Apparently this rumor's spreading fast. Great deal for the Wolves as they bring in another scorer to complement KG. Cassell might be the right guy to get this team out of the first round. Smith and Peeler are both vets that can help Milwaukee. I say it's a pretty even trade. George Karl has been trying to break up the "big 3" for awhile now. Looks like he's finally accomplished his goal. Link
I like this deal for Minnesota too. Cassell is a winner in my book. He's already helped a number of franchises push off. I don't get why coaches don't like. He may not pass but he wins. He's a player.
Pretty good deal for Minny. They get Cassell and the corpse of Tragic Johnson BUT Losing Peeler is kind of bad since he was the only one during their short playoff run that could defend with the exception of Garnett. Hmm Jordan seems to be clearing caproom for the Bucks w/ the trade for Brandon.
I'm a little surprised Minny is trading for a point guard since Troy Hudson had that breakout series against the Lakers, but I guess that deal is too good to pass up. If they can get some frontcourt help for Garnett using Szczerbiak and Brandon's contract, they'll be in good shape next season. May even get past the first round.
According to www.channel4000.com (Minnesota CBS affiliate), the trade is final: http://www.channel4000.com/msp/sports/timberwolves/stories/wolves-229892720030627-130611.html
Yeah, Minny wins. That'd be a solid team. That would bring them a Cassell-Hudson backcourt, Wally/KG as the forwards, and Nesterovic (if he resigns) or Johnson at center, plus Marc Jackson Woods, and Ebi off the bench, maybe even whatever they get for Brandon? Anyone else want to see Ebi and Garnett going down the court? Could they find a scrawnier, longer, more athletic pair of forwards? Not very smart for Milwaukee. Smith doesn't help them much up front and Peeler is Peeler. Gotta question what they were thinking with Ford if they plan to keep Payton. Payton, Cassell, Ford, Redd, Mason, and Thomas all along the perimeter? Ford was the BPA, but they should've traded the pick. Hell, Griffin for the #8 would've made sense for them.
This seems to be a really bad trade for Milwaukee if true. Cassell and Johnson do not have big contracts and certainly are worth alot more than what they're getting. Brandon would have made more sense. Hopefully this isn't MJ's first move as the Buck's GM. Anyway, if this trade is true and assuming Payton leaves, the Bucks, who had an ECF team in 2001 would have traded their big 3 of Robinson, Allen, and Cassell for Toni Kukoc, Desmond Mason, and Joe Smith..... Add to that the wonderful trade of Traylor for Nowitski, and well, someone still wants to hire their GM??? Edit: Just confirmed on ESPN, what a great trade for minny
TRADE IS FINAL!?!?!? Wowza! Pretty good.... Hudson Cassell Wally Garnett Nesterovic or Jackson or Johnson AND EBI!!! Pretty good.... TJ Ford Gary Payton Desmond Mason Tim Thomas Anthony Mason Pryzbilla Joe Smith Peeler Redd Kukoc Haislip Caffey WOW!
Karl broke up the big three but what does he have to show for it next season if Payton's gone? Joe Smith and Desmond Mason. Karl is overrated.
Wow Minnesota just changed their entire outlook for next season, they have a big improvement now but they're far from done. Watch for them to package Hudson/Cassell with Brandon to teams like the Blazers for Wallace or GS/Washington for solid young players. The wolves are trying to challenge the big 4. The Milwaukee GM says that he's gonna opt out of peeler's contract, hoping to sign the 35 yr old GP, come on couldn't he have gotten more for Cassell?
I think the Wolves got the better deal, but I am assuming Gary is on board...If not, then what? I love, let me repeat, love TJ Ford, but to assume he can come in and make an immediate impact, I don't think so...
Man, can you believe Cassell is 33? Just seems like yesterday he was a rookie, and we were calling him "Sam I Am." Of course I was in the 8th grade during his rookie season....
The trade helps Minnesota because they needed more of a true PG, but they still lack depth. Hudson is a PG in size, not game. They are lucky they have guys who are versatile. Wally can play the 2 or 3... KG and play the 3, 4 or 5. They'll be able to start Cassell and Hudson together against smaller backcourts like the Rockets, but other nights they'll have to play Wally at the 2 and have Hudson come off the bench when they face bigger SGs like Kobe or Finley. You don't want Hudson guarding the big 2s for extended periods. When that happens KG can swing to the 3 and Flip can bring in garbage men like Trent, Jackson, Slater, or Woods, none of whom are front line players, to fill the 4. They really have no depth at SG or SF. Kinda ugly. Peeler has transformed himself into a shutdown defender, and losing him hurts their backcourt depth. Heck, he was their starting SG last year. And needless to say, Cassell, Husdon, and Wally are not known for their defense. Toro! They'll have to out score and out execute their opponents because they won't be stopping them defensively night in night out.
Trading places Bucks send Cassell, Johnson to Wolves for Smith, Peeler Posted: Friday June 27, 2003 3:32 PM MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves traded forward Joe Smith and guard Anthony Peeler to the Milwaukee Bucks for guard Sam Cassell and center Ervin Johnson on Friday. Cassell averaged 19.7 points a game for the Bucks last season, his 10th year in the league. He became expendable when the Bucks acquired veteran Gary Payton from Seattle last season. "We want to put players on the floor, and that's what Sammy is," Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said. The Timberwolves expect Cassell to play alongside current point guard Troy Hudson and also relieve Hudson at the point. Johnson averaged 2.2 points a game last year for the Bucks as a backup. Smith missed 26 games because of injuries last season for the Wolves, his eighth year in the league. He averaged 7.5 points and five rebounds a game. Peeler, Minnesota's all-time 3-point field goal leader, averaged 7.7 points a game last season.
So payton will play the 2-guard, this is not his natural position and I doubt this scenario will last long. It would have been perfect if the bucks had kept Ray Allen and then had added TJ at point, then that would have blended well together.
