The Houston Rockets have traded Chase Budinger to Minnesota for the #18 pick.

Thanks for the info!

Anyone think that the Rockets are going to attempt to trade their picks to move up the boards? To get Drummond?

 A reliable 2-guard or yet another SF? I don’t like this deal for Minny with the quality of player likely to be available at 18 in this draft.

 He is a small forward but he play 2 guard. He is a bench player though. I don’t get this trade. He is still mostly a spot up shooter. I don’t think he is what they need. I would have kept the pick and drafted Doron Lamb who I am a huge fan of and think will be much better than Budinger. 

Although Budinger shot 40% from deep last year, he’s still a small forward like Omphalos said… Minnesota already has Beasley, Williams, Johnson, and Webster

 They’re probably getting picks to trade for Dwight

 B-ball fan is correct….they are going to trade these picks.  gives more creedence to the D12 rumors. 

 Great deal for Minny.  They get a reliable 2 guard who can fit in well.

For Houston, I am guessing that pick will not remain theirs through the draft.  I am guessing this was designed to give them more ammunition to move up and/or make a play for Dwight Howard.

Minny didn’t need to get younger with Lamb, they needed some people on their team with more experience.  As for the logjam at SF, either Beasley or Johnson or both are going to be gone soon so there are going to be some minutes opening up. 

I’m surprised that Budinger is all that Minnesota would want for the 18th pick.

Please sign-and-trade Michael Beasley to my Cavaliers for Anderson Varejao. Please!

 actually, the initial talks were for Kevin Martin for the 18th pick…but with his salary, the Wolves were likely needing to dump a player…none of whom Houston wanted….thus the straight up trade for Budinger.

Its also doubtful that Martin and Scola will be in a Rockets uniform next year…we pretty much know Lowry wont be.

 Minny already has plenty of raw young players.  While I agree with joecheck88 that Doron Lamb would have been a good pick at 18 for them, I haven’t seen any mocks with Lamb going that high.  Budinger can play either wing position and is superior to most players who are taken 18th overall in the draft.  This improves Minny’s talent level while also giving them a shooter who can play 2-guard, their weakest position.

 Minny should have asked for more

 Wonder why they didn’t ask for Courtney Lee.

There is a big difference between Chase Budinger and Kevin Martin though. I’m surprised Minnesota didn’t at least want a future second round pick. David Kahn is really confusing. They could likely get a better player in the draft at 18 to play the 2 guard…maybe they just want to save some cap because I think Budinger’s contract is cheaper than a first rounders would be at this point.

Any chance they use these picks to move up for Drummond, and then package him plus other assets for Dwight? 

Minnesota has rights to Lior Eliyahu after this trade.

horrible trade for minnesota.. come on another 6’7 shooter who can’t create, another johnson or webster.. with that pick they could have got something better like may be t.ross or at least players like d.lamb, jenkins, bartonj.cunningham or even t.wroten.. and if they wanted another SF then someone with more upside like harkless, p.jones, q.miller or r.white.. like I said, horrible.

beat me to it ^

Yeah, Minny just added…sigh… another forward getting Eliyahou too

 Picks 14, 16, and 18?

I know they’re probably going to trade the picks..but those picks can do some serious damage if used correctly..

LMFAO

Kahn strikes again.

What an incredible trade for Houston.

 ….yes indeedy…

in my mock I have Ross, T. Jones, and Moultrie going 14th, 16th, and 18th respectively….but there are an azzload of good players that could be in that range, namely Zeller, PJIII and Moe Harkless, who could easily end up in those spots in my final mock.

If I’m Houston, I package two of those picks to move up to the top 5 and keep the 3rd pick.

Scary that there’s rumors Lowry could be traded to Toronto for the 8th pick too lol.  Could you imagine?

The 18th pick gives them a lot of flexibility though.  I think Fab Melo would be a great pick there.  And then they can grab one of the wing players in the top 5 if they trade up.

PG: Dragic

SG: Kevin Martin

SF: Kidd-Gilchrist/Barnes

PF: Scola

C: Fab

I think Dragic will be a solid starter, so pairing him with MKG and Fab would be a nice place to start, and would offer them a lot of flexibility on what to do with Martin and Scola.

Gotta think Kevin Martin was the better deal for the#18 in a deep draft.

KAHHHNN!!!

At least he won’t draft another PG 🙂

 Courtney Lee would have been the better fit by far, but he’s a RFA I’m fairly certain, and Houston seems pretty high on him.

Inded, Lee is an RFA.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/FreeAgents-12-13/nba-free-agents-2012-2013

bad trade for Minny, David Kahn again sell himself low, yeah they should have go after Courtney Lee instead.

If we assume that Beasley will move on then I wonder if the T-Wolves may look to go smallball with K-Love playing some 5 when Pekovic is on the bench and Williams plays 4 with Johnson and Budinger playing at SG and SF between them.

Martell Webster and Brad Miller also have team options which the T-Wolves may not pick up so if Webster goes then this creates another reason for them to take Budinger. With David Kahn you can never really guess what his moves are going to be but apart from Rubio and K-Love then anyone else could be on the block and with the two above mentioned team options, the T-Wolves could have trade options.

With 14th, 16th and 18th picks, it’s hard to gage what the combined trade up value is and who might want to do a deal. Personally I could see Houston maybe looking to pair two of them to maybe chase the 10th pick from NOH who also have the Rashard Lewis expiring deal. If Kevin Martin is on the block then could NOH be interested if Eric Gordon decided to move on and getting K-Mart would give them a nice trading chip.

If Houston do want to make a play for Dwight Howard then I wonder if they might even chase Deron Williams as well. I know they have Kyle Lowry but D-Will would be a big upgrade on him.

This is gonna turn my mock draft to rubbish haha

First post,

I thought Aldeman was running the show in Minny, not Kahn. This would explain why they took this path. Budinger was a good player in Aldemans system. Plus, buds on the cheap compared to what the 18th pick would be paid.

 I don’t get all the criticism of Minny.  Most players who get taken in the ballpark of 18th overall in the draft end up being inferior players to Chase Budinger.  Plus, as Mufasa said, this saves money for Minny.  If you are looking at this deal from a talent or salary cap view, Minny comes out on top. 

This was also a solid deal for Houston, depending on what they do with it.  If trading for this pick was necessary to get Dwight Howard, than it was a good deal.  Otherwise, it likely won’t be.

Chase Budinger is an athlete who can shoot. Not bad. They aren’t looking for a go-to guy anyway just another shooter who can complement Rubio, Love, D-Will 2.0, and Pekovic.

The Wolves COULD have gotten a 3 point shooter with some size and hops but it wouldn’t have been guaranteed.

Not the best trade, but not a bad one either. I like Chase. I think he gives the T Wolves something they need (3 point shooting, athletic wing who can play the 2). If the Wolves didn’t really like anyone at 18 then this was a good move. Personally, I like Will Barton as a scoring/creating shooting guard but he does have some question marks and is probably more ball dominant than Chase Budinger.

With Budinger they can go either big or small. A Love, Derrick Williams, and Budinger front line will be young and talented with two great athletes.

Most said though that the T Wolves needed a spot up three point shooter with the 18th pick (if so I don’t see how they could have done better than a player with the skill and athleticism of Chase Budinger) but I thought they needed a scoring/slashing legit 2 guard who could also pass and who had some range — which is why I was thinking that Will Barton would have been a good fit here.

I will give this trade a B now. If things turn out well then I could change it to an A or A +.

If the T Wolves were thinking of guys like Doron Lamb or John Jenkins at 18 then I think Chase Budinger is an upgrade.

Depending on how all these rookies turn out, we may look back and find out that the T Wolves were one of the winners of draft week.

whoever they take in the draft with the 18th pick would have an equal chance of busting out as they would living up to their potential or NBA comparison. minny simply got a wing player they knew who can play in the league already. they’re choosing of going with a proven prospect instead of an unproven one. and as mentioned earlier, Rick Adelman knows Buddinger more than any of us and im sure he would have had to sign off at the deal. Adelman probably knows what Chase brings to the table and how to use him efficienttly.

but Chase Budinger doesn’t fill the hole at the SG position, he’s a SF, too slow to play SG.
also i disagree about the financial wise argument, the #18 pick should not be making much more than what Budd gonna be paid, moreover the #18 pick whould have give Minny a player on the cheap for some years while Buss would want a rise after this season as free agent.

i just think they should have done more for the #18 pick, maybe even to combine it to Derrick Williams in a trade for a star player or a hige draft pick.

I live here in MN and it’s a foregone conclusion that Beasley won’t be given his $8M Qualifying Offer, Webster also has a $600K buyout that needs to be done in a week, given his injury history and $6M salary next year he’s as good as gone too. We all know Wayne Ellington isn’t an NBA player and will likely be included in a trade within the next week. There’s also a lot of talk here locally that Derrick Williams will also be traded, likely in a Pau Gasol or Andre Iguodala or Rudy Gay trade. Even with just Beasley, Webster, Randolph, and Ellington being let go here’s what the Wolves have under contract next year:

Rubio/Barea
Ridnour
Budinger/Johnson
Love/Williams
Pekovic/Darko

They needed wings in a bad way, this has Adelman written all over it, it’s his former player, he knows what he’s capable of, and it’s likely Ross/Rivers/Lamb would’ve been gone by the time they picked. They worked out Will Barton out yesterday and he’s was probably the highest rated wing on their board that would’ve been available, they obviously didn’t think he was worth the 18th pick, plus Budinger makes only $900K next year, far less than the 18th pick would get and for likely much more production than that pick would’ve given them. Remember, this team hasn’t made the playoffs in 8 years, that’s their goal next year and another unproven young player getting substantial minutes wouldn’t have helped them.

Will this deal be finalzed for the draft nd if so does Houston pick a guy they like or a guy for Orlando (since that big offer is accunulating)?  Sorry for sounding dumb but trying to catch up on all this lol

If Houstn drafts for themselves..who do they take you think?

If Houston is drafting for Orlando..who do they take you think?

If Minnesota is drafting for Houston, does Houston tell Minny who they really want ot a smoke screen pick?

The 18th pick for a proven player sounds great…Chase is a lot like Mike Miller and Adelman can max out his ability at Sg/Sf, he and Wes Johnson can do a lot of the same things and it could push Wes to develop a few go to moves…

I think The Wolves could still try to sign a Sg like Mayo, and if they don’t then they still have Malcom Lee who I like a lot at Sg…And if a Sg like Barton/Jenkins or Buford slides to the 2nd the Wolves could make a trade for him…

Houston is the Team I don’t understand in all of this…I heard the Howard rumors and think they are crazy to think he’ll resign there without some type of help(sorry Martin, Scola and Lowry don’t cut it for me)…I understand they’ll likely trade the farm to aqquire Howard but how does that make sense???

I like the Rockets with 3 picks in the top 20(they could draft BPA across the Board, see what C might be there at 14, draft a Pg or Sf with the 16th pick(Marshall/Teague and PJ III/T.Jones/Harkless, and whoever the BPA is at 18th)…

I’d see what players I can get in the draft and trade Martin and Scola afterwards…

The Rockets need a Center(Zeller, Leonard or Melo make sense with one of their picks)

They could use a Pg with Lowry talking his way out of Town(Marshall could be there at 14, and Teague will be there at 18)

They could use the 16th pick to take a high risk/high reward type like PJ III or T. Wroten Jr(If their both even still available)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

I Love it when gms screw up everyone’s mock days before the draft…..

Adelman is in his mid-late 60s, with 2 years left on his contract before he retires. Kahn I think is in the last year of his deal? Thank god.  Either way, they’re trying to win now, and given the franchises’ playoff drought, I’m ok with that

^^^

Legendary Poster,

I think they should look at OJ Mayo too.  He is a good combo guard off the bench.  Not the biggest guy or a pure shooter but he can do some of everything and really needs a change of scenary.  He’s basically a poor man’s James Harden and might thrive with a great pass-first point guard like Ricky Rubio.

I think they got Chase because they wanted a 3 point shooter.  Plus, a guy that could play some 3 now that Beasley is likely gone. 

They might actually be looking at OJ Mayo which is why they didn’t go after a scoring wing like Will Barton.  This way they can get an athletic shooter in Chase Budinger at the 3/2 and a good combo guard off the bench in OJ Mayo.  These guys would fit in well with Rubio, Derrick Williams, Barea, Ridnour, and Wes Johnson on the perimeter.

… I would have liked Doron Lamb for them but I don’t feel like he has the biggest upside.  Chase Budinger is solid, and has a bit more upside in my opinion.

he could start for the Cavs or Hornets(if Eric Gordon leaves via Free Agency)…

he would likely start for the Clippers and Suns too…CP3 or Nash to pass him the ball??? 

Mayo could go to Chicago in a sign and trade for Ronnie Brewer and the 29th pick and start next to Rose

Mayo wouldn’t be down to sign in Sota to be backup, even if it’s his best role at the moment…

This trade makes sense for the Twolves. It’s a clear win for the Rockets, but the Twolves get what they need. The premier SGs in this draft will most likely be gone by the 18th pick. Budinger is a SG, and he is better than anything the Wolves will get at that point in the draft.

Budinger is a good offensive player, it’s his defensive that is a concern. The Wolves will obviously sign a free agent SG as well, but Budinger fills a gaping hole with an average level player.

From Houston’s point of view, this is a great trade. They’re obviously looking to move up in the draft for a potential franchise changing player. I think the Dwight Howard rumours are garbage

In what world is Chase Budinger worth a mid 1st round pick?

Mike Miller was a good all-around player in his prime.  Good shooter, good rebounder, good ball-handler, good passer.  Budinger is a worse shooter, worse rebounder (despite having a size advantage), worse ball-handler, and worse passer.  He should not start for any team in the NBA.

 "Most players who get taken in the ballpark of 18th overall in the draft end up being inferior players to Chase Budinger."

dont agree, a lot of talent will be on the board at that time, maybe not the same skillset as Chase, but some serious talent such as Harkless, Q. Miller, maybe even PJIII.  Minny will be unloading more players soon so there will be openings.  Plus some of these players could broker even better trades…like suppose someone after 18 really wants Harkless bad?

"the #18 pick should not be making much more than what Budd gonna be paid"

maybe about $700k more per year….is it worth the risk?  I think so.

"I think The Wolves could still try to sign a Sg like Mayo"

not "could" but "should" and this is why I dont feel they really needed Chase.

its not a terrible deal, but I feel like they couldve gotten more

According to reports in Houston newspapers, the Rockets are targeting Tyreke Evans and the 5th pick for Lowry and those 2 first round picks…

@RudeBoy

Yes, that’s been posted already.  However, that report has already been refuted by multiple sources (though I’d argue where there’s smoke, there’s probably some fire).

how about the are the only team in position to re-unite high school teammates terrence ross and terrence jones

 Budinger is cheaper than a mid first rounder and has proven to be more productive than the most players taken in the 16-20 range.  Budinger may not be a star, but who would the alternative be at the 18th pick.  With Beal, Lamb, Waiters, Rivers, and Ross already off the board, it is possible the T’Wolves didn’t like any of their options at the 2-guard spot more than Budinger.  

 In Adelman’s offense there is not much difference between a 2 and a 3.  Chase can shoot and is a nice athlete.  I am not sure about this trade as a T-Wolves fan, but I would rather have a proven player than trusting Kahn making a pick.  This is definitely an Adelman trade.  We still need more pieces.  We need an athletic big to pair with Pekovic. Pek is a nice player but limited defensively.  I wish we would use our amnesty on Darko.  I know Minny is interested in Alexey Shved.  I know if they sign him they also would sign one more.  I know they are interested in Jamal Crawford, Brandon Roy, and OJ Mayo.. I think they might offer Batum as well, but not sure we have a chance.  

As for Lee, I know Minnesota loves him but I am sure Houston is not going to offer him.  They like him better than Martin from what I have heard.  I would not want Martin.  He plays no defense.  

For the T-Wolves, I hope we do not trade Williams.  I think he is too good to give up on.  In a perfect world, he could play small forward.  Not sure if he can do that, but even so, I think he can get a lot of minutes for us as he can play spot duty at small forward and power foward when we play small ball and have Love at the 5.  

 "According to reports in Houston newspapers, the Rockets are targeting Tyreke Evans and the 5th pick for Lowry and those 2 first round picks…"-Rudeboy

So you mean to tell me they will get Evans & Drummond?

 Dont they already have enough wings who can shoot, are athletic, but dont create their own shots well?

Lol thanks Minny

I hear the Rockets using the 14th and 16th pick to try to get the Kings 5th, with the addition of a player of course (Scola?) and perhaps using Kyle Lowry and the 18th to trade to the Raptors for their pick and using those two top-ten picks to go after Dwight.

If everything goes correctly and we get some expiring deals, we can end up trading for Dwight this offseason (two top-10 picks + Kevin Martin?) and enticing him to stay in a Rockets uniform by signing Josh Smith in the offseason.

Also, we might end up signing Lee and Dragic to move forward with a line-up of

1. Dragic
2. Lee
3. Parsons – Morris
4. JSmith – Patterson
5. Howard – Motiejunas – GSmith

With maybe about 8-12mil of cap-room to fill in the rest of the roster.

 They will likely trade the picks for a quality center or to move up and grab Drummond. Sacramento may be in the mix to trade the 5th pick to them… For maybe Kyle Lowry and maybe two of the first round picks…

 Houston just officially screwed everyone’s mock

the twolves front office continues to make me smh

Look at DraftExpress’s mock draft.  Anyone from that 16-25 range could easily bring more to a team than Budinger in my opinion.  Hell, Minnesota could take someone like Doron Lamb or Jenkins by trading down and still probably get more value than what Budinger brings.  Budinger isn’t even a shooting guard.  He doesn’t fill a need for them.

I think it’s an awful deal for Minnesota. Budinger really has no value in my opinion, and doesn’t address their need of a SG. With the draft as deep as it is, Minnesota had a chance to find a quality prospect at 18. Just another questionable move by the Wolves front office, not surprising.

How on earth is either team a loser in this?
The Rockets pick up a needed pick if they’re swinging for the fences with a Dwight deal.
The Wolves pick up Budinger who thrived in Adelman’s system and will be effective as a swingman, replacing minutes filled by guys who will be leaving in the shape of beasley and webster.
For those arguing bout getting K-Mart for the 18th pick get real a 20+ ppg guy isn’t going for anything lower than an 8th and those arguing about Lee he’s about to be a RFA.
The Rockets wouldn’t dream of keeping the three picks, they’re useless late-loterry to mid-first talent gets you nowhere in this league, you need a superstar to win in the NBA always have always will. The guys going 14, 16, 18 will most likely never make an all-star team, never mind be true superstars.
Around draft time we tend to fall in love with mid-first round guys but many of them will never be anything more than bench/rotation level talent. The Rockets probably acquired this pick to package with their other two picks to go to Sacramento for their fifth so they don’t have to take back Evans. Then they will most likely trade Lowry straight up to the Raptors for the eigth pick, because make no mistake he’s a top ten pg in this league, when you factor in his rebounding and overall defense.
All of this so the Rockets can throw the 5th, 8th picks plus Dalembert’s partially guaranteed, Camby’s expiring and either K-Mart or Scola for Howard or K-Mart and Scola for Howard and Turkoglu.
The Magic start over swing for Drummond and possibly swing something to Portland for the sixth so they can take Lillard too.

Who exactly out of those picks do you expect to be better than Budinger?