The ringer has an article sending Jimmy Buckets to LA to Pair with LeBron... Should be an interesting offseason for the Wolves. (Especially if Thibs if fired.)
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/...nnesota-timberwolves-los-angeles-lakers-trade
NBA: Summer 2018 Off Season Thread
- Thread starter Dandy
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The ringer has an article sending Jimmy Buckets to LA to Pair with LeBron... Should be an interesting offseason for the Wolves. (Especially if Thibs if fired.)
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/...nnesota-timberwolves-los-angeles-lakers-trade
Now that’s a team I could get behind. I frickin love Jimmy Butler back to the Marquette days when he was a small ball 4. He was like a better version of Hogue with a lot more ball handling ability.
This is great news for the Lakers. Leverage the trades against each other, specifically in favor of lessening what you have to give up for Kawhi. Threaten to trade for Jimmy and if they do so the Spurs will be in a no-win situation, which they already are in but it would get much worse.
If the Lakers choose to wait on Kawhi until next summer I wonder what Minnesota would ask for in a trade for Butler. Deng and a first are guaranteed but what would the third piece be? Lakers refuse to trade Kuzma.
The Lakers refuse to trade Kuzma but LeBron would get his way if that is what it took. I'd guess Ball, Hart or Kuzma would be the other piece. In any case losing Butler for .50 on the dollar for 5 playoff games should cost Thibs his GM role if not his job.
I really think the team to watch here is the Knicks. Kyrie is from there and has been rumored to have his attention, making his shortlist of trade destinations last year (along with Mpls w/Butler) last year. I believe they have space for 2 max players next year and their roster had need at SF and scoring PG. Feels like that is their plan.
If they can trade away Deng, Hart and a 1st for Butler they have to do it right now.
They won't as long as Thibs is the Coach/GM. Butler is his guy,
I get the feeling Thibs plan A is to trade Wiggins with G. Deng's contract and getting a couple of pieces back. Then signing Butler with a new roster next summer. Butler not signing now is a no brainer for him due his contract situation anyway, currently he can extend for 110 million or wait a year and be eligible for 180 mil.
What will Wiggins' market be? Can't be too much. He needs to just swallow the fact that he'll have to be third choice on a good team if he wants to have a successful career. If he won't do that he will have to settle with ending up in a place like Charlotte or Brooklyn. Gross.
The knicks? Porzingis might not play next year. I don't see why Kyrie would want to leave the best team in the East for one of the worst.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles...gis-could-miss-entire-season-with-knee-injury
Agreed, but it isn't the city rather than his relationship with KAT and Wiggins that is strained. That could be repaired and I believe he can earn more money/years playing for the Wolves and with that being Butlers last major contract it is a big factor.
The AP's Jon Krawczynski Take:
@JonKrawczynski
1. Wolves chemistry issues have been documented all season long. Nothing new on that front
2. Wolves know there is no certainty Jimmy stays. But also know nothing has been decided.
3. Of course he’s not signing 4/110 extension. No-brainer
@JonKrawczynski Butler rejecting the 4/110 is a no-brainer because he can get north of 180 next summer. (Sorry for the confusion)
Have seen rumors about Kyrie and Butler trying to figure out a way to play with each other. Butler also complained about Thibs last year as well as far as how many minutes he was playing him. I also think with Butler it appears he doesn't get along well with many teammates. He had the same problems in Chicago.
Kyrie would be in Boston next year then opt out next summer and join the Knicks. Porzingis would theoretically be healthy for the start of 2019 season if he sits out all of next year.
A starting 5 of Kyrie, Frankie "Smokes" Ntilikina/Burke, Jimmy, Knox and Porzingas is a likely playoff team.
Boston may hesitate paying Kyrie the full max he wants due to his history of injuries and has a desire to play in NYC area. Boston will have the max contracts for Tatum and J Brown upcoming in addition to Heyward's not to mention Smart and Rozier may be options.
The Knick's will definitely take the risk on Kyrie for the Max.
"A likely playoff team" is faint praise in the East.
The Wizards are "a likely playoff team."
Bulls roster looks awful and no rumblings of any free agency moves...
Chicago Bulls
PG 1. Kris Dunn
2. Cameron Payne
3. Jerian Grant
4. Ryan Arcidiacono
SG 1. Zach LaVine
2. Justin Holiday
3. Antonio Blakeney
4. Sean Kilpatrick
SF 1. Paul Zipser
2. Denzel Valentine
3. David Nwaba
4. Chandler Hutchison
5. Jarell Eddie
PF 1. Lauri Markkanen
2. Bobby Portis
3. Noah Vonleh
C 1. Robin Lopez
2. Wendell Carter Jr.
3. Cristiano Felicio
4. Omer Asik
Chicago Bulls
PG 1. Kris Dunn
2. Cameron Payne
3. Jerian Grant
4. Ryan Arcidiacono
SG 1. Zach LaVine
2. Justin Holiday
3. Antonio Blakeney
4. Sean Kilpatrick
SF 1. Paul Zipser
2. Denzel Valentine
3. David Nwaba
4. Chandler Hutchison
5. Jarell Eddie
PF 1. Lauri Markkanen
2. Bobby Portis
3. Noah Vonleh
C 1. Robin Lopez
2. Wendell Carter Jr.
3. Cristiano Felicio
4. Omer Asik
Bulls roster looks awful and no rumblings of any free agency moves...
Chicago Bulls
PG 1. Kris Dunn
2. Cameron Payne
3. Jerian Grant
4. Ryan Arcidiacono
SG 1. Zach LaVine
2. Justin Holiday
3. Antonio Blakeney
4. Sean Kilpatrick
SF 1. Paul Zipser
2. Denzel Valentine
3. David Nwaba
4. Chandler Hutchison
5. Jarell Eddie
PF 1. Lauri Markkanen
2. Bobby Portis
3. Noah Vonleh
C 1. Robin Lopez
2. Wendell Carter Jr.
3. Cristiano Felicio
4. Omer Asik
Do you expect anything different? Front office in Chicago is terrible. Fred is going to get fired before too long, and won't ever have had players to fit his preferred style of play.
The Knick's "aren't even a playoff team" today in a weak East and will need two pieces to be one. Porzingas is coming up on his FA too, and he will want players added to show him the team can win. Knicks will be spending on someone next year and Irving seems like the likely target.
Bulls roster looks awful and no rumblings of any free agency moves...
Chicago Bulls
PG 1. Kris Dunn
2. Cameron Payne
3. Jerian Grant
4. Ryan Arcidiacono
SG 1. Zach LaVine
2. Justin Holiday
3. Antonio Blakeney
4. Sean Kilpatrick
SF 1. Paul Zipser
2. Denzel Valentine
3. David Nwaba
4. Chandler Hutchison
5. Jarell Eddie
PF 1. Lauri Markkanen
2. Bobby Portis
3. Noah Vonleh
C 1. Robin Lopez
2. Wendell Carter Jr.
3. Cristiano Felicio
4. Omer Asik
Good year to tank, aside from the lottery odds revisions coming next year. Use the rest of the cap space to try to extort draft picks from teams looking to dump salary.
Since we're talking about the T'Wolves again, you should go check out this thread from last year:
https://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/official-nba-draft-and-offseason-thread.229283/page-37
I waited all year to be decisively proven wrong on my Gary Harris is better than Andrew Wiggins take, and instead had to settle for watching Wiggins decline statistically almost across the board, put up only 2.1 win shares, while Harris put up a career best 5.5 win shares. But I'm sure he'll get better once his max deal kicks in this year.
