[TOTAL FICTION] Rockets/Wolves working on a trade for Nikola Pekovic??

I looked for a source from Europe for this story and didn't find one.

Could you provide it for us?


There are mentions of this <i>trade</i> on various BBS sites, but I haven't found another <i>source</i> beyond the Canis Hoops web site.

<hr>

Timberwolves Draft Central 2010

<i>
<b>Jonah Ballow:</b> David, welcome back to the states we know you had a trip to Europe, let's talk about that experience, we know you took head coach Kurt Rambis over to Europe to watch some of our players that have been drafted in the past.

<b>David Kahn:</b> Jonah your investigative powers are amazing. But yes, Kurt and I went to Europe for about eight days. We were in Europe for seven days and saw six and a half games. The half game we saw a day in Serbia where we saw a full game and then a half game, which is hard to do in Europe because the games are usually pretty spread out, but we were there during playoff season so we saw a lot. We saw Ricky Rubio play twice, saw Nikola Pekovic play twice, visited with Darko Milicic as well so it was a very productive trip.

<b>Jonah Ballow:</b> I know that you've seen Rubio play quite a bit, Pekovic as well, what was Kurt Rambis' reaction to seeing Rubio play in real live game action for the first time?

<b>David Kahn:</b> Well, he liked both Ricky and Pekovic, a lot as I thought he would. I didn't know what he would think of Pekovic but I know he had seen enough of Ricky on tape even as far back as last summer so my sense was that he would like Ricky, but I really had no idea how he would like Nikola but he liked him a lot and it is something that we now have to put in the hopper and figure out come July 1st if he becomes a part of our team or not right now.

<b>Jonah Ballow:</b> And how important was that visit not only from a basketball standpoint, but with coach meeting with him on a personal level?

<b>David Kahn:</b> I think all that's very important in terms of just developing a relationship. It's almost like having a player in the minor leagues so to speak even though the Spanish league is a very good league, but its like a player who is kind of developing over there. I thought it was a very important meeting, but it was also very casual, very informal. We had a nice dinner with Ricky and a nice lunch with Pekovic and a nice visit with Darko at his home, so from a relationship building standpoint I thought it was a very productive visit as well.

<b>Jonah Ballow:</b> And you believe Rubio is a year away from this season coming over to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves?

<b>David Kahn:</b> I do, and there was nothing at that dinner that would indicate otherwise. I was pretty direct with him on that front, I think that he feels especially after making his decision last summer that this should be a two-year process in terms of staying in Barcelona for two years and I think he's now thinking himself that in a year from now, that's the right time to come.

<b>Jonah Ballow:</b> And what about Pekovic and Milicic and what they are going to do as far as their future with this ballclub?

<b>David Kahn:</b> Pekovic would like to come to the NBA now, I think he's at the right frame of mind and right moment, he's 24 years old, he turns 25 this offseason, and I think he's very ready. Darko wants to come back to us. And that's a good thing, he said so at the end of this seaons and reaffirmed it at the end of this trip and so come July 1st when it's time to do free-agency that's something that we will have to start dealing with, but there's a sense and chance that both of those players, Nikola and Darko, could be back with us, in Darko's case back with us and Nikola for the first time
</i>

 

I've been stalking this rumor for about a day now and I haven't found anything that confirms it other than apparantely some Euro site reported it.

However, another poster in the "random trade thread" did find this post in that thread.

 

looks like a banger but he was a 2nd it wont b a good deal if we gave up our 14th, he hasnt proved anything here just cuz hes good in europre doesnt make him worth a lottery pick now.. we dont have a 2nd so im not sure wat we'd give up on draft day for him unless we bought a 2nd on draft day and then dealt it with a filler to minn

 

With the Twolves trying to get a center, it's probably a safe assumption Jefferson or Love will be shopped. It would be a pretty big kick in the balls for Minnesota if they trade us Jefferson for a good price thinking that they'll have this guy, only to have us snatch him up.

 

He reminds me of Bogut

 

Thank you for the link.

I also have doubts about the <i>source</i> cited for this <i>trade</i>.

 

Don't know anything about this guy, and the source is a bit suspect.


Still, if the Twolves aren't willing to pay the guy the money he's looking for I seriously doubt Morey is going to trade down and give up the 14th pick and then throw the entire MLE at him.

 

Has anyone who could be picked at 14 proven anything in the NBA?


Here's a guy who had superb numbers in the Euro League and in the Greek League at age 24 and just helped his team win the Greek League championship. Do we really know that, for example, Daniel Orton or Ekpe Udoh is going to be better than him in the NBA?

If the Rockets traded for him with the 14th pick, I trust they did their homework and has a good reason to do so (doesn't mean they'll be right, mind you).


Besides, given how everyone talking about how deep the 2010 draft is, the Rockets' front office might well have reason to believe that the guys available at 23 are almost as good as whoever it is they could have picked at 14. Of course, this being a potential draft night deal, it will depend on who is actually there at 14 and whether the Rockets and Wolves love these guys or not.

 

We've had such a terrible track record with European players, I'm always wary of them coming in here and just being absolute suck. Africa, South America, Asia I have no problem with... but damn those pasty Euros.

 

I kind of like the luck we have had with El Skol! Scola may have come from Argentina but his career was born and blossomed in Europe.

 

This is like last off-season when so many people on here said David Andersen was gonna be the shiznit. No way Morey is crazy enough to give the 14th pick straight up for a euro 2nd round pick two years ago. Rather us keep our pick and draft Whiteside, Udoh, or Orton unless we make some deal to move up and grab this guy. It might not even involve the 14th pick. Don't like this unless it's apart of a bigger deal which seems like it is...

 

I like Nikola more.

 

Actually... everyone thought he was gonna be horrible. It was only the few "All hail Morey" fans that told us that he's going to be a low-risk high-reward type player...

The deal with being a GM is... it's a hit and miss deal... all the scouting in the world isn't going to guarantee you to net good talent...

Same with Nikola, if we go for him... it's going to be a hit or a miss... no guarantees.

 

For those of you wondering why the Rockets would trade the #14 pick in a deal for a former second rounder, I do know that when he was drafted with the first pick of the second round in 2008, draft experts were saying that he was a valuable prospect who would have been a mid-first rounder if he wasn't committed to staying in Europe at the time. Apparently, lots of teams wanted to trade for Minny's pick (#31 overall) just so they could nab Pekovic without the constraints of a first round rookie scale salary. So, his value is fairly well-known around the league. It's just that casual American NBA fans don't know who he is.

If the Rockets had to give up the 14th pick in order to get Pekovic and a later first rounder from the T-Wolves (rumors say the Rockets would also get the #23 pick), I can't say that I'd have a huge problem with that.

 

I know nothing about Pekovic, so I am going to make the assumption that Morey wants him. If so, then:

Based on his record in Europe, he looks like he could make the transition to the NBA. He would not be the poor man's David Andersen or even the pauper's clone of Andersen. Andersen is really a tall PF with range but sans bulk to play in the middle.

It looks like Pekovic needs some added bulk to be effective in the NBA paint. With added bulk and some intensive defensive lessons on how to block out etc., he could give Yao some serious rest -- much more so than Whiteside or Alabi -- without a letdown on offense.

Trading the #14 + Hayes (expiring right away) or Battier (expiring at the end of the coming season) for a signed Pekovic + #23 seems logical. The trade actually would have to a sign and trade deal and a swap of #14 for #23 in a separate deal (nothing for nothing on draft day salary-wise).

If Adelman and Morey truly do like Pekovic, I would support the trade.

 

In Morey the Wizard we trust!!

 

This ^

--RB

 

Where are these rumors discussing that specific scenario?

That said, I could see the Wolves wanting to move up to #14. They could then try to package #14 and #4 to move up to #2 for Turner.

Maybe that's why it was mentioned if a trade happened, it would have to happen on draft night.

From the Rockets perspective, they may feel like there isn't much value difference from#14 to #23 and then they also would get a solid 4/5 in return with Pekovic.

If the Rockets make a Bosh trade, they would move Hill+Anderson. So even if they get Bosh, they would have Yao and a resigned Scola. That would be it. So getting another "Big" like Pekovic (who is young at 25) would be a solid move.

 

Yes, Pekovic seems like that high flying shotblocker and voracious rebounder the rockets were missing all season. :grin: If they do this then Im pretty sure they could pick up some talent at #23, this is an insanely deep draft. So basically the rockets would be moving back 9 picks and dipping into there MLE for someone who is essentially a banger with size.