No more interest in Nikola Pekovic?

[sturt]

Bid for Pek? I don't think we can take anything for granted... either way.... right now.

[Admin]

So basically when he moves to the 3 his stats go down but his team gets better. So to the naked eye he looks less efficient there

Only his rebounding is really different. He's actually equal or better in almost every other stat.

[IllestPamfilis]

Huge mistake, Peklovic would work perfect with our team. We BETTER not settle for Bynum now. Either try to trade for Asik since he wants out of Houston or just wait for next year to find a true center. No bullshit mediocrity in between please.

[BudBall]

Doesn't really matter because Minny will match any offer.

[IllestPamfilis]

Tired of reading this "backloaded contract" shit. I know it has relevance but we need to do whatever we can to get a hard-nosed productive player such as Peklovic. IN DANNY FERRY WE TRUST!!! BRING HIM HOME BUDDY!!!!

[sturt]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/218044041.html

“Right now we’re going through maybe an education process [with] Pek and his people of where we’re at with our organization and his importance to us and where we feel we’re at with what our offer is and why we’ve offered him what we’ve offered,” Saunders said. “There’s nothing that has been adversarial, it’s more of an education situation right now, and I’m optimistic that we’ll sign him. Right now we’re in a situation where he’s a restricted free agent and so he can go out and get an offer sheet from anybody and get a contract, but we have the ability to match any offer that he can get.

Nothing adversarial, my puhtooteee. It's too late in the process to be talking about "educating" the player. Gotta think Pek might end up signing the qualifying offer if MIN doesn't figure out a SnT first.

[AHF]

They are educating him that he has no option for a multiyear deal but to take less than he wants and that there is risk with the qo because of his age and limited track record. I hope he takes the qo.

[LamarHampton]

Would love to have him but not sure how he could make it down to the A-T-L. I would guess that DF has been trying to work something out, but who knows for sure. Does sound odd that they're trying to "educate" him.

[AHF]

Educate is a nice way of saying that they are telling him he has no leverage.

[sturt]

Hmmm... but if you're Pek, do you perceive it as a "nice" way...or as condescension?

[AHF]

Hmmm... but if you're Pek, do you perceive it as a "nice" way...or as condescension?

You are probably pissed off that you feel you are getting squeezed for less than you are worth but you have to get to the actual decision-making point on whether to accept the offer or go with the qualifying offer. Soliciting a third party multi-year contract isn't really viable anymore so those are pretty much his only options. Consider this the reverse of the Joe Johnson situation (the one where the team has to hold its nose and sign him up for more than he is worth or let him walk).

I consider the use of the word "educate" in this context to be condescending but he may be off the reservation right now in what he wants. He will have to have a come to Jesus moment and pick between:

1 - the qualifying offer

2 - the Minny multi-year offer

or

3 - leaving the NBA and playing overseas

None of those are probably anywhere close to where he wanted to be this offseason.

[IllestPamfilis]

Wow I didn't even know he was still unsigned. You would think with Danny's love for europeans he would be one of the first people he would talk to. AND he's a big man. There's got to be a reason why we didn't go after him.

[MrMeltdown]

Would much rather have him than Milsap, Brand, and all that other stuff we spent money on. I think offering the guy 3 year $30 or $36 million would have been the most forward thinking move of the off-season. Instead we pay Brand, Milsap, and a bunch of other 6"10 guys.

[AHF]

Wow I didn't even know he was still unsigned. You would think with Danny's love for europeans he would be one of the first people he would talk to. AND he's a big man. There's got to be a reason why we didn't go after him.

Because he is a restricted free agents and everyone has assumed that Minny will match any offer to him. Not many RFAs move when their teams want to retain them.

[Sothron]

He was expecting a full max offer because let's face it most teams go bat nuts crazy in the offseason trying to sign guys. Instead the teams with cap room deliberately did not offer that kind of deal and he has been waiting on the sidelines for someone to do it. Now I don't think anyone can offer him that much. So Minny is looking at this and saying "why do WE have to pay him a max deal if no one else did?"

And they smartly are probably trying to get him to sign for 10-12 million a year. My guess anyways. Frankly if I were him I'd sign the QO and become a UFA next offseason. If he has another slightly sub All Star quality season then he'll make more next offseason. Very few NBA guys actually do this though and most take the best deal they can while a RFA.

[sturt]

Actually PHI still could.Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[AHF]

Actually PHI still could.Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

The same PHI whose entire plan is based on tanking for next season will sign a near 30 year old effective but non-star center? Yeah, the threat to Minny is the same as if they were capped out!

[sturt]

I understand that... just pointing out that there is a team with room, that's all.Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[benhillboy]

I can't say I've ever seen him play a whole game, but his numbers look damn good. The few times I can catch the Wolves, I'm focused on Rubes. As a Dwight Howard Despiser, I have to point out when guys hit as many or more shots as he does but turn the ball over and foul much less, for a fraction of what the Big Dummy costs. There has to be something signifigant Danny doesn't like about him. I'm not a fan of Euro Bigs' mild temperament too tough myself. All I hear is how strong he is. I've never heard about any intensity.

Edited August 3, 2013 by benhillboy

[AHF]

Danny didn't want to tie up our cap space on a guy Minny would match or sign us up for a longterm high dollar deal for a non-star. Don't take that as a red flag.