Wolves Insider: Trade must be judged by record, not stats

The Timberwolves' last draft-night swap inspires nightly boxscore comparisons -- Brandon Roy's statistical line vs. Randy Foye's -- and we all know how that has turned out so far.

Thursday's big midnight deal isn't so simple.

Even if O.J. Mayo blossoms into an NBA star -- unless, of course, we're talking the next M.J. or Kobe -- the Wolves' acquisition of Kevin Love should not be judged against the scoring average and All-Star appearances produced by a player who brings different talents to a different position.

Rather, you can measure Kevin McHale -- his neck now stuck out far beyond its usual gangly proportions -- and his latest transaction this way: Do Love's unique gifts make Al Jefferson, already an All-Star, a better player and does Love's freakish outlet passing, his inside-outside game and the financial freedom Thursday's eight-player deal provides transform the franchise?

This time last year, the Wolves' roster was an aging, mismanaged mess saddled with bloated contracts (Mark Blount and Marko Jaric foremost) and superstar Kevin Garnett's demand for a three-year, $60 million contract extension.

Today, they have assembled a collection of talented young players around 23-year-old Jefferson, magically cleared salary cap room that might loom large in the future, particularly 2010, and stockpiled some draft picks that could bring them three first-rounders next summer.

The Wolves leveraged the promise of Mayo's talent for three important pieces that McHale contends instantly make his team better: a career 40-percent three-point shooter in Mike Miller, future cap room and 19-year-old Love's "intangibles," a word Love himself and Wolves management guys McHale, Jim Stack and Fred Hoiberg all use to describe what the 6-10 forward most will bring.

When we last checked, there are no boxscore categories for unselfishness, intellect or influence on a team that now by the addition of both Love and Miller purportedly will bear little resemblance in style of play to last season's model.

"We can just play so much differently next year because of the way we'll be able to spread the court," Hoiberg said.

That, in theory, will give Jefferson -- one of only four men in the NBA last year to average 20 points and 10 rebounds -- more space to operate. Also in theory, Love's ability to precisely fire the ball nearly the length of the court with seemingly a flick of his wrist will, according to Pac-10 watcher and former NBA star Marques Johnson, transform second-year swingman Corey Brewer into a more effective player.

"That's a basketball skill I don't think people appreciate," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. "What's an outlet pass? Give me a couple of guys who can do it and you can run a lot better. Our guards are going to have to adjust to that. That was a problem for them last year, having to come way back for the ball.

"Having a player with a skill like that is going to enable us to be a quicker-paced team. I don't want to be a plodding team up and down the floor."

Free agency looms

Thursday's trade gives Wittman flexibility to use Jefferson, Love, Miller, Brewer and Ryan Gomes, provided the team can re-sign the restricted free agent -- at more than one position.

But the decision to trade a second-round pick to Miami for $2 million and two 2009 second-round picks before they knew they were about to deal away Mayo and Marko Jaric leaves them with just one point guard, starter Randy Foye, under contract with free-agency set to start Tuesday.

The Wolves won't make restricted free agent Sebastian Telfair a qualifying offer because they're unwilling to guarantee him $3.5 million a season, so a point guard who started for the Wolves for the first three months last season is free to sign with any team starting Tuesday. Wittman said he'd like three players -- a veteran backup and perhaps a rookie who can play both guard spots -- from which to choose at point guard.

"That's an area we need to look at, definitely," McHale said. "There will be some free agents available, some different things. We really like Sebastian, too, and I hope we can get a deal done with him. We'll have some options."

Point guard suddenly is thin, but McHale calls the Wolves immediately a better passing team, a better shooting team and more cohesive in the locker room with the addition of Love, Miller, Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal and the subtraction of Antoine Walker and Jaric.

"A lot of things happened when we made that trade," McHale said.

More than anything, McHale, who might always be known as the guy who traded Roy for Foye, stuck his neck even further out on the block, betting on a teenager who modeled himself after McHale's Hall of Fame game.

"You've got to do what you feel is right," McHale said. "Brandon Roy has played better than Randy Foye, but I don't think anybody is going to judge anybody's career after two years. At least you'd think not. This was just a situation where if it's something you feel you need to do, you do it. I've never been one to worry too much. You've got to do what's best for your team, and I feel this was best for our team."

Check the standings, not the stats, in about five years.