[dbeal21Participant]

So in my opinion going into this offseason the Wolves have 3 holes to fill to be a competitive team (finally). Those spots are; Backup PG, Backup SG, and Starting PF.

My Wolves Depth Chart

pos. 1st/2nd/3rd
PG: Rubio/*Blank*/Tyus
SG: LaVine/*Blank*/*Blank*
SF: Wiggins/Shabazz/Bjelica
PF: *Blank*/Gorgui/Payne
C: Towns/Pekovic/Garnett

With that being said what do people think they need to do this offseason? Who should they sign? Who should they draft? What trades could they possibly do?

A list of Free Agents I think they might pursue is:
Harrison Barnes F, Pau Gasol F, Nicolas Batum F, Ryan Anderson F, Dwight Howard C, Luol Deng F, Joakim Noah F, Terrence Jones F, Mike Conley G

A list of players I think thy consider drafting are:
Buddy Hield G, Dragan Bender F, Jamal Murray G, Kris Dunn G, Domantas Sabonis F, Marquese Chriss F, Henry Ellenson F, Skal Labisierre F, Thon Maker F

What combination could they do to solidify their depth chart?

I personally like Rubio and think he will fit in well with the players around him so if were picking at 5 I think it’s Buddy or Murray. But I really want us to trade down somehow with Denver so that we get there 7 and I think 16, than we get Dunn or Hield or Murray and a shot at a prospect like Skal or Thon. I also think Joakim Noah will end signing with the Wolves this offseason.

[GlenTaylorSucksParticipant]

The Wolves have already made one of the best offseason moves of any team in hiring Thibodeau. Not even gonna worry about the dual role at this point; him as coach is perfect for this young team. 

As for the draft, I’d love it if the Wolves took Murray at 5- he’s a great fit with either Rubio or Lavine, and has the upside to be a very good G. He also fits more what the team needs (a second creator/distributor) than Hield does, and has higher upside. I’m not concerned about his defense- Thibs is one of the best defensive coaches in the league and will coach them up. If Murray’s gone, then take Bender. If neither are available, try and trade down and consider shooting for a solid backup PG or a cheap PF with upside. 

I could see them signing Noah as a backup PF/C. I’d also love to see them take a swing at signing Deng, and possibly Pau. Barnes, Batum, Anderson, Howard, Jones, and Conley are all likely too expensive to pursue unless we give up Rubio/Pek, and I don’t see that happening. It also wouldn’t shock me if Bazz were dangled in trades since he and Lavine are basically the same at this point in that they’re both high energy 6th men, but Lavine has the upside of potentially being a 2 way player, whereas Bazz doesn’t. 

[GlenTaylorSucksParticipant]

The Wolves have already made one of the best offseason moves of any team in hiring Thibodeau. Not even gonna worry about the dual role at this point; him as coach is perfect for this young team. 

As for the draft, I’d love it if the Wolves took Murray at 5- he’s a great fit with either Rubio or Lavine, and has the upside to be a very good G. He also fits more what the team needs (a second creator/distributor) than Hield does, and has higher upside. I’m not concerned about his defense- Thibs is one of the best defensive coaches in the league and will coach them up. If Murray’s gone, then take Bender. If neither are available, try and trade down and consider shooting for a solid backup PG or a cheap PF with upside. 

I could see them signing Noah as a backup PF/C. I’d also love to see them take a swing at signing Deng, and possibly Pau. Barnes, Batum, Anderson, Howard, Jones, and Conley are all likely too expensive to pursue unless we give up Rubio/Pek, and I don’t see that happening. It also wouldn’t shock me if Bazz were dangled in trades since he and Lavine are basically the same at this point in that they’re both high energy 6th men, but Lavine has the upside of potentially being a 2 way player, whereas Bazz doesn’t. 

[dbeal21Participant]

Thibs will be a huge asset to the development of LaVine Wigs and Towns. When I look at the team I see 3 players who are untouchable for trades; Towns, Wiggins, LaVine (maybe not quite untouchable) and 2 players that I’d prefer to keep unless the deal is right are Rubio and Dieng. Shabazz is okay but would definitely trade him for a decent return, the rest of the team I don’t think are too valuable, But having the 5 I don’t want to trade could even be enough with development to be a serious team. Towns is a 2 way player that can do it all, potential to be a top 5 player in the NBA. Wiggins is a 2 way freak athlete with the potential to be a top 10 NBA player. LaVine is a crazy athlete that can get buckets and I think he has the potential to be a top 20 NBA player. Rubio is an excellent passer, good defender, and amazing basketball IQ, obviously hes jumpshot is suspect but if he develops a serviceable jay than he is a perfect match for this young athletic squad. Gorgui is a defensive/rebounding PF/C with a decent midrange game and could be a perfect role player within this core. So I hope we try to build around these 5 as I personally think its a great mesh for a team, were just missing a few pieces and some development. But man, Skies the limit for these young Wolves.

[dbeal21Participant]

Thibs will be a huge asset to the development of LaVine Wigs and Towns. When I look at the team I see 3 players who are untouchable for trades; Towns, Wiggins, LaVine (maybe not quite untouchable) and 2 players that I’d prefer to keep unless the deal is right are Rubio and Dieng. Shabazz is okay but would definitely trade him for a decent return, the rest of the team I don’t think are too valuable, But having the 5 I don’t want to trade could even be enough with development to be a serious team. Towns is a 2 way player that can do it all, potential to be a top 5 player in the NBA. Wiggins is a 2 way freak athlete with the potential to be a top 10 NBA player. LaVine is a crazy athlete that can get buckets and I think he has the potential to be a top 20 NBA player. Rubio is an excellent passer, good defender, and amazing basketball IQ, obviously hes jumpshot is suspect but if he develops a serviceable jay than he is a perfect match for this young athletic squad. Gorgui is a defensive/rebounding PF/C with a decent midrange game and could be a perfect role player within this core. So I hope we try to build around these 5 as I personally think its a great mesh for a team, were just missing a few pieces and some development. But man, Skies the limit for these young Wolves.

[GlenTaylorSucksParticipant]

I like Dieng, but I think there’s a potentially big problem coming up. Thanks to his counting stats, he’s looking at probably getting a much bigger contract than he deserves. From a metrics/analytics standpoint, he’s really not that good of a player- he’s not as good of a defender as he looks like he is, and he’ll turn 27 this season (i.e. he’s arguably already hit his ceiling). He’s a great backup C, but thanks to his counting stats, some team may look to give him starter money, and if that’s the case then Minny should look elsewhere for a backup. 

And call me a Rubio homer (and I’m sure my past posts confirm it, lol), but he has arguably one of the best value contracts for a starting PG in the NBA; I feel like there’s no way to get fair compensation for what Rubio brings to the team. Sure he’s not a great shooter and struggles with finishing at the rim, but he’s quietly one of the best defensive PG’s in the league (really, only healthy Bledsoe and CP3 are in the same range), and they don’t really need him to be a top scoring option when they have Towns, Wiggins, and Lavine. He’s very good to elite at all the little things needed to win games, and has elite floor vision and bball IQ. Unless there’s a clearly better option available that can contribute positively right away, I don’t think you trade him for anything. I don’t necessarily think having a high-scoring PG like everyone else has would be a great fit for this team.

 

 

 

 

 

[GlenTaylorSucksParticipant]

I like Dieng, but I think there’s a potentially big problem coming up. Thanks to his counting stats, he’s looking at probably getting a much bigger contract than he deserves. From a metrics/analytics standpoint, he’s really not that good of a player- he’s not as good of a defender as he looks like he is, and he’ll turn 27 this season (i.e. he’s arguably already hit his ceiling). He’s a great backup C, but thanks to his counting stats, some team may look to give him starter money, and if that’s the case then Minny should look elsewhere for a backup. 

And call me a Rubio homer (and I’m sure my past posts confirm it, lol), but he has arguably one of the best value contracts for a starting PG in the NBA; I feel like there’s no way to get fair compensation for what Rubio brings to the team. Sure he’s not a great shooter and struggles with finishing at the rim, but he’s quietly one of the best defensive PG’s in the league (really, only healthy Bledsoe and CP3 are in the same range), and they don’t really need him to be a top scoring option when they have Towns, Wiggins, and Lavine. He’s very good to elite at all the little things needed to win games, and has elite floor vision and bball IQ. Unless there’s a clearly better option available that can contribute positively right away, I don’t think you trade him for anything. I don’t necessarily think having a high-scoring PG like everyone else has would be a great fit for this team.

 

 

 

 

 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 I think the Wolves already addressed their biggest offseason need at head coach. Their roster isn’t perfect right now but they have an excellent young core of players in place. I would just focus on the draft and making sure they get the right player. Murray would be ideal for them if available. 

As far as other offseason moves, I would be careful about throwing too much money around, as you know Wiggins, towns and lavine are going to be due big raises in a few years. An under the radar target for them could be a guy like Terrance Jones, but even if they don’t make any significant moves in free agency I’d be perfectly ok with bringing back essentially the same team plus whoever they draft. Pekovic needs to go though. Even if healthy, it’s hard to see how he is going to fit this team. I think they will likely just release him.

Let thibs get accustomed to coaching the team and then he can evaluate what he has and what changes can be made once he gets a better feel for the players and how he will use them. The Wolves are in a really good position right now and should be competitive for years to come. You don’t want to mess up what they’ve built by rushing things and targeting the wrong players to rush the process.

 

 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 I think the Wolves already addressed their biggest offseason need at head coach. Their roster isn’t perfect right now but they have an excellent young core of players in place. I would just focus on the draft and making sure they get the right player. Murray would be ideal for them if available. 

As far as other offseason moves, I would be careful about throwing too much money around, as you know Wiggins, towns and lavine are going to be due big raises in a few years. An under the radar target for them could be a guy like Terrance Jones, but even if they don’t make any significant moves in free agency I’d be perfectly ok with bringing back essentially the same team plus whoever they draft. Pekovic needs to go though. Even if healthy, it’s hard to see how he is going to fit this team. I think they will likely just release him.

Let thibs get accustomed to coaching the team and then he can evaluate what he has and what changes can be made once he gets a better feel for the players and how he will use them. The Wolves are in a really good position right now and should be competitive for years to come. You don’t want to mess up what they’ve built by rushing things and targeting the wrong players to rush the process.

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 Agreed on the team needs going into the offseason. 

For me, I think this could be a very simple and boring offseason for the Wolves. 

A couple of boring yet okay sample offseasons I thought of

Offseason A

Draft Dunn

Sign Noah and Jeff Green/Matt Barnes, trade Shabbaz/Payne for Belinelli

Rubio-Lavine-Wiggins-Towns-Noah

Dunn-Belinelli-Green-Bjelica-Dieng

Offseason B

Draft Murray/Hield

Sign Noah and Aaron Brooks, trade Shabbaz/Payne for Dunleavy and a future pick

Rubio-Lavine-Wiggins-Noah-Towns

Brooks-Murray-Dunleavy-Bjelica-Dieng

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 Agreed on the team needs going into the offseason. 

For me, I think this could be a very simple and boring offseason for the Wolves. 

A couple of boring yet okay sample offseasons I thought of

Offseason A

Draft Dunn

Sign Noah and Jeff Green/Matt Barnes, trade Shabbaz/Payne for Belinelli

Rubio-Lavine-Wiggins-Towns-Noah

Dunn-Belinelli-Green-Bjelica-Dieng

Offseason B

Draft Murray/Hield

Sign Noah and Aaron Brooks, trade Shabbaz/Payne for Dunleavy and a future pick

Rubio-Lavine-Wiggins-Noah-Towns

Brooks-Murray-Dunleavy-Bjelica-Dieng

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[asmartin626Participant]

Towns is no doubt going to be a star. Wiggins will be a star. And I’m one of the people that believes Zach Lavine will develop into something special. So you have your 5 locked down with towns. The issue is whether Lavine is a PG or SG, and whether Wiggins is a SG or SF. I believe you can make those decisions upon roster tho. If you have another player that’s ball dominant, I.E. a Lebron, Draymond, Simmons type, I believe you run Lavine at the 1. I don’t know if he should play point if he’s primary ballhandler. 

 

I would maybe go after Barnes. another player that could play 2 positions according to roster and around the same ages as their young players with championship experience. I’d consider giving Beasley another try. He’s wasted away a lot of potential, but if he can keep his head on straight kid can play. Same with Barnes can play both forward spots depending on roster. Maybe Beal if your committed to Lavine at pont.

 

I thought Simmons was a perfect fit for the wolves, but something tells me he doesn’t fall to 5. Call it intuition lol. I’d say hope for Murray, accept Heilf. 

 

Murray and Levine at either guard spot, Wiggins and Barnes at forward, and Towns at 5. Trade Pek for anything you can get. A box of cereal if that’s what you can get to rid yourself of the contract. I’d trade Rubio, I think he played better late, but I just  don’t like him there. Idk way team would really want him bad enough to trade when I look around tho. 

Wolves gonna be scary in a few years.

[asmartin626Participant]

Towns is no doubt going to be a star. Wiggins will be a star. And I’m one of the people that believes Zach Lavine will develop into something special. So you have your 5 locked down with towns. The issue is whether Lavine is a PG or SG, and whether Wiggins is a SG or SF. I believe you can make those decisions upon roster tho. If you have another player that’s ball dominant, I.E. a Lebron, Draymond, Simmons type, I believe you run Lavine at the 1. I don’t know if he should play point if he’s primary ballhandler. 

 

I would maybe go after Barnes. another player that could play 2 positions according to roster and around the same ages as their young players with championship experience. I’d consider giving Beasley another try. He’s wasted away a lot of potential, but if he can keep his head on straight kid can play. Same with Barnes can play both forward spots depending on roster. Maybe Beal if your committed to Lavine at pont.

 

I thought Simmons was a perfect fit for the wolves, but something tells me he doesn’t fall to 5. Call it intuition lol. I’d say hope for Murray, accept Heilf. 

 

Murray and Levine at either guard spot, Wiggins and Barnes at forward, and Towns at 5. Trade Pek for anything you can get. A box of cereal if that’s what you can get to rid yourself of the contract. I’d trade Rubio, I think he played better late, but I just  don’t like him there. Idk way team would really want him bad enough to trade when I look around tho. 

Wolves gonna be scary in a few years.

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 Lavine isn’t playing point. That idea is dead. It wasn’t really ever a full-on idea, it was to get him to learn the game quicker. They forcefed him PG to make him learn the pace, see the floor and hopefully develop his playmaking and it worked because while he’s better off the ball, he has value as a secondary ball-handler and shot creator. 

I’d like Barnes as well though I doubt they have much of a chance at him. Him and Wiggins on the wings makes you a better defensive group and improves the bench as Lavine can be the super 6th man. Those three can all play 25-35 minutes, so that wouldn’t really be an issue either. I’d personally rather have Batum but either one would be great, though unrealistic. 

 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 Lavine isn’t playing point. That idea is dead. It wasn’t really ever a full-on idea, it was to get him to learn the game quicker. They forcefed him PG to make him learn the pace, see the floor and hopefully develop his playmaking and it worked because while he’s better off the ball, he has value as a secondary ball-handler and shot creator. 

I’d like Barnes as well though I doubt they have much of a chance at him. Him and Wiggins on the wings makes you a better defensive group and improves the bench as Lavine can be the super 6th man. Those three can all play 25-35 minutes, so that wouldn’t really be an issue either. I’d personally rather have Batum but either one would be great, though unrealistic. 

 

 

 

[SnowtaParticipant]

 My ideal situation is trade back for 7 and 15 or 19 from the Nuggets. Don’t know if they would do it, but again that would be best case scenario. I feel like at 7 you’re most likely still getting one of Buddy, Murray, or Dunn. I would be really happy with any of those three, but would probably rank them in that order. Then with 15 or 19 you take a big. I’m high on Davis, Ellenson, and Maker again probably in that order. If they stay at 5 I am pretty indifferent between Murray and Buddy. I love the versatility Murray would provide being able to play with Rubio or Lavine, but I’m a big Buddy fan and just think his attitude and skillset would be a great fit with this team.

As for free agents, I would love Noah. Think he could be really effective playing with Towns and would be a great teacher for him as well. I honestly think you need to try to find two bigs in FA if you aren’t able to move back. If we get Noah I think you still try to get another PF type. I’ve said before I’d love Ryan Anderson or Marvin Williams, but I think those two might end up being too expensive. Terrence Jones could be a cheaper option that could provide some of those skills in terms of shooting ability. If you aren’t able to get Noah I think someone I would take a flier on is Thomas Robinson. He rebounds extremely well, which is a huge need for this team. In that case you would have to hope that Bjelica figures it out a bit and could provide some mins as a stretch 4. I guess looking at the offseason in terms of worst case scenario (not getting Noah and not being able to get another mid-late 1st rd pick) leaves you with a lineup like this…

Rubio/Tyus

Lavine/Buddy

Wiggins/Bazz

Dieng/Bjelly

Towns/Robinson

This scenario would make reaching the playoffs quite a bit more difficult, but I think would still be a big improvement over last year. That being said, I think Tibs will be able to convince at least one solid veteran to sign here.

 Best case scenario…

Rubio/Murray

Lavine/Murray

Wiggins/Shabazz

Dieng/Davis

Towns/Noah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SnowtaParticipant]

 My ideal situation is trade back for 7 and 15 or 19 from the Nuggets. Don’t know if they would do it, but again that would be best case scenario. I feel like at 7 you’re most likely still getting one of Buddy, Murray, or Dunn. I would be really happy with any of those three, but would probably rank them in that order. Then with 15 or 19 you take a big. I’m high on Davis, Ellenson, and Maker again probably in that order. If they stay at 5 I am pretty indifferent between Murray and Buddy. I love the versatility Murray would provide being able to play with Rubio or Lavine, but I’m a big Buddy fan and just think his attitude and skillset would be a great fit with this team.

As for free agents, I would love Noah. Think he could be really effective playing with Towns and would be a great teacher for him as well. I honestly think you need to try to find two bigs in FA if you aren’t able to move back. If we get Noah I think you still try to get another PF type. I’ve said before I’d love Ryan Anderson or Marvin Williams, but I think those two might end up being too expensive. Terrence Jones could be a cheaper option that could provide some of those skills in terms of shooting ability. If you aren’t able to get Noah I think someone I would take a flier on is Thomas Robinson. He rebounds extremely well, which is a huge need for this team. In that case you would have to hope that Bjelica figures it out a bit and could provide some mins as a stretch 4. I guess looking at the offseason in terms of worst case scenario (not getting Noah and not being able to get another mid-late 1st rd pick) leaves you with a lineup like this…

Rubio/Tyus

Lavine/Buddy

Wiggins/Bazz

Dieng/Bjelly

Towns/Robinson

This scenario would make reaching the playoffs quite a bit more difficult, but I think would still be a big improvement over last year. That being said, I think Tibs will be able to convince at least one solid veteran to sign here.

 Best case scenario…

Rubio/Murray

Lavine/Murray

Wiggins/Shabazz

Dieng/Davis

Towns/Noah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[goddagParticipant]

I could see the Wolves making some moves this off season, and I agree will all of you that said their biggest move probably has been made already by signing Thibs to coach.
I think they will sign a couple of free agents. Maybe someone Thibs is familiar with, like Gasol, or Deng. There is NO chance they will sign Dwight Howard. He’s a headache, and I think he’s on his down hill slide. We don’t need someone like him in the locker room around these young guys.
As far as drafting, I would be open to trading down a few spots but not too far. And not for multiple picks This team is young enough without adding more than one young guy. As far as drafting Laviserre, or Thon Maker, no. We don’t need no projects like that now at this stage of the game. We need someone that can come in and play on the second team or start at PF.
As far as you people that think they should trade Rubio, your not watching the Wolves game where this guy is averaging 9 assists a game and 2-3 steals a game. He plays better defense than people think. Yup, he doesn’t shoot the best, but we have plenty of other players that can score on this team.
It should be a fun year coming up.

[goddagParticipant]

I could see the Wolves making some moves this off season, and I agree will all of you that said their biggest move probably has been made already by signing Thibs to coach.
I think they will sign a couple of free agents. Maybe someone Thibs is familiar with, like Gasol, or Deng. There is NO chance they will sign Dwight Howard. He’s a headache, and I think he’s on his down hill slide. We don’t need someone like him in the locker room around these young guys.
As far as drafting, I would be open to trading down a few spots but not too far. And not for multiple picks This team is young enough without adding more than one young guy. As far as drafting Laviserre, or Thon Maker, no. We don’t need no projects like that now at this stage of the game. We need someone that can come in and play on the second team or start at PF.
As far as you people that think they should trade Rubio, your not watching the Wolves game where this guy is averaging 9 assists a game and 2-3 steals a game. He plays better defense than people think. Yup, he doesn’t shoot the best, but we have plenty of other players that can score on this team.
It should be a fun year coming up.

[HitsterParticipant]

 Noah to play alongside KAT would be a perfect move if we assume they don’t draft a frontcourter. Thibs knows him from Chicago and Noah brings experience and defence to a young line up. Noah is also a very solid pro from a blue chip sporting family so would be a perfect senior on court pro for T-Wolves.

Pau Gasol isn’t as far fetched as it sounds he has played under Thibs at Chicago too and having had his titles might just be looking for an interesting challenge and playing with the T-Wolves young hotshots could extend his career by a fair few years.

 

[HitsterParticipant]

 Noah to play alongside KAT would be a perfect move if we assume they don’t draft a frontcourter. Thibs knows him from Chicago and Noah brings experience and defence to a young line up. Noah is also a very solid pro from a blue chip sporting family so would be a perfect senior on court pro for T-Wolves.

Pau Gasol isn’t as far fetched as it sounds he has played under Thibs at Chicago too and having had his titles might just be looking for an interesting challenge and playing with the T-Wolves young hotshots could extend his career by a fair few years.

 

[natevalParticipant]

 It’s being reported Dunn is trying to force his way to the Wolves. Would the Wolves consider Shabazz and the 5th for the 3rd from Boston? 

[natevalParticipant]

 It’s being reported Dunn is trying to force his way to the Wolves. Would the Wolves consider Shabazz and the 5th for the 3rd from Boston? 

[SnowtaParticipant]

 I don’t think the Wolves would give up Shabazz to move up 2 spots when you could just sit at 5. If Dunn’s the highest on their board and he’s still there you take him otherwise I think they’d be perfectly fine taking Murray or Buddy.

[SnowtaParticipant]

 I don’t think the Wolves would give up Shabazz to move up 2 spots when you could just sit at 5. If Dunn’s the highest on their board and he’s still there you take him otherwise I think they’d be perfectly fine taking Murray or Buddy.

[Author]

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