Minnesota Timberwolves: Buying or selling 5 trade targets

Minnesota Timberwolves Buy or Sell: Ben Simmons

Last, but obviously not least, we’ll look at the man the Timberwolves covet the most. By all accounts, the team “wants him badly.”

A related question: should they? Spoiler alert: we really, truly do not know.

Simmons is enigmatic in every sense of the word. His combination of size and speed rivals anybody in the NBA. He may well be the best passer in the league, and he is probably the best defender. He was the former number one overall pick and with good reason. He is the biggest star out of every player listed in this article.

Yet, around the world, rec leagues are littered with men and women who shoot the basketball better than Simmons looks likely to during the course of his entire NBA career. So much for surrounding KAT, Ant, and D’Lo with spacing.

We won’t even show you Simmons’ shooting percentages during his recent playoff run here. Dunking With Wolves is not in the business of printing obscene content.

Still, that aforementioned defensive value would do wonders to cover for KAT’s struggles. Furthermore, Simmons would be landing in a situation where he could reinvent himself on offense. He can still grab rebounds and control the open floor for Minnesota, but in half-court sets, he could function as a lob catcher for Russell. Vertical spacing counts too, and Simmons provides it in droves.

Then again, he was virtually unplayable in the NBA playoffs (even if Doc Rivers opted to play him anyway). Plus, his star power may command a price tag that the Timberwolves should not be willing to pay; D’Angelo Russell should be a non-starter, given the risks involved in trying to incorporate Simmons into the offense, as well as his relationship with KAT.

This one is just too difficult, so we’re copping out. If you disagree, blame Ben Simmons’ shooting coach.

Verdict: Unknown