Since the 2021 offseason started, rumors have been continuously swirling around All-Star point guard Ben Simmons and his future with the Philadelphia 76ers. After taking most of the blame for their failure to win the NBA championship title last season, most people were expecting Simmons to follow in the footsteps of other superstars and find his way out of the City of Brotherly Love.
Simmons did what’s expected of him to do with the help of his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group. He officially demanded a trade from the Sixers and told them that he wouldn’t be attending the training camp if he’s not moved before the start of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Timberwolves Emerging As Potential Landing Spot For Ben Simmons
Despite his shooting woes, Simmons has been receiving plenty of interest in the trade market since the 2021 offseason officially began. One of the top suitors of the former No. 1 pick is the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves headed into the summer of 2021 with the goal of building a title-contending team around the face of the franchise, Karl-Anthony Towns.
With a plethora of valuable trade assets, the Timberwolves are in a strong position to engage in a blockbuster deal with the Sixers involving Simmons. According to CBS Minnesota, Bovada even gave the Timberwolves the "best odds" to win the Simmons sweepstakes.
Why The Ben Simmons-To-Timberwolves Trade Still Hasn’t Materialized
Unfortunately, the Timberwolves don’t seem to be ready to go all-in to acquire Simmons. In a recent podcast, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic talked about Simmons and revealed the "deal-breakers" of the Sixers-Timberwolves blockbuster trade. According to Krawczynski, the Timberwolves refused to include their young stars, specifically Towns and Anthony Edwards, in any trade negotiation involving Simmons.
"The Sixers want a premium for (Ben Simmons), someone that can help them right away," Krawczynski said, as transcribed by Justin Grasso of Sports Illustrated. "But the Timberwolves don’t want to trade Anthony Edwards or Karl-Anthony towns. Those are those are deal-breakers."
Timberwolves Want To Form ‘Big Three’ Of Former No. 1 Picks
It’s hardly surprising that the Timberwolves don’t have any interest in trading Towns or Edwards in exchange for Simmons. Towns is still considered the team’s main guy, while Edwards has already shown huge potential to become an elite guard in the league. Also, there were speculations that the Timberwolves are chasing Simmons to form a "Big Three" consisting of former No. 1 picks.
As of now, the Timberwolves’ best chance of acquiring Simmons is offering a loaded-up package of players and picks centered around D’Angelo Russell.
Does Swapping Ben Simmons For Karl-Anthony Towns Or Anthony Edwards Make Sense For The Sixers?
Since they made Simmons available on the trading block, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has been telling every potential suitor that they are expecting an All-Star caliber player in return. However, while Towns was the one who has earned All-Star recognitions, the Sixers are better off picking Edwards if they would have to choose.
Towns is undeniably one of the best young big men in the league, but he’s playing the same position as Embiid. Despite his lack of experience, Edwards would be a great addition to the Sixers’ backcourt, giving them a young star guard who is capable of spacing the floor for Embiid.
