07 Jan 2020 16:29:41
Blazers trade Whiteside, Little, and their 2020 first (top 5 protected), and two second round picks.

Wolves trade Covington, Dieng, and Napier.

07 Jan 2020 18:21:48
Wow seems fair.

07 Jan 2020 18:49:32
Covington, Dieng, and Napier have been the Wolves best 3 players over the last 2 weeks. Why would they trade them for that?

07 Jan 2020 19:22:30
Because two of them are still just nice bench players at best. Two weeks doesn't change a career. If those 3 are your 3 best players, good luck in the lottery.

That's effectively two firsts and two seconds for a really good role player on a good contract, and two nice bench players. If Minny decides to punt on the season, it feels like a good return. If you really want to keep Napier, keep him, he doesn't make or break the deal to me.

I think Dieng fits in Portland better than quite a few other teams. He's overpaid, but how much Nurkic is underpaid really balances it out. He can't play behind guys with contracts like Towns, AD, or Adams.

07 Jan 2020 20:07:53
Minnesota has won 4 out of 6 (including one loss to the Buck by 2) without their 2 best players. They are 1 game out of the 8th spot in the West.

They aren't punting. They are looking to make the playoffs.

07 Jan 2020 20:42:58
Carl006 you can't go off of a few games against a weak schedule. Wolves have had this team for years and they havnt done anything. If they're really playing well it's more reason to trade them while their stocks higher.

07 Jan 2020 20:58:33
They're also 7 games under .500 and 1 game ahead of 13th in the west. As a Blazer fan, I have already punted on the season. This trade was an idea to make them better next year (pickup two guys that are under contract next year) .

Portland is older than Minny with more recent success (3 seed the last two years), they need to look towards next year. I think Minny needs to build for a longer future, because I don't see them having a future past the 8 seed without a big change.

07 Jan 2020 21:18:04
I’m probably biased, but Dieng has always been this good when he starts. The two years he started next to KAT (before Taj), he was #34 and #42 in overall RPM for the entire NBA. This year, he’s improved his three point shooting.

I think overall it’s a good idea for some MIN-POR deal, but MIN would have to face RoCo four times a year for three seasons. He also is one of the few players currently on the Wolves roster that can run Rosas system, so losing him hurts their development this year. Maybe include Simons instead of the picks - with Napier coming back, he’s of less need anyway.

I love it for POR. Covington is exactly what they need to upgrade their wings, and provide some resistance to the great opposing wings they will face in the playoffs. Dieng has been playing terrific, and he fills a need, even after Nurkic gets back. And Napier already has experience with Stott’s system, so he should be ready to contribute right away.

I might recommend making this a three-teamer, sending Whiteside elsewhere - maybe Atlanta. He’s a good player, but the Wolves will only giving him back up minutes when Towns gets back, and I worry that he will be a problem in the locker room as he tried to play for his next contract.

Good offering, BMiller!

07 Jan 2020 21:19:17
Little hasn't been impressive and Whiteside is useless to Minnesota. Same with cap space.

The Wolves won't trade a talent like Covnington for so little.

07 Jan 2020 22:17:07
I actually think Little's ceiling is Covington. I've liked him a lot, he's just too young and not ready. His defense for his age has impressed me. I think his value is still that of a late first.

My assumption was Whiteside is waived. Yeah, a third team could be included too, either way. He's not any value in the trade as I was typing it out.

If Simons were included, I'd pull Little and the first. I think his ceiling is McCollum (maybe higher) . Not saying he's guaranteed to be that good, but he's shown flashes of greatness. I could be convinced to make him available though.

07 Jan 2020 23:39:39
I have wanted Dieng on the Kings ever since he left Louisville. Always thought he would have been a good pairing with DMC.

08 Jan 2020 02:31:06
Not going to get Covington for Simon and two late 2nds.

RoCo was named 1st team All Defense in 2018. I know we were talking about Little’s ceiling, but does he really have 1st team All Defense ceiling? How many players have 1st Team ceiling?

08 Jan 2020 11:58:29
He’s a top 5 recruit athlete and has really solid fundamentals and instincts on defense. In my opinion, yes, he has that ceiling. But obviously few people reach their ceilings.

10 Jan 2020 21:53:43
This seems plausible. If I were Portland I would try to leave out Little/ Napier portion. Minn may not want Whiteside, so you may need a 3rd team like ATL for Whiteside. Have them send Crabbe or ETurner and Len to Minnesota, plus something like 2nd rounder. Minn gets another pick and cap relieve. ATL can see if Whiteside fits alongside their young core to see if they want to try to sign him for longer. ATL needs to show TYoung they are trying to improve. So, trying to see if Whiteside works for a 2nd rounder is likley worth it.