The OKC Thunder eviscerated the Minnesota Timberwolves last night to advance to the NBA Finals, and it could end up helping the Detroit Pistons.
“OKC in the Finals” is a phrase we might have to get used to saying, as the Thunder clearly proved they are a tier above everyone in the Western Conference, which itself is a tier above the East.
The Thunder are young, talented, deep and positioned to stay there, which may cause teams in the West to re-think their strategy or try to build rosters specifically designed to take down OKC.
The question for the Timberwolves is where they go from here, as they seem to have hit a ceiling with this group and have little wiggle room financially to make improvements.
Will they look to flip a core guy like Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle? Will they prioritize keeping this team together? Will they use sub-par playoff performances as a justification to let their own free agents walk?
These are all questions that could affect the Detroit Pistons’ offseason.
Detroit Pistons: Trades, free agency and the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are in a tough position.
Rudy Gobert’s extension is about to kick in and you have to wonder what that is going to look like after a ho-hum playoffs this season. He played just 19 minutes last night and fewer than 30 per game for the playoffs overall.
Naz Reid was arguably more effective off the bench and the Timberwolves were better this season with him on the floor. They may choose to explore trade options for Gobert and do everything in their power to keep Reid, but good luck with that, as Gobert still has three years left on his deal at over $109 million.
If Randle exercises his $30 million player option, the ‘Wolves will almost have to jettison one of their bigs. Reid will be a coveted free agent, but few teams have the cap to sign him, including the Pistons, who would likely need a third team or a sign-and-trade to get it done.
If the ‘Wolves wanted to cut payroll without losing a starter, they could flip Donte DiVincenzo, but he was pretty good for them this season, one of their most important reserves and 3-point shooters. If he hits the market, the Pistons should be there with Simone Fontecchio, which would save Minnesota around $5 million and an extra year of salary.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is another possible casualty from the Western Conference fallout, as he’s going to be tough to bring back and keep all of the rest of these guys unless the ‘Wolves are happy to be a 2nd Apron team again.
I like NAW as a 3-and-D wing for the Pistons if the price is right, and Trajan Langdon is familiar with him from their time together in New Orleans, so he could be another option from Minnesota depending on how their roster shakes out.
Minnesota could end up being one of the most active teams this offseason as they try to retool their roster to get to the next level and the Pistons should be paying attention.