Yet well positioned on Ben Simmons, the Wolves would have a request quite incomprehensible given the situation. Bluff of the century or recipe for the fiasco? We seem rather to turn to the second option …
It’s no longer a secret: Ben Simmons No longer wants to play for Philadelphia, and he wants to be traded before training camp begins in two weeks. This pressure from the Australian, who made it clear that he refused to resume the season in Pennsylvania, does not do the business of the front office of the Sixers, who will have to review his copy.
After very high demands in recent months, GM Daryl Morey understood that he would not have the “Harden-style package” he wanted so much, far from it. The pretending franchises take advantage of Simmons’ position to lower the stakes… even if it means bordering on the ridiculous!
We learn indeed via The Athletic that the Wolves, who are among the teams most on the lookout on the file, would like to deliver almost no key player in exchange:
“The Timberwolves don’t want to trade Anthony Edwards or Karl-Anthony Towns. Those are those are deal-breakers. And they really would rather not trade D’Angelo Russell.”
– @JonKrawczynski on Ben Simmons trade talks
(Via The Athletic | h/t HoopsHype) pic.twitter.com/TmTkltdMAI
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) September 12, 2021
“The Timberwolves don’t want to trade Anthony Edwards or Karl-Anthony Towns. Impossible to imagine a deal with one of them included. And they would really like not to trade D’Angelo Russell ”.
Clearly, Wolves want to keep their 3 most valuable players, which seems like a bit of an exaggeration.
Without offending the rest of the Minnesota roster, what other players can claim to satisfy Philadelphia’s demands? Malik Beasley, Josh Okogie or Jaden McDaniels are all good players, but the Sixers expect better in return. And yet, despite the excess of their requests since the beginning of the show, we understand them.
In this situation, it’s hard to imagine things settling between these two teams, which potentially opens the door to two other contenders whose names come up with insistence on the table: the Cavaliers in the East, and the Blazers in the Where is.
By not wanting to let go of any key players, Wolves are likely shooting themselves in the foot in their pursuit of Ben Simmons. Because if Philly has lowered its price, the offer will still have to be substantial …
