Amidst the speculation of Al being moved to either Dallas or Utah, the following Tweet from Jazz CEO Greg Miller may tell the tale:
“I just approved a Jazz roster move that I’m very excited about. Planning to share details tomorrow.”
Yikes. Looks to me like a trade exception and perhaps future considerations involving draft picks or the rights to foreign players. Let’s wait to see what happens tomorrow before we irrationally trash Kahn on anything. With that said if we trade Al for nothing all I can say is: terrible move. Dreadful move. Especially to a division rival. Goodnight.
UPDATE from Jerry Z:
“Hearing major move Jazz CEO sez it’ll make is Big Al’s $13 million salary for a protected 1st-round pick from Mem and more.”
This is on Kahn to turn this TE into something worthwhile and quickly.
***UPDATE: Looks like this is going down. It’s being reported all over the web/twitter. Here’s Marc Stein:
Sources told ESPN.com that the Jazz and Timberwolves are on the verge of completing a trade that would slot Jefferson’s contract into the $14 million trade exception that Utah created earlier this week in its sign-and-trade deal with Chicago for Carlos Boozer.
The full extent of the package that Minnesota would receive in return was not immediately known, as one source told ESPN.com that the two teams were still discussing the terms of draft picks that Utah would send to seal the deal.
But because its trade exception is large enough to absorb Jefferson’s $13 million salary next season, Utah can complete a trade for Jefferson without sending back any players to the Wolves. Sources with knowledge of Minnesota’s thinking said Monday that the Wolves’ main aim in shopping Jefferson in recent weeks has been securing multiple future first-round picks and taking back as little salary if possible.
Via his Twitter account Monday night, Utah CEO Greg Miller wrote: “I just approved a Jazz roster move that I’m very excited about. Planning to share details tomorrow.
***Here are more updates:
– From David Aldridge at NBA.com
– From Jerry Zgoda’s Blog at the Star Tribune
– From Ross Siler at the Salt Lake Tribune
– From The Baseline at the Sporting News
Here are the protections on the Memphis 2011 1st round pick we’d get in the deal:
Here are the conditions on the Memphis first-round pick owed to Utah: Top 14 protected in 2011, top 12 in 2012, top 10 in 2013, top 9 in 2014 and 2015. If a first-round pick isn’t conveyed by 2015, cash considerations will apply.
Lots of TWB Forum discussion on this trade HERE.
Sounds like we are just dumping Al Jefferson for cap space, and Memphis Grizzlies 2011 (very heavily) protected 1st round pick. Not a fan of this trade one bit. 
KAHN just gave away Al Jefferson for cap space. Now it’s up to KAHN to maximize this newfound raw cap space we’ll have… approximately $17 million under the cap, with at least 3 roster spots to fill. Rumor has it the Wolves are likely to sign Luke Ridnour for 4 years at $16 million. WTF? The Ramon Sessions for Rudy Fernandez rumor better be damn legit! Why didn’t we sign Shaun Livingston last year for a minimum contract? A lot of us wanted that to happen. Now the Wolves might potentially pay him much more (if Ridnour doesn’t sign with us.) Epic Fail.
Lucky for Big AL… he goes from a cellar-dweller to a perennial playoff team. Will Big Alco regain his pre-injury form? It usually takes about two years for that to happen (See: Amare Stoudamire, among others), so conventional wisdom is that we traded Jefferson at the very LOW POINT of his trade value. If he returns to health, he could average 25 and 12 playing with Deron Williams. Ouch, that would hurt. He’ll torture and dominate the Wolves for years.
Could Jefferson’s trade value have increased if we didn’t trade him now? Hard to tell, but that’s on KAHN nonetheless, for doing his damndest to lower his value in the first place, by basically offering him to every single team in the league, and talking about how they have been trying to trade him for a month. He should have kept his mouth shut, or traded him before/during the draft.
Discuss this and much, much more in the TWolves Blog Forums with tons tens of other remaining Wolves fans.