Black Monday

Kevin Garnett is a Celtic. Damn I hate saying that. A deal was all but finished on Monday, with an official announcement coming tomorrow after figuring out the smaller details of the deal. Personally, I feel betrayed by owner Glen Taylor and GM Kevin McHale. After the deal wasn't completed before the draft, it sounded like the Wolves were indeed going to keep KG. Of course I want success for KG, but I'd rather have success for the Wolves. With the loss of KG, there is no way that the Wolves are a better team. Of course, McHale got himself into this mess by signing players to bad contracts, leaving him no option but to trade KG. Best of luck to KG, you officially just made the Celtics the best team in the East.

The proposed deal-

To the Celtics:
Kevin Garnett

To the Timberwolves:
Al Jefferson
Gerald Green
Sebastian Telfair
Theo Ratliff
Two #1 draft picks (one of which was originally the Wolves draft pick)
Ryan Gomes (rumored)

With a once in a century guy like KG, you hate to see him go. Fortunately, this trade is a best case scenario for the Wolves. They obtain guys who can help right away in Jefferson and Green, a guy with potential (Gomes) and cap room once the contracts of Telfair and Ratliff expire. The deal would have gotten my complete blessing had the Wolves been able to unload one of their bad contracts, like Troy Hudson or Marko Jaric.

The Wolves quickly become a team with very little veteran leadership. Also, they will be losing their most tenured Wolves player once they buyout Troy Hudson's contract. The Wolves roster, as of tomorrow:

PG - Randy Foye
SG - Ricky Davis
SF - Gerald Green
PF - Al Jefferson
C - Mark Blount

Bench:
Marko Jaric
Theo Ratliff
Ryan Gomes
Corey Brewer
Mark Madsen
Rashad McCants
Craig Smith
Trenton Hassell
Juwon Howard
Troy Hudson
Sebastian Telfair

Based on the amount of players currently on the Timberwolves roster, and the number of players they can carry, expect more trades. Hudson will definitely be bought out, and Brewer won't be traded. Ratliff and Telfair will give them cap space after the season. Expect the Wolves to trade at least Ricky Davis and Trenton Hassell. Gomes, Jefferson, and Green are players the wolves will want to try and re-sign after the season, so they most likely will not be traded either. Obviously, at this point the Wolves are overstocked, and more roster moves are inevitable. There is one guarantee though...the Wolves will be nearly unrecognizable next year.

The prospects of a KG to Warriers trade

The best of the reported trades thus far, a trade with the Golden State Warriors is an interesting one to think of. The Timberwolves strongest position the last several years, held by KG, was the SF/PF spot. Interestingly, in any of these reported trades (except a trade with Phoenix in which we would get Amare Stoudemire), the Wolves wouldn't be addressing this position, instead acquiring other position players at center and guard. I'm going to examine what would happen to the Timberwolves roster in the case that this proposed Golden State deal happens.

PG - Randy Foye
SG - Monta Ellis
SF - Corey Brewer/Ricky Davis (If he is still with the team)
PF - Andris Biedrins/Al Harrington
C - Mark Blount

Backups
PG - ?
SG - Rashad McCants
SG/SF - Marko Jaric
SF - Trenton Hassell (He will most likely be traded, since Corey Brewer is basically a better Trenton Hassell)
SF/PF - Brandan Wright
PF - Juwon Howard
PF - Craig Smith
PF/C - Mark Madsen
C - Patrick O'Bryant

While this is a MUCH different looking lineup than last year, with the only returning starter from the beginning of last year being Mark Blount, the roster looks very solid. Whereas the starters are weaker without Garnett in the lineup, with bench is much stronger than last years team with quality backups at every single position instead of just at the guard positions.

I see the proposed trade going...

Monta Ellis, Patrick O'Bryant, Al Harrington, Brandan Wright, and a future draft pick (hopefully a first) for Kevin Garnett and Troy Hudson (which is why I didn't put Hudson on the above roster).

O'Bryant doesn't have very good looking stats, but he was a top ten pick in last years draft, and as Stephen A. Smith so delicately puts it "YOU CAN'T TEACH HEIGHT!!!." O'Bryant is a 7'0'' center, and weighs 10 pounds more than current Wolves center Mark Blount. O'Bryant never was truly given an opportunity to play last season, and could excel playing for his hometown team (O'Bryant went to Blaine High School). Wright has a ton of potential, but will need to be brought along slowly. NBAdraft.net compares him to Chris Bosh/Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and those are two players who have experienced success in the NBA. He will eventually be a very good player though, and he showed flashes of brilliance at times last year at UNC.

The greatest part of this trade is that not only do Monta Ellis and Al Harrington/Andris Biedrins allow us to compete now, but O'Bryant and Wright give us two big guys to build our franchise around once they develop. We would also have Foye, McCants and Brewer, giving us 6 guys from the last 3 drafts. Our team would be young, but could be great within a few years.

As a result of the Jason Richardson trade, the Warriors now hold a $10 million trade exception, which it is assumed they would use in the Garnett deal to make it more appealing. They could take any one of McHale's horrible deals that he has made, but Hudson has the least worth due to his horrible contract and lack of playing time.

The team would then need to acquire a backup point guard for Foye through trades, but it looks like Davis and Hassell could be traded.

In other words, I'm saying that in this case, I believe the Wolves would be a better team after the trade than before it, and that's always the point of a trade, right?

The Rumor Mill part tres

Great article here by ESPN.com's Marc Stein. It lists the potential trade suitors for the Wolves, and the assets that could be tradeable to the Wolves. Stein lists the suitors as most of the teams we already know (Suns, Warriors, Celtics, Mavs, Lakers), and also brings the Bulls back into the equation. Based upon this article, it looks as if the most realistic place for KG to wind up are still Phoenix and Golden State. In an interesting note in the article, it is reported that every move Golden State GM Chris Mullin is making is to position the team to acquire KG. I also think that they have the most enticing deal to offer the Wolves, since they would be getting at least Monta Ellis and Brandan Wright. Any deal with the Suns that doesn't involve Amare Stoudemire would be a rip-off for the Wolves. Keep posted for more KG trade rumors and information.

NBA Draft Night

Well we are just minutes from the NBA draft and there are only two guarantees in tonights draft; Greg Oden will be a Blazer and Kevin Durant will be a Sonic. Kevin Garnett is still a member of the Timberwolves, but that could change if they can find a third team for the Suns trade. ESPN reported that the Charlotte Bobcats are the new rumored facilitator in the trade, with the Wolves getting the 8th pick and a player. This seems like a far cry from the Hawks trade proposed yesterday, which was far and above better than this proposed trade, unless the player is not just a throw in like the Hawks trade. My biggest fear is that Kevin McHale feels he HAS to trade Garnett, and all we get is a pick and a player when we could get so much more. What I don't understand is if Amare Stoudemire is the player being moved, why the Wolves don't just trade straight up with the Suns and get him back. I guess I'll never understand the brilliant mind (read: IQ 85) of Kevin McHale. Also, as I told Court earlier in the day, if the Wolves take Spencer Hawes, who McHale likes because he is a younger, crappier version of himself, I'm switching franchises to root for. I'll even create a poll for what new team to root for and people can vote on it. Anyway, I'll be doing pick by pick analysis once the draft starts.

The final mock draft at NBAdraft.net has the Wolves taking Joakim Noah.

First thing they discussed with the draft coverage was the KG trade, and it was reported that no trade will occur with Kevin Garnett. In other news, former Wally Sczcerbiak could have a new team in a proposed trade with the Sonics that also involves Ray Allen, Delonte West, and the number 5 pick.

Joakim Noah looks likes he's prepared to be selected by the WNBA with his hairdo. Maybe he can play for the Lynx too if the Wolves take him.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

Update: So they have already reversed what they said earlier, and apparently the Wolves and the WARRIORS are talking trade. Who knows anymore. Whatever the team, it looks like KG definitely won't be suiting up in the Wolves colors next year

More Trade Talk

This trade actually seems more realistic than the Lakers deal. The proposed deal involves the Suns, Celtics, and Wolves. The Suns would move Shawn Marion to the Celts, the Celts would give up their pick in the draft and a young player to be named (Gerald Green or Al Jefferson most likely) and maybe more, with KG obviously heading to the Suns. While this seems like a better deal, the Wolves obtain virtually the same thing in either deal (Lakers or Suns that is) so for Wolves fans it doesn't really matter, we are getting a first round pick and a young player, all for a future Hall of Famer and the Wolves career scoring leader...it just doesn't seem like enough. Hopefully we'll get future picks or more players out of the deal. Anyway, more as it develops, which it will over the next two days. I won't be blogging tomorrow, but drop by to catch Court's mock draft. I'll be here all day Thursday, analyzing pick by pick, because I have nothing better to do. See ya Thursday.

Trade Talks Continue

According to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, the proposed Kevin Garnett trade yesterday with 4 teams involved will not be happening, at least not as proposed. Apparently the Celtics weren't thrilled about giving up Al Jefferson for Jermaine O'Neal. Ford reported that it could become a 3 team deal with the Pacers left out, with KG moving to LA, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom going to the Celts, and Boston giving up the 5 pick in this draft, and the '09 first round pick of the Wolves that they are already holding. No doubt the Wolves would receive a player in the deal also, but that was unknown as to who it is. Ford also said that the deal could become just a two team deal with the Lakers and Wolves, but Kevin McHale made it known that he doesn't like Bynum and Odom enough to do the deal straight up, so the Wolves would need to be getting this done. All this trade talk with Garnett will end Thursday, because either he will have been traded by then, or the draft will have gone by and the Wolves will have gotten no picks in this years draft, all but assuring them of keeping KG.

Twins complete trade

While it is only a small trade, the Twins acquired OF Darnell McDonald, a 28 year-old career minor leaguer. McDonald was acquired from the Nationals for the rights to P Levale Speigner. Speigner was to be optioned to the minors, but as a rule-5 draft pick, had to be offered back to his original team first. The Twins could have accepted $25,000 but instead opted for the trade. McDonald was a first round selection for the Baltimore Orioles in 1997, and has a sub-.200 batting average in his few major league at-bats. McDonald was in class-AAA for the Nationals, and that doesn't say much about his potential if he can't make the Nationals roster. McDonald will join the Twins AAA-affiliate Rochester.

Twins Deadline Deals

While Terry Ryan may be one of the best GMs in baseball, he has always shied away from pulling the trigger on a deadline deal. Trades in general have never been part of what makes Terry Ryan great. He prides himself on building the team through smart free agent acquisitions and the farm system. The current team has starters Luis Castillo, Boof Bonser, Joe Nathan, Nick Punto, and Carlos Silva who were acquired through trade, along with injured starter Francisco Liriano. The difference is, none of these trades were done in season. Our last deadline deal was trading away deadbeat starter Kyle Lohse for Zach Ward, who is currently 2-9 with 3.05 ERA in single-A Ft. Myers. This was more out of necessity to get rid of a bad starter to make room for the young guns rather than acquiring someone to help the team.
In other words, history indicates that it is highly unlikely that Terry Ryan pulls the trigger on a deadline deal this year. This year, even more so than last year, the Twins NEED to make a deal. Last year, everything clicked in the second half of the year. Punto kept up his average, and everyone else on the team picked up their respective paces to put up a great second half and win the division. This season the Twins have struggled offensively at times, even failing to win three brilliant Carlos Silva starts 1-0. The most glaring holes in the offense are easily at left field, 3B and DH. While I confidently expect Jason Kubel to pick it up - he is hitting the ball too well to have his average and power numbers down - Nick Punto and Lew Ford have been dreadful offensively (and for Ford, defensively also), and Jason Tyner's lack of power make him nearly useless. With the Twins only 6.5 games back, they need production out of the aforementioned positions. Now, working under the assumption that Kubel will retain a starting spot, and seeing that Punto has already been benched in favor of a more productive Jeff Cirillo, the Twins are one impact bat away from a solid lineup. Here are a few players the Twins should be looking to acquire before the deadline:

1. Adam Dunn - The Cincinnati Reds are shopping him, and then Twins should be looking to get him. As a left fielder and huge power hitter, with 20 home runs on the season, he could easily fill the Twins DH spot, and be a great power hitter after our 1-5 hitters. Although he would be a good fit for what the Twins need, he would be a free agent after the season (his option for next year is voided by trade), Ryan has never been one to take a flyer on a player for half a season.
2. Ty Wigginton - At 29, one of the older players on the Tampa Bay roster, Wigginton lost his starting spot this year due to B.J. Upton winning the second base spot, and the Rays signing of Akinori Iwamura at 3B left him jobless. Wigginton has more power than most of the Twins lineup, and would be capable at 3rd or DH, and is able to play LF also. Although he, like Dunn, would be a half season player, he is more signable in the off-season. He is a better fit for the Twins in the sense he can fit any of the positions that the Twins need a productive player out of.
3. Aaron Boone - Recently mentioned as a potential trade partner of the Twins, the Marlins wouldn't mind parting with Boone. He is a backup first/third baseman and is hitting .286 with 5 homers this season. Although it seems like this could help the Twins, I see it as more of a step sideways. Cirillo is capable of the mediocre power, average, and defense that Boone displays, and also fills in at first base occasionally. Also, don't forget the Twins had a failed experiment with the last Boone brother they tried.
4. Mike Lowell - He has been mentioned in passing as tradebait for the Twins. This deal would only be possible if the Red Sox traded for Mark Teixeira. Without that happening, there is absolutely no chance of obtaining him. He would probably be the best potential bat for the Twins to obtain in terms of a mix of average and power, but I just don't see it happening.

While the Twins need to make a deal this year, I can't envision Ryan pulling the trigger. Teams often times need bullpen help, and with how Juan Rincon is pitching we wouldn't be losing much if we traded him. We could bring Carmen Cali back up for him if he was traded, and Pat Neshek could take over full setup duties (a role he 99%) has right now. The Twins have the pieces to make a trade, but not the guts to pull off a deal to pick up the bat they need. If the Twins don't make a deal, unfortunately the best they can hope for is the AL Wildcard.