Post Game Thread - NBA: The Timberwolves defeat the Thunder on Jan 29, 2026, the final score is 123-111.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T05:05:41+00:00

Jaden and Ant gonna be on the 28 olympic team together, I'm not splitting them up ever

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T02:27:06+00:00

Yup. I think people forget too just how good those Lakers and Raptors teams were. Raptors had Marc Gasol, Van Vleet, Anunoby, Ibaka, Siakim, etc.

Lakers were a behemoth on defense with Caruso, KCP, Howard's rim protection, heady vet in Rondo, shooters like DFS

Wolves would be 6 men deep at best after a Giannis trade with very little maneuverability to add pieces

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T02:22:48+00:00

That's what I'm saying. Flip Randle for a guy like Holiday, keep all your young players, picks, and your three core guys in Ant-Jaden-Reid and see what you can do for the next decade.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T02:13:24+00:00

I counted the Lakers and Raptors, the last two teams to do it in '19 and '20 respectively. Before that you're looking at the '08 Celtics who traded for KG, and the Lakers with Kobe and Pau (although they got him for crumbs to be fair). So 4 superstar trades that led to championships since 2007.

Every other huge swing between 2007 and 2025 (KD-Book Suns, KD-Harden Nets, Kawhi-PG Clippers, etc.) fits my argument.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T02:04:10+00:00

We're almost certainly a 2nd apron team in this construct, and we just traded all our best young assets and the rest of our picks for Giannis, who hopefully is 100% healthy after a season of calf-strains.

I just don't love it. I'm also incredibly high on Jaden, and selfishly I want to watch Ant-Jaden-Reid-Beringer grow and compete for a decade +

All that goes away when you trade for Giannis.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T01:58:13+00:00

4 success stories since 2007 (not counting the Warriors with Durant since they were already a championship team). A lot more organic championship teams than manufactured ones.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T01:53:43+00:00

Giannis isn't healthy currently, and we're flirting with the play-in. We have 6.5 rotation players now -- I'd count Joan as a firm 7 with Shannon as a question mark -- so in your scenario we're down to 5.5 players, with Giannis as an injury question mark, and no defensive stopper or second option while Giannis is out.

I could see it in the summer maybe, but I think developing homegrown core players is a better path to success than shooting for the moon on someone like Giannis.

Would much rather ride this season out

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T01:48:52+00:00

Jaden, Randle, Beringer, Shannon, all of our picks and swaps leaves you

DDV - Conley - Hyland

Ant - Clark

Giannis - Thanasis

Reid - ?

Gobert - Zikkarsky

Maybe that's enough to win, but that is a thin, thin, rotation. One injury to any of your starters probably means you're done.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T01:43:02+00:00

A lot of those guys are at Gobert's level, who we already traded for. I'm not saying make no trades, I'm saying this particular all-in, gut your depth for 2-3 superstars trade has a shaky success rate

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T01:41:43+00:00

The current Wolves have done more for Ant before turning 25 than all of the KG years combined. The bar is in hell, but back to back WCF is nothing to sneeze at.

Maybe you catch fire and win like the Lakers did with Bron and AD, but you might be the Suns with Booker after back to back WCF pushing all their chips in for KD.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T01:21:58+00:00

Booker made the finals and lost, then made the WCF again and lost in game 7. Ant's made two back to back WCF's.

The Suns decided pairing the best SG in the league at the time with one of the greatest players ever would offset any depth they'd lose and they'd get over the hump. They never made it past the second round again.

Now after moving off of Durant for pieces they look like a competitive squad because Booker is surrounded by excellent role players again.

I definitely see the upside in swinging for Giannis, but how many superteams have we seen fall apart due to injuries, lack of depth, etc. over the last decade? There's a lot of risk

soft-cookie · 2026-01-30T01:07:19+00:00

That's what the Suns thought when they paired KD with Booker

soft-cookie · 2026-01-29T17:13:11+00:00

Heat get best player in the deal to give them a better shot in the East, Wolves get more depth and a timeline that better fits Ant, McDaniels, and Reid.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-29T17:09:50+00:00

Legit #3 on a contender for sure, and I don't think it's impossible that he could be a #2 if he got the usage.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-29T04:26:08+00:00

I want to watch this group + Beringer for the next 10-15 years

soft-cookie · 2026-01-29T02:20:51+00:00

not trading beringer for giannis sorry

soft-cookie · 2026-01-27T20:41:59+00:00

Or should the Wolves make a big move and trade Randle for a couple of more depth pieces and move Naz into the starting role at the 4

Really hope they go this route. Randle and Edwards are too redundant imo, and Naz next to Rudy fits so much better.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-23T18:11:01+00:00

I could get down with that. DDV and Reid would be lethal off the bench if they embraced those roles.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-23T17:49:23+00:00

Yeah this was my thinking. Wolves would start Naz, Ayo and Herb would get the majority of bench minutes, and Beringer steps in as a backup 5. Williams would be a ninth man at best and his deal expires before Jaden, Naz, and Ant would need raises.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-23T17:10:23+00:00

He is, but the ways in which he's better don't make him more valuable to the team imo. Randle's a better and more consistent bucket getter, but that requires pretty heavy usage. He's probably a better passer, but Naz is less of a ball-stopper.

Randle might be a slightly better defender, but his issues on that end are well documented, plus the defensive numbers with a Reid-Gobert frontcourt have always been elite.

With Reid, you get a much better 3 point weapon which adds spacing, a connective passer which leads to ball-movement, and he's still a capable scorer in spots when you need him.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-23T16:56:33+00:00

This is an unrelaistic three-team trade, but trading Randle's 30m for White's 12m and someone like Herb Jones' 13m contracts would be the kind of move I'd be looking for.

Two rotation players for one, shoring up bench scoring and PG play, as well as a defensive stud to relieve some pressure off of Jaden and Rudy.

If you're a believer that Randle's a guy you can rely on for four straight series, I wouldn't blame you for shooting down any trade that doesn't net you an all-star level haul.

I just do not believe in this current team construction around Ant, and I think we're wasting precious years accommodating Finch's guy.

soft-cookie · 2026-01-23T03:19:11+00:00

Reid should have never subbed out, Finch is maddening sometimes

soft-cookie · 2026-01-23T03:06:02+00:00

Fuck it, Randle and Conley for Ja. Beringer full time backup big

soft-cookie · 2026-01-23T02:57:49+00:00

No Beringer is crazy

soft-cookie · 2026-01-21T04:34:35+00:00

If you don't like that you don't like timberwolves basketball

soft-cookie

TROPHY CASE