MIN and SAS

[San Antonio Spurs]

Minnesota Timberwolves Receive:
Wendell Carter Jr.
Peyton Watson
MIL 2026 1st
WAS 2024 1st
DEN 2027 2nd

San Antonio Spurs Receive:
Dariq Whitehead
Marcus Sasser
Quentin Grimes
OKC 2026 1st

All the assets that I'm giving up are nice, but I like the upside of OKC 2026 1st more. I have a sneaking suspicion that giving up Peyton is going to haunt me (the next Desmond Bane?), but hey Dariq was worth a 1st round pick right?

[Minnesota Timberwolves]

I'm a sucker for buying low. Being paid a 2nd round pick to swap OKC's pick two years down the road for (the Bucks' pick in that same draft and) 24 yo WCJ, who has averaged 20 24 fppg and rising this season after 31 fppg last season,  is a pretty good example of buying low.

I recognize that the pick swap in that '26 draft is going to wind up being the narrative here, and my response is that, despite the recent trade, I just don't buy that OKC is gonna bottom out until I see it, and in the mean time I do think the rest of this trade is some pretty nice value added. I've got some pretty nice value for the short term and a decent chance at not having given up a lot long term, and I'm happy about that.

[Phoenix Suns]

Let's take the highest value asset in the trade and give it 1.0 (to me, the OKC pick, I think MIL is too good and too active.)

Minnesota Timberwolves Receive:

0.8 Wendell Carter Jr.
0.5 Peyton Watson
0.8 MIL 2026 1st
0.6 WAS 2024 1st
0.2 DEN 2027 2nd

2.9

San Antonio Spurs Receive:

0.7 Dariq Whitehead
0.2 Marcus Sasser
0.1 Quentin Grimes
1.0 OKC 2026 1st

2.0

I'm using conservative consensus values (I think Dariq has a chance to be amazing, Jalen Johnson style Year 3, but I'll keep it in my pants).

WCJ is the shiniest player in this trade with 35 FPPG upside and 30 FPPG expected floor (he's hit it multiple seasons), but is oft-injured and costs double rookie scale. Still a nice piece.

The OKC and MIL 1sts are the best prizes and it's hard to tell which will be worth more. I'm betting OKC is better but they're pretty close two years out.

The WAS 1st in a weak draft has some sneaky value in that the tier might be so flat you get a Haliburton type player at #15. I got Maxey at #15, and Bulls just got Keyonte at #15. Don't sleep on firsts, even "trash" ones.

Peyton could maybe be something. Ditto Sasser. Peyton's maybe got a bit better shot. Too early to say.

I think Wolves just outvalues Spurs on average here, although again with so many variable assets it's impossible to know what the actual outcome is when you open Schrodinger's box. Dariq could become an all-star or the OKC 2026 pick lands you the next Bam Adebayo.

If Spurs got what they wanted, then I think the trade is fine.

My view is W stands for Wolves.

I approve.

[Dallas Mavericks]

I approve