Ben Simmons was already off the board by the time Minnesota made its draft pick in 2016, but now they could be getting another bite at the apple.
Darren Wolfson of SKOR North reported this week that the Timberwolves “badly” want to trade for the Philadelphia 76ers star.
This would be an excellent buy-low opportunity for the Wolves or any other interested team after Simmons’ brutal playoff flameout. But the 24-year-old is still owed a steep $146 million over the next four years with a 15 percent trade kicker to boot.
Minnesota had three starters this season (Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Malik Beasley) connect on better than 38 percent of their three-point attempts. That is the type of spacing that they would need to accommodate Simmons, who could also transform the Wolves on the defensive side of the ball. But presuming that Towns and Anthony Edwards are the untouchables on the roster, Minnesota would likely have to attach Russell and/or Beasley in a trade for Simmons just to make the salaries match.
The Wolves might not be able to put together as competitive of a Simmons trade package as this other interested suitor. But it certainly sounds like they will try their hardest to reel in the former No. 1 overall pick.
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