yeah, I know. I'm not too excited over any numbers from players like him after seeing AR & Beasley play for a couple years. Guys like that don't help the team in the long run.

So glad Roy is going to a team where I can root for him. FU Lakers.

http://www.canishoopus.com/2012/7/8/...-win-at-a-high

interesting article on what the Wolves should be doing this off season

Interesting take. I think he overvalues Pek, and maybe Rubio too. We still haven't seen these guys play much.

A quote from a thread at Canis about PEK:

PEK: he played 35 games in Feb-Mar-Apr, averaging 16 ppg and 8.5 rpg in that stretch. He failed to score 10 or more points on 3 of them. His performance was not a fluke, especially considering the way he plays. He is not an outside shooter who was hot. He probably has the best footwork of all NBA centers, and he has the strength to make it work.

PEK is not an outside shooter who just got hot for a short stretch. This is how he plays. He gave the best centers in the NBA fits and he is stronger than all of them.


The thing that makes Rubio so good is his mind - he sees things before everyone else on the court, both offensively and defensively. Assuming his knee heals, he is as good a defensive PG as there is in the NBA, and as good a passer as there is, right now. His shooting sucks, but that's something that can improve with practice.

That's a ton of money for Batum if you get him, but seeing a lineup of Rubio/Roy/Batum/Love/Pek would be real fun to watch. Hope BRoy works out, dude was great before his injuries.

Still think the Wolves can be more patient to wait for better moves and opportunities?

Admit it: you liiiiiiiiiike us.

MNsam - you should put together a 2012/2013 Twolves playoffs 1time house mix imo.

Love (rightly) hates the job KAHN! has done. The Wolves need to win now - it is time to mortgage the future, as long as the near future includes Love, PEK & Rubio imo. I agree with Stop n Pop - as long as we can surround those three with a few decent/good parts, we'll have a good team. We need to quit pissing money away on the dead weight end of the bench players.

Indiana reportedly will match Hibbert. I have read that the Blazers wanted to sign both Hibbert and Batum or neither and go more down the route of rebuilding; not land only one of them for big monies and then be cap strapped to be above-average.

I can honestly say that I have no idea whether or not POR will participate in a S&T for Batum. For as much of a hardass as he's come across as being, I will give Olshey credit for concealing his hand on this one well. My only fear at this point is since POR needs a center, Kahn will do the unthinkable and throw in Pek to get the S&T done.

You may say no GM is that desperate/dumb, but again, my only fear is that Kahn will do the unthinkable and...

wolves should just stand pat on their offer. i mean it's a very high offer, there is no reason to go higher or offer any assets to sign at that price

I wouldnt be thrilled if they give up DW for Batum, but it wouldnt be terrible. On the other hand, I'd get excited if we make a deal for Iggy that includes DW.

If Kahn trades PEK*, this will be my last year as a season ticket holder.

* - The only way I would be ok with trading PEK is if we get something like D Howard in return and if he agrees to sign an extension.

For those unaware, Kahn attempted to trade K Love for A Randolph a couple years ago. I put nothing past that idiot. The good thing is now we have Adelman to reign him in from (probably) doing something as stupid as trading PEK.

why would he trade pek?


if twolves trade pek they need to be getting something gr8 in return man cause pek is a beast & in 2013 gona be prob top 10 centers...

I, too, wouldn't trade DWill for Batum. I'd make the offer and force Portland to match. It makes no sense for us to give up assets in the deal unless it's to our benefit. And trading DWill *in this deal* doesn't benefit us. I'd only do s&t if we could get rid of JJ or Wes in the deal + flotsam.

I, too, would trade DWill for Iggy though, or some other asset. I would also trade Pek for Howard in a heartbeat even without a signed extension.

Going to be? Who are 10 centers who are better right now?

But yeah, obv he shouldn't trade Pek, but Kahn doesn't have the greatest record of smart moves.

Source? This sounds like complete speculation but if there is some support behind it, I think the chances of getting Batum go way up.[/QUOTE]

http://www.canishoopus.com/2012/7/9/...ions-for-batum

and

http://www.blazersedge.com/
scroll down the page for this:

Arnovitz: Should Blazers Bail On Batum After Hibbert Match?

Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com covered Portland Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey while he was in Los Angeles and has written the definitive profile of him while also doing a recent piece on his philosophical approach to the Blazers.

When news broke that the Indiana Pacers would retain restricted free agent center Roy Hibbert, Arnovitiz wondered on Twitter whether the Blazers should opt against keeping restricted free agent forward Nicolas Batum if he receives a reported 4-year, $45 million offer sheet from the Minnesota Timberwolves or if pursuing a sign-and-trade would be the preferred solution.
----------------------------
Here's guessing that the chances of Portland matching Minnesota's Batum offer just dropped precipitously.

At best, Portland would look for Sign-and-Trade for short-term and/or non-guaranteed deals. Why tie up big, long-term $ in Batum on a team that will win 35-40 [games]? Keep cap room, get high picks and build. I can't speak to Minnesota's thinking. (know anyone who can?) I'm basing this on feel for Portland's thinking. I could also be wrong.

and


http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/B...as_Batum070912

here's more:

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2012/7/1...ted-free-agent

Hmmmm, so seems still just like speculation. I do agree the logic makes some sense. But it's still unclear if Portland think signing Batum really ties up too much of their cap space in the next few years. I mean, after all, gutting the team completely doesn't make sense if they can hold on to a valuable asset. Although yeah, Batum at the offer the Wolves made is almost surely overpaid.

Still though....not sure the Blazers are more likely to let him walk now since I doubt that contract would make him untradeable unless he takes step(s) backwards in terms of his play.

For that kind of $ though, I'd rather have Iggy but w/e. Batum may fit the Twolves needs even better.

The biggest indicator that something has changed since IND matched Hibbert is POR's GM's tone. A few days ago he was saying "...it's in Batum's best interest to stay in POR..." and stuff about how they intended to match whatever offer anyone else made for Batum. Plus they sounded pissed at the Wolves and were totally against a sign & trade deal.

Now he's saying stuff like "I don’t see the guys who fit the criteria we are looking for. I’m not going hamstring the org. with $7-8 million contracts on guys who don’t move the needle. It’s counterproductive.’’

and he has admitting to having a conversation with KAHN!

Looks like Shved is here: http://www.canishoopus.com/2012/7/10...esota#comments


Wolves must be pretty confident in something - Batum match, or Batum S&T, or ability to move at least two players in separate deals. - Hollinger

If we can somehow pull off a Budinger/Batum/Shved/Roy haul this off season while dumping enough crap (hopefully Wes & Ellington are gone) to make it happen, I'm going to be really happy.

Does it really matter if they're gone if we don't bring them back after the year? I think they'll both be FAs.

Yes. We need salary cap space to make all these moves. Wes especially matters @$4 mil+ / year. Extending Ellington last year was really stupid. Both these guys are dead weight.

Shved has agreed to terms - its being reported all over now: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/81...g-alexey-shved

We seem to have gotten definitively better this offseason at our biggest point of weakness regardless of how the Batum thing shakes out. That makes me happy.

Batum Eager To Play For Wolves

He was about 3,800 miles away, but Nicolas Batum’s voice was loud and clear. He wants to play with the Minnesota Timberwolves next season.

How awesome is it that good players from other places actually want to play for the Wolves? This has never happened before.