Pekovic?

[ninjabiscuit]

Don't know how much water this story holds, but supposedly we're interested in Nikola Pekovic from the T-Wolves IF the Wolves don't make him happy. The Rockets, Pelicans and Bulls are also interested. Based on what I've seen, he'd be great at the right price. Based on what has happened several times in the past few months, this means he's going to the Pelicans.

http://www.sportsworldreport.com/ar...-coming-sacramento-kings-rockets-pelicans.htm

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Technically the article speculatively says we're a "fit" for Pekovic if the 'Wolves decide to sign-and-trade him (which I doubt). It doesn't really say we're interested.

I like Pekovic, but he's still not exactly the shot-blocking C we've been hoping to bring in, and he'd be expensive (~$14M/yr - he thinks Minny's $12M/yr is too low). Even then, I really don't see us being able to put together a desirable package for Minnesota. We can assume that Cousins and McLemore are out of the question. Landry can't be traded. Thornton makes little sense given that they already have Martin and Muhammad. IT and Jimmer aren't really tempting because they already have three PGs (Rubio/Shved/Barea). I'd figure JT would have to be in the package, but then what else?

I think Minnesota would consider it for JT + McLemore, but I don't think we offer Ben. So Pekovic seems a bit out of reach.

 

[VF21]

From all indications, the TWolves intend to keep him. I don't have a link, but Flip Saunders mentioned him during the Kevin Martin media stuff...

 

[Darth Divac]

We can't get him, and he's not what we need anyways.

 

[KingMilz]

We can't get him, and he's not what we need anyways.

Plus he wants somewhere around 15mil per season

 

[Bricklayer]

We keep doing the Pekovic thing, but nothing has changed: bad fit next to Cousins, at a ridiculous near max price. If you're going to let Reke walk at $11. you have no business even being in the market for Pekovic at $14mil. Big ground bound massively strong slow footed pure post player who can't defend the rim? Since when did that in any conceivable way fit with Cousins? Hence the article is kind of stupid. Unless fo course it wants us to trade them Cousins for Pek, in which case the article is even more stupid.

Of the teams they mentioned, we are basically the worst fit of any of them. Houston is a terrible fit too, but there you could at least try somehow to argue Houston could swap you Asik for him. But why? Pek can't play next to Howard and they both occupy the same space on offense. Chicago makes no sense unless the argument is that Pek plays center and Noah PF, and Boozer is then swapped to the Wolves...except what the hell do the Wolves want with Boozer with Love already there?

But there is one team on that list where Pek legitimately would be a great fit, and yes, its our new nemesis the Pelicans again. He's 90% of what they need next to Davis. Unfortunately the piece they would have to be willing to part with back the other way would likely be Eric Gordon...in which case such a trade would have made a lot more sense back in June before free agency started and the Wolves got Kevin Martin.

 

[Kingster]

We keep doing the Pekovic thing, but nothing has changed: bad fit next to Cousins, at a ridiculous near max price. If you're going to let Reke walk at $11. you have no business even being in the market for Pekovic at $14mil. Big ground bound massively strong slow footed pure post player who can't defend the rim? Since when did that in any conceivable way fit with Cousins? Hence the article is kind of stupid. Unless fo course it wants us to trade them Cousins for Pek, in which case the article is even more stupid.

Of the teams they mentioned, we are basically the worst fit of any of them. Houston is a terrible fit too, but there you could at least try somehow to argue Houston could swap you Asik for him. But why? Pek can't play next to Howard and they both occupy the same space on offense. Chicago makes no sense unless the argument is that Pek plays center and Noah PF, and Boozer is then swapped to the Wolves...except what the hell do the Wolves want with Boozer with Love already there?

But there is one team on that list where Pek legitimately would be a great fit, and yes, its our new nemesis the Pelicans again. He's 90% of what they need next to Davis. Unfortunately the piece they would have to be willing to part with back the other way would likely be Eric Gordon...in which case such a trade would have made a lot more sense back in June before free agency started and the Wolves got Kevin Martin.

I've been reading about Pekovic's poor D, but when I recall Cousins playing against him it seems to me that Pekovic stayed right with him on his drives. Pek gave him trouble on the defensive end, not just the offensive end. At least that's what I recall.

 

[KingMilz]

I've been reading about Pekovic's poor D, but when I recall Cousins playing against him it seems to me that Pekovic stayed right with him on his drives. Pek gave him trouble on the defensive end, not just the offensive end. At least that's what I recall.

Also helps when you have Ak47 flying in to block/bother and contest you all the time and leaving our scrub SF's open

 

[mac]

I've been reading about Pekovic's poor D, but when I recall Cousins playing against him it seems to me that Pekovic stayed right with him on his drives. Pek gave him trouble on the defensive end, not just the offensive end. At least that's what I recall.

You remember correctly. Thing with Cousins is defending him is not really defending the rim per se. Cousins is very groundbound himself. Pekovic is no shotblocker, but I disagree with Brick in that I don't think he's slow footed. Like you said, he stayed with Cousins very well and was arguably the "anti-Cousins" of the season. As far as his help D goes I haven't watched the Wolves enough to make any sort of judgment, and it doesn't help that help D never comes into play when playing against the Sacramento Kings. What I do know is that he may have shut down Cousins, but had a very different impact defensively than Ibaka had in the games against us where they got block after block and you could see the Kings players getting afraid of attacking the rim.

 

[Fear the Putin]

You remember correctly. Thing with Cousins is defending him is not really defending the rim per se. Cousins is very groundbound himself. Pekovic is no shotblocker, but I disagree with Brick in that I don't think he's slow footed. Like you said, he stayed with Cousins very well and was arguably the "anti-Cousins" of the season. As far as his help D goes I haven't watched the Wolves enough to make any sort of judgment, and it doesn't help that help D never comes into play when playing against the Sacramento Kings. What I do know is that he may have shut down Cousins, but had a very different impact defensively than Ibaka had in the games against us where they got block after block and you could see the Kings players getting afraid of attacking the rim.

well that's mostly because Pek is in an immovable human species. Mack truck description doesn't even do him justice. More of a giant mining truck.

 

[Bricklayer]

I've been reading about Pekovic's poor D, but when I recall Cousins playing against him it seems to me that Pekovic stayed right with him on his drives. Pek gave him trouble on the defensive end, not just the offensive end. At least that's what I recall.

Pek is most effective against precisely guys like Cousins, power guys that go right at him. The numbers show BTW that Cousins is beginning to figure him out as he is a lot of guys, and using his superior perimeter skills and mobility now. But in any case, if what was remotely needed was a big strong pure center who can muscle other big strong centers on defense, Pek can be effective there. However we already have one of those. And unfortunately Pek gets victimized by guys who can score form the perimeter, and is completely useless as a help defender inside. He's got those Kevin Willis T-Rex arms, and even compounds it by having narrow shoulders.

I actually like Pek quite a bit. But not for us. Its just a very bad fit on both ends of the floor. If you could sign him for $7mil/yr and let him play Cousins backup it could be fun, if still not a perfect fit. I would take it over any of our little midgets. Give me size and power all day. You take your twerps. We'll see who wins. But that's not the deal at all. The guy wants to be a near max contract guy. Even if we had the cap room to sign him that would be incredibly financially irresponsible given the conflicts he creates with our franchise guy. But as it is, we couldn't even do it without trading away a stack of material to get him. And Minny has no reason to make that material John Salmons and Travis Outlaw.

 

[kingjatt]

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine 30m This just in: I'm told Nikola Pekovic and Wolves have agreed to five-year deal worth $60 million

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine 29m Sources with knowledge of deal say contract will also include up to $8 million in additional incentive-related bonuses for Pekovic

Wow i guess this leaves little doubt that Cousins will get that Max Extension, talk about paying a hefty premium.

 

[Bricklayer]

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine 30m This just in: I'm told Nikola Pekovic and Wolves have agreed to five-year deal worth $60 million

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine 29m Sources with knowledge of deal say contract will also include up to $8 million in additional incentive-related bonuses for Pekovic

Wow i guess this leaves little doubt that Cousins will get that Max Extension, talk about paying a hefty premium.

There really has never been much doubt on the Cousins max. Big guys get paid. Big Al got paid $13.5mil per earlier this offseason. And if that report is accurate, this is actually only $12mil per, + another $8mil in incentives. I'm thinking his agent poked around, didn't find any takers at near max money, and came back and just got what he could. Typically agents hate incentive clauses, but if that's what you can get, you take it. He earns them all he is at $13+mil himself.

 

[LPKingsFan]

The fact that some of Pekovic's contract is incentive-based, though, is interesting, and strikes me as a potential model for a Cousins deal. Remember, we're the only team that can offer the 5th year. Maybe shave a million or two off per year over the five years, but offer the ability for Cousins to still earn the max via the incentives. Perhaps something worth bringing to the table before October, at least.

 

[Bricklayer]

The fact that some of Pekovic's contract is incentive-based, though, is interesting, and strikes me as a potential model for a Cousins deal. Remember, we're the only team that can offer the 5th year. Maybe shave a million or two off per year over the five years, but offer the ability for Cousins to still earn the max via the incentives. Perhaps something worth bringing to the table before October, at least.

If the door is open, I hope you try. When Fegan slams it, you just go back to playing by the normal rules. One of the biggest things you need to accomplish in maxing Cousins is making him feel like you believe in him and want him. The more ?? you throw on that dynamic, the more disservice you are doing yourself. If he's open, cool. But you can't force it. Unlike Pek, other teams WILL drop the max on him next summer, so the bargaining power is his, not ours.