This is the second part of a two-part series of my ramblings on the Minnesota Timberwolves upcoming offseason. The first part, which you can read here, focused on the current makeup of the team and the situations they’re facing right now. In Part II, you will learn more about the options the Wolves have this summer and moves that I would personally endorse to finally turn this team into a playoff contender. Enjoy!

Have you ever started a project but realized you didn’t have the right tools to complete it?

You’re hanging up some sheetrock in a friends house. Why? I don’t know, you’re just a really nice guy. But you get there and realize everything’s in place but the sheet rock screws! DOH! You’re not about to hammer nails into it, everyone knows that, so you make the run to get the screws and come right back. But by the time you’re back and finally able to get the job done, you’ve wasted nearly an hour going back to get what you should’ve already had. Time wasted.

That’s a little bit what I think about Timberwolves right now. David Kahn did a fairly decent job of creating what we thought a winning team, a playoff team might look like. Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, even Nikola Pekovic headline what might be a solid team with the potential of making a run in the playoffs with some rambunctious, entertaining play.

But see, Love, Rubio and Pekovic might be the tools you need to get the job started — the sheetrock, the drill and perhaps some gloves — but the Wolves are missing a big part still: “The screws.” And without those, the project won’t be finished and you’ll only be set back on time until you get them.

Welcome to 2013 and we’re finally coming back from the store. Now comes the time we finally get those screws and start building this house for the future.

Okay, enough of the poor synonyms, let’s talk about how the Wolves should move forward. In part I of my ramblings, I outlined where the Wolves are at currently and what means they might be able to fix the team moving forward.

I’ll start with the draft because that is what comes first naturally. The lottery last Tuesday revealed to us the Timberwolves hopelessness of ever moving up in the NBA Draft but that’s no matter. There are many other teams that have thrived drafting in the middle of the pack. Take Indiana for example. They’re battling against the defending champs in the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, and if you look at their team, no one was drafted higher than DJ Augustin, who was drafted 9th by the Charlotte Bobcats back in 2008. Their newfound superstar in Paul George was taken 10th in 2010 — the same year we took Wesley Johnson.

Obviously the Wolves don’t have the same level of luck as the Pacers have found in the past 5 years but it’s more than that. It’s all about good management and understanding the value not just at your position but the whole draft. Our good friend Chad Ford has told us time and time again that this is not an earth-shattering draft in terms overwhelming talent. But that’s not to say there aren’t great players eligible that won’t make your team better immediately as long as you identify and go after them.

So who are they and will they be available at #9 and #26? Well it’s important to break down any big board by need first then value. The Wolves’ needs are clear as day: They need shooters, preferably shooting guards, and perhaps another big body to challenge Greg Stiemsma for backup center or strictly as insurance if Pekovic bolts via restricted free agency. With that, you can rattle off a few interesting names such as Ben McLemore, Victor Oladipo, Nerlens Noel, Alex Len, CJ McCullom, Shabazz Muhammed, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Anyone jump out at you besides the first three? No, I didn’t think so.

Chad Ford has the Wolves going McCullom at #9 along with countless other mocks. Why? Because it fits both need and pretty fair value too. Or does it? My biggest beef against McCullom is that he creates imbalance in our backcourt. He’s an American Alexey Shved put simply enough. He’s a stronger shooter than Shved but not as good of a playmaker and he lacks size at the 2-guard — he’s only 6-foot-3 compared to Shved’s 6’5″ frame. We need shooters but what we don’t need is another Randy Foye, which is what I see in McCullom.

So, if McCullom is the only other logical option without reaching, the Wolves are in a serious hole unless someone drops, which isn’t likely in this thin of a draft. That means it’s time to pick up the phone and either move up or out entirely. The Wolves can’t be afraid to spend too much to go get what they want/need. I believe that Oladipo is exactly the player they need at the 2-guard, so why not jump up to the top 5 to get him?

With players like Derrick Williams, Luke Ridnour and JJ Barea ready to unload, I say the Wolves make a play to move up into the top 5 to get that player they truly desire. And in a draft weak on superstar types, you have to come out with one of the players that at least  has been dubbed with potential. The trade target I see: The Phoenix Suns.

Derek outlined what it would mean to trade Derrick Williams to Charlotte, who picks 4th. But I say bypass that and send the scatter-brained Suns an offer they can’t refuse:

Minnesota receives: 5th pick in the 2013 draft
Phoenix receives: Derrick Williams, Luke Ridnour and the 9th pick in the 2013 draft

That’s a lot. I know, I get what you’re saying but hear me out. Phoenix might not be happy that they picked up our trash twice already (Bye bye, Beaz and Wes) but who’s to say Williams is trash? Because he most certainly is not. 2013-2014 will likely be his breakout season, as long as he’s in the right situation and able to thrive. And if he was in this draft, he may be vying to be a top 3 pick anyways. With no other definitive scoring options, especially at the power forward position, Phoenix can feature Williams and reap the benefits for it. Luke Ridnour is a sound point guard and an able shooter to back up Goran Dragic because Kendall Marshall clearly isn’t ready for a larger role quite yet. And the sweetener is getting our 9th pick, dropping only four slots and still in position to grab something else they need, because they certainly could use it.

That’s the kind of deal the Wolves have to make to assure they grab onto either McLemore or Oladipo and leave this draft feeling accomplished. Because, otherwise, they’ll leave feeling a little sunken with an undersized, injury-prone combo guard like McCullom (Or Foye 2.0).

A deal like that also gives them flexibility with the 26th pick. They could take a big man in preparation to Pek’s pending departure or as a leveraging tool to ship off Pek and his contract a few years down the road. A project is what those are called. Or go with an international prospect — Sergey Karasev and Giannas Adetokunbo — that we can groom along with the rest of the team. Or go with an American shooter such as Allen Crabbe from California or Tim Hardaway Jr. Hell, sell it for a couple million because that seems to be the going rate for a late first-rounder. Still, the most important part of this draft is what they can get out of that #9 pick. Remember when I said it’s all about knowing the value of your pick AND the draft. Trading up with no remorse to get your target is exactly what it means to know the value of the draft.

Once the draft is over and fans are all hyped, keep the ball rolling into free agency. Convince Andrei Kirilenko to re-up on his option. The Wolves absolutely have to keep him, even at $10 million. Another guy they need to keep is Chase Budinger. Shved got all the hype as the 2-guard of the future but it should’ve been Budinger if he didn’t get hurt. He’s long, athletic and without a doubt the best corner 3-point shooter on the team and one of the best in the league. Even with an Oladipo or McLemore on the team already at this point, I foresee Budinger being the starter for a short time and then move to sixth man once the rookies come into their own a bit more. That shifts Shved to the third or fourth guard off the bench but that might do him some good anyways.

The biggest elephant in the room in terms of free agency is obviously our beloved behemoth, Pekovic. This is a big predicament. Everyone is on one side or the other: keep him, let him go, keep him, etc. Well, not me. I’m straddling the fence and will up until the drama starts to unfold. Pekovic is a rare breed. The strongest man in the NBA has found his niche as an effective post player, great free throw shooter and a developing help defender. But there are still glaring holes in his game that don’t necessitate a max contract. It’s unfortunate that the NBA overprices restricted free agents and team’s get handcuffed because of it. A team such as Portland will show no remorse throwing max money at the undeserving Pekovic because he fits a need and the market naturally overpays RFA’s.

So what do you do? Well, unfortunately for our cap flexibility, you have to match it. But it’s not all bad. As long as they can find a big man with that 26th pick (Which is my favorite option currently) to show the ropes and carry along the way for 2-3 years and challenge Stiemer in that time, Pek and his contract will become expendable and he’ll still likely be a top 8 center in the league by then. He gets moved for younger pieces/draft picks and we hopefully have a center groomed to step in as a serviceable replacement. And in those 2-3 years we have Pek as a starter, we’ll be going to the playoffs with the fiercest man in the league and one of the only ones who can out-perform Dwight Howard or give someone like the Heat fits because they can’t defend him. It’s a win-win as long as there is that long-term plan set in place for Pek and the money he’ll be sucking in.

Other than some internal cleaning, free agency should be a breeze and relatively quiet for the Wolves. There’s no need to go out and overpay anyone to come in; we’re already doing that with AK and Pek. Like I’ve said a thousand times, this roster has playoff-caliber talent, all they need is to stay healthy and perform to their abilities. I can’t recognize any free agent in a valuable price range that can come in and help this team any better than what Budinger, AK and Pek could do if they just stay home. Keep it easy on yourself.

Obviously there are plenty more options for the Wolves to look at but I’ve exhausted ways they could draft, trade and sign free agents to keep the team intact but still get better. The opportunities, especially trades, will open up and become more apparent once the playoffs finish and things start shifting, phones start ringing and activity picks up. Flip and the Wolves just have to realize that a lot of what they want is already in-house and the other targets have to be aggressively sought out in the draft by moving up to get them. If this is really the time they want to make their move, you have to go get it and not sit back hoping something right just falls into your lap. The league doesn’t work like that, life doesn’t work like that. To make your mark, it takes some careful consideration but a quick trigger.

Again, I just want to elaborate that these are my own opinions and ideas. I hope they stir up some feelings inside of you and spark a little bit of discussion. Feel free to discuss with us on here in the comments or feel free to tweet at me: @Howlintwolf.

I have a lot of built up thoughts on the upcoming offseason and they got kicked off with last night’s Draft Lottery. This is the first piece identifying the current situation and makeup of the Timberwolves heading into the offseason. The second part will highlight moves that I want to see done and what should/could go down. Also be sure to read Derek’s pieces on last night’s draft lottery both here and here. Enjoy!

I look up to Chad Ford.

That might sound a bit ridiculous to be inspired by a reporter, who really just makes a living on judging young kids far beyond their basketball acumen to give the general public a small glimpse into the world of basketball talent evaluation. I mean, if you really ponder things, what would ESPN be like if Chad Ford wasn’t real? You probably wouldn’t know any end-of-first-round hopefuls or second-round squeezes. You might not even be able to judge the lottery potentials, depending on your college basketball knowledge.

But all that doesn’t really matter, right? With no Chad Ford, you probably would’ve still woken up and stumbled out of bed this morning, the dawn after the NBA Draft Lottery. You’re likely going through your day without any major hiccups. And there’s a very good chance you lay your head back down to your cool pillow later tonight, still breathing, still living.

Enter Chad Ford in between those events, though; from the moment you woke up, to your general work day to the time you lay back to bed, Chad Ford is there to fill in the gaps.

For the next month, we all have the honor to live out our days and check into Chad Ford’s meddling in the NBA Draft. The day after the Draft Lottery, where we saw the Timberwolves stay put, while two other teams soared into the top 3, Chad Ford released his first official mock draft, where teams are solid on their position — for now, that is.

Here’s what he has the Wolves doing as of today:

Things haven’t changed much since Ford’s last mock prediction. McCullom still seems to be everyone’s prediction for the Timberwolves, who are now slated in the ninth slot in the lottery. There’s a few reasons to this. One is that everyone believes that McCullom will without a doubt be available at that spot. That’s most likely true but seeing that he is one of the best shooters in this draft, his draft stock could rise quickly by the time it comes to draft. Secondly, McCullom is coming off a broken foot that sidelined him for the bulk of his senior year at Lehigh. He’s healthy now and apparently feeling well, but he hasn’t played college basketball since January 1st, which is always alarming.

As for Ford’s prediction on the 26th pick, I can’t tell you a damn thing about Mr. Sergey Karasev. Ford says he’s a tremendous shooter from Russia, which could help him make the transition easy. But odds are this kid isn’t ready for NBA competition quite yet or may not be that helpful for a little while.

As I said earlier, Ford makes his living by simply guessing who should go where in the NBA Draft. It’s an educated-guessing game at best but still keeps all of us intrigued. The biggest issue I have with any mock draft is that you can’t prepare for the prospect of trades or free agency thoughts or overall roster moves that a team is already scheming up long before the Draft Lottery takes place.

The Wolves now have Flip Saunders at the helm in place of David Kahn. The first thing any new GM does with a team is make their mark and steer the ship into their direction. That usually means firing a coach or tweaking the roster a bit — or a lot. Well, as long as he doesn’t retire, Rick Adelman will be back. Saunders can’t fire a hall of fame coach, who actually has enjoyed his time with a below-average squad. That leaves roster changes. Kahn gets credit for actually compiling a strong roster only to see it ravaged with injuries all season long, which is why we’re in this predicament in the first place. But you can’t argue that there are some great pieces left on this team.

There are still gaping holes, though. The back-up point guard position is sort of a mess. JJ Barea had a better showing last season than his first in Minnesota but it was still riddled with minor injuries and overall inconsistent performances. We have to start thinking that Luke Ridnour will slow down due to age but was one of our top shooters last season, so that’s not an easy evaluation to make.

Alexey Shved; is he really the shooting guard of our future? He can shoot and handle the ball exceptionally well. But he’s got a long ways to go and isn’t nearly as young as many might think.

Beyond Kevin Love, they have no true 3-point threat. Chase Budinger is starting to look like a must-sign in free agency because of his accuracy from deep and overall versatility. Derrick Williams, I mean, he showed glimpses of a great forward with inside-out skills and enough of a scoring punch to be the second best option on most teams in this league. But he doesn’t have a true position and he’s never going to see minutes ahead of Love.

Nikola Pekovic still needs to be resigned or let go via sign-and-trade this summer. The general consensus is that the Wolves will do all they can to keep him here but there are ridiculous prices on the restricted free agent’s head that may hedge off any match Flip and the Wolves are willing to dish out.

There are pieces abundant and pieces missing but I am confident that Flip Saunders can turn this current team into a playoff contender without drastically changing the makeup. But there are a few things I’d like to see done this offseason from utilizing trades, free agency and the draft.

PART II COMING SOON