2006-2007 Finish: 45-37

What went...

Welcome to a special edition of Team By Team. Once a year it seems a GM in the NLL goes "trade crazy." We define "trade crazy" as a condition where a team changes its look so many times in a season that is impossible to comment on the entire season since the faces change so quickly. As we all know, the Timberwolves won the Northwest Division but lost to the NLL Champion Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. Rather than set up the column like other Team by Teams we are going to examine the dozen or more deals "trade crazy" GM Javijoe pulled off this season (ignored draft pick only deals).

Nate Robinson for Chris Duhon- Before the season began, the Wolves traded the diminutive Robinson to New York for another point guard. While Robinson became a fan favorite in the Big Apple and remains a good option off the bench, Duhon didn't see any time in a Wolves uniform. More on that later.

Bob Sura and Wally Szczerbiak for Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jamaal Tinsley- Good deal here for the Wolves. They pass off the eternally injured Sura and Szczerbiak for the aging Abdur-Rahim and half-decent Tinsley. Tinsley will be gone in three weeks and Abdur-Rahim? He gets sent back to Utah before the trade deadline!

Rasho Nesterovic and Beno Udrih for Erick Dampier- The Wolves keep finding deals for bad players. Nesterovic was a burden with his huge salary and Udrih is a chronic 15th man. They get Dampier who is a good source of boards and blocks off the bench. He makes it until the end of the season with Wolves. But not much longer.

Eric Williams and 1st rounder for Fred Jones and Amir Johnson- Williams has been nothing but a drag the last few seasons and management were more than happy to see him go. Jones would last a few weeks but Johnson is still with the club (unsigned)! He dominated in the D-League but what happens when he sees some time next season?

Tayshaun Prince for Chauncey Billups and Chris Duhon- Just a reminder- the season hasn't started yet. Billups is talking he will opt out and no longer a safe bet. Bye bye to Duhon. The Wolves bring in Prince who put up some pretty consistent numbers. He will play the season out in Minnesota....and then get traded back to Detroit!!

Devean George and CJ Miles for Anthony Johnson and Walter Herrmann- Okay, the season has started now. Miles is the second winner for someone who is still with this club. He is unsigned and not worth much. George stuck around to see himself traded at draft time. Herrmann went on to play some heroic ball and Johnson remained a good bench guy.

Elton Brand, Baron Davis, Jason Maxiell and Thabo Sefolosha for Kevin Garnett, Jamaal Tinsley, Fred Jones, Lawrence Roberts and Hassan Adams- Now we're talking! The Wolves redefine their entire lineup! Gone is the much beloved KG on a chance for the expiring Brand and Davis. Davis actually put up some decent numbers and GM Javijoe is trying hard to keep them both in town. Not for the want of trying to trade them. He was burning up the phones trying to move the unsigned Davis during draft time. Maxiell and Sefolosha are gone already.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jamal Sampson for Troy Murphy- The Jazz move big salaried Troy to the Wolves...for the same guy they traded weeks before! The Jazz are trying to move Reef again and guess what? Murphy is playing elsewhere than Minny.

Troy Murphy for Joel Przybilla and Josh Childress- The season is over now. The Wolves trade Murphy for two players that almost never play. Even when healthy Przybilla does next to nothing. Childress seems to be improving and if he stays healthy this deal may work out for Minnesota.

Anthony Parker and 1st rounder for Tayshaun Prince, Jason Maxiell and Jordan Farmar- Farmar and Prince both played well for the Wolves. So why not trade them? Prince goes back home and the Wolves get an aging guy who can shoot.

Erick Dampier, Devean George and Thabo Sefolosha for Jared Jeffries, Mehmet Okur and Gabe Pruitt- Phoenix rids itself of Jeffries but loses its best center in the process. Nice deal for the Wolves, if they keep everyone.

Looking to the future

The future is usually short for a player these days in Minnesota. They need to re-sign Josh Howard (definite), Davis (highly likely) and Brand (50-50). Then expect someone to be traded.

The rest of the bench is looking thin. They have five rookies to join the squad (Al Thornton, Nick Young, Wilson Chandler, Jared Dudley and Pruitt) but if the Knicks proved anything it's a squad of youngsters isn't necesarily the way to a title. GM Javijoe really needs to settle which way this team is going and then prove it to us.

The regular edition of Team By Team will resume next time.