:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45230968/usa-today-8309746.0.jpg)
Here are the two relevant tweets:
ESPN sources say Wolves are willing to move Thaddeus Young as part of ongoing rebuild and Young said to be high on list players BKN covets
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) January 16, 2015
More importantly: Sources say one option that strongly interests Nets, IF Brook L trade goes down, is trying to deal Perk for Thaddeus Young
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) January 16, 2015
As of now, it appears that the Brook Lopez to Oklahoma City deal is off, which means the 2nd tweet, the one in which the Wolves would receive Kendrick Perkins, is not relevant. Of course that could be revived at any time, so we will just have to await events.
A trade of Young for Perkins would be disappointing in one sense--Perkins is not someone the Wolves would be interested in long-term. But he's an expiring contract that would remove the possibility of being on the hook for Thad Young's $10M next season.
Personally, I don't think it's worth it; I'd rather keep Young around even on the chance that he opts in for next year; I still think he's a useful guy who can help a team. And the Wolves are not overloaded with starting quality power forwards at the moment, nor are they likely to be in a position to acquire one via free agency this summer. If Young opts out to go elsewhere, that's fine, but I don't see it as the worst thing in the world if he sticks around on a one year deal for next season.
Of course, if other things are attached, like draft picks, that might make it more interesting, but the Nets have traded away most of their future draft picks in various deals over the past couple of years, most glaringly the deal with the Celtics for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. First rounders are not coming our way, at any rate.
The Nets don't have much of great interest for the Wolves as things currently stand. They have expiring contracts in Garnett ($12M) and Mirzra Teletovic ($3.3M), and a reasonably effective Plumlee brother (!), but there isn't an obvious trade. If the Wolves could get out of some potential salary for next season in addition to Young, it might be appealing. Certainly if I could do a Garnett and Plumlee for Young and Chase Budinger deal it's something I would do, but I doubt the Nets want to give up any real on-court assets for Young at this point.
At any rate, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Wolves make more moves before the trade deadline, and Young seems a likely guy to go, even though it leaves them even thinner at the four spot. I was a proponent of Young this summer, and I'm still glad they made that trade. It would be disappointing to me if his stay here was less than a year, and wound up being as disappointing as it has been, but I understand the Wolves' desire to clear the decks as much as they can, even if free agency is not going to help them.
What do you think?