Wolves Acquire Chase Budinger and Some Dude for the 18th Pick
Swamp Donkeys in photo above not included in trade.
Without a source and before everyone explodes at Kahn, this is absolutely a Rick Adelman-driven move. Funny how that shifts the context here. A few brief thoughts:
1. Positives first: This is exactly why expectations can never be high. Last night we were treated to yet another sprinkling of rumors surrounding Kevin Martin and we woke up to Chase Budinger. In other words, we dreamt of Kevin Martin and woke up to Chase Budinger. Somewhere there is a spousal analogy here. The reason you, yes you, reader, might not like this trade is because your expectations were too high for the 18th pick.
2. Budinger fills a need and is a good, proven player who Adelman adores. There are positives here.
3. HOWEVER.... this is not enough. We are already headed towards the offseason every Wolves fan dreads: minimal, bit, cheap moves with relatively low impact results. Budinger will play a big role for the team next year and comes at a very modest salary, so there is room to add more. However, he will not have the type of impact required to really move this team forward. Kahn now has one less arrow in his quiver and for that reason I am terribly worried that this offseason is going to be a massive disappointment in aggregate. Over the next few days we will hear refrains such as, "the Wolves might not be done with moves," and disappointment will follow. This is a good move perhaps for later in the summer, but overall I am very disappointed if this is Kahn's draft day splash. Even if it was Adelman's idea. And I'm guessing Kevin Martin was Adelman's real idea.
4. An All-White starting lineup is a distinct, real possibility. David Kahn is obviously racist.
Source:
@DraftExpress
The Houston Rockets have traded Chase Budinger to Minnesota for the #18 pick. Confirmed.@WojYahooNBA
Houston has also included the rights to Israeli Lior Eliyahu in the deal to Minnesota, a source said.@DraftExpress
Lior Eliyahu will join the Timberwolves for Summer League in Las Vegas. Has a real chance to make their team it sounds.
Beasley had a litany of issues, but unless the team ads a SG who can create points without much help he'll be sorely missed at times next year.
Anywhere in the draft you have a gradient of chance where a guy will be a stud difference maker. At number one it is maybe 70% at 60 it is more like .5%. All Kahn needed to do was sit pat with all his picks and play the odds, If he'd have accepted the fact that the individual pick wasn't a sure fire bet but in the aggregate his odds were good the Wolves would be much better off.
I like the trade - Budinger is probably a better player than the Wolves would have gotten at pick 18, and he's only 18. Plus he feels a need on the team. Eliyahu is a real solid prospect, too - has been real good in Europe.
@Jeff Fox Budinger isn't 18...?
And this Israeli fellow will be terrible and will never take the floor, 83% sure of that. Rather have schvedy balls.
@Daddyfatsax @Jeff He's average, which is still light years better than Lesley Johnson (sadly enough.) Oh well, I guess it boils down to I'd rather have a nice rookie for 4 years (if we want to keep him) instead of this average guy for 1 year. And if we want to keep Chase more than one year, then we are going to have to pay him more. Not a good use of assets if you ask me.
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@CollegeWolf @Jeff @Daddyfatsax But he's white, so there's that.
But the "dime a dozen" player comment is misleading because so is whoever is available at 18. the points are more about 1) control - he'll be a free agent vs. the 4 yrs you mention and 2) less chips to do something that actually makes a difference. This move would be great if the Wolves were already a perennial 2nd round playoff team.
But doesn't mean I don't like Buddy as a player. He's fine and will probably do well with Rubio and DeathFromAboveKevinLove.
@Jeff Fox @Daddyfatsax And that's why it's so bad. He sucks and is gone after one year, or he's decent and then commands a bigger raise after the season. Give me a rookie we have control of for four years any day. Budinger is a dime a dozen player.
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@Jeff Fox @CollegeWolf @Jeff @Daddyfatsax The team got better today and there is zero point in arguing over how good draft picks are until we see how things transpire over next season
@CollegeWolf @Jeff @Daddyfatsax I'd put money that Kahn had D Will and the 18 for Martin and Budinger in his sights and refused to part with D Will. Then it was reduced to this over time.
In a vacuum I like Budinger. I don't much care for the trade itself and how it bodes for future moves the rest of the offseason (few).
But in a vacuum a guy who can hit those corner 3's from the sweet spot in Adelman's offense is a big positive. He shouldnt cost much to retain at $3-$4 million which won't matter when the Wolves are over the cap next season anyways.
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@CollegeWolf @Jeff @Daddyfatsax True, very deep draft, but still no guarantee you'll get someone better than Budinger. He's young, athletic, and can shoot - he should easily score in double-figures/game for the Wolves next year. A big upgrade over what they currently are trotting out on the wing. Only having him locked up for 1 year is the problem - if he does have a great year you're going to have to cough up the dough or you'll lose him.
@Jeff Fox @Daddyfatsax This is the deepest draft in years... There are going to be a ton of good guys available at #18. Really though, he should have traded the pick + Derrick Williams for someone that will actually improve our team and isn't an unrestricted free agent after just one year...
@Daddyfatsax Which is pretty good, considering Johnson was the 4th overall pick. I think people are overvaluing the player the Wolves could have gotten with pick #18, that's all.
@Jeff Fox Except Budinger is an unrestricted FA after this season... So, terrible trade.
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CW, you knew this was happening, stop acting surprised. I'll wait to be disappointed. He still has a chance to trade Derrick Williams for JJ Redick and totally lose the fanbase, so be patient.
@CollegeWolf @Daddyfatsax how many really great rookies that we need were we supposed to find at even 18 in this draft?
@souvikrc @Daddyfatsax Come on now, they don't have to be "great." But there are at least 10 guys I'd take for 4 years at a minimum salary, rather than Budinger for 1 year before he becomes a free agent.
Budinger also makes less than a million per year and has a team option for 2013-2014. Superb value
@CollegeWolf @WallyWorld The Wolves will be over the cap anyways. No need to care any longer when cap space isn' t a priority.
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@WallyWorld A new rookie could be potentially much longer at suppressed prices. So if they actually want to keep whomever, will cost less than resigning Budinger.
@CollegeWolf @WallyWorld What? 1. It IS a rookie contract. 2. How is a contract that is less than a million a worse value than one that is 2-3 million?
@CollegeWolf Except Budinger is actually good. He shoots 48% from the corner 3. He fits well. It's disappointing but there are positives to this. If this is it (which it probably will be) then I'll share in your sorrow for sure. But Chase is not something to sneeze at in Rick's system. 18th pick may have been a high price though.....
@WallyWorld This might add a win or two to our team next year. Just typical 'blah' and totally underwhelming. We will suck again. And now have no assets for the draft and after, except DWill with little to no trade value.
That's his move?!? What a failure Kahn is, but we all already knew that. Another wasted asset for a player that won't get much better (if at all), and isn't anything special defensively. And his kahntract will be up soon. So much for all the big trade rumors out there. And he just did more to submarine Williams value, and still hasn't traded him. There are at least half a dozen guys I would have rather just drafted instead.
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@souvikrc @CollegeWolf Because CollegeWolf is the expert in rhetorical hyperbole. It's his style.
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@WallyWorld @souvikrc @CollegeWolf If his response had been objective levelheadedness the next step would have been to disable his account and let him know it'd be hacked. To which he would have responded, "I knew it probably would be hacked because the Nigerian mob and/or David Kahn is after me. I'll probably be dead tomorrow."
