amount of Ryan Gomes buyout as a difference in money. We were going to buy Gomes out, but the buyout is $2+ Million over the next three years in both payments to Gomes and Cap Hits. The better comparison is $14.3 Million versus $7 Million over the next three years for Babbit/Gomes (Buyout).
Babbitt is an unknown. Most likely he will be a failure judging by other #16 picks of the past, so in the 80% chance or higher than Babbitt is a failure, the Wolves win this trade. The Blazers only win this trade if Babbitt is a success.
Lost Opportunity
You seem to imply the Wolves got terrible Value for #16 and Gomes and should have done better, and I ask you what should they have done? There was a lot of talk about trading into the Top 10; however, none of the teams in the Top 10 traded out, suggesting there was no opporutnity. We could have traded with New Orleans similar to what OKC did, but after George went at #10, what would be the reason? Webster is a better fit than Henry for our offense, and is more ready to contribute immediately. Aldrich, Davis, Patterson, and Sanders could have been had at #11 versus #16, but none of these guys was a target. If Anderson turns into a better 2-way player than Webster, you may have a point, if he doesn’t, snagging Webster was the best use of our #16 pick. Until one of these draft picks prove me wrong or prove you right, its speculation anyways.
Financial Implications of the trade
The Wolves took on $7.3 Million in additional salary for a starting 23 year old wing player for the next 3 seasons. So they spent #16 + $7 Million amortized over 3 years for a starting wing.
Presti spent #32, #26, #21 + $8.8 Million over 1 season for an unknown in Cole Aldrich and a future first. Presti is a genius though and Kahn is an idiot, right?
Conclusion
It felt like you’ve had this post written for the past month prepared to lay the hammer down on Kahn and the Wolves in general for passing on Cousins when all the signs said Cousins wasn’t going to be the pick. The feigned outrage over Cousins on this site is laughable, and you played right into it with your "gut feeling" this was all a smokescreen for Cousins that you stated before the draft. That wasn’t a gut feeling, it was you wishing they’d do what you wanted them to do and when they didn’t you join the chorus of national voices that you previously professed to loathe in calling for Kahn’s head. I’m calling you out because I feel like I needed to, but I still love this site, I love reading your takes, and I really respect the opinions here. I hope you don’t lose the faith, and Wolves fans don’t lose a voice like yours, but I also hope we don’t judge this draft until Johnson and Webster start playing some minutes in a Wolves uniform. The three absolute worst players on this team last seasons were Gomes/Wilkins/Pavlovic and they are replaced with Johnson/Webster/Hayward. Maybe some trickling of optimism about how we should have an undoubtedly better team next season would have been nice here. Instead were left with the ridiculous notion that unless the Wolves trade for the #3 pick in the draft, it’s a failure. Agree to Disagree.