This may not really be a preview, but after watching the last two Minnesota games, I have a couple of thoughts.
First, despite my attempt to downplay Alexey Shved in my convoluted proof of Dion Waiters’ dominance, the Russian rookie plays a fun game. Turning 24 next week, he flashes strong pick-and-roll play and deep shooting range. He gets to the free throw line frequently and makes them when there.
Also, he possibly added a piece to the Wolves’ long-term core, pushing Derrick Williams one-step closer to exiting the Twin Cities.
If I know anything about seven-footers who average 14 & 8, Nikola Pekovic appears on the verge of booking an eight-figure salary. Kevin Love makes $17 million in 2015 – 2016; Ricky Rubio presumably starts a first extension-year. Do they want to pay Williams $9 million that season? How about $5 million now, to back-up Kevin Love and Dante Cunningham? Over the last eight games, Williams saw the floor for sixty-four minutes.
So, what is his value, both to the Wolves and League? What do the Wolves crave most: salary relieve…wing talent…draft picks? What if the Cavs offered all three, like:
- Derrick Williams and Brandon Roy, for
- Alonzo Gee, Luke Walton, and 2013 Lakers 1st round pick
I think it works for both teams. For Cleveland:
- The #2 pick in 2011, Williams is 2 months younger than Tristan Thompson. He is another high-upside addition to the core.
- Williams can share power forward minutes with TT, but I am also one of ten people that wants to witness a legitimate run at small forward. According to 82games.com, last year Williams posted a higher PER and held his opponent to a lower PER when playing SF than PF.
- Cleveland exchanges one expiring contract for a contract ending next season. I am wary of adding significant pieces through free agency; trades of manageable contracts and draft picks appear to be Cleveland’s best bet to add quality pieces.
For Minnesota:
- They lower their payroll obligations by $10 million over the next few years. They can use that on someone not backing up Kevin Love.
- Gee offers a reasonably priced rotation player at a position-of-need.
- A late first-round pick is thrown in for good measure. (This trade assumes two things; everyone expects the Lakers to put it together at some point, and Brandon Roy’s contract is viewed non-favorably.)
What do you think, Cleveland? My next target is Enes Kanter, to complete the set of 2011 draftees.
Derrick Williams? No thanks.
It really doesn’t DO anything for us unless Williams plays well. We can offload Walton’s contract in a more productive deal that this.
I would definitely do this. I don’t think Minnesota would. Williams has way more potential to be an above average player than Gee and the #24ish pick in any draft. He’s in a bad spot playing backup to love right now, but I think he could still be a good player in the league. Anyone who dismisses that might as well dismiss TT.
Walton isn’t going to net much. The ability to amnesty players greatly reduced the value of expiring contracts.
Seems like a wash to me. Don’t want Enes Kanter either.
I told you in email that I disliked the idea of having 3 top four rookies from the same draft class, and i’ll repeat it here. They’re all going to have very large qualifying offers and be eligible for large extensions at the same time. This will lead to problems. It’s the same problem with Kanter. Substitute TT for Walton, and maybe make the pick a bit worse and I like it.
Why do people want Eric Maynor? the guy is, if not truely awful, still nothing our cap space can’t better. He moves the scale <1% when it comes to weighing the benefits/cons of trading Andy.
Getting Kanter was actually a joke
Nate Smith,
I really haven’t progressed through a 3 or 4 year cap scenario, but is it really than damning to have three rookie contracts expire in one year? If they’re all really good, there are worse problems to have. If they’re not, you don’t have to extend the qualifying offer. It’s possible that one of them won’t draw lots of interest on the open market.
KyrieSwIrving,
The ability to amnesty only applies to contract prior to the old CBA, plus teams can only amnesty one contract. THe effect of amnestying is going to wear off quickly.
Teams still sign bad contracts, and if your team can offer them a contract that expires in three months, I am sure the other team will continue to look at the ability to jettison the bad contract as a benefit to any trade.
I’d do it. At the very least if someone woke up from a coma from a year and a half ago or we’d get to see glimmer of joy in their eyes when we tell them the Cavs traded a d-leaguer, Luke “Only in America” Walton and a Lakers first round pick for Roy and Williams. That Roy contract will be an expiring next year and they’ll be able to flip it again perhaps for a major piece. I get that Williams has struggled but he does have talent. This kind of insures the Thompson pick too. They don’t have to pay them both long term. Whichever one is better you keep.
I completely agree that free agency means nothing to the Cavs unless someone opts out in 2014 or 15 and actually does return. Highly unlikely that will happen, but this could also maintain cap room for when it does.
Grant will use his cap room via trade and there will be plenty of teams calling to avoid the luxury tax in the next two years. I still think this is a major year for Memphis. If they get knocked out in the first or second round they could become sellers quick.
Another idea. Andy, Casspi, and Walton’s expiring to the T-Wolves for Pekovic, Derrick Williams, Roy, and first round picks in 2013 and 2015. The T-Wolves get an upgrade at center that should push them into the playoffs (their primary goal), a wing who provides space in Casspi and can fit with the other Minnesota wings, and cap relief. The Cavs get a very solid, younger (although only 3 and 1/3 years, not as much as people may think) in Pekovic, an offense oriented power forward who can play some small forward in Williams, and two picks that are at least assets for the future. Roy can be used to keep the Cavs at the cap floor while only being under contract for one year after this. He will quickly be an expiring contract and could hopefully play fifteen minutes a night backing up Waiters, but no real loss if he can’t. The big caveat is that Pek is a restricted free agent this summer and it will probably take about 10 mill a year to resign him.
Anyways, I see next years line up looking like this. Starters: Kyrie, Dion, Muhammed/Porter depending on draft, Williams, and Pekovic. Bench: Zeller, Tristan, Gee, Roy, Gibson, and back up point guard with the late first round pick from the Lakers/Heat. Crunch time lineup depends on matchups, particularly at the 3 and 4 where you would play the starters if you need offense, and Gee and Thompson if you need defense.