Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 potential Ben Simmons trades for the Wolves
By Ben Beecken
The Minnesota Timberwolves ‘Best-Case’ Ben Simmons trade package
Admittedly, the most likely Simmons trade is the ‘Give-In’ scenario that was laid out on the previous slide.
Eventually, Philadelphia may realize that Russell, McDaniels, and a few first-round picks are the best they can do at the moment, and as long as they don’t want to deal with a disgruntled Simmons who may not even show up for training camp, they could just take what they can get.
But if the Wolves wanted to pull off a best-case-scenario trade for Ben Simmons that does not include Towns, Edwards, or Russell and also does not include a third team, it would have to look something like this…
First of all, there’s absolutely an argument to be made that Beasley is a better player than Russell in a vacuum, and especially when considering salary.
The reason why Russell may still be a more attractive centerpiece, however, is that he can be the lead guard to initiate an offense and run a deadly pick-and-roll with a dynamic big man such as Joel Embiid.
Beasley, while a fantastic offensive player, thrives in catch-and-shoot situations and in transition more than he does with the ball in his hands.
Still, a Beasley + McDaniels package with at least four first-round picks could get things done. If Philly can figure out the point guard spot, adding Beasley’s shooting and McDaniels’ upside could be attractive.
Also, while the Sixers want to win now, don’t discount the fact that both Beasley and McDaniels are under team control for the next three years, on top of four first-round picks.
By the way, don’t be surprised if the 76ers push for Patrick Beverley to be included in place of Prince as the final salary-matching piece. Beverley is simply a better player than Prince, and from the Wolves’ side, it would actually make more sense in terms of roster balancing since McDaniels gets shipped out and Russell stays in the Twin Cities.
From a Wolves perspective, the nucleus of Simmons, Russell, Edwards, and Towns remains in place. Jarred Vanderbilt could start at the 4, and Patrick Beverley and Josh Okogie would both be plus defenders off the bench.
If a deal gets done without a third team and without Russell, it could look like this.
Now, let’s look at the three-team possibility.