On paper, Minnesota’s trade with Philadelphia last week made little sense. Minnesota received John Carney, Calvin Booth, and a first-round draft pick from the 76ers. And in return, Philly didn’t even get a player; they got what they needed most, though… something Minnesota couldn’t even give them directly: Elton Brand.
Brand, one of the hottest players on the free-agent market this off-season, did indeed sign with Philadelphia following the move. Minnesota, in turn, gets a couple players and a pick, and sets themselves up to have a lot of cap space available in 2009 and 2010.
And 2010 is a year the Wolves want to be among the players in free-agency, because of who will be available then. Sure, there are some big names: Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudemire, Tracy McGrady, Michael Redd, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade.
But the biggest name of all is the name that could put Minnesota back on the superstar map, a name that would make people actually wipe from memory
the Garnett era. It’s a name that, teamed with the core players Minnesota is putting together, would make the Wolves a perrennial championship franchise for years and years to come.
That name, of course, is LeBron James. In 2010, he’ll be 25, a free agent, and he’d look good in black-green-and-blue.
Tags: 76ers, Elton Brand, LeBron James, memory, Minnesota Timberwolves
