The Timberwolves allowed the trade deadline to pass without making a move, opting not to make a trade just for the sake of doing so, president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said.
Minnesota was most heavily linked to forward Aaron Gordon, who was moved from Orlando to Denver on deadline day. The team has struggled with injuries and currently holds the league’s worst record at 10-34.
“You don’t make a trade for the sake of making a trade,” Rosas explained, as relayed by Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. “We haven’t seen this group together enough starting with our best two players and everybody else. That played a big part in it. We want to see what we have in order to make the best-educated decisions we can make.”
As a whole, an astounding 23 teams were involved in trades on deadline day this year, though Minnesota naturally wasn’t one of them.
Here are some other notes from Minnesota today:
- A significant hurdle in the Wolves’ talks to acquire Gordon was the availability of rookie Jaden McDaniels, Hine writes. Minnesota and Orlando held discussions for multiple weeks, but Orlando reportedly wanted McDaniels in a potential agreement. Rosas and his team ultimately balked at the idea of parting ways with the 20-year-old.
- Don’t expect the Wolves to stop monitoring Hawks big man John Collins in the coming months, Hine contends. Collins will be a restricted free agent this summer and received interest from Minnesota until the deadline passed. The 23-year-old has averaged 18.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 30.6 minutes per game this season.
- The power forward position remains an area of concern for the franchise, Hine relays. What remains to be seen, however, is whether the solution will come internally or externally. “The one thing we don’t want to do is plug a long-term hole with a short-term solution that’s not going to be there when we need it,” Rosas said. “So we’ll continue investing in and developing our young players to see if the answer is there. Jaden gives us a lot of excitement and a lot of optionality there, but it’s a need.”
- A source tells Hine that the Timberwolves could have made trades involving Ed Davis and Ricky Rubio, but opted against it.
I proposed a trade like this
Wolves get Bagley, power forward
Kings get Culver and McDaniels
Why would they give up mcdaniels who has potential and they are terrible for bagley who is terrible
Right? If they wouldn’t give him for AG, why would they do it for Bagley?
McDaniels isn’t that good. He is playing significant minutes right now. He looks like a reserve forward, nothing more.
“You don’t make a trade for the sake of making a trade,”
This is true. But that’s not the case with the T-Wolves. That statement is true if you a middling franchise that can be good or can be bad. You ride the wave and see which way it goes.
However, Minnesota is the worst team in the league. There is literally nowhere to go but up. They have three very expensive players plus the most recent #1 overall pick. That should not be the worst team in the league. It should easily be a playoff team. At this point, what would it hurt to just sell off the team for parts and start anew? They should have done what Orlando did. What they have is not working.
Get KAT some help!
Which PF IS going to be buy out? Otto ??
I’m confused on how they see the teams personnel. They’re looking for a long term PF(4) but are reluctant to trade McDaniels who is a PF. Do they think he’s the long term answer? If not why not trade him for one?
Yea he’s viewed as the future for next to KAT because of his 3 and D skills. I think that’s his unlikely cieling and he’s more likely to be a very good role player, but I’d be happy with that for the 28th pitch.
Odd statement from a guy who’s turned over an entire roster (with the exception of Towns) in less than 2 years on the job, and who admits himself that the roster he created still isn’t good enough. Maybe he means he decided to stop making trades for the sake of making trades.
Rosas likely got tired of himself being the goodbye guy… given the turnover change and feeling the need to retain Ed Davis & Rubio.
I think he does, or did, have a plan though… the “Nugget/Dantonio” model… This is my opinion & name for it, but if he insists on not crediting, and doesn’t turn it around in MIN, he will get stuck with whatever he’s doing being called the Rosas plan, and that a label of insult. Not good for someone talks up his ethnicity.
Noel is a FA next yr. He made 5 mill a yr. Sign him for 24-28 mill three yrs. He’s a D force who can play the 4 next to KAT. He will put up 10 and 12 and great D for the yr. Minny needs D more than anything. Noel can anchor the team D. A guy like KAT needs that cause he will never be a defensive force. So you put a guy next to him who will. He does not need the ball to score. Minny has enough offense. Guaranteed he makes them a playoff team and better. Considering that Minny could keep their pick next yr.
Nerlens Noel …..
I have never understood the value of that phrase.
‘make a trade for the sake of making a trade’
Have we ever heard, in the history of sports, “i just woke up today and wanted to just make any trade. Just to make a trade. Get me on the line with someone, anyone, for who? Anything? I dont care, I just want to make a trade!”
Its one of the most assinine phrases used in sports. Meaningless.
I didn’t act, because I didn’t just want to act in any old way.
Why not say that you didn’t want to trade. Or that you wanted to wait. Without that silly justification?