Tim Connelly

[TheLeviathan]

He has a ton of trust in sports media in the Minnesota market....but I'm starting to think he may not be the wizard we think he is.

It's been whiff after whiff after whiff for about 3 years now.

[Mike Sixel]

I'm not a big NBA fan..... But the wolves understood their position, and swung for the fences. I endorse this latest trade. 

[The Great Hambino]

On 6/23/2026 at 8:56 PM, TheLeviathan said:

He has a ton of trust in sports media in the Minnesota market....but I'm starting to think he may not be the wizard we think he is.

It's been whiff after whiff after whiff for about 3 years now.

By my rough math, going back to the KAT trade to get under the second apron, they've turned KAT, Naz, NAW*, and basically every tradable draft resource for the next seven seasons into Ayo, LaMelo, a one-legged Donte, and Beringer.  And still have to fill several roster spots with spare change just to remain under the second apron.

He better be right about LaMelo

*Maybe a little facetious to include him here, but they let him walk to extend guys they ended up trading a year later anyway, so into the ledger he goes

[Mike Sixel]

12 of their players are under 26......

This is the anti Twins.....realizing they aren't going anywhere as constructed, and at least swinging big. Oh, and they are doing it with youth....not veteran presence....

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I assume Anthony Edwards has massive input on these moves? That’s the nature of this sport.

We are coming in to Years 7 & 8 when its the time these franchise guys start winning rings. 

[TheLeviathan]

8 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'm not a big NBA fan..... But the wolves understood their position, and swung for the fences. I endorse this latest trade. 

I love the aggression....but the calculations aren't adding up so far.  The KAT deal can't be seen as anything but a blunder at this point.

I love the Ball trade though.

[TheLeviathan]

5 hours ago, The Great Hambino said:

By my rough math, going back to the KAT trade to get under the second apron, they've turned KAT, Naz, NAW*, and basically every tradable draft resource for the next seven seasons into Ayo, LaMelo, a one-legged Donte, and Beringer.  And still have to fill several roster spots with spare change just to remain under the second apron.

He better be right about LaMelo

*Maybe a little facetious to include him here, but they let him walk to extend guys they ended up trading a year later anyway, so into the ledger he goes

You absolutely get to include NAW.  (Though you do need to include Gobert on the other side) Some of the picks used to get Ayo came from that sign and trade.  Choosing Randle over him was the second biggest mistake of his tenure IMO.

I think I'll always hold Chris Finch in a high level of contempt because he talked this team into targeting Randle in that KAT trade.  Had they decided instead to move him for picks this calculation is much, much different.  It simply can't be overstated that you turned a top 25 NBA player, who was young, into a negative asset, a 6th man, and Beringer.  Given the price tag guys like Bane, Bridges, Beal, etc. commanded you could have absolutely sold him for much, much more.  

Just for reference - a few months later a player with a worse contract (Fox) got traded for Lavine, 3 firsts, and 3 seconds.  Pascal Siakam that same year netted 3 firsts.  Harden went for 4 firsts.  Mikael Bridges went for 4 firsts.  

We got Julius ****ing Randle.  It's malfeasance.

[nicksaviking]

On 6/25/2026 at 8:19 PM, TheLeviathan said:

I love the aggression....but the calculations aren't adding up so far.  The KAT deal can't be seen as anything but a blunder at this point.

I love the Ball trade though.

Right, but two seasons ago it was seen as a steal for the Wolves. 

It only changed because KAT evolved his game, and that likely only happened because he got humbled last year. The Wolves tried for years to get him to play more physical and he just wouldn't. And he also only got better this year because they asked him to be more of a distributor and less of a scorer, but the Wolves couldn't ask the same of him because their other big man, Gobert, was already not a scorer.

I actually don't care for the LaMelo Ball trade, but I also have to admit that it might stem from the fact that I find him and his family obnoxious and unbearable. This team hasn't had a good point guard in forever, so I'm happy to wait out judgment until a later time.

[TheLeviathan]

4 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Right, but two seasons ago it was seen as a steal for the Wolves. 

It only changed because KAT evolved his game, and that likely only happened because he got humbled last year. The Wolves tried for years to get him to play more physical and he just wouldn't. And he also only got better this year because they asked him to be more of a distributor and less of a scorer, but the Wolves couldn't ask the same of him because their other big man, Gobert, was already not a scorer.

I actually don't care for the LaMelo Ball trade, but I also have to admit that it might stem from the fact that I find him and his family obnoxious and unbearable. This team hasn't had a good point guard in forever, so I'm happy to wait out judgment until a later time.

Maybe, perhaps it was a coaching issue more than anything.  I think KAT wanted to win in Minnesota and would've done anything they asked of him.  The guy bodied Jokic on that playoff run, he jsut no-showed the Dallas series.  But players have a maturation process in the playoffs and we never let him have his.  

I never saw his trade as a "Steal".  I had Julius Randle red flags from day one, but it turned out even worse than I could have imagined.  I at least thought we'd flip him later for something of value.