Everything 2018 Off Season

[The Great One]

You could look at it the other way, though: Butler liked the post because he (supposedly) wants that max slot on the Lakers to play with Lebron, instead of Kawhi.

Or maybe he agrees with what Danny Green said.

[tenforthewin]

Would this trade work

Raptors send Serge Ibaka, Norman Powell, Malachi Richardson, 2020 1st round pick
Raptors acquire Jimmy Butler, Gorgui Dieng

Our Lineups
Lowry, FVV, LBrown
JButler, DGreen, Delon
KLeonard, OG, CJ Miles
Siakam, Dieng
Val, GMonroe, CBoucher

OR

Raps send Serge Ibaka, Delon Wright
Raps acquire Jimmy Butler

- We go all the way to compete with the Warriors

[golden]

Or maybe he agrees with what Danny Green said.

Well, well. Look at who's becoming Mr. Optimistic here. Enjoy the journey.

[Machine]

At a minimum, Delon Wright would have to be in that package and I’m totally fine with that.

Minny doesn't really have much leverage here and everyone said Delon would have to be included in the deal for Kawhi too

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk

[Tmac2darak]

Well, well. Look at who's becoming Mr. Optimistic here. Enjoy the journey.

Classic!!!

[DanH]

Minny doesn't really have much leverage here and everyone said Delon would have to be included in the deal for Kawhi too

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk

Well, everyone thought it would take more prospects to get Kawhi. But Masai managing to send only one prospect when we expected two, is a little different from Masai managing to trade for Butler while sending zero prospects. Like, why does Minny even bother in that case?

Wright is our least valuable prospect (excluding such non-entities as Malachi and the 2-ways) right now, so that's the minimum bid - worst prospect and a protected 1st, then salary to match. We all assumed Kawhi would take two prospects (or one of our top notch prospects in Siakam/OG), but now after Masai did his magic we've raised expectations.

[DanH]

Well, well. Look at who's becoming Mr. Optimistic here. Enjoy the journey.

Keep in mind, he's a Bulls fan, so Butler is a big blind spot for him. Have to excuse homerism on the board, even if it's not for the Raptors.

[Machine]

Well, everyone thought it would take more prospects to get Kawhi. But Masai managing to send only one prospect when we expected two, is a little different from Masai managing to trade for Butler while sending zero prospects. Like, why does Minny even bother in that case?

Wright is our least valuable prospect (excluding such non-entities as Malachi and the 2-ways) right now, so that's the minimum bid - worst prospect and a protected 1st, then salary to match. We all assumed Kawhi would take two prospects (or one of our top notch prospects in Siakam/OG), but now after Masai did his magic we've raised expectations.

I mean, Minny could just lose him for nothing I guess? 2021 pick is a prospect. But clearly Thibs wants to compete and wants players to fit and contribute now and Ibaka and Miles do that. I wouldn't offer much more. The longer Minny holds out, the more leverage they lose in any deal.

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk

[DanH]

I mean, Minny could just lose him for nothing I guess? 2021 pick is a prospect. But clearly Thibs wants to compete and wants players to fit and contribute now and Ibaka and Miles do that. I wouldn't offer much more. The longer Minny holds out, the more leverage they lose in any deal.

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk

If you can get a deal done losing only Wright and a pick, you don't hold out, you get it done and get as close to a full season with both players as possible.

[inthepaint]

Well, well. Look at who's becoming Mr. Optimistic here. Enjoy the journey.

Yeah, but this is just until the Raps have a random 2 game losing streak, then he falls off the bandwagon, raps is the worst team ever with no hope and he's like...

[hotfuzz]

Alright, just turned on my furnace today, so that means there's gonna be a ball game soon.

Until then, as the dog days drag on, wondering where Butler could land at the trade deadline? (this is assuming Minny is struggling to get in the playoffs like last season, Butler is still unhappy with Wiggins & KAT, and they're afraid of him walking for nothing in the summer -- all of which are quite likely scenarios).

As I learned recently, it will be about who's willing to offer the best package, rather then who's able to offer the best package. Some potential landing spots for him off the top of my head:

1. Lakers - Bron is there and there's been rumours. They probably would be able to put together something decent for Minny, but they're known for just waiting for guys to sign there for nothing, plus they also have their eyes on Klay, so it's hard to say. I personally don't mind this one because if they get Butler, it will make it less likely they'll be able to get Kawhi.

2. Pelicans - They have a top 7 player in Davis, so I can see them trying to get Butler to pair up with him to solidify themselves as a playoff team in that market. I just don't know what they could offer to Minny that's competitive though.

3. Philly - As much as I hate to say it, I think they could make it work. Some combination of Chandler/Redick/Covington and a future pick would probably make Minny happy.

4. Raps - I like all our guys and love our depth, would be sad to see anyone go, but if its for 4-time allstar Jimmy Butler, I fell that outside of KL/KL/OG/Siakam/JV, I'd be okay with any combination of players that would work salary-wise. I personally think something like Serge + CJ + 2021 protected 1st would make Minnesota happy if they feel they're gonna lose Butler for nothing in the summer. Especially if we take on Dieng's bad contract as well

Anybody up for building up the "we could get Jimmy Butler" echo chamber is most welcome. RR is powerful.

No way is that going to be enough. Minny will definitely ask for one of OG or Siakam at minimum.

[DanH]

No way is that going to be enough. Minny will definitely ask for one of OG or Siakam at minimum.

They'll ask for sure. So did the Spurs. The question will be whether when push comes to shove, is the Raptors' offer the best one out there, and does Minny risk losing Butler for nothing...

[hotfuzz]

They'll ask for sure. So did the Spurs. The question will be whether when push comes to shove, is the Raptors' offer the best one out there, and does Minny risk losing Butler for nothing...

Honestly, I'd pull the trigger on Ibaka, one of OG or Siakam and Delon if it comes to it. I don't know if the salaries work.

[inthepaint]

They'll ask for sure. So did the Spurs. The question will be whether when push comes to shove, is the Raptors' offer the best one out there, and does Minny risk losing Butler for nothing...

Precisely. If we learned anything from the Kawhi trade is that the circumstances facing each team on the deal often has much more weight than what people think.

In a vacuum where everything is hunky-dory in Minnesota, yeah, good luck trying to pry him out of there. But, in a situation where they're struggling to make the playoffs, locker room discord and Butler publicly expressing the discontent with the team's main players, it's a whole different story. Depending on how their season goes, the Wolves are at a serious risk of seeing him walk for nothing next summer.

Last year they literally squeaked into the 8th seed on game 82. Butler has been grumbling about KAT/Wiggins for a long time now. If things remain the same this year he'll bail. He's a 4-time all-star turning 30 next year that only got out of the 1st round twice in his career. He's itching to go to a place he can win.

[inthepaint]

Question now is:

Which team would be able to (1) provide a contending environment for him that's a clear step above Minesota's situation, (2) have the depth of assets to do it, (3) have the willingness to do it knowing he could walk in the summer.

Not many teams out there are poised to that for him right now (Which doesn't put Minny in a position where they can ask too much). Raps is one such team though, even though we're already equipped to go to the finals as currently constructed imo.