<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">ESPN MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Timberwolves traded aging point guard Sam Cassell and a conditional first-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night for guards Marko Jaric and Lionel Chalmers. The deal ends a two-year, up-and-down stint in Minnesota for Cassell, who helped lead the team to the Western Conference finals in 2003-04 after arriving in a trade with Milwaukee. But Cassell began to wear out his welcome last season, complaining about his lack of a contract extension when training camp started and then struggling through an injury-plagued season at age 35 while averaging 13.5 points and 5.1 assists in 59 games. The Wolves missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996. "Last year was a disappointing year," Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale said. "It was time to go in another direction." Jaric, a 6-foot-7 guard from Serbia-Montenegro, was a restricted free agent who was signed by the Clippers before the trade. He averaged a career-high 9.9 points, 6.1 assists and 33.1 minutes for Los Angeles last season. McHale said the Timberwolves targeted Jaric all offseason, calling him as soon as free agency opened on Aug. 1. "We really like Marko," McHale said. "He's very versatile." Versatility is something new coach Dwane Casey covets, and McHale said Casey lobbied hard for the team to go after Jaric.</div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2132990
Thats a nice article. Did you write it? If not, it is supposed to be quoted and there should be a link to the source.
^^ Thanks a bunch for contributing to the conversation! I dont want to quote it and put a source, ok? It's easy enough to find a source, in fact it would be a lot quicker than posting here just too cause a problem. And thats all considering your not intelligent enough to see the ESPN mark at the begining of the paragraph.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting KG-MVP:</div><div class="quote_post">^^ Thanks a bunch for contributing to the conversation! I dont want to quote it and put a source, ok? It's easy enough to find a source, in fact it would be a lot quicker than posting here just too cause a problem. And thats all considering your not intelligent enough to see the ESPN mark at the begining of the paragraph.</div> Actually, he's right. It's all part of the guidelines that we all have to follow. I have edited the first post into the proper format. Also, to NBABaller: Thanks for the help, but instead of posting an infraction in the thread, click the report post button() so it doesn't derail the thread. Now let's all get on topic please.
ok 44 i will do that next time. Anyway i think the Wolves did a great trade. They trade an old player for a younger one who will probably help the Wolves more than Cassel did last season. I dont see why LA would want Sam since he is getting old and defiantly lost a step. Im not sure about this Lionel Chalmers though since i never saw him play.
I don't know how I feel about this. I thought Sam still had some game left in his tank, if he could stay healthy. I would have gladly given up Hudson instead. Sam brought veteran savvy, outside + inside game, and knew how to react in clutch situations. If it wasn't for his health conditions, I wouldn't have pulled the string on this deal. I am a Jaric fan, but at the expense of one of our better clutch players? I don't know. I don't know who the other guy is......AT ALL. I read he's a quick point who is great at the 3 pt stripe. Looks like insurance.
What a waste. What McHale is doing is beyond me... this half ass rebuild stuff just isnt cutting it for me.
Jaric is a good player whose youth and ability to play multiple positions gives him an advantage over Cassell. Although Cassell is better as of now, he has an expiring contract and hasn't been exactly beneficial to team morale in the past season. I doubt that Chalmers will be anything close to a factor for the Wolves. He's just a throw-in to balance the salaries in the trade.
McHale's a smart GM. He made a run two years ago with a couple of aging stars in Sprewell and Cassell. But, he knew the window of opportunity for that team was only 1-2 years, as evidenced by last year's disappointing season. By drafting McCants and trading for Jaric and Chalmers it definitely looks like he's trying a different approach: replacing his veterans with young athletic players who have good potential.
I personally like the moves in a sense of adding younger talent for the future, but I was thinking that Jaric is just as injury prone as Sam was. I understand it was a good move because it's hard to change a player who has a ring because they feel they know what it takes to get there. But not all teams are the same, and I think it was hard for Sam to notice that. One thing I really liked about Sam was he kept his teammates responsible, and when you saw something like dropped coverage, you could see Sam informing whoever it was that they missed.
I think the Clippers got the better end of the deal as well. Marko Jaric is a nice, young talent, but I'm not sure if he's going to fit in with the TWolves. He also isn't the most durable player out there, and losing a gamer like Cassell is going to be sorely missed. Did Sam and the TWolve ever resolve the fight they had last season? If not maybe this was the main reason the TWolves got him out, because they didn't want to deal with any extension distractions. One thing I don't understand is why the TWolves included a 1st rounder in the deal as well. Especially when they could have traded Cassell straight up for Jason Williams earlier this summer or a sign & trade for Earl Watson.
They also could've dealt him straight-up for Juwan Howard a while back. Throwin in the 1st rounder is just one more stupid thing that McHale has done. Sam Cassel is easily worth those two, throwing in a first rounder practically makes the trade in L.A.s favor. Ridiculous.
maybe Sam Cassell will pull a Steve Nash in LA, and become league MVP. Unless that happens, this trade is good for the Wolves. Jaric is an awesome PG, and can shoot well. He sticks to what the coach says, and can play 3 positions. KG on the inside, Jaric on the outside. Good trade for the wolves
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting KG-MVP:</div><div class="quote_post">They also could've dealt him straight-up for Juwan Howard a while back. Throwin in the 1st rounder is just one more stupid thing that McHale has done. Sam Cassel is easily worth those two, throwing in a first rounder practically makes the trade in L.A.s favor. Ridiculous.</div> Mchale, would never give up Casselll, without getting a point guard back in return, which is actually smart on his part. So I think the Jaric deal is better then the Howard deal from that stand point. Now, the Jason Williams trade is a whole different story...but from what Mchale said he wanted a pg that is willing to play in Casey's system. Williams had problems adjusting to certain things Memphis wanted him to do...as far as keeping his game under control...so that might be why Mchale didnt push the deal as hard as he should have....
