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Post by kingsxman on Mar 25, 2024 14:24:03 GMT -6
Interesting numbers: Wolves have the 7th best Offense the past 2 weeks. 8-3 in games w/o KAT. Naz doing what we wish KAT would. Averaging 8 3PA/game in his 5 starts.I can think of at least 1 person here who has been pleading for KAT to take more 3's. What we have to watch out for now is if KAT does come back.....the ground work is being laid that in order for our offense to hum we have to be able to spread the floor by having shooters shoot. If he comes back and starts trying to drive every time I hope Finch has the guts to pull him. But...I have to believe that he'll be so rusty that the game plan will just be to have him be a 3 point shooter.
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Post by levine on Mar 25, 2024 16:59:25 GMT -6
He's been such a stabilizing force for the 2nd unit. His shot has come back (he's up to 42% on 3s as a Wolf) and his defense has been WAY better than expected.
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Post by levine on Mar 25, 2024 17:00:59 GMT -6
Interesting numbers: Wolves have the 7th best Offense the past 2 weeks. 8-3 in games w/o KAT. Naz doing what we wish KAT would. Averaging 8 3PA/game in his 5 starts.I can think of at least 1 person here who has been pleading for KAT to take more 3's. What we have to watch out for now is if KAT does come back.....the ground work is being laid that in order for our offense to hum we have to be able to spread the floor by having shooters shoot. If he comes back and starts trying to drive every time I hope Finch has the guts to pull him. But...I have to believe that he'll be so rusty that the game plan will just be to have him be a 3 point shooter. Finch approves. "I’ve always been a big believer that the shooting comes from the spacing. If we space well and we create the right advantages, then we should be able to get to the right shots from the three-point line. Naz has committed to taking eight threes a game. Ant took eight. So guys are just committed to taking the three, and particularly when it’s been created for them. We haven’t made a conscious decision to say hey we need to shoot more threes because Kat’s not here. It’s a by-product of our spacing."
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Post by XRaySpecs on Mar 26, 2024 13:29:09 GMT -6
It gets harder to justify watching the Wolves the last 2 weeks. Naz is giving so much of what KAT does at significantly cheaper salary. Naz won't be cheap after next year, but he won't get huge money either. KAT will cost more than Naz AND NAW combined AND probably what Kyle gets this offseason (likely from some other team). Even if the Wolves wanted to trade him though...where and for who? Toronto? Charlotte? NY? I target Brooklyn or NY since that is closer to home and not in the Western Conference but what do you trade for? Another PF to backup Reid? I would hope for several draft picks with at least one being unrestricted and one or more being restricted only to top 5, but I just don't see any player/players another team is going to give up a player we really want or need. I think you're right on BRK. They're still the most obvious to me. KAT is a floor raiser and since they don't own their own draft picks, they have no reason to tank. KAT might not make them a contender, but it keeps them respectable so they're not sending premium picks to Houston. KAT has proven he can work with another center and a guy like Claxton actually works well in that regard given his mobility. A KAT and Bridges duo keeps BRK relevant for the next few years and gives them a base to chase a 3rd star after next year. It seems like Ant does excel more with spacing and a more open system so guys who can shoot 3s and still help us defend make sense in trade. Cam Johnson and Finney Smith plus a small $ would fulfill the salary filler part of the deal (maybe we send back Moore Jr. to balance the rosters more) and the Nets have multiple future 1st round picks from other teams like PHX that could be added. Finney Smith has a player option after next year that he would possibly (probably?) turn down so we should be much better able to navigate the 2nd apron stuff going forward. In general I agree with the idea people have put forth that it's usually not best to trade quality for quantity, but that's in a vacuum and doesn't consider the salary constraints of the new CBA. Naz, NAW and say Cam Johnson likely adds up to more than just KAT plus 2 min guys.
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Post by XRaySpecs on Mar 26, 2024 13:30:25 GMT -6
He's been such a stabilizing force for the 2nd unit. His shot has come back (he's up to 42% on 3s as a Wolf) and his defense has been WAY better than expected. His D has been better than expected. I'm hoping we can somehow swing him coming back next year to platoon with Conley.
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Post by XRaySpecs on Mar 26, 2024 14:49:00 GMT -6
It's not going to come to that. They will find a way. For discussions sake, if the Wolves FO/ownership decides they can't afford $100M in tax and they can't "find a way" to make the money work, would you rather have KAT and 2 minimum salary players or Naz, NAW, and say Cam Johnson and draft picks? In a perfect world yes, the Wolves just keep everyone, but if that can't happen, which option would you pick?
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Post by XRaySpecs on Mar 26, 2024 15:03:04 GMT -6
It gets harder to justify watching the Wolves the last 2 weeks. Naz is giving so much of what KAT does at significantly cheaper salary. Naz won't be cheap after next year, but he won't get huge money either. KAT will cost more than Naz AND NAW combined AND probably what Kyle gets this offseason (likely from some other team). Even if the Wolves wanted to trade him though...where and for who? Toronto? Charlotte? NY? I target Brooklyn or NY since that is closer to home and not in the Western Conference but what do you trade for? Another PF to backup Reid? I would hope for several draft picks with at least one being unrestricted and one or more being restricted only to top 5, but I just don't see any player/players another team is going to give up a player we really want or need. On the Knicks, a deal would have to include Randle right? Randle is certainly a flawed player, but he's $19M cheaper than KAT next year and has a player option he'll likely decline after that. I'm not sure what the guarantee date is on Bogdanovic's deal is, but he only has $2M guaranteed for next season. KAT for Randle, Bogdanovic, and draft picks works financially. If the guarantee date is after the trade then the Wolves could waive Bogdanovic to save $17M vs the cap (and way more in tax/apron stuff). Again, Randle has huge flaws, but frankly so does KAT and it's more about balancing the present AND future. Randle has been comparably close to KAT in terms of estimated wins over the years so he could help next year and then we could move on. I realize that Randle is one of the few guys that has played worse than KAT in the playoffs. We're not exactly in a commanding position though with KAT's big contract. How many draft picks would be fair in this kind of deal?
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Post by tmirvin on Mar 26, 2024 15:39:39 GMT -6
I wouldn't touch randle at all, he'd have to go to a 3rd team to interest me. I'm sure a nets deal could be worked out that I like.
I started watching the wolves just before the all star break and when kat first went down, the offense was terrible. They've seemed to figure it out better in the last couple of weeks, but when kat was playing, the wolves didn't need any to close every game. Sometimes kat would step up in the 4th. Between kat and ant, there was always a primary scoring option on the floor and Kat gets the other team in foul trouble. Plus, with him down, the front court is thin (I hate that finch didn't let miller get any PT when Rudy or Reid were out too). Kat seemed to accept his lesser role and was doing great at it. Currently, the wolves are relying on guys who aren't consistent. It works for the regular season, but I think it won't hold up in the playoffs. Ant would have to take over every end of game situation. The other guys are good enough to handle the intangibles, but I think this team needs kat to make a deep run.
With all that said, Naz Reid and NAW are fantastic. Naw is so valuable to the team, but depending on his next contract that could change. Both guys are the type of player that look better on good teams. Kats contract starting next year isn't going to match his on court value, so that is the issue. If ant makes an all NBA team and his salary kicks up, it's almost certain a kat or Reid/Naz situation. Slo Mo might even be lumped into that second group too. In that situation, I'd rather have the 3 role players and whatever kat could return in a trade. I would prefer to get another playable big back though. Markkenan would be a nice fit, but I doubt Utah is interested. Hachimura could work too. Would LeBron want kat? Obviously other pieces would have to be added. Jabari Smith Jr if Houston is looking to speed up their rebuild, but that might require brooks coming with which I'm not sure about.
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Post by kingsxman on Mar 26, 2024 16:15:58 GMT -6
It's not going to come to that. They will find a way. For discussions sake, if the Wolves FO/ownership decides they can't afford $100M in tax and they can't "find a way" to make the money work, would you rather have KAT and 2 minimum salary players or Naz, NAW, and say Cam Johnson and draft picks? In a perfect world yes, the Wolves just keep everyone, but if that can't happen, which option would you pick? I think we are seeing right now what the answer is. I love KAT but he aint worth losing NAZ and NAW.
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Post by levine on Mar 26, 2024 16:23:30 GMT -6
I wouldn't touch randle at all, he'd have to go to a 3rd team to interest me. Agreed. Selfish, bad attitude, demands the ball, doesn't play defense. Has shot better than 32% from 3 only three years out of nine. Had a huge career outlier season last year and has regressed to the mean this year. I believe that he and D'Lo are the 2 players who have the biggest drop in production from regular season to postseason in NBA history.
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Post by XRaySpecs on Mar 27, 2024 14:43:56 GMT -6
I wouldn't touch randle at all, he'd have to go to a 3rd team to interest me. Agreed. Selfish, bad attitude, demands the ball, doesn't play defense. Has shot better than 32% from 3 only three years out of nine. Had a huge career outlier season last year and has regressed to the mean this year. I believe that he and D'Lo are the 2 players who have the biggest drop in production from regular season to postseason in NBA history. Would you rather have KAT and a couple of minimum guys than Randle for and keep Naz and NAW? There probably would be more teams interested in KAT than just the Knicks, but does anyone really know how KAT's contract is going to viewed in light of the new CBA? If the Knicks are our only dance partner you'd say no deal if Randle had to be in the deal?
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Post by levine on Mar 27, 2024 15:58:03 GMT -6
Agreed. Selfish, bad attitude, demands the ball, doesn't play defense. Has shot better than 32% from 3 only three years out of nine. Had a huge career outlier season last year and has regressed to the mean this year. I believe that he and D'Lo are the 2 players who have the biggest drop in production from regular season to postseason in NBA history. Would you rather have KAT and a couple of minimum guys than Randle for and keep Naz and NAW? There probably would be more teams interested in KAT than just the Knicks, but does anyone really know how KAT's contract is going to viewed in light of the new CBA? If the Knicks are our only dance partner you'd say no deal if Randle had to be in the deal? I don't think you can win a title with Randle. I would give him away for a couple 2nd round picks to a team that could absorb his deal.
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Post by tmirvin on Mar 27, 2024 16:34:03 GMT -6
There could be a large jump in the cap - like the NFL recently experienced - which would make kat easier to retain. Randle would be a non starter. He would ruin any good vibes this wolves team has going. He sucks the fun out of the game. I'd rather keep kat than trade for randle. Robinson & hart could be a starting point possibly.
A trading for randle would be a desperate move and there's a lot of things that need to be ironed out before the wolves have to get desperate. Does ant get the supermax? What's the cap increase projections? Most of all, how do the wolves look in the playoffs? Are they built for the regular season?
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Post by Nick K on Mar 27, 2024 18:18:30 GMT -6
It's not going to come to that. They will find a way. For discussions sake, if the Wolves FO/ownership decides they can't afford $100M in tax and they can't "find a way" to make the money work, would you rather have KAT and 2 minimum salary players or Naz, NAW, and say Cam Johnson and draft picks?In a perfect world yes, the Wolves just keep everyone, but if that can't happen, which option would you pick? I don't think that's a fair question. I'd rather wait and see exactly what the situation is with the money and talk then. Obviously I want to keep NAW and Reid with KAT.
It's folly to be amateur GM's here because we have incomplete information to answer these questions. One thing is certain, the front office has this all figured out right now. They know how much they are willing to spend we don't.
I love Kat but I'd consider trading him under the right circumstances if I could get enough for him. That would be unlikely.
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Post by XRaySpecs on Mar 28, 2024 8:13:19 GMT -6
For discussions sake, if the Wolves FO/ownership decides they can't afford $100M in tax and they can't "find a way" to make the money work, would you rather have KAT and 2 minimum salary players or Naz, NAW, and say Cam Johnson and draft picks?In a perfect world yes, the Wolves just keep everyone, but if that can't happen, which option would you pick? I don't think that's a fair question. I'd rather wait and see exactly what the situation is with the money and talk then. Obviously I want to keep NAW and Reid with KAT.
It's folly to be amateur GM's here because we have incomplete information to answer these questions. One thing is certain, the front office has this all figured out right now. They know how much they are willing to spend we don't.
I love Kat but I'd consider trading him under the right circumstances if I could get enough for him. That would be unlikely.
IMO it's a fair question to ask if you'd rather have Naz and NAW or KAT. It's like asking if you'd rather have Ant or Luka. Hypotheticals are the domain of fandom. People that aren't in NBA front offices can have opinions on players. Valuing some other player more (or a combo of players) doesn't mean you don't like that player. You've been a defender of KAT as much as anyone. That's fine. He's a great player. Saying you'd rather have to A- players over one A player doesn't mean the player isn't an A.
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Post by quinn on Mar 28, 2024 9:02:41 GMT -6
WHAAAAAT!?!?!?!?!?
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Post by quinn on Mar 28, 2024 9:22:31 GMT -6
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Post by jojo on Mar 28, 2024 9:22:43 GMT -6
Seems like A-Lore were dragging their feet a bit and Glenn took the opportunity to pull the rug out. He seems to have been pissed at being out of the loop for awhile. Not sure if this is the end of A-Lore or just a negotiating ploy to drive up the price by Glen A-Lore obviously own 40% so Glen could push for another deal for 11% to get them team control.
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jr
Junior Member
Posts: 287
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Post by jr on Mar 28, 2024 9:23:08 GMT -6
Can't wait to hear what this ends up meaning.
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Post by quinn on Mar 28, 2024 9:27:08 GMT -6
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Post by Nick K on Mar 28, 2024 9:46:02 GMT -6
What a stunner!! I never saw that one coming. It looks like Taylor might continue to allow Lore/Arod to come up with the money in the future. That said, Lore/Arod still own 40%. I wonder what happened to the Dyal Capital Partners proposed deal?
If the Wolves win the NBA championship the value of the franchise could sky-rocket.
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Post by kingsxman on Mar 28, 2024 9:48:15 GMT -6
The big question is did Glen do something shady to more or less "renege" on the deal using "technicalities".....or were Lo_Rod really just holding their end together with shoestrings. Until this comes out...we wont know all the story.
What we do know is that it continues: we're still a shit show in the ownership arena.
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Post by Nick K on Mar 28, 2024 9:49:16 GMT -6
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Post by quinn on Mar 28, 2024 9:56:11 GMT -6
This all sounds like it's going to court.
I think two things are likely true:
1. Lo-Rod didn't have the money. They probably raised enough to simply purchase the team at the $1 billion discount they were given.
2. Glen's a snake who can never give up control of this team.
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Post by araxen on Mar 28, 2024 10:01:56 GMT -6
Another new low for Glen? I am shocked to read the news. I honestly feel embarrassed.
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